Nico Hoerner grabbed maintain of a 94-mph fastball within the first inning of Friday’s Chicago Cubs-Arizona Diamondbacks sport and launched it towards the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field.
A crowd of 31,846 bought on its ft in anticipation of a ”Whoomp! There it’s!” second.
But Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. settled in entrance of the ivy-covered wall and watched a 12-mph wind blowing in from the north put the ball again in play, then made a routine catch on the warning monitor.
Whoomp, there it wasn’t.
Summer’s unofficial finish historically turns Wrigley right into a pitcher’s park in September, and Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen made the place his residence in an entire sport, 1-0 win in opposition to the Cubs.
“I definitely thought it had a chance off the bat,” Hoerner mentioned. “But obviously with the wind blowing in, and (it being) a higher-hit ball that was hit well but not crushed. … So yeah, it’s part of playing here.”
Gallen (15-7) held the Cubs to 3 singles and didn’t permit a runner into scoring place, pulling the Diamondbacks inside two video games of the Cubs for the second National League wild-card spot and exhibiting why he’s a Cy Young Award candidate.
The Cubs misplaced their second straight sport, falling 2 1/2 video games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers earlier than their evening sport within the Bronx in opposition to the New York Yankees.
A Cubs lineup that totaled 39 runs in a four-game successful streak appeared lifeless for the second straight day in opposition to Diamondbacks pitching. In Thursday’s 6-2 loss they’d solely 5 hits, together with three within the ninth inning when the sport was out of attain.
They’ll face one other stiff problem Saturday in Merrill Kelly, who squares off in opposition to Cubs ace Justin Steele.
The solely shiny spot Friday was the pitching of starter Jameson Taillon, who had a 6.84 ERA over his earlier 5 begins however carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
“He knows, and we’ve talked about it, at this point of the year the numbers aren’t going to be where you wanted them to be to start the year,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy mentioned. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t end the season on a high note.”
Taillon allowed one hit over six shutout innings however was eliminated to start out the seventh in a scoreless sport after 77 pitches. He retired 17 straight hitters till Corbin Carroll broke up the no-hit bid with one out within the sixth.
Taillon understood the choice by supervisor David Ross, who was not considering explaining his transfer.
“I totally get it,” Taillon mentioned. “We’re in September against another team in the hunt. Every pitch matters. I think they felt like they probably got to the end of the road with me and we were about to turn the lineup over and stuff. It’s one of those things I understood.”
Asked in regards to the choice, Ross merely mentioned: “He was done.”
Why was he completed?
“Because I chose to take him out of the game,” he mentioned. “It’s kind of my choice, right?”
True. But after 77 pitches?
“I don’t need to explain,” he mentioned. “I thought he was done. I thought he pitched a phenomenal game. We’ve got a fully rested bullpen.”
After Taillon left, Julian Merryweather struck out the facet within the seventh earlier than Jose Cuas gave up a leadoff single and a stroll to start out the eighth. Mark Leiter Jr. virtually bailed Cuas out, however Carroll sliced a two-out liner to proper that hardly hit a number of blades of grass in entrance of the mitt of a sliding Seiya Suzuki, scoring the one run of the sport.
It was dominated a catch, however replays confirmed in any other case, and the decision was overturned after a problem from Diamondbacks supervisor Torey Lovullo. A sport of inches turned a sport of millimeters.
“Ball just out of the reach of Seiya,” Ross mentioned. “In an environment like that, putting guys on base comes back to bite you at times. A play just out of reach went their way today.”
With tight video games anticipated down the stretch, Ross’ bullpen might make or break the season. Closer Adbert Alzolay returned after getting per week of relaxation for unannounced “stuff” and pitched a scoreless ninth. Before the sport the Cubs activated veteran Brad Boxberger from the 60-day injured listing and optioned Keegan Thompson to Triple-A Iowa.
Boxberger had been out with a proper forearm pressure since May 15 and had been rehabbing at Iowa since Aug. 14. Hottovy mentioned the Cubs wanted a “veteran presence, a guy who can pitch every day and has been through some playoff pushes.”
The bullpen is loaded with younger pitchers who haven’t skilled a pennant race, so Boxberger’s expertise might be helpful if he’s again to his previous self. The Cubs additionally obtained constructive information from Arizona, the place Marcus Stroman instructed them he’s adamant he’ll return from his fractured proper rib cartilage.
Hottovy mentioned Stroman “texted me 15 times” Thursday after throwing a stay batting-practice session to inform him how good he felt.
Has Hottovy spoken with Stroman?
“A lot of texts,” he mentioned. “That is talking to players now.”
At least he’s not simply sending emojis.
The Cubs are nonetheless in prime place for a postseason berth however can’t afford the offense to vanish or for the younger relievers to falter down the stretch.
The winds of change have arrived at Wrigley, and we’ll see what this workforce is made from.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com