The Chicago Cubs entered Seattle hoping to strengthen their position in the National League playoff race. Instead, they suffered two heartbreaking losses before exploding at the plate on Sunday. After falling in the 10th inning Friday and again in the ninth inning Saturday, the Cubs beat the Mariners 19-2 on Sunday to finish the series 1-2 and leave Seattle with a 75-56 record.
Friday night looked like it was going to be a statement win for Chicago. Pete Crow-Armstrong opened the game with his 32nd home run of the season before Alex Bregman followed with a two-run shot, putting the Cubs ahead early.
Bregman finished with three hits and two home runs, continuing his red-hot stretch. His biggest moment came in the ninth inning, when he launched a game-tying solo homer off Andrés Muñoz with two outs. Despite Bregman’s efforts, Chicago failed to close out the game.
After Matthew Boyd allowed five runs over six innings, the Cubs’ bullpen threw three scoreless innings before they turned to Ryan Zeferjahn in the bottom of the 10th. Leo Rivas delivered the game-winning RBI single, scoring automatic runner Randy Arozarena and giving Seattle a 6-5 victory.
It was a game the Cubs should have won, and fans are patiently waiting for Zeferjahn to live up to the expectations that came with the trade deadline acquisition.
Craig Counsell celebrated his birthday with an ejection. After being tossed by home plate umpire Brennan Miller, according to MLB.com, he stated, "It's not a balk. He hasn't been called for a balk in seven years." Later, he added, "It's a situation where the umpire got fooled and made up a call because he got fooled. It's not a balk. Flat out. No other umpire is calling that a balk."
Saturday was another disaster that ended in a second straight walk-off loss for the Cubs.
The Cubs held a 4-2 lead entering the ninth inning behind a strong outing from David Peterson. Peterson went six innings and struck out eight, becoming a strong asset to the pitching staff.
Jacob Webb, one of the Cubs' most reliable relievers, couldn't deliver. Seattle put together a three-run rally, with Rivas cutting the deficit to 4-3 before Randy Arozarena delivered the final blow. With two outs, Arozarena crushed a two-run homer off Webb, giving Seattle a 5-4 victory. Webb ended his scoreless streak that ran 24 consecutive appearances. Counsell said, "he [Webb] will be out there next time there is an opportunity."
Arozarena strengthened his MVP case by becoming just the seventh player in MLB history to hit both a leadoff homer and a walk-off homer in the same game.
After two straight walk-offs, the Cubs responded exactly how a playoff team should: a 19-2 victory. Chicago pounded Seattle with 17 hits and scored nine runs in the eighth inning alone. Ian Happ and Pedro Ramírez each launched grand slams, while Crow-Armstrong and Michael Conforto also went deep.
The Mariners started Bryce Miller who walked a career-high seven batters and lasted only 4.3 innings.
Shōta Imanaga struggled early and was pulled after two innings. Aaron Civale stepped in and threw four scoreless innings to protect the bullpen while the offense turned the game upside down.
Despite the frustrating series, Chicago had many upsides. Bregman's bat is trending in the right direction, raising his statline to a .256 average, .346 on-base percentage and .420 slugging. More importantly, he looks comfortable as a Cub. PCA hit his 33rd home run of the season Sunday and now owns a .938 OPS. With his power and speed, a 40-home-run, 40-steal season is in the cards.
Now, the Cubs head to Arizona for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks. Kevin Gausman is scheduled to take the mound Monday night for Chicago.
The Cubs remain firmly in the playoff race, but after giving away two games in Seattle, their margin for error is shrinking. The Phillies are two games back from the top wild card spot, and Chicago wants to avoid playing its wild card series on the road. The new mission: keep Philly out.
