When the Offense Finally Steps Up and the Game is Blown Anyway, and Other Cubs Bullets

Jun 18, 2024

It’s not a conscious thing, but you can usually tell how angry I am by the proportion of words that get the ALL CAPS treatment in a post. I just realized that as I put this one together, and then looked back at it to come up with an intro …

The blown save will get the attention – as well as Craig Counsell’s incredible comments after the game – but it’s hard for me not to think AS MUCH about the fact that the Cubs FINALLY did some great stuff offensively late in a game, and THEN the game got blown. It’s the COMBINATION that really gets me:

In a surprising twist, the Cubs got *two* clutch, two-out hits late in the game last night to take a three-run lead. Then some stuff happened in the ninth. https://t.co/IIbjWUJ9Is— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) June 18, 2024

For WEEKS the Cubs have been desperate to get the kinds of late hits they got last night from Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ. You could see in the dugout reactions how much they wanted it. Needed it. To then lose the game anyway … it’s demoralizing. To the fans, if not the players.

What a brutal, humiliating way to blow it, too. Catcher inference, walk, homer. I bet the offense feels really great right now about FINALLY coming through, only to see the bullpen blow it, including Hector Neris blown another save LONG AFTER HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF THAT ROLE.

(Yes, I will acknowledge that the home run, on most nights or in any other ballpark, is simply a deep lazy fly ball. But Neris – and Counsell by continuing to rely on him – has not earned that kind of charitable take. Neris has been quite bad all year. Moreover, he walked the previous batter. He doesn’t strike anyone out. He gave up the contact. These are things that can AND HAVE happened. The Cubs can see it. Counsell can see it. I don’t want to hear the “fly ball” excuse.)

Bonus concern: ANOTHER outing with a homer allowed for Hayden Wesneski, and this has gone beyond mere expected regression. We’re right back to where we were last year, where homers were a big concern. And a homer off of Mark Leiter Jr., too, who netted just one whiff on his 10 splitters thrown (and no called strikes). That was also the concern with him last year. When he doesn’t have his splitter really clicking, he’s just not the same pitcher. So everything is really going well right now.

If Mike Tauchman (groin) hits the IL today, I fully expect the Cubs to make the unexciting but understandable move to call up Miles Mastrobuoni in his spot. But man, if Alexander Canario is healthy, it’d be frustrating to see the Cubs not use this clear chance to actually give him a run of starts in the big leagues. I understand that what will actually happen is that we’ll simply see an uptick in starts for Pete Crow-Armstrong when Tauchman would’ve been starting (shuffling guys around), and it’s not like I’ll be loudly angry about seeing more PCA. But two things: (1) we already know PCA is going to be the Cubs’ long-term center fielder, and there are no questions to be answered on him compared to Canario; and (2) we are fairly sure PCA is not going to catch absolute fire right now and be a difference-maker on offense. That’s totally fine right now where he is developmentally. But Canario COULD go supernova for a couple weeks on the big league team. Probably wouldn’t. But could. Why would you not just say eff it at this point and see?

OK. Gotta think about something else. I get that the owners of these buildings (who apparently want to come together to tear them down and construct one much larger building) should mostly be allowed to do what they want. But this would be sad:

The famous Wrigley Field rooftops including Torco and Eamus Catuli buildings could be torn down. https://t.co/z39bJW5v6o pic.twitter.com/ssljfE4vWG— Block Club Chicago (@BlockClubCHI) June 17, 2024

The Ricketts Family may have bought up all the other buildings, but at least they kept them – and the rooftops – in place.

More on the state of the Cubs from my time with Kyle Stanley on his show (before last night’s loss, but boy does it all still apply):

Yes, the Cubs are a disaster.

But what can be done to turn it around? And is Jed in the hot seat? I had an awesome convo with Brett Taylor from @BleacherNation to address these questions and more.

Watch: https://t.co/tTQbfkjrgj
Listen: https://t.co/FctbFBb5rb pic.twitter.com/uXCX6M0A3G— The Setup Man – Chicago Cubs YT Channel (@setupmanpod) June 17, 2024

written by

Brett Taylor

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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