Anything can happen in Cubs bullpen as Fulmer completes two-inning save
After Marcus Stroman's six scoreless innings on Friday, the Cubs turned to Mark Leiter Jr. for the seventh and Michael Fulmer in the eighth, with Brad Boxberger warming up in the bullpen.
But Cubs manager David Ross had a mild surprise in store, keeping Fulmer on the mound for the ninth. He collected a rare two-inning save to finish off the 2-0 victory over Texas at Wrigley Field.
At least one reporter tweeted that Boxberger should pitch the ninth since it seemed like the logical move. After the game, Fulmer said he had no idea the plan was to go two innings when he first took the mound.
"I relayed to Rossy and (pitching coach) Tommy (Hottovy) both, 'I'll pitch whenever you ask and I'll stop whenever you tell me to stop,'" Fulmer said. "It felt good, probably haven't done that in a while. But felt good enough, plus this crowd was awesome, kind of gave everyone a little extra adrenaline out there."
On Opening Day, when Stroman tossed six scoreless innings against Milwaukee, Ross went with one-inning stints for Keegan Thompson, Boxberger and Fulmer. Boxberger hasn't allowed a run in a Cubs uniform, spring training or regular season, but he's faced just one batter since his Opening Day outing.
"Rossy's been awesome with communicating with the whole bullpen usage," Fulmer said. "We've got a lot of guys down there that can do a lot of things. I'm just happy I got to do my job."
Fulmer broke into the majors as a starter with the Detroit Tigers, winning AL rookie of the year in 2016 and making the all-star team in '17. After missing the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery, he shifted to a relief role, was traded to Minnesota and signed with the Cubs as a free agent on Feb. 20.
Another issue with relief pitchers these days is they're called upon sooner. With the pitch clock rolling, Friday's game lasted just 2:17. Anything less than three hours was rare in the past.
"Me and Box have talked about it a lot," Fulmer said. "Our routines have changed a little bit since last year just because of sheer time. But it's good. A quicker game keeps everybody kind of focused on the game, motivated and ready to go at any time.
"You've just got to get your stuff done a little bit earlier. I used to wait till the first pitch to do some stuff, but starting before the game has been big so far."
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