The Tauchman touch: Cubs designated hitter adds to White Sox heartbreak with walk-off HR
The Summer of Tauchman is getting a sequel.
Last year in early June, the Cubs were nine games below .500 when Palatine native Mike Tauchman batted leadoff for the first time in San Francisco. The Cubs went on an 11-2 surge and began climbing the standings.
Tauchman provided more heroics Wednesday by hitting a walk-off home run leading off the ninth inning, giving the Cubs a 7-6 victory over the White Sox at Wrigley Field. Tauchman sent the second pitch from Michael Kopech, a 98 mph fastball, into the third row of the left-center field bleachers.
“I don't know if I've ever hit a walk-off homer, so I didn't really know (how to react),” Tauchman said. “I've seen some. But I love this group and that was a win that took every single guy.”
It was another heartbreaking loss for the White Sox, after leading 5-1 in the fourth inning. A day earlier, the Sox led 5-0, but also lost 7-6.
“This is my sixth Cubs-White Sox game and I feel like all six have been crazy, back-and-forth games,” Tauchman said. “Everybody in the big leagues is good. They have a lot of good players over there.”
The White Sox losing streak extended to 13 in a row, which ties the longest single-season skid in franchise history set in 1924. The Sox did once lose 15 in a row, spanning the end of the 1967 season and start of '68.
After the Cubs took a 6-5 lead with 3 runs in the seventh, Paul DeJong led off the eighth with a tying home run to left. It was the 16th home run at Wrigley Field for the Antioch native, who began his career with the Cardinals.
Maybe Tauchman never had a walk-off home run before, but he did have the memorable walk-off in St. Louis where he robbed the Cardinals of a game-winning home run for the final out.
Tauchman's magic last year had players and staff across the clubhouse wearing “Palatine Pounder” and “Summer of Tauchman” T-shirts.
He added to the legend during the Cubs’ seventh inning rally by working a 3-2 count against Mike Soroka. Tauchman then fouled off the next five pitches before taking a walk on a wild pitch that rolled to the backstop and allowed a run to score. Tauchman later came around with the go-ahead run when Ian Happ lifted a soft line single over second base.
“Tauch's a dog,” Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon said. “Every time he's up there he's going to have a tough AB. He's going to be prepared, he knows what the opposing pitcher's got. He knows how they're going to try to attack him.”
Taillon also referenced Tauchman's unique background. The Fremd High School graduate had short stints with the Rockies, Yankees and Giants, then was playing in Korea before the Cubs called last year.
“Also just a cool story, someone everyone should feel really comfortable rooting for,” Taillon said. “A good dude, has bounced around, gone to Korea, really cool to see him getting an opportunity and getting these moments for his hometown team. It's kind of like a movie.”
This was a strange game for both sides. The White Sox were called for two costly balks, the first of which brought home a run. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner was ejected for the first time in his career in the fourth inning. Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel left after fouling yet another ball off his left foot, but manager Craig Counsell said he thought Morel was OK.
Cubs-Sox games are supposed to be a little strange and memorable.
“Being a Midwest guy, when it starts warming up and you're outside after a long winter and a cold spring and all that stuff, there's a lot of energy,” Tauchman said. “And there was definitely a lot of energy in the crowd the last two days.”
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