The Cubs can’t shake their bullpen blues.
Even on a night the Cubs’ bats did the unthinkable and scorched Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski for five runs – the Brewers’ fireballing ace hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in a start this season – the story was what the team’s pitching staff couldn’t do in a 9-5 loss: keep their division-leading rivals at bay.
Lefty starter David Peterson was the main culprit, coughing up a 5-3 lead and getting tagged for six runs without getting out of the fourth inning.
But a relief corps that’s struggled lately grabbed negative headlines again, with righty closer Jacob Webb knocked out of the game in the top of the ninth inning after taking a line-drive comebacker off his right forearm.
Manager Craig Counsell updated after the game that X-rays were negative.
Though he’s been the team’s top reliever this season, Webb – who was charged with a couple runs after departing Wednesday – has contributed the loudest moments of a sour stretch for the bullpen, surrendering walk-off homers in consecutive appearances on the Cubs’ most recent road trip.
But he hasn’t been alone, with righty Trent Thornton tagged for six runs in two outings against the Reds last weekend and Daniel Palencia balking a runner home and allowing a game-flipping homer in Tuesday’s loss.
Palencia gave up a run Wednesday, too, and he’s got a 14.54 ERA in five outings since returning from the IL.
“We need Daniel. The results have not been good,” Counsell said after the game. “The best thing we can do is get him out there as much as we can.
“We need our bullpen guys to get outs, and Daniel’s one of the key guys we need to get going. We’re going to keep putting him out there.”
There will be more to come on Webb’s status, but any missed time would be a big problem for the Cubs as they look to right their relief ship in time to count on their bullpen arms in the postseason.
“Hopefully he can get back soon,” third baseman Alex Bregman said.
Making a mess of ‘The Miz’
He’s “The Miz” and nobody beats him?
Most days. But not Wednesday.
The Cubs struck early, with Bregman smacking a two-run, first-inning homer. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single and a Bregman two-out, two-run base hit added three runs in the second.
Though the Cubs started the day with baseball’s highest scoring offense, they’d faced Misiorowski twice previously this summer and managed only one run against him in 12 innings.
This time, they chased him from the game after four innings, matching his shortest start of the campaign.
“It was a pass-the-line night against Misiorowski,” Counsell said, “and that’s a pretty darn good job.”
They weren’t as successful against the Brewers’ bullpen, though, mustering only two hits after the second inning, and the Cubs fell to nine games back in the NL Central standings.