Chicago Cubs Road Trip Review |
The Cubs’ daunting nine-game West Coast road trip has ended, and they finished above .500 on the journey. The Cubs played three games in San Diego against the Padres, dropping two of three, but they rebounded to win the series against the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
So, let’s break down the circus trip. CUBS vs PADRES Game 1: The Cubs jumped out to a strong 8-0 lead, thanks to multiple runs driven in by Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, and Dansby Swanson. Javier Assad struck out seven across five-plus innings of work and turned it over to the bullpen ahead 8-2. The Cubs bullpen (Jose Cuas, Luke Little, Hector Neris, and Adbert Alzolay) surrendered seven runs, and the Cubs took a heartbreaking 9-8 loss at the hands of the Padres. Game 2: The Cubs’ response was led by rookie Ben Brown, who did not allow a run in his first big league start. Offensively, Sieya Suzuki had three hits, Yan Gomes slugged his first homer of the season but most of the damage came off the bat of Christopher Morel, who launched a grand slam in the 5th inning. Drew Smyly was solid in relief, and the likes of Almonte, Mark Leiter Jr., and Adbert Alzolay turned in scoreless outings as the Cubs won 5-1. Game 3: The rubber match of the series was all Padres. Michael Busch slapped a two-run homer early to tie things at two apiece, but the following eight runs were all scored by the Padres. Kyle Hendricks had an awful start, allowing seven runs, and both Daniel Palencia and Jose Cuas allowed runs in their outings as well. The Cubs dropped the game and the series to San Diego. CUBS vs MARINERS Game 1: The Cubs offense went quiet in game one against the Mariners. Jordan Wicks was rocky, allowing four runs in four innings and striking out six. Drew Smyly and Keegan Thompson were excellent in relief, but the Cubs offense never got going. Michael Busch homered for the second game in a row but did not have much help as the Cubs fell 4-2. Game 2: The Cubs got back in the W in game two in Seattle thanks to another spectacular outing from Shota Imanaga. Three starts into his MLB career, and Imanaga has yet to allow an earned run. The bullpen was excellent behind Imanaga, and home runs from Michael Busch (his third game with an HR in a row), Miguel Amaya, and Seiya Suzuki provided the offense for a 4-1 Cubs win. Game 3: The Cubs clinched the series against Seattle in game three. The Cubs’ quiet offense stayed quiet except for Michael Busch, who homered in his fourth straight game (a Cubs rookie record). Assad had another strong outing on the mound, pitching into the 6th and allowing only two runs. Yency Almonte, Mark Leiter Jr., Hector Neris, and Adbert Alzolay shut the door and clinched a series win, 3-2. CUBS vs DIAMONDBACKS Game 1: On Jackie Robinson day, the Cubs took control of the series in Arizona with a thrilling comeback win. It was a pitcher’s duel, as Ben Brown allowed just one run in six innings. Michael Busch homered in his Cubs’ record fifth straight game (tying Sammy Sosa, Christopher Morel, Ryne Sandberg, and Hack Wilson). Drew Smyly gave up the lead in the 8th, and it looked like the Cubs would squander another late lead. Then Nico Hoerner scored from second on a passed ball and tied the game with an electrifying hustle play. Then, in extra innings, Nico Hoerner delivered the go-ahead hit — and Keegan Thompson slammed the door for the 3-2 Cubs win. Game 2: Game 1’s fear came to fruition in game 2, as the Cubs choked away a late lead. Kyle Hendricks’ was rocked again, allowing seven runs, and the rest of the bullpen allowed four runs in four straight innings. The Cubs returned from down 4-1 and 8-5 to take leads. Nico Hoerner had four hits, Miguel Amaya drove in two runs, Ian Happ hit a go-ahead grand slam, and the Cubs had eight extra-base hits. The Cubs led 11-8 late but squandered away the lead — Adbert Alzolay’s third blown save of the year, and lost in a second straight extra-inning contest. Game 3: Similar to the Cubs’ response after the 8-0 blown loss, they bounced back with a win to clinch the series against Arizona and a winning road trip. Jordan Wicks allowed two runs in four-plus innings, but Hayden Wesneski (who was just called up) delivered four masterful shut-out innings. Cody Bellinger hit a home run, and Michael Busch and Mike Tauchman had RBI hits. It was scary to have a lead late, as had been the case earlier in the series, but the Cubs came away with the win. In review, the Cubs had a strong 5-4 road trip — a record any fan would be pleased with ahead of time. Unfortunately, knowing the Cubs could have very quickly been 7-2 on the road trip makes it sting a little, but a success. Seiya Suzuki and Julian Merryweather were put on the IL during this road trip, which will undoubtedly challenge the Cubs’ depth even more as the season continues. Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Nico Hoerner faced some struggles but seemed to all be coming to form as the Cubs prepared to return home. Michael Busch kept the Cubs afloat offensively on the trip. The bullpen will stay a work in progress, but there were some encouraging aspects of the road trip. It's something to keep an eye on, without a doubt. TRENDING UP: Nico Hoerner, Keegan Thompson, Hayden Wesneski, Ben Brown, Michael Busch TRENDING DOWN: Jose Cuas, Luke Little, Dansby Swanson, Kyle Hendricks, Daniel Palencia The Cubs return home for a home stand against the Marlins and Astros at Wrigley.
