MILWAUKEE – One of the biggest issues the Cubs need to solve in the weeks leading up to October is the unsteadiness of the bullpen right now. That includes getting Jacob Webb, one of the most trusted hands for most of this season, back on track in time for October.
On Tuesday night, Webb allowed a game-tying homer to Jackson Chourio with two outs in the ninth inning, erasing a two-run rally by the Cubs earlier in the frame. That set the table for the Brewers to send the North Siders to a 4-3, walk-off loss in 10 innings that kept Chicago a half-game behind the Phillies for the National League’s top Wild Card spot.
After a go-ahead two-run double by Carson Kelly in the top of the ninth, Webb took over in the home half and allowed a two-out single to Christian Yelich before yielding the game-tying blast. Over his last six appearances, Webb has allowed nine runs in 4 2/3 innings, following a 24-game scoreless streak in which he assumed the closer’s duties.
“Carson had an incredible at-bat to give us the lead,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And then we made a bad pitch. We made a bad pitch with men on base. It’s the one thing that can’t happen there. Unfortunately, it happened.”
Here were three key aspects of Tuesday’s loss:
1. Suzuki’s up-and-down day
Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki pounded his glove into the ground in the first inning on Tuesday night, showing frustration over not being able to finish a difficult catch attempt on what turned into a leadoff double for Chourio.
Suzuki got a shot at some redemption in the fifth.
With two outs and Chourio on second base, William Contreras sent a pitch from reliever Trent Thornton into right for a sure single. Chourio had designs on scoring on the play, but Suzuki gloved the ball and came up firing, sending a strong, precise throw to catcher Miguel Amaya at the plate.
Amaya received the ball, spun to his left and got a tag on Chourio, who slid awkwardly into the plate. The Brewers took a moment to decide if a replay review was warranted, but manager Pat Murphy gave a quick wave of his hand and the Cubs fans on hand cheered loudly.
Suzuki has been a strong defensive presence in right field for the North Siders this season. After posting negative marks in both Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average in his Major League career, Suzuki entered Tuesday with a +6 FRV and +4 OAA this year for the Cubs.
In the top of the 10th, however, Suzuki made a critical out on the basepaths. He began as the automatic runner on second base and attempted to tag up and move to third on a flyout to center by Alex Bregman. Center fielder Garrett Mitchell made a strong throw to third baseman David Hamilton, who kept the tag on Suzuki for a crucial out.
“That’s just baseball,” Counsell said. “You take risks running the bases. Both plays, you should take the risk. And the other guy’s got to make a great play to get you. And in both instances, they do.”
2. Facing The Miz
Jacob Misiorowski has faced the Cubs more than any other opponent this season and has turned in a 2.82 ERA against them. While that is an impressive figure, the hard-throwing righty has a Major League-leading 1.95 ERA in this incredible campaign.
For the second straight game with Misiorowski on the hill, the Cubs managed to score in the opening frame. Suzuki delivered a one-out double off the right-center-field wall and then scored on a single that Michael Busch pulled into right off a 102.4 mph fastball, per Statcast. Chicago has scored three of the eight runs Misiorowski has given up in the first inning this year.
“The first couple innings, I thought we were great,” Counsell said. “We made him work really hard. He got into a little bit of a groove, for sure. But I felt pretty good about how we made him work. He executed. Like, the third, fourth, fifth, he started executing at a pretty high level. It’s tough when he does.”
After a three-hit showing in the first, however, the Cubs went 1-for-16 the rest of the way against Misiorowski. That lone hit came from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who snapped his 0-for-12 showing against the Brewers' ace with a fifth-inning single.
Overall, Misiorowski finished with nine strikeouts and just the one run on his line against the Cubs, who have 30 strikeouts against 11 walks in their collective 22 1/3 innings against the NL’s Cy Young favorite this year.
3. Peterson dodges traffic
It was not always pretty, but veteran lefty David Peterson found ways to limit the damage as the Brewers kept applying pressure.
Milwaukee put at least one baserunner aboard in each of the five innings Peterson appeared in, and had at least two runners in three of those frames. Only in the first inning – when Chourio led off with a double and scored on a single from Brice Turang – did the Brewers break through against the Cubs’ starter.
Peterson issued three walks and allowed six hits in his 4 1/3 innings, ending with four strikeouts and seven outs created via grounders. That included a pair of double plays – one to erase Turang from the basepaths in the first and another to cancel out a leadoff walk in the second.
“It was attacking the zone, being ahead in counts,” Peterson said of escaping so many jams. “Some of the execution things were cleaned up with the sinker. I felt like we were able to get the ball on the ground to be able to try and turn a couple double plays when a guy got on.”