{"id":107847,"date":"2025-06-16T11:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T11:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/107847\/"},"modified":"2025-06-16T11:00:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T11:00:17","slug":"cubs-takeaways-what-we-learned-in-walk-off-win-vs-pirates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/107847\/","title":{"rendered":"Cubs Takeaways: What we learned in walk-off win vs. Pirates"},"content":{"rendered":"

BOX SCORE<\/a><\/p>\n

CHICAGO \u2014 The Cubs entered Sunday with a chance to win a series after dropping two straight sets.<\/p>\n

Ian Happ helped deliver that with a walk-off, 10th-inning single as the Cubs beat the Pirates 3-2 on Sunday at Wrigley Field.<\/p>\n

The Cubs (44-28) will enjoy their first day off in two weeks before opening a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Here are three takeaways from the game:<\/p>\n

Flexen their muscles<\/p>\n

The Cubs bullpen has been nails \u2013 we\u2019ll get to that in a second. But Chris Flexen<\/a> has, in some ways, been a poster child for this reliever corps.<\/p>\n

He was signed as a non-roster invitee to spring training, spent the beginning of the season with the Iowa Cubs and was added to the big-league roster at the start of May. He pitched a perfect 10th inning, stranding the extra innings runner and has now pitched 18.1 innings for the Cubs without allowing an earned run.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s how the Cubs have built this bullpen \u2013 they\u2019re under-the-radar signings who have stepped up and played vital roles for this team. The Cubs have struggled scoring in extras \u2013 they had six runs scored in eight extra-inning games entering Sunday \u2013 so keeping the Pirates scoreless was a big help for the Cubs\u2019 offense.<\/p>\n

They needed just the one run, and Ian Happ delivered.<\/p>\n

Rea\u2019s Day<\/p>\n

Colin Rea\u2019s<\/a> last three starts have been a struggle. He had allowed 16 runs in 15 innings (9.60 ERA) and had a 1.93 WHIP. The Cubs used an opener in his penultimate outing and that led to a successful appearance \u2013 5.1 scoreless innings with five hits allowed.<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s outing started out worrisome \u2013 he allowed three hits and a pair of runs within the first five hitters of the game. But Rea settled in and looked more like the pitcher who followed the opener on June 5 in Washington.<\/p>\n

Rea recorded nine straight outs following a one-out single in the first, and permitted just two base runners after the opening frame \u2013 a one-out walk in the fourth and a two-out single in the sixth.<\/p>\n

Colin Rea with a quality start for the Cubs on Sunday: <\/p>\n

6 IP | 4 H | 2 ER | 1 BB | 4 SO<\/p>\n

\u2014 Andy Mart\u00ednez (@amartinez_11) June 15, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

That\u2019s a big performance for this Cubs rotation. They\u2019ve been down both Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga<\/a> since May 5, and have posted a 4.32 ERA since the Japanese left-hander went down. That is the 19th-best mark in baseball over that time.<\/p>\n

Rea was a strong contributor when he first joined the rotation but had struggled of late. He\u2019s a key piece to the Cubs\u2019 pitching staff \u2013 albeit not a flashy name \u2013 and having him contribute like that is key.<\/p>\n

Bullpen musings<\/p>\n

The Cubs\u2019 reliever corps has been good \u2013 that\u2019s no secret. They sport an MLB-best 0.90 ERA since May 14 (100 innings) and a 3.21 ERA on the season, the fourth-best mark in baseball.<\/p>\n

But this stretch of their schedule was always going to be a gauntlet. Sunday\u2019s contest was their 13th in a row without a day off and the halfway point of a 26-game-in-27-day stretch. That\u2019s taxing for a team, especially their bullpen.<\/p>\n

Daniel Palencia picked up the save on Saturday his third straight day pitching. Drew Pomeranz recorded a hold in the game, pitching on back-to-back days and his third appearance in four days. Brad Keller had pitched four times in five days before not being used on Saturday.<\/p>\n

That meant Cubs manager Craig Counsell had some limited choices late in game. Palencia, Keller and Pomeranz were not used in the contest as Counsell was always likely to avoid them to give them a pair of days off in a row.<\/p>\n

It allowed someone like G\u00e9nesis Cabrera to be used in a leverage spot \u2013 he pitched the eighth inning of a tie ball game. The left-hander pitched a scoreless inning, working around a leadoff walk by picking up an inning-ending double play.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s an interesting name for the Cubs\u2019 bullpen. They\u2019re carrying three lefties, a rare thing to do in a bullpen, but he\u2019s been solid for a group that\u2019s been really good. His 2.84 ERA is strong \u2013 in this \u2018pen, though, it\u2019s \u201chigh\u201d. That\u2019s how deep that group is.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a good thing for the Cubs.<\/p>\n