Cubs right-hander Ben Brown had been happy with his changeup all game, but as the fifth inning continued to spin out of his control against the Royals, and with speedy Bobby Witt Jr. on third base, one got away.
As soon as the wild pitch got past Cubs catcher Carson Kelly, it was clear the Royals were going to add to their lead.
And the boos from the crowd began.
“I’ve got to start helping the team win — that’s the most important thing,” Brown (4-7) said after a 12-4 loss that put the Cubs a game back in the division after the Brewers won their 11th straight. “I’m kind of like a non-contributor when things [go like they did] tonight, and it’s unfortunate. So whatever opportunity’s ahead of me, I’ve got to be better to earn that and to have that opportunity.”
When the Cubs recalled Brown from Triple-A Iowa earlier Monday, optioning reliever Ethan Roberts as the corresponding move, it looked as though he might have a chance to win back his spot in the rotation. The Cubs have been short a starter since Jameson Taillon landed on the injured list with a strained right calf earlier this month.
But Brown’s four-inning outing — which started when he relieved opener Ryan Brasier and went awry as he surrendered seven runs (six earned) in four innings — didn’t inspire optimism about another turn in the rotation.
“We’ve got five days until we have to do that,” manager Craig Counsell said of solidifying a plan. “We’ll get together and figure out what the best way to try to win that game is.”
Brown was back in the majors after spending nearly four weeks at Triple-A Iowa, where he was sent to clear a spot in the rotation before left-hander Shota Imanaga returned from the injured list in late June. The Cubs had him take almost two weeks off before his first Triple-A start. In two outings, he pitched nine innings, limiting opponents to four hits and one run.
“A lot of it was to give him a little bit of a rest, frankly, too,” Counsell said before the game. “He had two shortish outings in terms of pitches, and pitched very well, very efficient, in both outings. Did exactly what we wanted him to do.
“There’s not a new pitch. There’s nothing new happening there. Ben, he’s just got to execute better. It’s as simple as that.”
That has become a theme in Brown’s up-and-down season. The Cubs have been cognizant of his workload after he was sidelined for much of last year with a neck issue.
“It was a productive three weeks,” Brown said of his time at Iowa. “And that’s what you have to do — you have to control your attitude and effort. When you have an outing like [Monday’s], the only thing I can do is show up tomorrow and be better and work harder.”
Brown surrendered two-out home runs to Jac Caglianone and Salvador Perez in the second and fourth innings, respectively, but rebounded from each to strike out the next batter and get out of the inning.
The Cubs were holding onto a 4-3 lead going into the fifth, thanks to home runs from Kelly and Matt Shaw.
Brown induced ground balls from three straight hitters to start the inning, but only one resulted in an out. The first from Nick Loftin was right up the middle and required a sliding effort from second baseman Nico Hoer-ner. The second from John Rave was a fielder’s choice that had Loftin out at second, but Rave beat out the would-be double play as Brown ran to cover first. Kyle Isbel chopped the ball so hard into the ground that it hopped over Shaw at third base.
Jonathan India doubled to left to score Rave and tie the game, Witt then bounced a comebacker to Brown, who deflected it to second, resulting in an RBI single. Counsell called it the play of the game.
“If we make that play, there’s a chance to get out of the inning with a tie game,” he said.
Instead, Witt stole second, and Kelly’s off-line throw went past shortstop Dansby Swanson for another run before Brown’s wild pitch allowed the Royals to extend their lead to 7-4.
It only got worse for the Cubs as Rave hit a solo homer against reliever Chris Flexen in the seventh, followed by a two-run blast by Perez against Flexen in the eighth.