MILWAUKEE – Jordan Wicks spun out of his delivery and turned to watch third baseman Alex Bregman collect the grounder and fire it to second baseman Nico Hoerner. The Cubs' pitcher then followed Hoerner getting the out and relaying the ball to first baseman Michael Busch.
And with that double play, the celebration was on.
Wicks punched the air with his left fist and let out a well-earned howl after putting the period on a 4-3 win in 10 innings over the Brewers. With everything thrown at Chicago’s pitching staff in the past week, this was an exhausting, satisfying victory to end a draining road trip with a 6-1 showing. And it required seven relievers to finish the job.
“It just shows how much of a team game it is,” Wicks said. “How much it takes all – you can’t even say 26, more than that – to be able to do that.”
Wicks stepped into the spotlight for the game’s final moment – inducing the game-ending grounder off the bat of slugger Gary Sánchez to halt Milwaukee’s late comeback bid – but he was one in a line of arms that stepped up. In fact, Wicks became the 13th different pitcher to make a relief appearance in the last six days for the Cubs.
Veteran righty Bryse Wilson, who was claimed off waivers from the Phillies earlier this week and added to the active roster on Saturday, acted as the glue for this game. After lefty Ryan Rolison worked the first two innings as an opener – the Cubs had no starter for Sunday’s game – Wilson gave Chicago 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his debut for the ballclub.
“Everybody stood out,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “But Bryse Wilson would be the guy that we got an incredible effort from. Obviously, that’s a very good offense and he got 13 outs for us and didn’t give up a run, made some big pitches to some good hitters.”
Consider what Wilson just walked into with the Cubs.
The North Siders had games postponed by rain last Sunday (home against the Blue Jays) and again on Monday (road against the Mets). Counsell made it known that he was perturbed by that second rainout, but the hand the Cubs were dealt included a doubleheader on Wednesday against the Mets.
In that four-game, three-day series in Queens, the Cubs placed two starters (Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown) on the injured list and had an extra-inning game. During the first two days in Milwaukee, relievers Phil Maton and Hoby Milner landed on the IL as well. There was a wave of moves to keep the staff intact, including trading for lefty starter David Peterson.
It all culminated in the bullpen day on Sunday with Rolison, Wilson, Caleb Thielbar, Tyler Ferguson, Jacob Webb, Ethan Roberts and Wicks all playing a part.
“Amazing,” Wilson said of his new team’s performance. “Being with Milwaukee for two years, I know a lot about this series and this rivalry. There’s a lot of big-time situations and a lot of big-time games.”
Wilson was an unlikely hero, too.
The 28-year-old righty appeared in just one game for the Phillies before being designated for assignment and had a 6.29 ERA in 12 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year. That came after he posted a 6.65 ERA in 20 games for the White Sox last season. Wilson does have history with Counsell from their year together with the Brewers in 2023, when the righty spun a 2.58 ERA in 53 games.
“My best year of my career was in ‘23 with Counse,” Wilson said. “He’s a phenomenal manager. Just being able to play with him and know that he has some sort of confidence in me – it’s been a couple years – but I know he knows what kind of pitcher I am.”
Wilson offered a glimpse on Sunday by sidestepping the few potential threats the Brewers put together.
With runners on the corners and one out in the third, Wilson struck out Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang. After Andrew Vaughn’s leadoff triple in the fourth, the reliever set down the next three batters. Wilson lasted into the seventh inning, giving Chicago 61 pitches to help save the fatigued group.
“If they needed me to go more than I did, I could have,” Wilson said.
“We couldn’t ask for any more, man,” Webb said. “That was huge.”
Webb stopped a possible Brewers comeback in the ninth ahead of a three-run outburst by the Cubs’ offense in the 10th inning. And then after a momentary flinch by Roberts, Wicks came in with the bases loaded, no outs and found a way to limit the damage and pick up a save on his first day back from Triple-A Iowa.
“That’s why you want to play this game – for moments like that,” Wicks said.