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Following an incredibly important series win over the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs entered Monday's game looking to make it three straight wins. Justin Steele returned to the mound after a month-long absence against the San Diego Padres.
Tale of the Tape
Monday's game featured an incredible pitcher's duel that lived up to the hype. With Steele on the bump for the Cubs and Yu Darvish on the mound for the Padres, Monday marked a treat for pitching enthusiasts everywhere.
Steele was brilliant in limited work. After just 68 pitches and 4.2 innings, Steele was lifted. He allowed three hits, zero runs, and one walk. The Cubs' ace also struck out two in his outing.
As for Darvish, he was equally as good. 5.0 innings of work saw Darvish yield four total base runners (three hits, one walk) while fanning five.
In addition, the score suggested a pitcher's duel as well. Both teams had opportunities, but failed to capitalize until the top of the sixth. In the frame, the Padres added six runs on the board, all off of Richard Lovelady and Daniel Palencia. Each pitcher gave up three earned off of some soft contact then a bases-clearing double from Luis Campusano served as the exclamation point. The Padres did all their damage in the inning.
After falling behind 6-0, the Cubs got a couple of runs back. After Mike Tauchman reached, Christopher Morel remained hot with his eighth home run of the season. The blast made it a 6-2 game.
Don’t let Christopher get HOT pic.twitter.com/zA9yHhe1PD
— Cubs On Tap (@CubbiesOnTap) May 7, 2024
The Cubs continued adding as the bullpen settled in. In the bottom of the seventh, Yan Gomes hit his second homer of the campaign, making it a 6-3 game.
YAN GONE SUMMER! pic.twitter.com/EEUxGUpJhn
— Cubs On Tap (@CubbiesOnTap) May 7, 2024
The Cubs threatened in the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs loaded the bases with no outs after a pair of walks from Patrick Wisdom and Dansby Swanson, and a single from Nick Madrigal. Tragically, the Cubs failed to score anyone as Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out for the first out. After the out, Padres closer Robert Suarez came in for the five-out save and got Yan Gomes swinging and Nico Hoerner on a fly out.
After giving themselves a chance entering the bottom of the ninth, Suarez was just too much for the Cubs. The Cubbies dropped the first game of the series 6-3 at Wrigley Field.
The Bullpen is Bull...
Despite another strong start from the Cubs starting pitching, the middle-inning bullpen arms failed to keep the Cubs in the game. Lovelady was beat up off of soft contact, and Palencia's heat was getting hit hard later in the inning. The pair gave up six earned and that was all the Padres needed for the win.
The good news? Colton Brewer was sensational in two innings of work and Adbert Alzolay managed a mostly clean ninth. Those two will need to be counted on as the bullpen grows deeper with healthy rotation arms returning in the near future.
As of now, the bullpen is sorely hurting the Cubs. With the Miami Marlins sending Luis Arraez to the Padres prior to this series, they appear to be a possible trade partner. If Jed Hoyer is going to make a move, a name such as LHP Tanner Scott could be the perfect addition.
Nonetheless, the Cubs need to get bullpen help and soon. Otherwise, games like this one will plague them all season long.
What's On Tap Next?
The Cubs and Padres run it back on Tuesday for the second game of the three-game set. LHP Shota Imanaga will grace the mound for the Cubs and RHP Randy Vasquez will start for the Padres.
More must-reads:
- Watch: Juan Soto's first multi-homer game as a Yankee
- Blue Jays GM wants struggling club to feel 'massive sense of urgency'
- The 'No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft' quiz
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