It was not a convincing win, and it did not come with the offensive explosion it looked like they might get in the first inning, but none of that matters much. All that matters is that the were able to score four runs in the bottom of the first, and the pitching staff made those runs stand for a 4-3 win in Game 3 on Wednesday, keeping the Cubs alive for a Game 4 vs. the Brewers on Thursday.
While it was great to see Michael Busch hit a leadoff homer for the second time in the series, and for Pete Crow-Armstrong to settle his frustrations over his playoff struggles with a clutch hit, this was all about the pitching staff, and its depth.
That starts with Jameson Taillon, who went 4.0 innings and allowed two runs, on five hits and a walk. That’s not Hall of Fame stuff, but considering the Brewers had scored 16 runs in the first two games, it was a major and welcome change. From there, manager Craig Counsell tabbed arm after arm from the bullpen, using five relievers in all to hold off the Brewers.
Cubs Starter for Game 4 an Open Question
The most immediate concern, of course, is whether the relief pitchers he used on Wednesday will be available on Thursday, when the Cubs will again fight for their playoff lives and the team has limited options for a starter. Matthew Boyd might make the most sense, but the Brewers knocked him around in Game 1.
Ben Brown could make the start, too. Or Counsell could get crazy and attempt a bullpen game. Which is why the fleet of relievers used on Wednesday matters for Thursday.
Counsell had to bolster the hopes of North Side faithful when he said he anticipates all being available: “Yeah, I’m going to always wait to see how they feel when they come in, but I don’t think any of them threw more than 20 pitches. A couple guys went one plus, but nobody with more than 20 pitches. I anticipate being in pretty good shape.”
GettyCubs manager Craig Counsell
Cubs Bullpen Kept Pitch Counts Down
Here’s the tally Counsell was talking about.
- Taillon, 4.0 innings, 75 pitches.
- Drew Pomeranz, 1.0 innings, 15 pitches.
- Daniel Palencia, 1.0 innings, 15 pitches.
- Andrew Kittredge, 1.0 innings, 18 pitches.
- Caleb Thielbar, 1.2 innings, 11 pitches.
- Brad Keller, 1.0 innings, 19 pitches.
If they’re all still viable for Game 4, Counsell could very well take the same bullpen-heavy approach he did in Game 3.
Jameson Taillon Deserves Credit
For the Cubs, it’d be nice to get a start similar to that which Taillon put up. He tamed what was a juggernaut of a Brewers offense in those first four innings, allowing the bullpen to handle what were consistently high-leverage situations.
Said Counsell: “I thought J-Mo really escaped two innings essentially, the first and the fourth, and he had to make big pitches in both innings. That’s why you want J-Mo out there. I said before it’s the calm in the storm, and nothing fazed him, and he made a couple really — both times made some good pitches, in the first to just limit — first and the fourth to limit the damage.
“That’s what being a good pitcher is about. A run scores, and you don’t get flustered. You don’t change anything. You just keep making pitches.”
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