Quick hook for Sampson backfires as Cubs lose to Brewers
MILWAUKEE - The Cubs won the season series (10-9) against their neighbors to the north despite dropping a 9-7 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday at American Family Field.
Whether COVID vaccine status played a role in Sunday's loss remains open to debate.
Before the game, the Cubs announced that two pitchers, Adrian Sampson and Justin Steele, would not make the trip to Toronto for an upcoming three-game series. Sampson started Sunday's game and wasn't going to pitch in Toronto anyway, so no big deal, right?
Well, the thing is, Sampson got an early hook, and was pulled during the fourth inning after 61 pitches while the Cubs led 2-1. There was one out and nobody on base when manager David Ross brought in lefty Sean Newcomb.
"It was shorter than I would have liked it to be," Sampson said. "I would say that if I threw 150 pitches, though. I always try to reiterate the same message, I want to stay out there as long as I can."
Four batters later, the Brewers led 5-2 after Newcomb surrendered three straight singles and a 2-run homer to Christian Yelich.
Nico Hoerner sent a 2-run homer just inside the left-field foul pole to bring the Cubs within 5-4, but Kolten Wong tagged Newcomb with another 2-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
By rule, the Cubs are allowed to bring in a player to replace Sampson only if he pitched less than four full innings on Sunday. Minor league pitchers Brendon Little and Jeremiah Estrada were in the clubhouse after the game waiting for the Cubs to depart for Toronto, so that seems to have been the plan all along.
A short outing for Sampson allowed them to bring extra pitching help on the road trip.
One could speculate if Sampson had been vaccinated, maybe he stays in the game longer and the Brewers don't build a big lead against Newcomb.
But to be fair, it was a reasonable plan on paper. The Brewers had six left-handed bats in the starting lineup and the left-handed Newcomb faced four in a row when he entered the game.
"It just looked like he (Sampson) was working really hard and I felt like I had both lefties down there ready to go and that heavy left-handed lineup," Ross said. "They would have pinch-hit, then we could have circled back to the right (handed pitcher).
"Just felt like we could try to go for the game early. Didn't work out, sometimes that happens."
More perplexing was Milwaukee's left-handed batters going 6-for-6 with 2 home runs, plus a walk, against Newcomb. Heading into this game, lefties were hitting .188 with no home runs this season against Newcomb.
"They were on everything," Ross said. "We'll just have to look at if there's something he's giving away. Go back and watch tape, how the pitches are executed, check all the angles, the cameras. Didn't expect it to go that way for sure. He's been throwing the ball well."
Right-handed reliever Luke Farrell gave up 2 runs in the sixth to make it 9-4, but the Cubs did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth after Franmil Reyes crushed a 2-run homer and Hoerner followed with a single.
Milwaukee brought in closer Devin Williams, who struck out Yan Gomes, then coaxed a game-ending double play from pinch-hitter Willson Contreras.
Sampson said passing on the COVID vaccine was a personal decision and he just preferred to wait for more information.
"I think people should choose what you want to do and hopefully get some appreciation from one another and not look down on someone because of the decision they made," he said. "Everyone's been very accepting of people's decisions here. It's nice that you don't feel like they're trying to single you out or anything."
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports