CHICAGO — The Cubs are in the thick of a playoff race, and Saturday’s game was important as they look to seal a berth to play October baseball.
Yet, the game practically took a backseat for much of the day. That’s what happens when a franchise legend such as Anthony Rizzo announces his retirement and is celebrated at The Friendly Confines throughout the afternoon.
The Tampa Bay Rays, though, spoiled the day, rallying to defeat the Cubs 5-4 at Wrigley Field.
The loss drops the Cubs (84-64) to just four games above the San Diego Padres for the top spot in the NL wild-card race, and their magic number to clinch a playoff berth remains at seven.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s contest:
Rizzo’s return
Saturday was all about Rizz.
He had a pregame press conference, where he officially retired as a member of the Cubs and joined the organization as an ambassador. He then walked around the field, snapping pictures with his family, and was honored in front of the fans before the game.
Rizzo said he wanted to take in the game from the iconic bleachers, “eat a hot dog [and] I’m going to drink some adult beverages.”
Yet, while he tried to just enjoy the day, the spotlight still found him.
Moisés Ballesteros put the Cubs on the scoreboard in the second inning with his first career home run — a solo blast that bounced off Rizzo’s hands in a scene that felt straight out of Hollywood.
Rizzo threw out the first pitch before the game to his former teammate, Ian Happ, sang the seventh-inning stretch with Chicagoland natives Eddie Vedder and Cindy Crawford, and joined both the TV and radio broadcast booths in a day centered around the Cubs’ legend.
Bullpen surrenders lead
The Cubs’ bullpen had been the talking point the last few days. They had pitched 11.1 scoreless innings over the last three games and permitted just one hit in that span.
On Saturday, that group — and one of the key figures of the Cubs’ relief corps — let them down, though.
Brad Keller, who had tossed 22.1 scoreless innings entering the game, allowed a leadoff ninth-inning homer to Nick Fortes, which proved to be the difference.
It was the first earned run Keller had allowed since before the All-Star break.
Porter Hodge gave up a Junior Caminero solo blast in the top of the eighth to tie the score at 4, just half an inning after the Cubs had taken the lead.
It was unrealistic to expect Keller and the Cubs’ bullpen to be perfect the rest of the way and into October, but blowing a lead in the late stages still stung. The Cubs will hope this is a sign they are “getting the bad ones out of the way,” so to speak, with the playoffs around the corner.
The concern with Keller shouldn’t be too high right now, either. He’s been the Cubs’ best and most consistent reliever this year, and this game should be seen more as a blip on the radar than a sign of who he’s becoming.
Cubs’ current first baseman strikes
The hole Rizzo left at first base in Chicago wasn’t immediately filled after his departure in 2021. Until last season, that is, when Michael Busch solidified the spot.
And, on a day when Rizzo was honored, Busch had to show out.
The Cubs’ current first baseman hit a solo homer with the legendary first baseman just a few sections over in the bleachers in the seventh, giving the Cubs a momentary 4-3 lead.
It was Busch’s 27th homer of the season — the most by a Cubs first baseman since Rizzo hit 27 in 2019.
The more impressive feat for Busch was that the homer came against a left-hander, Garrett Cleavinger. Busch has struggled against southpaws this season, hitting .185 with a .542 OPS entering Saturday, and the homer was just his third against lefties. Those struggles are part of the reason why the Cubs have used Justin Turner and Carlos Santana as platoon options to Busch.
The homer also was Busch’s first since Aug. 29. He’s been in quite a slump in September, hitting .133 with a .345 OPS in the month entering the game.
Busch and the Cubs hope this can be a spark that gets him back on track as the playoffs near.