Cubs run game has virtually disappeared in playoffs
So far in the playoffs, the Cubs run game has been almost nonexistent.
After finishing third in MLB in stolen bases during the regular season, the Cubs finally recorded their first playoff steal Wednesday. Pete Crow-Armstrong broke for second when Milwaukee pitcher Nick Mears uncorked a wild pitch in the first inning, allowing Ian Happ to score from third and give the Cubs their fourth run in a 4-3 victory.
“A lack of baserunners mostly,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday about the single steal. “We just haven't had a lot of baserunners. Both catchers we've faced, I think, are two pretty good throwing catchers.
“You have to create opportunities with base stealing. Sometimes there's opportunities to kind of pile it on, and sometimes you have to say there is nothing here, let's not force anything. Like hitting with runners in scoring position, you need opportunity, and we just haven't created a ton of great opportunities.”
San Diego catcher Freddy Fermin led the American League in caught stealing percentage (44.7) in 2024 when he played for Kansas City. This season, he was at 25% splitting time between the Royals and Padres. Milwaukee's William Contreras was at 27% this year.
The first 7 runs scored by the Cubs in the NLDS came on home runs, until Crow-Armstrong's 2-run single in the first inning of Game 3, just before his stolen base.
South Side reunion:
The 121-loss White Sox made a playoff appearance in the ninth inning of Game 3 on Wednesday when Cubs pitcher Brad Keller faced Milwaukee pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn.
Keller made just five appearances with the White Sox last year, while Vaughn was a South Side mainstay until being traded to the Brewers on June 13.
“It's funny, I've obviously faced him a lot this year,” Keller said. “I've faced him a lot in my career. We got to know each other when I played over there. So a good buddy of mine, a little head-nod to each other. I've got a lot of friends over there (in the Brewers dugout) too. So this is a fun series.”
Prior to 2024, Keller pitched in the AL Central for Kansas City. So Vaughn is tied for sixth on the list of batters he's faced the most. After Wednesday's fly out in the ninth inning, Vaughn is now 6-for-25 against Keller.
Hoerner hit leader:
Nico Hoerner is near the top of the playoff leaderboard, hitting .391. His 9 hits in the postseason easily leads the Cubs, with Michael Busch second with 6 heading into Thursday's Game 4.
This is technically Hoerner's postseason debut. He was in uniform during the wild-card loss to Miami in 2020 but didn't play. The Cubs started Jason Kipnis and David Bote at second base in that two-game series.
“I think all of us, even before you're drafted, playoff baseball is just such a joy to watch and follow as a baseball fan,” Hoerner said. “So to be in the middle of it on a strong team and playing every day and just in the thick of it, yeah it's a great feeling.”
Durbin finds a home:
Lake Forest native Caleb Durbin, who has been impressive as a Milwaukee rookie, was traded twice before playing his first game in the majors. He was originally a 14th-round pick of Atlanta out of Division III Washington University, then sent to the Yankees.
One interesting part of Durbin's journey is when he was traded from New York to Milwaukee in the Devin Williams deal last Dec. 13, he went from one team in need of a third baseman to another.
“I was added to the 40-man with the Yankees to end last season, so automatically I'm kind of going into the next spring training ideally hoping to fight for a starting spot,” Durbin said. “Then once I was traded to the Brewers, the only thing that really changed was the team.
“I figured third base would probably be the spot. No matter what, I was fighting to try to make a big-league roster, and getting traded to the Brewers ended up being a really cool opportunity for me.”