ARLINGTON, Texas — The last time the Cubs played here, on the opening weekend of the 2024 season, the Rangers were still celebrating their first World Series title from the previous October.
Meanwhile, a 23-year-old right-hander from Long Island was making his major-league debut on the mound, an occasion that was big news only in the hamlet of East Setauket, New York, hometown of Cubs pitcher Ben Brown.
It was a nonstop party for the Rangers and a night to forget for Brown, who was cuffed around for six runs and five hits with two walks in a nightmarish eighth inning.
Would the Brown who started and pitched four hitless innings in the Cubs’ 7-1 win Friday over the Rangers, the one who helped give the Cubs their second 10-game winning streak only 39 games into the season, even recognize that kid from East Setauket today?
“Yeah, definitely,’’ Brown said. “I still have all the same old quirks that I had growing up. But, you know, I think it’s cool just being back here where I debuted. It’s been a long two years.’’
A lot has happened since then on both sides of the ledger. The Rangers, 17-21 in an American League in which only four teams have a winning record, have descended into also-ran status in the AL West. Brown, meanwhile, won a spot in the Cubs’ rotation last season, crashed and burned, was sent to the minors, returned to the Cubs as a reliever, added a changeup and sinker this spring and has been manager Craig Counsell’s most reliable option out of the bullpen.
And at Globe Life Field, Counsell asked Brown to go back to the future. With starter Matthew Boyd having surgery on his left knee and expected to miss at least six weeks, Counsell nominated Brown to start in Boyd’s place.
After what he saw against Texas, Counsell said Brown can expect to be called upon again when his turn in the rotation comes up again.
“I don’t think we could have asked for anything more,’’ Counsell said. “I think he was dialed in. He was sharp; he was pounding the strike zone. He was getting quick outs to get him through four quick innings.
“I think it was unexpected, to say the least, [relative to] how you would think it would go. So he did great. And it was a nice step, and a big step to see.’’
Perhaps even a great leap forward.
“I kind of got to the point where I’m just really grateful for the opportunity and can look back at a lot of hard times around here,’’ he said. “Everything comes from just making pitches, defense is doing what the defense does, and thankful for them out there. Carson [Kelly] called a great game, and the rest is history.’’
Brown retired the first five Rangers he faced on ground balls. He threw only 56 pitches, 43 for strikes. He struck out three.
“I think having some confidence is really helpful,’’ he said. “My stuff plays. I know how to repeat my delivery a little better. I thought we had a really awesome game plan just with what we wanted to do early on with the changeup, kind of working through some curveball feels throughout the game.’’
Brown was staked to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Michael Conforto’s bloop double and Ian Happ’s RBI single, then was provided a three-run cushion when Seiya Suzuki went deep with his seventh home run with a man on in the fourth. Michael Busch cleared the bases with a three-run double in the seventh.
So, Brown was asked, what does he think when he hears stuff like this being the first Cubs team since 1935 to have two 10-game winning streaks in the same season?
“That sounds pretty wild to me,’’ he said. “It’s some goose bumps. It’s special to be a part of; it’s special to witness; it’s special to watch.’’
