Any promising signs the Cubs had shown in the first two games of the series against the Pirates this week evaporated in a 8-6 loss on Thursday.
The Cubs lost the series, dropping two of three games to a Pirates team that’s already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The Cubs (79-74) are tied for the third NL Wild Card spot with the Marlins, who own the tiebreaker, sitting two games back of the Diamondbacks.
“That’s not a good team that just took two out of three from us – or not our caliber team, I believe,” manager David Ross said. “We’ve just got to turn it around. It’s on me, it’s on the guys in that room.”
The Cubs didn’t score until the seventh inning. They rallied for six runs in the late innings, but after an untimely error by shortstop Dansby Swanson early in the game led to two unearned runs, and high-leverage reliever Julian Merryweather allowed multiple runs for the first time since July, six wasn’t enough.
Ross also pointed to a couple missed calls at key points in the game – a ball called against reliever Brad Boxberger that should have been a strike, leading to a walk to begin the eighth inning instead of a strikeout; a high curveball called a strike three rather than ball four on Seiya Suzuki as the Cubs were making another push in the ninth.
“There’s stuff all over we can point to, but it’s time to put up wins,” Ross said. “No excuses. We’ve got to put up wins.”
Regardless of any calls, even in big moments, if the Cubs had played cleaner defense, it would have been a closer game. If the bullpen had issued fewer walks, the offense might have been able to close the gap. If the offense had capitalized on opportunities earlier in the game, it would have taken pressure off the pitching staff.
“When things don’t go your way, it’s easy to look around and say, ‘Why can’t we do it?’” Swanson said. “And it’s not that we can’t, it’s just that we didn’t. And everyone in this locker room believes in one another and knows that it’s just a matter of time [until] things get rolling. And hopefully that starts tomorrow.”
Next, the Rockies come to town, in what has become a pivotal series. If the Cubs play the way they did Thursday, they’ll almost certainly watch their playoff chances shrink.
“I know this group,” Ross said. “They’ll come back tomorrow resilient as heck.”
Candelario circling return date
Cubs corner infielder Jeimer Candelario (strained low back) is cleared for full activity in the coming days, Ross said. He’s scheduled to work out on the field Friday, as long as it isn’t raining.
“The trainers are trying to be just a hair cautious, so when he gets out there he can stay,” Ross said. “So hopefully we’re looking at the back end of the weekend or after the off day.”
Alzolay encouraged by progress
Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay (strained right forearm) has been throwing long toss this week and told the Sun-Times it’s been going “really” well. He hopes to move on to throwing off the mound on Friday.
His progression since landing on the 15-day IL last week has been promising.
Alzolay becomes eligible to return from the IL next Monday, the off day before the Cubs open a three-game series against the National League East Division-winning Braves. He remains hopeful that he’ll be ready to return for that series.