Could Taillon move to Cubs' bullpen? Veteran righty searching for answers

PITTSBURGH -- The home run ball has been a problem for Jameson Taillon all season, and the long ball plagued the Cubs veteran right-hander again on Sunday.

The Pirates hit three home runs off Taillon in the first three innings and handed the Cubs an 8-7 loss at PNC Park. The Cubs missed a chance to sweep the three-game series, but the North Siders still haven’t lost a series in Pittsburgh since 2022.

The Cubs made things interesting when Seiya Suzuki hit a two-run home run with one out in the ninth inning to make it a one-run game. However, the Pirates held on after Michael Busch grounded out and Ian Happ struck out to end the game.

After the Cubs went ahead 1-0 in the top of the second inning on Dansby Swanson’s RBI single, the Pirates homered twice in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Esmerlyn Valdez led off with a homer and fellow rookie Shawn Ross connected for his first MLB home run, a two-run shot, later in the inning off Taillon.

Ryan O’Hearn then hit a grand slam in the third inning on his 33rd birthday to increase the Cubs’ deficit to 7-1.

Taillon (2-6) lasted four innings and gave up seven runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three. Taillon has now surrendered 25 homers in 76 innings this season. The 34-year-old veteran righty is winless is winless in his last nine starts, dating back to April 29 against the Padres.

“It hasn’t been very good, and the results speak for themselves,” Taillon said. “I’m confident I can figure it out, but when you’re going out there and hurting the team, it’s not a good place to be.

“The work [between starts] has been good. I’m never worried about that. I have a purpose behind what I’m doing. Then I go into the game and revert back to what I’ve been doing.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said “it’s something we’ll discuss,” when asked if Taillon will remain in the rotation. Taillon is in line to start on Friday against the Yankees at Wrigley Field.

“He put some balls in the middle of the plate today, and they took some really good swings on them,” Counsell said. “We need better than that.”

As an 11-year veteran, Taillon understands why the Cubs are at least considering the idea of moving him to the bullpen.

“I’ve been around long enough to know I’m hurting the team, and it’s been happening for a little while now,” Taillon said. “So, I’m not naive to that at all.”

Nico Hoerner, rookie Pedro Ramírez, Busch and Swanson had two hits each, but they weren’t quite able to erase the early six-run deficit.

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s RBI triple capped a three-run fourth inning that got the Cubs within 7-4, and Hoerner’s RBI single in the seventh pulled them within 8-5. Yet despite Suzuki’s late homer, the Cubs fell a run short, though they still have a four-game lead for the first National League Wild Card spot.

“We chipped away, and it was a good offensive day, but we just fell too far behind,” Counsell said. “When you score seven runs, you should win the ballgame.”