In the Cubs’ first one-run game since closer Daniel Palencia landed on the 15-day injured list Monday with a shoulder strain, the Cubs bullpen covered 14 outs.
“Fifteen hitters and 14 outs, man, that’s just a heck of a job by everybody,” manager Craig Counsell said after the Cubs’ 3-2 win Wednesday against the Braves. “And it’s one of those days where they get their outs, and it sets it up for the next guy. And that’s what’s so important to have a good bullpen, and for the bullpen to work together.”
The Cubs will be relying on matchups at the back end of the bullpen even more heavily, without Palencia generally slotted into the ninth inning for save situations.
Palencia said Tuesday that his shoulder was getting better, and his mobility was back. The team is expected to have an update Friday on his plan, after taking three days in Atlanta to treat the injury.
“Glad it’s something that we feel like is not going to be a long-extent IL,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Wednesday in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “Obviously, there’s still some hurdles we have to get through, but a break this time of year is not the worst thing in the world. He’s had a fantastic season.”
Hottovy pointed to Palencia’s workload, which, at 51 innings in 52 major-league appearances, far exceeded that of any other season of his professional career. Not to mention, he also played in five Triple-A games to start the season.
Palencia said Tuesday that he hoped to be back for the last week of the regular season, going into the playoffs.
“That’s the hard part, I just want to help the team, and right now I can’t,” Palencia said of the mental toll of sitting out down the stretch. “Seeing those guys out there playing, and with me out, It’s just frustrating for me. But just trying to do all my recovery stuff, my therapies and all that. And trying to be back as soon as possible.”
On Wednesday, it was clear the bullpen would have to shoulder a little more of the load. And the pitching moves Counsell made in those innings illustrated how he’s going to try to leverage his relievers’ strengths in the coming weeks.
Starter Jameson Taillon was coming back from a two-week stint on the IL for a strained groin, and though he’d made a rehab appearance to bridge the gap, the Cubs weren’t expected to push his workload. He handed the ball over after 4 ⅓ innings.
First, Counsell turned to left-hander Taylor Rogers to face two left-handed hitters, Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin, on either side of right-handed hitting Ronald Acuña Jr.
Rogers got out of the inning with a sacrifice fly from Olson and a groundout from Acuña Jr. Then to open the sixth inning, he induced Baldwin to ground out to first. Cue right-hander Porter Hodge.
“The way the game sequenced, I thought we found a really good spot to introduce Porter into a bigger inning,” Counsell said. “And he delivered. So absolutely take note of it.”
Hodge, the Cubs’ closer down the stretch this year, has battled injury and mechanical issues for much of this season. But going into Wednesday, he’d strung together three hitless outings in lower-leverage situations.
Then he struck out Ha-Seong Kim and Ozzie Albies to finish a clean sixth inning.
Veteran left-hander Caleb Thielbar faced the bottom of the Braves’ lineup in the seventh inning and retired the side in order.
With the Cubs still clinging to a one-run lead in the eighth, right-hander Brad Keller took the mound against the top of the order.
When the Cubs signed Keller this offseason, he’d spent most of his career as a starter, with some more recent, mostly multi-inning, relief experience. This is his first season in a short-burst, high-leverage role. And he’s excelled.
“He has completely changed who even he thinks he can be as a pitcher, not just the industry,” Hottovy said.
Keller’s one-hit inning Wednesday extended his scoreless streak to 21 appearances, the longest active streak among major-league relievers.
To finish the job, veteran right-hander Andrew Kittredge authored a 1-2-3 ninth inning.