CHICAGO -- As Daniel Palencia jogged in from the Cubs’ bullpen in the sixth inning on Tuesday night, it was reminiscent of the fireman role he filled for Chicago last October. It was a key moment in the middle of a game against the Brewers -- offering a flashback to the National League Division Series.
And then, in a flash, this was more a reminder that there is still a month left to go in this season and Palencia remains very much in comeback mode. The Brewers struck for four runs in the sixth with Palencia on the mound, putting the Cubs on a path to a 9-4 loss that upped Milwaukee’s lead in the division back to eight games.
“Man, he’s been so big for us in huge circumstances,” Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd said of Palencia, “whether it be the playoffs or down the stretch last year. Sometimes, you just go through little rough patches. We know he’s going to punch back.”
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s loss:
1. Bullpen trying to find its footing
Some key relief arms for the Cubs have been trying to regain their rhythm as the regular season hits the stretch run. While there have been great stories that have emerged all summer within the bullpen, the group has been working through a recent rough patch.
Entering Tuesday, the bullpen had a 5.64 ERA in Chicago’s last nine games.
“It’s been a really good bullpen throughout the year,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “That is the nature of bullpens. Hopefully, they can wipe away [some bad outings of late]. Recency would say they need to step up and perform the way they did the rest of the year, but I don’t think you would’ve asked me [about the bullpen] seven games ago.”
Palencia – the closer for the Cubs last season and a key part of their playoff pitching recipe– is four outings into a comeback from the injured list, following a bout with a right elbow issue. He is feeling healthy, but has allowed six runs combined in 3 1/3 innings since being activated.
“This is an important month,” Palencia said. “I want to pitch as much as I can. I just want to be ready for the playoffs, be ready to help the team. I’ve been missing – I know. It’s part of the game. I need to make my adjustments.”
Against the Brewers, the hard-throwing righty took over for Boyd with one out and runners on second and third in the sixth, when the Cubs held a 3-1 lead. Palencia balked in one run, allowed an RBI double (Andrew Vaughn) that nicked off the glove of right fielder Seiya Suzuki near the side wall, and then gave up a two-run homer (Christian Yelich).
Palencia was hardly alone in the issues on Tuesday night. Ryan Zeferjahn -- acquired from the Angels at the Trade Deadline -- was charged with two runs in the seventh. Veteran lefty Caleb Thielbar was on the hook for another run, which scored on a two-run homer (Joey Ortiz) off Cubs righty Tyler Ferguson in the eighth.
“We’ve got to pitch better,” manager Craig Counsell said. “There’s no question – we’ve got to pitch better. But, these are the guys, man. This is them, so we’ve got to help them get better and we’ve got to get outs.
2. Taylor thriving in role with Cubs
The main objective for the Cubs at the Trade Deadline was to bring in some impact pitching and the ballclub identified one target in sinkerballer Clay Holmes with the Mets. As negotiations gathered steam, Counsell wanted the front office to also try to snag outfielder Tyrone Taylor.
“That was a spot on the roster that he was focused on,” Hoyer said. “Taylor was a guy he brought up, just as he was thinking about how to use the bench and the lineups. At the end of the year, that kind of player would fit really well for us.”
So far, adding Taylor has paid off for the North Siders.
In Tuesday’s game against the Brewers, Taylor started in left over Ian Happ -- Chicago’s regular left fielder entered the night with a .522 OPS against lefties -- and delivered a two-run double in the fourth off Robert Gasser. In Monday’s win, Taylor had four hits, including one of Chicago’s franchise-record nine homers.
Counsell had Taylor as part of his Milwaukee teams from 2019-23, so he knew the value the outfielder offered in the way of defensive ability, baserunning and a knack for hitting lefties. Through 19 games with Chicago, Taylor has hit .413 (19-for-46) with five extra-base hits, seven RBIs, four walks, three steals and 10 runs.
3. Boyd had Cubs in solid position
Boyd has been a consistent source of innings for the Cubs over the past two months, working at least six frames in nine of his past 11 turns out of the rotation. Milwaukee was able to chase the veteran lefty before the end of the sixth, but Boyd gave his club a solid showing.
Over the first three innings, Boyd faced the minimum, with the lone baserunner being erased via a double play. The Brewers put the first two runners aboard in the fourth, but the lefty escaped the jam unscathed. A string of two-out singles produced one run against Boyd in the fifth, but he held firm from there.
It was a decent 5 1/3 innings for Boyd, who bowed out at 97 pitches in the sixth when the Brewers were threatening again. The lefty watched from the Cubs’ dugout as Palencia struggled, then waited for the reliever and gave him a pat on the back after the righty exited the game.
“Matt pitched really well,” Counsell said. “He had to make some big pitches, and he made the big pitches when he had to make some big pitches. I thought he gave us a really good outing.”