CINCINNATI — The Cubs used nine pitchers on their way to splitting a doubleheader with the Reds on Friday. The Cubs won the afternoon game by a score of 6-2 and dropped the evening game 3-2 in a walk-off.
Rookie Jordan Wicks, who debuted last week, had a second strong start in Game 1. He held the Reds to one run through five innings, and Keegan Thompson pitched the last two innings. So, manager David Ross only had to use two other relievers to bridge the gap.
Game 2 was a true bullpen game. Lefty Drew Smyly (one run, three innings) and Hayden Wesneski (3 1/3 hitless innings) took on the bulk of the workload. Closer Adbert Alzolay surrendered the walk-off single to the Reds’ Noelvi Marte and recorded a rare blown save, just his third of the year.
With the score tight, right-hander Shane Greene, who the team called up along with outfielder Alexander Canario when rosters expanded for September, did not make his Cubs debut.
Greene’s new role
Greene, 34, is a former closer and earned an All-Star nod in that role in 2019. But he’s bounced around the last couple years. The Cubs signed him to a minor-league deal in late June. Early this month, he joined the Triple-A rotation.
“I’ve been trying to talk someone into letting me start for a couple years now,” he said. “... Because everybody that comes out of the bullpen throws 100 miles an hour nowadays. And I don’t. So I knew that if I could just prove that I can get guys out for a long period of time and give the team a chance to win, I would add value to the business of Shane Greene.”
The fact that he was stretched out to multiple innings served as an insurance policy for an 18-inning day.
“We had to think about what would happen after a doubleheader,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “You almost never have a doubleheader day without transactions afterwards. And so we had to keep that in mind.”
The Cubs are expected to cycle several players through those extra roster spots throughout September. Hoyer said they’ll prioritize adding another lefty to the bullpen, joining Smyly. The Cubs optioned Anthony Kay, their only other lefty reliever, to Triple-A between games Friday to reinstate side-armer José Cuas from the bereavement list to open Game 2.
Waiver madness
Two thirds of the Reds’ starting outfield in Game 1 joined the Reds via waivers Thursday. Hunter Renfroe was one of six players the Angels placed on waivers this week, and Harrison Bader was waived by the Yankees. The Cubs came up empty in a claim system that goes by reverse winning percentage.
“The fact that it was so many guys on waivers yesterday, I don’t think it’s ideal,” Hoyer said. “The buzz around the league, when you talk to your colleagues with our teams, has been a level of frustration just because of the fact that a couple teams can kind of grab everyone based on where they are in the standings.”
Hoyer acknowledged that there was no point in complaining now. But he also offered up a possible solution.
“It’d be something I think would be great to address in the winter,” he said. “Is there a way to change the order after you get one claim, or limit that?”
Stroman Arizona-bound
Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman (fractured rib cartilage) headed to the Cubs’ Arizona complex to continue his throwing progression.