NEWSLETTER
Now THAT’S how you want to end things if you’re going to be missing the postseason anyway. Make it a laugher, get everyone in on the action, and go out with a bang. There is some joy that’ll carry over into the offseason from this one.
The Cubs’ bats exploded in a way they haven’t in a long, long time. (In a way they probably should have against some of the pitching they’ve seen over the last month, but their own pitching has been so good the game results haven’t really reflected it.)
Big days at the plate up and down the lineup, a shutout from the bullpen, lots of high fives, lots of smiles, lots of joy. It was a really, really enjoyable game.
One down note from the game is the Adrian Sampson injury that cut his day short. It’s a real bummer that his season ended that way. In the third inning, he must’ve felt something in his groin, because he hopped a bit, was checked on by the staff, and then left the game. It won’t take away from all that he did this season to solidify himself as a quality depth option for the Cubs in 2023, but I’m sure you always like to end on a higher note than that. Hopefully it’s not a serious injury, and after some rest, Sampson can have a normal offseason.
The bullpen generally cruised from there, though, and the bats poured it on late. Happy day. Happy end to a challenging season.
And now a big, big offseason ahead, with an eye toward better days out of the gate in 2023 …
