Oof.
James Russell did neither himself, nor starter Carlos Villanueva, any favors with his outing today. After Villanueva allowed the first two batters to reach in the 7th (after a fine outing), Russell was brought in to get out of the jam. A homer, a single, and a double later, and the Cubs’ lead was gone, and Russell had given up his first run(s) since July 2.
The Cubs had taken the lead with a five-run fifth inning, where they strung together some hits.
Yovani Gallardo left early with a leg issue, which led to this …