Coming off a win in Javier Baez's return to Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs wanted to keep the momentum going against the Detroit Tigers. With Jameson Taillon on the bump and the wind blowing in slightly, the Cubbies were looking to secure a series win.
Tale of the Tape
Although Taillon was on the bump, the righty has struggled recently. He allowed five and four earned runs in his last two starts , respectively. On Wednesday, Taillon was destined to make it a third straight game of at least four or more earned runs.
An active first inning for the Tigers, featuring a Parker Meadows double and Riley Greene walk, yielded zero runs against the big righty. However, the tides turned in the top of the second inning. Jace Jung walked to lead the inning off. Following a Zack McKinstry popout, Eastern Illinois product Trey Sweeney clubbed his first career home run to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Jake Rogers struck out, setting up Taillon to escape the inning without further damage. However, Meadows doubled yet again, and Riley Greene followed him with a mammoth shot to the right-center bleachers to make it a 4-0 lead for Detroit.
Both offenses were largely anemic until the top of the fifth when Colt Keith clubbed a double. The Tigers failed to plate their second baseman and the 4-0 lead remained in tact.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Cubbies got on the board. Dansby Swanson reached following review of the original call on the field, and Pete Crow-Armstrong moved him over to second with a sac bunt. Then, catcher Christian Bethancourt clubbed a two-run homer down the left field line to cut the Tigers' lead in half.
The Cubs had a chance in the bottom of the sixth with Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes reaching on singles. Unfortunately, Nico Hoerner grounded out to end the threat. The bottom of the seventh brought up another chance to score runs, but Patrick Wisdom's pinch-hit flyout ended the opportunity for the Cubs. Once again, Wisdom's sub-.200 average was used in the pinch over Michael Busch.
The Cubs got to the top of the ninth with the 4-2 score still on the board. Ideally, a quick inning would've set up a chance to come back and win in the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, RHP Jack Neely got rocked in his MLB debut, allowing four runs to score in the top of the ninth.
McKinstry reached via walk, and Meadows singled to give the Tigers two men on. Greene's single scored McKinstry before Kerry Carpenter clubbed a three-run homer for his 12th of the season and the 8-2 lead.
The Cubs went down quietly and fell 8-2 on Tuesday night.
A Brutal Loss
Wednesday's loss wasn't necessarily embarrassing, but it was brutal in its own right. The Cubs struggled to get runners on base, and when they did they failed to generate any momentum. Jameson Taillon wasn't awful, going 5.0 innings while giving up four runs on six hits and two walks. That said, the long ball was Taillon's worst enemy as the Tigers pounced early.
Not all hope is lost. The Cubs have a chance to take the series with a win on Thursday. The matinee contest will feature LHP Justin Steele for the Cubs, meaning a series win is all the more possible. Due to the odd rain delay over the weekend against Toronto, Steele is rather fresh. He hasn't thrown more than 40 pitches in a game since Aug. 10 . A fresh Steele is a recipe for success if the Cubs are going to get back on track.
What's On Tap Next?
As noted, the Cubs and Tigers will finish up their three-game set with a 1:20 p.m. CDT matinee matchup on Thursday. The Tigers have yet to announce their starter, but Justin Steele will take the bump for the Cubs as they look for a series win.
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