Recap-Game 2, Cubs Fall to Rangers Late
Oof. Late inning losses are just the worst, arent they? Especially when the game was so exciting and fun right out the gate! If you missed it, here’s what you missed.
We were seeing it a bit towards the end of Spring Training but now that we’ve seen it in the regular season, its probably safe to say that Almora leads off against LHP’s, and Zobrist leads off against righty’s. That made Zo the leadoff man tonight against RHP Edison Volquez, who made his Rangers debut after taking last season to recover from Tommy John surgery.
Zo ended his first at bat with a flyout to left center but it wouldnt take long at all for the offense to get some hits off Volquez. Bryant came up to bat next and hit a double down the left field line. Rizzo came next and took a walk (already his 4th of the season), which put two on for El Mago, who promptly drove in KB with a well hit single out into left-center field, putting the Cubs up 1-0. Schwarbs got his first start of the season, batting 5th and playing DH. His RBI single drove in Rizzo to put the Cubs up 2-0. Contreras came next and he, too, hit a solid rbi single, bringing Baez home and putting the Cubs up 3-0. It seemed like every Cub was going to get in on the action before Heyward came in and bounced into an inning ending double play.
Then it was time for Yu Darvish to take the mound. His first start in 10 months would be against the only other team he really ever called home. (3 months with the Dodgers doesn’t count ?) It started out great. It started out being everything you could hope for out of Yu. He struck out Choo, the Rangers leadoff man. He struck out Roughned ODor (he of the “Punch Heard ‘Round the World” fame). And then the walks came. 3 of them to be exact. Then, with the bases loaded, one of the most prolific strike throwers of his generation did what he does best, and struck out Cabrera to end the inning.
It’s hard to call the top of the second an important inning. There’s 7 more to come, after all, and half the time we’re still waiting for the action to start. Knowing how the game ended, though, it’s easy to look back and say that, even though they were winning at the time, this is very possibly the inning that lost the game for the Cubs.
Bote struck out. Almora took a 4 pitch walk (5th free base of the night already) and the lineup turned over. Zobrist hit into what looked like it was going to be a double play but hustle and a bad throw resulted in a fielder’s choice with Almora out at second and Zobrist safe at first. Bryant worked his way into a walk, putting 2 on for Rizzo, who drove in over 100 last season. That was last season, though, and this season, Rizzo hit into the shift, was out at first, and 2 were left stranded. 2, as in the same amount they lost by. That is not to say this loss is on Rizzo. Not in the least. Though the record wont show it, this loss is very much on Darvish.
Darvish started his half of the second inning giving up 3 straight walks to load the bases before finally striking out Choo with 3 pitches. Odor was up next and didnt plan to go down looking again. It took 58 pitches, 6 walks and 4 strike outs before the Rangers finally put the ball into play. Odor hit a single out to Heyward, the runner on 3rd scored to put the Rangers on the board, but Heyward got to the ball quickly and unloaded a bullet to third base, holding the runner and preventing any more runs from scoring. Adrus came up next and ended the inning with a flyout to Almora.
The Cubs offense came back in the third ready to make up for the ground they lost. Baez lead of with a slow roller to the short stop and was hustling out of the box to make it to first safely. He then wasted very little time in stealing second. Schwarber was able to advance him to third, though he himself was out at first. Contreras then got his second hit of the night and his second RBI with a double to right center, putting the Cubs up 4-1. Unfortunately, neither Heyward nor Bote would be able to bring Willson home as their outs ended the top of the 3rd.
The bottom of the third would be Darvish’s final inning. A walk to Mazara lead things off. Gallo hit into a fielder’s choice and Mazara was out at second. That would prove to be an important out as the very next batter, Cabrera, hit a 2 run homer, bringing the Rangers within one run. Guzman then hit a comebacker and was out at first but with Darvish’s pitch count up to 75, Maddon came out. Darvish’s night was over and though his team had the lead, he would not qualify for the win (that never came) and wont see the loss reflected on his record (though he certainly would have earned it). Darvish’s final like was 2.2 innings pitched, 2 hits, 3 runs/earned runs, a whopping 7 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 1 home run. Heres hoping for a seriously better performance next time, when he wont be in his old ballpark, making his “Take 2 Debut”.
Steve Cishek was the next Cub pitcher to take the mound, making his season debut. Rangers catcher Kiner-Falefa, was able to hit a single up the middle before Cishek struck out Deshields.
Cubs #5 pitcher, Jose Quintana, made his season debut in this game, also, when he came in in the bottom of the 4th to pitch in relief. He struck out Choo, gave up a single to Odor, picked off Odor, before getting Andrus to ground out. He didnt have a clean inning but it was sti a “1,2,3” inning.
Cubs put some more runs on the board in the 5th. Schwarber hit his first homer of the season. A solo shot that put the Cubs up 5-3. Contreras followed that with a double, took third on a wild pitch, then came home when Heyward hit a sac fly to deep left, putting the Cubs up 6-3.
Quintana pitched a total of 4 innings and was a solid relief pitcher for the Cubs. Before his night was through, though, he gave up 2 runs in the 7th to put the Rangers within 1 of the tie. His final line of the night: 4 innings pitched with 2 runs/earned runs, 3 walks and 8 (yeah, 8!) strikeouts.
With the game on the line, Carl Edward’s Jr came in in the bottom of the 8th. Elvis Andrus was the first Rangers batter to face him. He hit a slow roller up past second base but because of the shift, nobody was there to get it and it turned into a single. The tying run was now on base. Mazara was next in line and took a walk. Joey Gallo was up next. He took the very first pitch he saw and sent it into the stands behind center, giving the Rangers their first (and only) lead of the night. Cubs were now down 8-6. CJ wasnt able to get a single out and was pulled after walking the next batter. Brandon Kintzler came in next, promptly shutting down the Rangers rally by inducting a double play then striking out the next batter to end the 8th, though the damage was done.
With their lead gone, the Cubs heart of lineup had the task of scoring 2 runs to stay alive, 3 to take the lead. Rangers brought in their closer, Jesse LeCleric. He got Rizzo to hit into the shift and he was out at first. Baez hit a sky high infield pop up, bringing the Cubs down to their last out. Schwarber kept the hope alive momentarily when he saw the infield back and decided to bunt, reaching first safely. The game came down to Cubs catcher, Willson Contreras, who had a couple knocks and RBI’s on the night already. Unfortunately, it just wasnt meant to be, as Willson flied out to center field.
The Cubs offense looked great but ultimately, they could not out perform their own pitching. This game exposed a real weakness in the already jumbled mess that is the Cubs bullpen combined with all the doubt and questions that linger around Yu Darvish.
The rubber match game will be played Sunday at 3:05 central standard time when Cole Hamels takes on Lance Lynn.
