13 Relievers in 6 Days: How Chicago's Wild Pitching Plan Is Working While San Diego's Starters Implode

Holy smokes, you guys. You will NOT believe what's happening out there in the National League right now! While we're all keeping an eye on our M's, the Chicago Cubs just pulled off the wildest road trip, sweeping the Mets and taking two of three from Milwaukee, including a nail-biting 4-3 extra-inning win. And get this: their manager, Craig Counsell, used a mind-boggling THIRTEEN different relievers to get through seven games! Meanwhile, down in San Diego, their starting pitching situation is a total trainwreck and it's getting kinda hard to watch.

Chicago's Bullpen Bonanza

Thirteen relievers in six days. Let that sink in. Counsell basically cycled through an entire minor league roster trying to keep his team afloat, and somehow, it worked! They're having fun and playing good baseball, just like Counsell said, because the pitching absolutely carried the load. They had back-to-back rainouts that messed with their rotation, plus a fresh wave of injuries, forcing them into these desperate moves. We're talking 12 pitchers on the injured list, including an entire starting rotation. An *entire* rotation, people! Bryse Wilson came in as a "bulk reliever" after Ryan Rolison opened with two innings against the Brewers and tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Then Jordan Wicks, the lucky 13th guy, got a game-ending double-play ball with the bases loaded. You just can't make this stuff up! They're not exactly stockpiling arms, as Counsell puts it, but they're finding ways to get it done.

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San Diego's Starter Struggles Are Real

Now, let's flip the script to San Diego, because it's a completely different story. Their starting rotation is just not getting it done. Like, at all. The Padres lost 4-2 to the Dodgers recently, dropping the rubber game of their series after winning four straight to start their homestand. The big problem? Twenty-four of their wins this season have come after their starter worked five innings or fewer. Think about that for a second. That's a huge burden on your bullpen, and Padres manager Craig Stammen knows it. He said it puts his bullpen in a tough spot because they can't use them correctly. Stammen made it clear: "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." Right-hander Griffin Canning, who might be on the hot seat, couldn't even get out of the second inning in his last start, giving up four hits and four runs while only recording two outs. That's a brutal 7.38 ERA for him right now. If he can't turn it around, he could be out of the rotation, especially with Jhony Brito and German Marquez almost done with rehab assignments.

So, here's the deal for Monday night: Chicago is opening a three-game series against the visiting Padres. The Cubs hope to get some length from Shota Imanaga, who's got a 5-6 record and a 4.40 ERA. He earned a 10-5 win against the Mets last week and has a dominant 1-0 record with a 1.40 ERA against San Diego in three previous outings. The Padres haven't named a starter yet, but it could be Canning, needing a serious bounce-back outing to save his spot. This series is going to be a fascinating look at two very different pitching philosophies, or maybe just two very different states of team health, playing out right before our eyes. You gotta watch and see if Chicago's wild ride continues, or if San Diego can finally find some stability on the mound. Go M's!

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