Bullpen blows late lead in loss to Diamondbacks
Clay Holmes and Ian Happ carried a shutout win in Arizona, but the pen surrendered it a day later, and the finale arrives with both dugouts still sorting out a sign-stealing spat.
Holmes shuts out Arizona, the pen gives one back
Diamondbacks7-0Diamondbacks4-5On August 24, Clay Holmes carried the Cubs to a 7-0 win over Arizona, throwing 7 scoreless innings on 2 hits, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts, and Ian Happ went 1-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI to back him. It was the kind of start that made the Cubs' own account single it out afterward as a quality outing from Holmes.
A night later, that momentum didn't hold. The Cubs lost 5-4 to the Diamondbacks on August 25, with Barstool Bush's own recap, "Jacob Webb, Cubs Bullpen Blow Lead In Wild Card Fight," covering how the relief corps let the game slip away.
The split leaves Chicago at 76-57, five games clear of the wild-card cutoff with an elimination number of 25 — comfortable position, even with a bullpen that just gave one back. Justin Steele (elbow) isn't part of that group yet; he threw two more live bullpen sessions this week and is hoping to start a rehab assignment soon, per Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network.
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Torey Lovullo apologized to Craig Counsell on August 25, acknowledging that the Cubs' sign relaying was perfectly legal, per Bob Nightengale, according to FoulTerritoryTV. The apology followed what one tweet described as Monday's dugout argument between the two managers.
The dispute traced back to Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry, whom Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly and the Arizona coaching staff accused of relaying signs to hitters. "I think it's bullshit when it comes from a coach," Kelly said, per JomboyMedia. StoolBaseball's own video of the exchange showed Arizona's Ryan Flaherty among those with words for Berry.
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Matthew Boyd (8-2, 4.15 ERA) gets the ball as the Cubs are in Arizona this afternoon for the finale, coming off a start against Seattle in which he allowed 4 earned runs over 6 innings with 3 strikeouts. He'll face Eduardo Rodriguez (13-4, 2.61 ERA), who was nearly untouchable last time out, working 5.2 scoreless innings against Cincinnati on 4 hits and 4 strikeouts.
It's a mismatch on paper — Rodriguez has been one of the better arms in the league all year, while Boyd has been serviceable without missing many bats. If Arizona's ace is anywhere close to his last start, Chicago's offense will have to manufacture more than it's used to against him.
The market still leans toward the Cubs despite the pitching gap, with the total reading middling rather than lopsided. That split suggests the book expects Boyd to keep it closer than his recent line implies, with the game likely turning on whether Chicago's bullpen — shaky just two nights ago — can hold whatever damage does get done.