Cubs top Tigers in Baez's return to Wrigley |
CHICAGO - In what was a very eventful day for the Chicago Cubs (62-64), it was also an emotional one, to say the least. After news broke that Hector Neris had not only been released, but the recently acquired Jack Neely would be getting the call, the Cubs were set to face the Detroit Tigers (61-65) Tuesday Night at Wrigley Field.
What was expected to be an exciting series, yet emotional at the same time as the Cubs faithful welcomed back Javy Baez for the first time since his trade in 2021 and greeted him with open arms. As expected, Baez soaked in the warm welcome about as good as anyone could've but promptly struck out in his first at-bat following his ovation. After being blanked by the Blue Jays on Sunday, the Cubs found themselves behind 1-0 through four innings as the offense was approaching 15 consecutive innings without scoring a run. All it took was one massive swing from Cody Bellinger to end that as his two-run double would down as the game-winning hit in the Cubs 3-1 victory over the Tigers. In what seems like a century ago, Javier Assad managed to pick up a win on the mound as he gave the Cubs one of his better starts in the past three months. Assad pitched into the sixth, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run and striking out seven. Most notably was the one walk as he has struggled with his command over the past month. The lone run Assad would allow came in the second inning, and it came after the Cubs let a scoring chance go to waste in the first inning. Backed by a trio of singles, including one by catcher Dillon Dingler, it was the Tigers taking an early 1-0 lead as Assad was searching for answers differently than normal. Assad managed to escape the second inning without further damage and, for the most part, was able to avoid any significant danger the rest of the way. While Assad was busy doing his thing and providing the Cubs with one of his better starts in a long time, the Tigers elected to go with a bullpen game. For the most part, that strategy was working for the most part. Alex Faedo went the first 1 2/3 innings, followed by Bryan Sammons; it was the Cubs offense who continued to struggle despite having great scoring chances in both the first and third innings. Already with one run driven in, Dingler set the Tigers offense up in a big way as he led the top of the fifth off with a triple and was 90 feet from putting the Cubs in a 2-0 hole. That was when all of the momentum swung in the Cubs favor as Assad somehow managed to keep him at third, and he did that by striking out the next three hitters he faced to keep the Cubs within striking distance 1-0. Momentum swings may not be physically visible, but you can see momentum swings based on how a team responds to a challenge. With Assad bailing the Cubs out in the top of the top of the fifth to keep things 1-0, it was up to the offense to reward him for his efforts. Leave it to the top of the order for that as Ian Happ worked a one-out walk ahead of the Michael Busch single as the Cubs once again had a runner in scoring position. In danger of letting this chance get away, Cody Bellinger came to the rescue as his go-ahead RBI double not only gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead but proved to be the game-winning hit in the process. Bellinger was thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple, but with two runs coming in to score, the damage was done. Belli plates two and we have the lead! pic.twitter.com/oxE3s3bbcl Now pitching with the lead for the first time, Assad trotted out for the sixth inning and came one out away from getting through six, only to have a pair of singles from Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson prevent him from finishing. Assad gave way to Tyson Miller, who not only finished off the sixth but then came back out to toss a scoreless seventh, as he will be taking on a more significant role with Neris no longer in the picture. Looking to add on with the bullpen now in charge of keeping the lead, Dansby Swanson provided some middle-inning thunder as he connected for a solo shot to left center and extended the Cubs lead to 3-1. Dansby Swanson - Chicago Cubs (10) This would be the game's final run for either side, but with the Cubs bullpen pitching as well as they have for the past two months, you had to like their chances to finish things. Expecting to go with a closer by committee the rest of the way, Craig Counsell already used Jorge Lopez on Saturday, and he will be used plenty down the stretch. Tuesday saw another guy get a chance to lock things down as the young righty Porter Hodge took his chances to close things out. Since arriving in the Majors in May, Hodge has been impressive as he has pitched to a 2.08 ERA. What stands out the most about him is his overall stuff, as he has proven to have closer stuff, which is why Counsell has used him in high-leverage situations. Hodge has earned the trust of his manager to get some save chances in the final month, but after allowing a leadoff double, things weren't looking good for the right-hander. Porter Hodge gets the save 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OFb9YTfrsA However, unlike many save chances when a leadoff runner got on, Hodge managed to keep that runner at second base as he promptly retired the next three hitters he faced to secure the Cubs 3-1 and picked up his second save of the season. Chicago only had five hits in the game, with Bellinger leading the way with two hits and two RBIs. Swanson, Busch, and Ian Happ had the remaining three. Week's off to a good start! Unforgettable. pic.twitter.com/rETBkmBSIF Cody Bellinger continues to RAKE against lefties 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/e7grXMDe8p #Cubs Dansby Swanson after the win on Porter Hodge & Javy Baez: pic.twitter.com/5SIlSLRjK7 “I thought it was Javi’s best start in a while.”
pic.twitter.com/k6QN3D8loS
Assad: 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 7 K
Bellinger: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
Swanson: HR, BB, RBI, R pic.twitter.com/QKcH860t1n
Javier Assad struck out 7 in 5.2 IP. pic.twitter.com/mvQqcvQh92
