Blow that one, bullpen!
I shouldn’t even joke. It could happen. Thankfully, it did not today, and the Cubs salvaged the finale of this stupid series that they really coulda/shoulda swept.
Kyle Schwarber staked the Cubs to a 7-0 lead with a grand slam and a three-run shot, and Victor Caratini added a pinch-hit three-run shot of his own later on to pad what had shrunk to a four-run lead.
Jose Quintana cruised for four innings before losing it in the 5th, giving up three runs and requiring the bullpen to enter a game that had been 7-0. That’s not great. Fortunately there’s an off-day tomorrow so the guys who’ve been leaned on can rest up.
One of those guys deserves a special shout, as Kyle Ryan went 2.1 should-have-been-perfect innings, as the only baserunner he allowed reached on an error (and then scored after he left).
This dude owned the day, though …