Before a 4-3 home loss to the lowly Royals on Friday, Cubs manager David Ross warned against looking at this current stretch of 12 consecutive games against sub-.500 teams as a cakewalk.
“We were the team last year that made it hard on a lot of other teams that thought we weren’t that good,” Ross said.
Other than the Royals’ defense sputtering during a three-run Cubs fourth, the rest of the afternoon was a demonstration of how thin the margins are in the majors, even against the dregs of MLB. Two Cubs errors each led to unearned runs off starter Jameson Taillon, the latter setting up a Bobby Witt Jr. two-run shot that just made it to the center-field basket.
The tenor of Nico Hoerner’s impressive three-hit day, including spraying a 102 mph neck-high fastball down the right-field line, was flipped when he was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. Both Ross and Hoerner expressed no regrets over being aggressive.
“He made a good play,” Hoerner said of Royals right fielder Drew Waters, before referencing getting picked off to end the fourth. “I had a miscue earlier in the game that’s more within my control.”
A two-out Ian Happ walk would have put Hoerner in scoring position anyways, but Cody Bellinger trying to check-swing on a two-strike breaking ball was the final borderline call to go against the Cubs (62-59).
“You want to be mad,” Ross said. “You want to yell and scream. I started to and then ... it was close.”
Time to step up
Maybe at some point in the next six weeks, the Cubs will consider calling up one of their ascendant former first round picks — Jordan Wicks or Cade Horton — to help out their rotation or bullpen.
But Ross batted down the idea that he’s fervently eyeing the farm system pregame Friday. And in the immediate wake of the uncertainty surrounding Marcus Stroman’s availability for the rest of the 2023, the Cubs rotation is looking inward.
“I have an opportunity to step up and prove why they went and got me,” said Taillon, who pitched a quality start in a losing effort Friday. “My numbers aren’t going to get to where they need to be or where I’m used. But that’s OK. All that matters is putting us in a position to win every fifth day.”
Javier Assad’s cameo in the rotation, where he’s pitched to a 3.20 ERA in four starts this year, figures to become indefinite. And after being moved to the bullpen mid-year, Drew Smyly and Hayden Wesneski are options to return to the rotation.
“These guys that are making starts for a lot of teams in the big leagues,” Taillon said. “I’ve probably never been a part of a team where it’s mattered more than this year: quality innings across the board and people stepping up.”
A day for Lin
The Cubs have announced plans for this Saturday to honor the late Lin Brehmer, longtime WXRT radio host and “cultural icon” who passed away from cancer earlier this year at age 68.
Members of Brehmer’s family are scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game, a playlist of Brehmer’s favorite songs will run between innings during the game, and a video montage of the longtime morning drive host singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” will play during the seventh inning stretch.