Cubs pitchers can’t handle the heat, wind in lopsided loss to Seattle
The Cubs need to make a decision on the pitching rotation in a few days, since Shota Imanaga should be coming back from the injured list in St. Louis.
The most likely roster move is either Ben Brown or Cade Horton will be sent down to Triple-A Iowa, simply because the Cubs have limited pitchers with minor league options left.
If this move came down to picking out the least effective starting pitcher, though, Colin Rea would be in the mix. The second-straight hot, windy day at Wrigley Field was a tough one to pitch, no doubt. But Rea hit season-highs in earned runs allowed (7), hits allowed (11) and home runs allowed (4) in a 14-6 loss to Seattle on Sunday.
After a great start to the season, Rea's ERA is 7.11 over his last six appearances.
“I felt pretty good physically all day,” Rea said. “Just came down to execution, I think. They were super aggressive and there were some mistakes over the middle of the plate.
Rea would have to either go on the injured list or move to the bullpen if he left the rotation. The Cubs need to create a roster spot for Imanaga one way or another, with reliever Porter Hodge also expected back soon.
Before the game, manager Craig Counsell talked about the impending roster decision. “How do we make ourselves the best team for the next three and a half months of the regular season?” he said. “That's kind of what we're solving for first.”
After the game, Counsell credited Rea for lasting into the sixth inning. The Cubs matched their season-high for runs allowed, but ended up using just three pitchers and not taxing the bullpen.
That should help with the four-day series coming up in St. Louis and no off-days until June 30. All four days in Missouri are expected to be above 90 degrees, by the way.
The Cubs have announced Brown as Monday's starter, Jameson Taillon on Tuesday, followed by two TBAs. Those dates will likely be filled by Imanaga and Matthew Boyd.
Following Rae, Chris Flexen gave up earned runs for the first time all year when Donovan Solano hit a 2-run homer in the seventh. Cubs reliever Nate Pearson returned to the big leagues by giving up 5 runs in the eighth, but came back to toss a scoreless ninth.
The Cubs did have an offensive highlight, with Seiya Suzuki belting a pair of home runs to reach 20 on the season. Suzuki made 2 errors in right field on Sunday, which didn't lead to any runs. He said through his translator he was aggressive at the plate trying to make up for the mistakes on defense.
Suzuki is just one home run away from matching his MLB career-high, set last season. He got to 38 homers in Japan in 2021.
What makes Suzuki's home runs even more impressive, heading into this game, right-handers were batting just .099 this season against Seattle starter Logan Gilbert.
“(Gilbert) is one of the good ones in this league,” Counsell said. “(Suzuki's) first at-bat is a great example, just the aggressiveness, trying to turn that up just a little bit. I think it's not turned up a lot, but it's enough where I think it's made a big difference for him.”
The Cubs collected 4 home runs on the day, with Kyle Tucker and Reese McGuire hitting the other two. At the end of a long, hot afternoon, McGuire was ejected for objecting to a ball-four call on Seattle's leadoff batter in the ninth.
The Mariners clubbed 5 home runs. Cal Raleigh smacked No. 31 in the first inning, then Solano and Dominic Canzone hit 2 each. Solano and Canzone were the No. 7 and 8 hitters in Seattle's lineup.
“If you're not getting the bottom of the lineup out, it doesn't matter the team, you're going to give up some runs,” Counsell said.
The Cubs have homered in the first inning of four straight games, something they haven't done since 1974.