Cubs Takeaways: What we learned as Brewers salvage series finale
CHICAGO — The Cubs entered Thursday having already taken both the five-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers and the season series before a pitch had been thrown in the matinee.
An early strike by the Brewers, coupled with a pair of insurance runs and some clutch pitching, meant they salvaged the series finale and beat the Cubs 4-1. The loss drops the Cubs (73-55) to seven games behind the Brewers in the NL Central with 34 games to play. The number isn’t insurmountable, but it sure is a tall task, even though the Cubs hold the tiebreak over Milwaukee (80-48).
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
Tucker returns
The talk pregame on Thursday was the reappearance of Kyle Tucker in the Cubs lineup. Tucker, amid arguably the worst stretch of his career, was rested by manager Craig Counsell over the last two days – three games, because of Tuesday’s doubleheader – in hopes of having him recapture his form.
Then, late Wednesday night, it was reported and later confirmed by Counsell (and Tucker on Thursday morning) that he suffered a fracture in his right hand sliding awkwardly into second base on June 1 against the Cincinnati Reds. June was still his best month, but since July 1, he’d been hitting .189 entering Thursday.
The time off was an effort to help him recapture his swing and what made him a feared hitter: the ability to drive the ball. His groundball rate was up 10% since July 1, and rollovers to the right side of the infield had seemingly become commonplace.
He hit second on Thursday and before his first plate appearance, received a nice ovation from the 37,850 in attendance at Wrigley Field. Tucker worked a walk but was out at second when Seiya Suzuki grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Things, though, returned to the norm after that – and not in a good way for the Cubs. He finished 0-for-4 with two groundouts, a double play lineout to second base in the seventh inning and a flyout in the ninth.
The Cubs had hoped Tucker’s time off would help him become the big bopper near the top of the order. It still might, but one game in, Tucker still looks like the struggling hitter he was before the respite.
Of course, he wasn’t the only hitter who struggled at the plate. The Cubs mustered just five hits against the Brewers, stranded 11 runners on base and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the loss.
Shota’s gutsy performance
The Cubs bullpen was taxed.
A doubleheader Tuesday, combined with eight games in seven days, meant the Cubs’ reliever corps had covered plenty of innings. They were in desperate need of not only quality, but length from Shota Imanaga, their ace and most reliable pitcher.
Imanaga delivered in both departments, throwing a gem in the series finale and allowing the Cubs an opportunity to take the contest.
Daniel Palencia, Brad Keller and Caleb Thielbar had all pitched on both Tuesday and Wednesday, meaning they likely weren’t available. Andrew Kittredge had pitched four times in six days, including in all three games last weekend, and Taylor Rogers had pitched three straight from Sunday to Tuesday.
Counsell was likely trying to avoid them if he could, too. And Ben Brown, the long man in the Cubs bullpen, threw 54 pitches in Sunday’s contest. More importantly, the team hasn’t announced a starter for Friday’s opener in Anaheim and the right-hander could play a role in that contest.
That meant Ryan Brasier and Drew Pomeranz, the two relievers Counsell used Thursday, were the only rested options he could count on in the game and what made 21 outs from Imanaga so vital.
Turang strikes again
Cubs fans might be glad that Thursday is the last time they’ll have to see the Brewers – especially Brice Turang.
The second baseman hit a two-run home run off Shota Imanaga in the second inning, the left-hander’s lone blemish in the game, and continued to rake against the Cubs.
This season, Turang is slashing .341/.375/.523 (.898 OPS) against the Cubs in 13 games. He’s enjoying hitting against his neighbors to the south. Turang has had a solid year overall; he has a .777 OPS and is hitting .285, but he’s thrived against Cubs pitching this year.
The Cubs will be glad they’re not seeing him again anytime soon.
