Trust busted: Cubs suffer rare bullpen bust as Cardinals rally
The Cubs have had every reason to trust the bullpen this season.
So pulling off a victory in a so-called bullpen game to replace an injured Jameson Taillon would have been a nice accomplishment. Instead, they got a rare reliever lapse, with Brad Keller giving up 5 runs in the eighth inning of an 8-6 loss to St. Louis on Saturday at Wrigley Field.
Trailing 5-3, the Cardinals eighth inning started with an Alec Burleson home run to center field and essentially ended with a monster, pinch-hit 3-run homer by catcher Yohel Pozo onto Waveland Avenue.
“(Pozo) put a good swing on a backup slider,” Keller said. “So I've just got to make better pitches in those moments. It's frustrating, but I'll live to fight tomorrow.”
There was one debatably tough break in between. Lars Nootbaar laid down a bunt and Keller probably had a chance to get him at first with a perfect throw, but catcher Carson Kelly got in the way. There was only one out, though, when Pozo homered, so the bunt mishap might not have mattered.
“I think it was one of those things where we both called it at the same time type of thing,” Keller said. “And we just backed away right at the same time.”
The result spoiled another impressive day for Cubs first baseman Michael Busch. After hitting 3 home runs on Friday, he homered again in his first at-bat Saturday and eventually strung together 7 consecutive hits over the two days — 4 homers, a double and 2 singles. Over the past month, Busch ranks sixth in MLB in OPS at 1.061.
The home run came against St. Louis left-hander Matthew Liberatore, just the second of Busch's 18 home runs that came against a lefty this season. He often sits when there's not a right-hander on the mound but is making a strong case for being an everyday player.
“I've felt pretty comfortable against lefties,” Busch said. “I think we just have a group, no matter who's pitching, who's in the lineup, we just try to do our best.”
Busch can be added to the Cubs' all-star reserve watch list. When reserves and pitchers are announced Sunday, Busch, Seiya Suzuki and pitcher Matthew Boyd all have a solid case.
“I think we should have a handful,” Busch said. “Hopefully there are as many as are deserving of it.”
This was the first test of the Cubs' plan to fill in for Taillon. Manager Craig Counsell suggested there will likely be another bullpen game when his turn rolls around once again before the all-star break.
Drew Pomeranz was the opener but didn't complete the first inning. Counsell gave the Cardinals credit for tough at-bats. Leadoff man Brendan Donovan walked to cap a 10-pitch at-bat. One out later, Willson Contreras walked in an 8-pitch at-bat. Then Burleson singled to load the bases, before Chris Flexen was summoned from the bullpen and gave up a 2-run single to Thomas Saggese.
“Hats off to them,” Counsell said. “Five super-tough at-bats to start the game from them, actually six. Just getting out of it with 2 runs I thought was pretty good.”
Pomeranz has been an amazing story. He hadn't pitched in the majors since 2021 because of two elbow surgeries. But the Cubs saw him throw for Seattle's Triple-A team, offered a spot on their major-league roster and he rewarded them with 23⅓ consecutive innings without an earned run, until Saturday. His ERA rose to 0.76 with this result. Chris Flexen went 3⅔ innings with 1 run allowed.
After falling behind 3-1, the Cubs chipped away to take a 5-3 lead. Kelly homered for the second straight day for the fifth run, but it wasn't enough of a cushion.
Before the game Taillon talked about the right calf strain that put him on the 15-day injured list Friday and ensuing MRI exam.
“I think all in all, I'm pretty encouraged by knowing what it could have been,” Taillon said. “Just a moderate strain, I think it was kind of the best case of what we knew it had the possibility of being.”