Matthew Boyd Is Falling Apart and Arizona Has No Shot at Stopping the Cubs' Home Rampage

The Chicago Cubs are about to put the Arizona Diamondbacks in a vice grip Sunday afternoon, and Matthew Boyd is walking out to the mound trying to save face after one of the most frustrating outings of his season. The Cubs are 13-5 at home and riding an absurd 10-game winning streak on their own field. Winners of 14 of their last 17 games overall, they want to sweep the D-backs and stretch that home dominance to 11 straight wins. Boyd's got one job: deliver. The problem? He's got serious problems.

Boyd Is Still Searching for His Form After the Injury Setback

Here's the brutal truth: Boyd (1-1, 7.00 ERA) was supposed to be the Opening Day ace. He was supposed to anchor this rotation. Instead, he's become a cautionary tale about what happens when momentum and health slip away at the same time. He did flash some promise on April 1, striking out 10 in a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Then a left biceps strain landed him on the injured list, and when he came back on April 22, nothing clicked.

In his last two starts, Boyd hasn't made it through five innings in either one. Against Philadelphia and San Diego, he gave up seven runs on 13 hits in 8 2/3 innings combined. That's not a rotation stalwart finding his footing. That's a guy drowning. The loss at San Diego on Monday stung even more because Boyd sabotaged himself. He called for an ABS challenge on a 2-1 fastball to Ramon Laureano in the first inning, a fourth-pitch call that was ruled a ball. The move put the Cubs in a hole early. The Padres scored three runs that inning and Chicago never recovered in the 9-7 loss.

Boyd owned the mistake afterward. "It's putting our hitters and our team in a hole when you do something like that in that situation, so early in the game," he said. "It was not a smart move on my part. I regretted it. I'll do my best to not make that mistake again."

Merrill Kelly Is Battling Demons of His Own

Boyd gets Merrill Kelly (1-2, 9.20 ERA) on Sunday, and Kelly is in worse shape. The Diamondbacks right-hander opened the season on the injured list with intercostal nerve irritation causing mid-back tightness. Since returning on April 14, his control has evaporated. In his last two starts, he's given up 13 runs on 16 hits while walking eight. His WHIP sits at 2.25. On Tuesday against Milwaukee, Kelly walked five in a 13-2 loss. When asked if his command might be the last piece to return after the injury layoff, Kelly was honest: "I think every comeback is different. I think everybody's different. The answer for me right now is 'yes.' I have to stop putting myself in bad situations."

The Cubs secured Saturday's series win 2-0 behind Shota Imanaga's seven scoreless innings. Ben Brown picked up the save, becoming Chicago's seventh reliever to record one this season. That's what manager Craig Counsell wants to see from a team dealing with injuries: resilience. "You play the game in front of you and play with the guys you have and then you go from there," Counsell said. "That builds resiliency, if anything."

Sunday's matchup is a clash between two rotation stalwarts who are both searching for answers. The Cubs smell blood at home. Kelly and Boyd better find it fast, or this home winning streak gets extended to 11 games.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.