Chicago Cubs Blow Doubleheader Sweep: What The Hell Was That, Craig?

The Chicago Cubs split Sunday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians after blowing Game 2 with a truly awful performance out of the bullpen. Ben Brown gave up a 3-0 lead after coming in relief of Shōta Imanaga in the sixth inning, and then two more relievers surrendered another lead in the eighth inning, leading to a 6-5 loss.

Cubs fans were perplexed as manager Craig Counsell stayed away from two high-leverage options on Sunday, and I don’t really understand why he did it either. There is, of course, the caveat that on occasions, some relief pitchers just aren’t available on any given day. However, it’s early in the season that you would think most of these bullpen arms are fresh enough to come in.

So, it’s kind of a head-scratcher when the Cubs were trying to protect a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning, and Counsell used Jacob Webb against the Guardians’ middle of the order. Meanwhile, Phil Maton, who had not pitched since Tuesday, stayed in the bullpen, and so did Hunter Harvey, the other big name the team signed in the offseason to become a key reliever for the Cubs. Harvey did struggle in his Friday appearance against Cleveland, giving up three runs on two home runs.

If the excuse is that Counsell was holding back Maton for a save opportunity, then that’s stupid as well. Facing Cleveland’s 3-4-5 hitters when you only have a one-run lead in the eighth is at that point of the game more important than going up against the bottom of the lineup in the ninth.

Maton was signed to be the high-leverage reliever behind Daniel Palencia, so there’s no reason that Counsell should not have used him in the eighth inning. Protect the lead, and who knows, maybe the offense scores a few more runs, and the ninth inning becomes a lot less stressful.

The Guardians scored three times in the eighth, as CJ Kayfus homered off Webb to tie the game. Webb proceeded to give up a walk, and two more singles that allowed Cleveland to take a 5-4 lead, and then Ethan Roberts surrendered another run as Austin Hedges drove in a run with a hit of his own.

We had our first fake ninth-inning rally of the season in the ninth, as the Cubs did score a run to cut the deficit to one, but then Carson Kelly struck out with runners at second and third to end the game.

So, a 4-5 start through the first three series of the regular season, and while it’s no time to panic, fans certainly were expecting a better record through what was supposed to be a soft spot on the schedule. The Cubs will now play three more on the road, starting Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, before coming back home for a quick three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.