An Entire Starting Rotation Is Injured, But The Cubs Swept The Mets And Nobody In Baseball Is Ready For It
Alright, Emerald City, you gotta hear this wildness coming out of the Midwest! The Chicago Cubs just pulled off a road trip that defies all logic, sweeping four games from the New York Mets and snagging two of three from Milwaukee, including a nail-biting 4-3, 10-inning decision on Sunday. What's the secret sauce, you ask? Get this: their manager, Craig Counsell, unleashed thirteen different relievers over those seven games in just six days. THIRTEEN! The guy himself is saying, "We got enough done because we got great pitching performances today. Today was the day the pitching carried the load." Seriously, what is even happening?
The 13-Man Bullpen That Is Shocking The League
You know how we root for the underdog here in the PNW, right? Well, this Cubs squad is basically writing the handbook on it. Counsell wasn't kidding about the pitching carrying the load. Bryse Wilson stepped up big time, logging 4 1/3 scoreless innings as a bulk reliever after Ryan Rolison opened with two frames against the Brewers. Then, Jordan Wicks, the lucky 13th reliever, iced the game with a double-play ball from Gary Sanchez, bases loaded, no less! It's a miracle run, especially when you consider they battled through back-to-back rainouts that messed with their rotation and another wave of injuries to their pitchers.
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The Cubs currently have twelve pitchers on the injured list, including an entire starting rotation! Counsell admits, "We don't have that big of a stockpile. I don't think anybody does. So we're going to have to get through it. We'll keep looking for guys that can do the job." Shota Imanaga, who's got a 5-6 record and a 4.40 ERA, is set to start their next game. He earned a 10-5 win against the Mets on Wednesday, pitching 5 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and four runs with a walk and four strikeouts. He's actually been a problem for San Diego in the past, holding them to a 1-0 record with a 1.40 ERA in three outings. Talk about a silver lining!
San Diego's Starters Are Cracking Under Pressure
Speaking of San Diego, they're the next team up for these Cubbies, and their pitching situation is the complete opposite of Chicago's wild success. The Padres are struggling to get any length from their starters. Twenty-four of their wins this season have come after the starter worked five or fewer innings. That's a brutal number for any bullpen to handle! Padres manager Craig Stammen is clearly feeling the heat, stating, "It definitely puts our bullpen in a tough spot because we can't use them in the correct lengths. They have to be able to get us at least five (innings) or we've got to figure out a different way to do it."
Their potential starter for Monday night, Griffin Canning, isn't exactly instilling confidence. He's sitting on a 1-5 record with a sky-high 7.38 ERA, and he might need a strong performance just to keep his spot in the rotation. His last outing was a disaster: he couldn't even get out of the second inning against Atlanta, giving up four hits and four runs while recording only two outs. Yikes! The Padres just lost 4-2 to the Dodgers on Sunday after winning four straight, including a sweep of Atlanta. But then LA outscored them 19-5 in the last two games. It's like a roller coaster for them right now. If Canning can't find it, guys like Jhony Brito and German Marquez, who are almost done with rehab assignments in Triple-A, might be getting the call.
So, get ready for Monday night, when the Cubs open a three-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres. Can the Cubbies keep this insane, injury-defying run going? Or will the Padres' starters finally step up and give their bullpen a much-needed break? It's a clash of pitching philosophies, for sure, and we'll be tuned in to see what happens next!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.