NEWSLETTER
The 2022 Chicago Cubs: We only do extra-innings games now. Oh, also? We mostly lose them.
For the 4th time in 8 games, the Cubs went to extras, and for the third time in those four tries, the Cubs lost.
This game, which went 13 deep, tested the limits of just how futile an offense – two offenses, really – can be. The Cubs had chance after chance in those extra innings – it’s kinda the whole free runner thing – but couldn’t push a run across. It was tense and also disappointing. Of course, the Yankees had the same issue (some of it is just that both these clubs have really good bullpens), before finally coming through against a mustachioed Alec Mills.
Prior to extras, it was a game that wound up getting more focus on the side stories than the game, itself: the game was preceded by a flurry of roster moves (including Marcus Stroman to the IL, and Clint Frazier DFA’d), Wade Miley left early with another shoulder issue (I think Nick Madrigal may have also hurt himself in extras), Jason Heyward clearly wanted to shut everyone up for the negative talk today, the Cubs were facing Anthony Rizzo for the first time since the trade, Christopher Morel just keeps keeping on now through 100 PAs, Gleyber Torres hit a solo homer, etc.
(It’s not that the game was boring, necessarily, it’s just that I felt myself pulled to those one-off stories, rather than feeling a particular intensity in a game that was a tight one late, at least until extra innings. I suppose that 8th inning with David Robertson facing the middle of the Yankees lineup was pretty intense. But otherwise, you MIGHT be able to make the argument that the artificial free-runner-on-second-base thing in extra innings is what brought a decent chunk of the excitement tonight.)
Lotta random stuff to break down from this one in the morning, including the injury issues.
Luis Severino has some nasty stuff, and he also had some really nice defense behind him tonight. Again, that was a factor in the limited scoring. Cubs defense was really solid, too.
Still, the Cubs could muster nothing whatsoever against the Yankees’ dominant bullpen. Cubs also ran into outs on the bases. Bad night all around for the bats. Good bullpen work, for what that’s worth.
