Wow. Today’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks was truly one of the craziest, most unpredictable, and insane games of Baseball in Major League history. What seemed like an easy win for the Cubs turned into a bullpen meltdown, where the Cubs’ chances of winning were near zero. But somehow, some way, the Cubs found a way to come out on top by a score of 13-11.
The “normal” part of the game
Let’s start with the most normal aspect of today’s game: The starting pitching. Getting the ball today for Chicago was Colin Rea. The veteran right-hander has been a good addition this year and, with a newly expanded role, has done well for Chicago.
That includes today, as he tossed 4.2 innings of one-run ball against a great Diamondback lineup. He exited the game with the lead and in line to earn the win.
The Cubs would have that lead thanks to a two-run home run from the bat of Carson Kelly in the bottom of the second inning.
Diamondback starter Corbin Burnes also had himself a quality start. As a former division rival, Burnes has gone up against the Cubs many times in his career. He posted his best start of the year so far with two earned runs in six innings pitched.
The Bullpens brought the Chaos
But after the starters left the game, madness ensued. The Diamondbacks allowed Ian Happ to hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, giving the Cubs a commanding 7- 1 lead entering the eighth inning. This lead felt insurmountable to a Diamondback lineup that had been kept quiet all day.
But it seems no lead is safe with the Cubs’ bullpen. The Diamondbacks scored TEN runs in the top of the eighth inning, including a grand slam of their own from who else but Eugenio Suarez. His 458-foot blast off of Porter Hodge set the tone for how the rest of the inning would go.
The Cubs trotted out Jordan Wicks, Porter Hodge, and Ethan Roberts in the eighth inning. They combined to allow ten runs before recording three outs. In a season full of disappointment from the Cubs’ pen, this was their most unfathomable performance. A magnum opus of incompetence.
Never say never
But as if this game wasn’t insane enough, the Cubs would respond with six runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. After getting two men on, Carson Kelly went deep for the second time of the day, bringing the score to a manageable 11-10.
Then, after an Ian Happ single, Kyle Tucker nailed a homer to right field, giving the Cubs the lead for good this time. Seiya Suzuki would add another blast to give the Cubs a much-needed insurance run.
Then, graciously, Ryan Pressley pitched an uneventful ninth inning to shut the door on Arizona. This was one of the craziest wins you will ever see. No team since at least 1912 had won a game when allowing 10 or more runs in an inning later than the third.
The Cubs took Game One against Arizona in dramatic fashion. On to game two.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Cubs make History in comeback win against Diamondbacks – Game 22 recap appeared first on Heavy Sports.