The Chicago Cubs returned to Wrigley Field looking to close the gap between themselves and the Brewers to create drama this week. Instead, they dropped two of three to the Cincinnati Reds and continued to show concerns on the mound.
The Cubs lost 10-8 Friday, responded with a 17-5 victory Saturday and then fell 7-5 on Sunday Night Baseball. Chicago is now 77-60 and tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the top National League wild-card spot, while sitting eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
Friday's game had the offense they needed going into September, but closers continued to let Chicago down. Chicago jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings thanks to RBI-hits from Alex Bregman and Michael Busch, but Cincinnati slowly chipped away. The Reds cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth before scoring five runs in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead.
Usually reliable reliever Trent Thornton surrendered five runs on four hits and a walk while recording just two outs. Thornton had allowed only four earned runs over his previous 26 appearances, and had not allowed a run in August before Friday. Five Reds players recorded multiple hits as Cincinnati scored nine unanswered runs.
Chicago cut the deficit to 9-8 in the eighth inning after Seiya Suzuki delivered an RBI-double and Pedro Ramírez hit a three-run homer. The comeback fell short with a 10-8 final.
Saturday’s game swung decisively in Chicago’s favor. Pete Crow-Armstrong put together the best offensive performance of his career, hitting three home runs and driving in six runs as the Cubs demolished the Reds 17-5.
Crow-Armstrong homered in the first, second and seventh innings, becoming the 30th player in franchise history to hit three home runs in one game. He finished 4-for-6 with four runs scored and six RBIs. The performance immediately strengthened Crow-Armstrong's National League MVP case, putting his odds significantly above Shohei Otani.
The Cubs' offense produced 19 hits, with Carson Kelly, Seiya Suzuki and Bregman also homering.
Kevin Gausman earned the victory despite allowing five runs over five innings. He struck out seven and allowed six hits and two walks as the Cubs' offense provided more than enough support.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott was pulled after three innings when he allowed seven runs. Cincinnati never recovered.
With Wrigley Field hosting Sunday Night Baseball and Cubs legends being honored during the club's 150th anniversary celebration, the atmosphere was electric. Unfortunately, there was a damper on the night as the Reds won 7-5.
Crow-Armstrong continued his historic weekend, hitting two more home runs. He opened the game with his 37th homer of the season and added his 38th in the ninth inning.
Crow-Armstrong now has 38 home runs and 32 stolen bases on the season. He needs just two more homers and eight more stolen bases to become the first Cubs player to reach the 40-40 mark.
The Cubs' pitching could not keep pace. Shōta Imanaga allowed six runs on five hits over five innings, including three home runs. The Reds got a three-run homer from Hector Rodríguez, a solo shot from Dane Myers and a two-run homer from Tyler Stephenson.
The home-run problem has become a major concern for Imanaga. Sunday marked the sixth time this season he has allowed at least three home runs in a game, a Cubs record. He now leads the majors with 33 home runs allowed. Imanaga is a contact pitcher, and the Cubs will need him to limit mistakes and avoid leaving too many pitches over the middle of the plate.
Counsell acknowledged the problem but defended Imanaga's place in the rotation.
"He’s not having a bad season," Counsell said. "He’s having a pretty decent season. ... We need Shota. We need Shota to be good for us. So we have to work at helping him be better."
Chicago trails the Brewers by eight games in the division and is tied with Philadelphia for the top wild-card position in the National League. The top wild-card team would host all three games of the Wild Card Series, making the race with the Phillies crucial.
The Cubs have plenty of offense. Crow-Armstrong is playing at an MVP level, the lineup continues to produce runs, and the team remains one of the highest-scoring offenses in the National League.
Chicago needs its bullpen to regain consistency, and the pitching and hitting need to click at the same time. Javier Assad is also working his way back, recently throwing 5.1 innings for Triple-A Iowa, while Edward Cabrera is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment. Chicago needs to beat Milwaukee for a chance in the division and to stay ahead of Philly. The stretch run has arrived, and the Cubs' biggest question is no longer whether they can score; it is whether they can stop giving the games away.
