Let’s try to look at the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Pirates in 10 innings Friday this way: If there was one game in this series they might have been destined to lose, it was the game where Paul Skenes started for Pittsburgh.
On the other hand, the Cubs did have four hits off Skenes and got him out of the game after five innings, and Cade Horton pretty much matched Skenes and lasted into the sixth. So… losing this one has to be a disappointment.
The teams matched zeroes until the bottom of the fifth. With two out, Ian Happ walked.
In hindsight? Maybe you hold Happ at third, put two men in scoring position and Seiya Suzuki would have faced a tiring Skenes.
But given what had happened up to then? I didn’t have any problem with Quintin Berry sending Happ. It took two perfect throws to get him and, well, the Pirates got two perfect throws.
Credit to Horton for staying right with Skenes during his excellent outing, in which he was removed with two out and Oneil Cruz on third base in the sixth. Caleb Thielbar entered and got a ground ball to end the inning.
Horton threw only 76 pitches and looked sharp. He struck out four [VIDEO].
Here’s more on Horton’s day [VIDEO].
Ryan Brasier threw a scoreless seventh, but the Cubs couldn’t take advantage of a leadoff single by Nico Hoerner in the bottom of the inning.
The Pirates broke through against Brad Keller in the eighth. Henry Davis led off with a double and was sacrificed to third.
Cruz hit a comebacker, but Keller’s throw hit Davis and got away from Reese McGuire and the Pirates had a 1-0 lead.
The Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Tucker led off with a walk and Suzuki followed with a single. Pete Crow-Armstrong then grounded into a force play, with Tucker taking second. Then PCA stole second.
That was really smart baserunning by PCA, getting the Pirates involved in a rundown play instead of trying to throw Tucker out at the plate. So Tucker scored and it was 1-1.
Unfortunately, that’s where the eighth inning ended when Michael Busch grounded out.
Daniel Palencia entered to throw the ninth and issued a leadoff walk to Spencer Horwitz.
That’s about the fastest replay review decision I think I’ve seen… the play at first wasn’t close, the runner was obviously out, and so there were two out and no one on, and Palencia struck out Adam Frazier to end the inning. But the Cubs went out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, and on the game went to extras.
In the 10th, Ke’Bryan Hayes singled, but Frazier, the placed runner, held at second. Then the Pirates executed a double steal, and a walk loaded the bases. Davis hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Frazier and the Pirates led 2-1. Drew Pomeranz then got Cruz to hit into a double play to end the inning.
Usually, a team will say that if the visitors score only once in the top of an extra inning, ti gives the home team a decent chance to win. Not in this one, as the Cubs went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th and that was that.
An annoying rainshower fell for the entire game, not hard enough to stop play, but the light rain was relentless all afternoon. It would have been a decent day for, say, mid-October, but not mid-June. Perhaps we’ll have a chance to experience mid-October baseball at Wrigley this year. One thing the rain did do was to get a lot of balls thrown out of play that ordinarily wouldn’t have — I noticed several fielders throwing baseballs out of play after recording outs, likely to get a dry ball in play.
As I said… the Cubs perhaps didn’t figure to win this game against Skenes. Credit to Horton for pretty much matching Skenes, and if Horton can keep throwing this way he will have a very good MLB career.
The Cubs will try it again Saturday when, we have been assured, the sun will be out. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and Mike Burrows is the Pirates scheduled starter. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.