RECAP: Quality Start Streak Ends, Winning Streak Does Not
What a thrill ride that game was! A come-from-behind W! A 6th that featured not one but two 3-run bombs! A diving play by Rizzo! And…a clunker by Hamels? Yep. This game had it all! But to get that W in the end, it all had to start with the first pitch…
Colbert Michael Hamels, or Cole as his friends like to call him, has been pretty stellar in a Cubs uniform. Coming into Wednesday’s game, he was 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA in 4 starts this season, with all those prior starts being of the “Quality Start” variety (6+ innings pitched, allowing 3 or less runs). But nobody is perfect all the time and it was clear from the very first inning that Hamels was going to have a tough time putting away the Dodgers. Through the first 15 batters, Hamels issued 5 walks but he matched that with 5 strikeouts and some timely double plays that kept *most* of those walks (including back-to-back walks in the first that resulted in nothing) from mattering. I say *most* because that changed in the top of the 4th. After starting the 4th with his fourth strikeout, Hamels then allowed his 4th walk of the game to Corey Seager. He followed this up with his 5th strikeout (Pollock), to get the second out of the inning. His 5th K was followed up by his 5th walk, this time to Cody Bellinger. As Tyler Chatwood knows all too well, there’s only so many walks a pitcher can allow before the opposing team makes you pay for them. Wednesday night, that number was 5. With two out and two on, Chris Taylor got the Dodgers first hit of the night. The hit, a groundball, barely left the infield. Rizzo, playing on the grass a little off the line behind first base, made the catch. Unfortunately, Hamels was a little too slow off the mound and Taylor beat him, and the throw, to first. With 2 outs in the inning, the runners on first and second were running on contact and Seager was able to cross home plate just seconds ahead of the throw from first. Thus, the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead. The inning ended with the next batter, Barnes, looking at strike 3.
Hamels issued his 6th walk of the night in the 5th but a flyout to Almora followed by a line out to Rizzo ended the 5th. With Hamels pitch count already nearing 100, it was a little surprising to see him come out in the 6th. He started it with a strikeout to Seager on his 105th pitch. However, Pollick was able to find a gap in the shift between first and second and sent a groundball through it for a single. Cody Bellinger has been on a hot streak coming in to Chicago. Hes at or near the top in most offensive categories, including Homer’s. Cubs left handed pitchers had been able to keep his bat relatively quiet but Bellinger is a good player and good players dont stay quiet ling. So it really wasnt a huge surprise when, with one on and one and Hamels pitch count getting near the “mistakes are inevitable” digits, Cody Bellinger blasted a 2 run bomb that put the Dodgers up 3-0. With the way Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler had been stymieing the Cubs offense, it felt like a much h bigger hole. Hamels was pulled after that homer and Brad Brach came in to end the 6th without anymore noise from the Dodgers offense. Hamels final line on the night: 5.1 innings pitched, 3 runs/earned runs, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts, 1 homer, and he left in line for the loss. He was probably pretty grateful for what the Cubs did next that left him with a no decision.
Walker Buehler came into the game throwing absolute fire. Bryant managed to get his bat on 99 mph fastball for a single in the first but he was the only Cub capable of getting a hit off Buehler through the first 5. In the bottom of the third Descalso had a nice plate appearance and worked a walk to keep the inning alive for Bryant. With two outs on the inning, Descalso was running on contact. So when Bryant smoked a double down the right field line, Descalso was on the move and rounded third, trying to tie things up at 1 apiece. It took two perfect throws from the right fielder to the cutoff man then from the cutoff man to the catcher, to get the ball and the tag laid down just before Descalso’s fingertips swiped home plate. He was out and the inning was over. Cubs wouldn’t be able to touch Buehler again until the 6th. But whoah baby, did they ever make up for lost time!
In the bottom of the 6th, Zagunis pinch hit for Brach. He struck out but the lineup turned over and Descalso had his third look at Buehler. This time, he was able to single to right field. Bryant flied out to center for the second out of the inning and if you’ve been following the Cubs this season, you’ll know that’s when they do a lot of their damage. So it really wasnt a huge surprise when Rizzo worked a great at bat and laid off ball 4 that was just a touch inside to put 2 on for Baez. Baez doesnt take many first pitches so it was a little surprising to see him take strike 1. But it wasnt surprising to see him swing and miss and strike 2. And it really wasnt surprising when, right before our very eyes, Javy Baez transformed into El Mago, and tied up the game on an 0-2 breaking ball that didn’t break. Instead, El Mago got every bit of that ball and absolutely crushed it. Not only did he tie it but he also ran Buehler out of the game.
With Buehler out and reliever Scott Alexander, a lefty, in, Schwarber was swapped out for Bote. In his first at bat since coming back from paternity leave, Bote sent a double to the wall in center field. Contreras was then intentionally walked for Heyward. Maybe a typical lefty/lefty matchup sounded better to Dodgers m a’s anger Dave Robertson but Heyward has had anything but a typical start to his season. He maintained his atypical ways when he crushed the *SECOND* 3-run bomb of the inning to put the Cubs up 6-3 in the 6th.
Cubs scored their seventh and final run in the seventh when Bryant took a pitch in the shoulder to keep the inning alive for Rizzo, who immediately made them pay for hitting his little brother by driving an RBI double to the wall in right-center.
That one run became very important in the 8th. With Steve Cishek in, Freese lead off the 8th by grounding out. Seager hit a single but Pollock struck out. Once again, the damage came with two out. Bellinger kept the inning alive with a single and Verdugo, in pinch hitting for Taylor, crushed the third 3-run homer of the night to put the Dodgers within 1 run of the tie. Fortunately, Cishek got out of the 8th without giving up any more runs.
Pedro Strop, who had his car stolen earlier in the night and was late to the park as a result, came in in the 9th and got the save without any drama, which is good because after that 9th, I dont know that my heart would have been able to handle it!
The Cubs won 7-6 to put them at a season high 2 games over .500. Jon Lester is back for his first start since coming off the IL as the Cubs go for the sweep. The game has already started because I’m slow. ?
I love these write-ups!