Both Jameson Taillon and the Cubs needed good things to happen Saturday. Taillon entered the matchup with the Reds carrying an 8.10 ERA, while the Cubs had been outscored by 18 runs over their past two games.
Taillon showed only minimal improvement. As for the Cubs, it was more of the same.
Taillon went 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs in the Cubs’ 8-5 loss to the Reds in front of 36,372 at Wrigley Field. Signed to a four-year, $68 million free-agent contract in the offseason, the Cubs were looking for Taillon to stabilize their rotation and give them a dependable arm.
That’s not what they’ve gotten yet from the veteran righty, who couldn’t help the Cubs avoid their third straight loss. It didn’t help that the bullpen faltered once Taillon left, with the Reds’ Jonathan India hitting two-run homers off both Michael Fulmer and Jeremiah Estrada.
Taillon, however, is more important to the Cubs’ long-term future and his time in Chicago has not begun well, especially considering the price tag.
After Saturday, Taillon has given up four or more runs in four straight starts. Since coming off the injured list on May 4 due to a left groin strain, Taillon has compiled a 10.90 ERA. To get him right, the Cubs want to tweak Taillon’s pitch usage and get him on the attack.
Maybe that will add something else to his repertoire.
“It’s hard to fake confidence and you’re out there struggling,” manager David Ross said. “He hasn’t had the cleanest games to even get on a roll since he’s been back from the IL. Just making sure he’s able to build his confidence and work toward doing what he does best.”
An offseason priority for the Cubs to acquire, Ross offered that Taillon is trying to prove himself after joining a new team. A journeyman during his playing days, Ross knows that can be difficult to do.
“I think that’s definitely something every guy to some extent internalizes and wants to do good for the organization and do good for their family and fans and help win ball games,” Ross said.
Eventually, that pressure will ease and the Cubs hope that will translate to Taillon being the pitcher they awarded all that money.
“I think it comes with confidence,” Ross said. “Everybody carries some of that differently. Having success and [confidence] and getting on a little bit of a roll always helps.”
Taillon wasn’t great, and failed to last five innings for the fifth time in a row, but he wasn’t the only reason the Cubs lost for the fifth time in seven and dropped seven games below .500.
Fulmer, who began the season getting late-game chances, surrendered India’s two-run homer in the fifth that gave the Reds a 5-4 lead. Fulmer eventually went two-thirds of an inning and was charged with two runs while walking two. India stretched the Cincinnati lead in the seventh with his second two-run home run.
The Cubs offense, meanwhile, got an RBI double from Ian Happ, a two-run single from Nico Hoerner and a run-scoring single from Dansby Swanson during the first two innings. That was it for the Cubs until Happ’s seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Christopher Morel, a recent bright spot, perhaps tried too hard to spark the Cubs offense in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Patrick Wisdom flew out to deep center and Morel tried to advance from first. The problem is that he left too early, and was called out to end the inning.