Taillon gets nod for Cubs in must-win NLDS Game 3

CHICAGO -- Wrigley Field will be rocking Wednesday afternoon in a win-or-go-home scenario for the Cubs.

A crowd that electric and a moment that big require a pitcher capable of handling that kind of pressure to extend Chicago’s season. That’s why the Cubs will gladly hand the ball to right-hander Jameson Taillon in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Brewers.

“He is the veteran Major League player that takes a lot of pride in the process, and that's what he's always talking about and sticks to and is very disciplined to try to teach to others,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It never wavers, and I think ... from your older players and your experienced players, that consistency of never wavering no matter what's going on around you is something that's always admired. It's the calm in the storm that I think J-Mo has always been really good at providing.”

It took a lot of work for Taillon, who turns 34 on Nov. 18, to reach this juncture of his nine-year career.

Lofty expectations came with being the second overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. Taillon sustained injuries. He struggled. In each instance, Taillon bounced back by being intentional with his mental game and remaining disciplined in his process.

A self-described under-the-radar arm, Taillon signed a four-year, $68 million contract in December 2022, as part of a Cubs offseason that also included inking shortstop Dansby Swanson. Both deals set in motion the organization’s speedy rebuild.

At the time, Taillon was coming off postseason experience with the Yankees. He joined a Cubs rotation of Marcus Stroman, Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly, all of whom are gone, and Justin Steele, who underwent season-ending elbow surgery this April.

“It definitely hasn't been easy,” Taillon said. “We've been really close to making the playoffs a couple times, and inside the clubhouse, it's one of those groups that you believe in, and we kind of knew we were going to find a way to get into the playoffs together.

“It feels special when you get to be a free agent. Obviously, it goes both ways, but picking a spot you want to end up in and build with, and then just to see the process has been pretty rewarding, and to just grow with guys like Nico [Hoerner] and Dansby and Ian Happ, I don't want to leave anyone else out, but those guys come to mind where you're just growing together and building something here, and to really feel a part of it is pretty special.”

Down the stretch, Taillon used his time on the 15-day injured list while nursing a left groin strain to tweak his pitch usage and grips. It paid off, as he turned into one of the Majors’ hottest pitchers. Including the NL Wild Card Series, Taillon has compiled a 1.32 ERA over his past five starts; the Cubs have won all but one of them.

Who better to take the mound with the season on the line than Taillon last Thursday for Game 3 of the Wild Card Series? He tossed four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, to help Chicago advance past San Diego and into the NLDS.

“So much confidence in J-Mo,” center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “He's been nails for us all year. He's given himself to the fullest. There's confidence with anybody that steps on the mound for us, but [shoot], I'm just glad that J-Mo gets a chance to keep this alive for us. There's confidence in anybody that steps on the mound in a Cubbie uniform.”

If the Cubs want to do something they haven’t done in club history -- come back from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series -- they will need to win three in a row against the Brewers, owners of the Majors’ best regular-season record.

In a five-game series at Wrigley Field in mid-August, Chicago did just that, with Taillon at the heart of it. On Aug. 19, he gave up one run over six innings in the second game of a doubleheader as the Cubs took the middle three games against Milwaukee.

“Games 1 and 2 didn't go the way we wanted,” Taillon said of the NLDS. “That being said, I think a lot of guys have said it, just all we can focus on is tomorrow. If we want to make a run at this thing and try to come back, we have to win tomorrow. You can't look too far ahead. So how that pertains to me is just doing my job, going out there and setting the tone, preparing the right way, taking notes, watching video, going about my process the right way and making sure I'm buttoned up and ready to go.”