BOX SCORE

The Cubs had tons of fun on their last homestand, winning five of six games during a weeklong run at Wrigley Field.

That included a three-game sweep over the rival White Sox and two more against a Marlins team they faced again on Monday night.

This one took place a lot farther south and featured a starter in Ben Brown who beat Miami just eight days prior.

Familiarity turned out to be a blessing and a curse. Brown gave up back-to-back home runs to start the game but settled down quickly and got into a great groove.

One problem: It didn’t last. He gave up six runs in less than five innings and left with the Cubs behind.

Offense overcame Brown’s lackluster start and gave the Cubs a lead the bullpen couldn’t hold. Daniel Palencia blew the save and led the Cubs to an 8-7 walkoff loss over the Marlins at loanDepot Park.

Let’s break this game down and discuss what was learned from result.  

Bullpen blows late lead

The Cubs worked hard to overcome a pair of deficits against the Marlins. A four-run sixth inning put the Cubs ahead by a run. Brown was already out of the game and the Cubs worked through their high-leverage relievers with a lead. The baton was passed down the line well, from Caleb Thielbar to Ryan Pressly to Drew Pomeranz.

[Cubs to place Porter Hodge on IL, leaving bullpen short handed]

Then it got to Palencia, who dropped it. The Cubs reliever gave up an ill-timed rally in the ninth inning for a blown save that eliminated a late lead.

The Marlins won it on a hit from Jesús Sánchez with two outs in the ninth inning. A ground-rule double and a four-pitch walk set up big trouble and led to the blown save.

Sánchez hit a line drive down the first-base line that drove in two runs and produced a walk-off win.

Bottom-of-the-order bonanza

The Cubs lineup is loaded with star power. Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson and others have had strong seasons.

[All-Star? MVP? Pete Crow-Armstrong turning into superstar with Cubs]

What’s being done by the bottom third of the order makes the Cubs offense truly dangerous. They’re getting solid at-bats from lesser-known members of this roster.

Catcher Miguel Amaya did big things from the No. 8 spot against the Marlins. He was 2-for-3 on the night with five RBI. He erased an early deficit with a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Then he came through with a two-run double in the sixth – it would have been three runs, but Moisés Ballesteros was called out at home on replay – in a big Cubs inning.

Ballesteros had an RBI from the No. 7 spot. Matt Shaw (more on him below) had an RBI from the No. 9 hole. Such production has been beneficial all season, and came through in the clutch again on Monday night.

Matt Shaw’s triumphant return

Cubs top prospect Matt Shaw returned to the team nearly a month after getting sent down to Triple-A following a rough offensive showing. The third baseman made some adjustments that produced big numbers in the minors that earned a recall to the Cubs.

While he’ll be evaluated over a far longer term than Monday’s solitary event, Shaw certainly wanted to make a positive impact in his first game back.

That happened in the sixth.

Shaw hit a rocket ship the other way for an RBI ground-rule double that would’ve been an easy triple had it stayed in the ballpark. It both gave the Cubs the lead and represented everything that Shaw had been working on at Iowa.  

Shaw worked on driving the ball more, as he regularly did while earning status as the Cubs’ top prospect but had lost during his first month in the big leagues.

Ball left Shaw’s bat at 100.9 mph despite being hit the other way. That’s what the Cubs want. That’s how Shaw can help a fearsome Cubs offense that hasn’t gotten much from the third-base spot.

Shaw followed that up with a line-drive single up the middle his next at-bat. He looked more confident as the game went on.

His other offensive appearances weren’t quite as good. Shaw struck out in his first at-bat and grounded out to shortstop in his second, unable to effectively handle a steady dose of low-and-outside offerings from Marlins starter Edward Cabrera.

Ben Brown’s mixed bag

Brown’s season got off to a cold start. The 25-year-old had a 7.75 ERA in his first three outings, with 15 strikeouts and nine walks, earning some criticism for poor production and a lack of longevity in outings.

Things were far better over his last six starts heading into Monday. He had a 3.60 ERA and an excellent 5-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio over 30 innings. That’s, you know, pretty darn good.

We saw a bit of both versions of Brown against the Marlins. His stuff was at times overpowering, generating eight strikeouts and no walks. Mistakes were made at bad times, which led to six runs allowed over just 4.2 innings pitched.

Brown gave up consecutive home runs to start the game. Then he dominated the next three innings. The fifth inning was rife with peril, much like the first. He gave up a double and a triple to start the inning and couldn’t stop the damage before manager Craig Counsell took him out.

That’s creates difficulty evaluating Brown’s outing. His stuff looks filthy at times, very hittable at others. This was a time where his early pitching efficiency suggested he’d go deep into the game, but his fifth-inning performance left him with his fifth start of less than five innings. That’s not good enough for a talented player the Cubs expect more from in his starts.