‘Let’s make some noise’: Cubs believe their pitching is lining up for October
PITTSBURGH — Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell is concerned for his players’ health, not their feelings. Switching into playoff mode often requires pitchers to check their egos at the clubhouse door and leave their comfort zones.
Counsell views that particular challenge — and really all of his job responsibilities — in pragmatic terms: “I can worry about it, I’m not sure that’s going to help. I don’t mean to be sarcastic there, honestly.” That straightforward (and sometimes sarcastic) approach is a feature of this businesslike Cubs team.
When making decisions in the postseason, the entire focus has to be on winning that next game. All-Star pitchers Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd might not have the same latitude to work out of jams and find their rhythm. Cade Horton, a potential Rookie of the Year who is being carefully monitored, could also be unleashed.
Jameson Taillon, who has 221 career major-league starts on his resume, can be ready when the bullpen phone rings. Instead of revolving around the preferences of a star closer, that group of relievers is already operating with an all-hands-on-deck mentality.
The Cubs know what’s at stake, even though they aren’t close to announcing their rotation for a best-of-three series in the wild-card round. They don’t know exactly which hitters their top relievers will have to match up against in the National League playoffs. But those types of thoughts are percolating.
With Monday’s 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, Chicago’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot was reduced to two. Taillon even acknowledged that feeling of inevitability after giving up only two hits over six scoreless innings in front of a spring-training-sized crowd (15,706) that made it look like a tuneup.
“We’ve got a good chance to make some noise,” Taillon said. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but I like our chances when we get in. Let’s make some noise. We’re so deep. Top to bottom, there are so many good arms here. Who knows what it’s going to look like down the road? We just got to focus on doing our job going forward.”
With that in mind, Michael Soroka is making his pitch to be on the postseason roster. Soroka entered the picture around the July 31 trade deadline, when the Cubs looked beyond his dip in velocity and projected him as a depth starter who could also morph into a high-leverage reliever. As long as he stays healthy.
Soroka’s first start as a Cub lasted only two innings, which frustrated fans who were already disappointed by the organization’s measured deals to improve the roster incrementally. He spent roughly six weeks on the injured list before the Cubs activated him Monday, optioning Ben Brown to Triple-A Iowa as the depth chart takes a different shape.
“It’s always more along the lines of proving people right,” Soroka said. “There’s a lot more people that mean a lot more to me that believed in me, and some people I’ve worked hard with over the last month to get here.
“I’m looking to go let it rip and compete with this team.”
Soroka still needs to get back in the flow of pitching regularly. Counsell indicated the next day will be telling, to see how the pitcher bounces back. But following Taillon with two scoreless innings was a good step for Soroka, who consistently reached 95-97 mph in that shorter burst against the last-place Pirates.
By now, it shouldn’t be a surprise if Soroka winds up pitching out of the bullpen in key situations. Brad Keller, who has allowed one run in 24 appearances since the All-Star break, signed a minor-league deal last off-season. Two lefties in their late 30s — Caleb Thielbar (1.98 ERA in 63 appearances) and Drew Pomeranz (2.25 ERA in 51 appearances) — have also made unexpectedly significant contributions.
Andrew Kittredge was not a splashy addition at the trade deadline, either, but he has gone 5-for-6 in save chances as a Cub. Daniel Palencia might not be the closer anymore, but his strained right shoulder is quickly progressing to the point where he’s scheduled for a full bullpen session on Wednesday, with the possibility of starting a rehab assignment this weekend with Iowa.
Whether it’s the “pitching chaos” that the Detroit Tigers created last October, or the “innings puzzle” that Counsell often solved with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs can be flexible, adaptable and aggressive. “What you don’t want to do is say, ‘This is how it has to be,’” Counsell said. “You just want to be open.” That’s how the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers won the last two World Series.
“We’ve seen that in baseball,” Soroka said. “The team takes the best arms that they can for that series. It doesn’t really matter (what happened) the rest of the season. There is a track record that matters. But teams like to go with who’s hot. It’s always a bit of an audition.”
If it doesn’t happen in Pittsburgh, the Cubs could party this week at Great American Ball Park, where the Cincinnati Reds are still on the fringes of the wild-card race. The Cubs are in position to clinch their first playoff berth since 2020, a moment that should be celebrated given the constant demands of the 162-game schedule. And then it will be back to work, trying to line it up so that their best pitchers can handle another month of stress.
“If you can get to October, you’re going to ask a lot of probably a smaller group of pitchers,” Counsell said. “You want to have them going into that part of the season in the freshest way you possibly can.”
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