Can the Cubs save their season? |
After the Cubs’ 11-2 hot stretch, all previous thoughts of a third consecutive selloff seemed to vanish as many shifted their mind toward adding at the trade deadline and contending for the playoffs. The Cubs were chasing the Reds and the Brewers, and while the Cubs cooled off and dropped six of seven following a series split in London, the Brewers, and Reds continued to stack up wins — once again creating some separation in the division and pushing the meter toward selling in Chicago once again.
There certainly was a sense of urgency surrounding the club heading into their last seven games before the All-Star break — and the opponents were not easy. The Cubs stared down the barrel for a road trip against the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers and the always-tricky New York Yankees. The goal was simple, win enough to keep Jed Hoyer’s eyes on adding at the deadline — and don’t go on a 2021 esq losing streak to make Hoyer’s mind up on selling. The seven-game stretch started with a painful 8-6 loss against Milwaukee, in which the Cubs led 6-0 in the early going. For many, losing that game felt like losing the season, and it indeed could’ve led to a downward spiral. The next two games were monumental for Chicago. On the 4th of July, the Cubs won 7-6 in extra innings — thanks to late-game defensive heroics from Ian Happ, who started a pair of double plays with outfield assists to preserve and clinch the game in the 10th and 11th. Nico Hoerner knocked in the game-winning run as well. Then the next day, the Cubs trailed 3-1 in the 9th, and Mike Tauchman delivered a game-tying two-run double, soon to be driven in again by Nico Hoerner for the game-winning run. Ian Happ’s feat was the first time since 2006 that any player had multiple outfield assists in extra innings, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. Hoerner leads the Cubs in RBI, none more significant than those two days. The up-and-down series continued in the finale. The Cubs had a 1-0 lead and then fell to down 4-1 and rebounded to tie the game at 5-5 before dropping another one-run game at 6-5. A wild series split was enough for the Cubs to stay afloat, and they moved into the Bronx looking for their first win in the new Yankee Stadium all-time, while the Reds and Brewers squared off to beat up each other. Game one set the tone in New York, with Jameson Taillon delivering eight innings of one-hit ball, and the Cubs won via a shutout 3-0 — Bellinger provided the thump with a home run, and both Hoerner and Patrick Wisdom drove in runs. In game two, the Cubs dropped. Gerrit Cole pitched into the 8th for New York, and the Cubs never held the lead, so they needed a big win on Sunday to head into the All-Star break with some momentum and clinch a series against the Yankees. The Cubs trailed immediately, and a three-run sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead — but the Cubs rattled off six straight runs to secure the victory and the series win. Seiya Suzuki and Yan Gomes drove in a pair of clutch runs, and the Cubs picked up a game in the division heading into the break. Adbert Alzolay secured his 7th save, his 6th in the last 15 games. The timely offense and pitching from Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, and the Cubs bullpen have kept the Cubs in games. And the heroics of Ian Happ, Mike Tauchman, Yan Gomes, and Nico Hoerner were enough to save games. The Cubs have proven that they are not out of any game and that their heroic contributions can come from all over the diamond. But is it enough to save the season? The Cubs will have to open the second half of the season strong to keep the band together for the remainder of the season and work toward the future.
