{"id":678742,"date":"2026-04-19T00:21:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T00:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/678742\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T00:21:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T00:21:32","slug":"jameson-taillon-doesnt-discount-struggling-mets-then-holds-them-to-one-run-in-six-innings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/678742\/","title":{"rendered":"Jameson Taillon doesn’t discount struggling Mets, then holds them to one run in six innings"},"content":{"rendered":"

It would have been easy to think silly thoughts and let the Mets\u2019 losing streak get into his head. But Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon wouldn\u2019t allow it on his drive Saturday to Wrigley Field.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018I wasn\u2019t going to fall into the trap of thinking this was a bad team or a struggling team,\u2019\u2019 Taillon said. \u2018\u2018You look at the names up and down the lineup, I came in here not wanting to be the reason they got hot. I had that conversation with myself.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Taillon yielded one run and five hits, struck out four and walked three in six innings and was the winning pitcher in the Cubs\u2019 4-2 victory, thanks to a three-run home run by pinch hitter Carson Kelly in the sixth. The performance lowered his ERA to a respectable 3.97.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018We\u2019re trending in the right direction,\u2019\u2019 Taillon said. \u2018\u2018I\u2019m still not throwing as many strikes as I\u2019d like, and there were some uncompetitive curveballs, stuff like that. But today was a really good step. I thought the stuff was crispy. The four-seam [fastball] had better carry, and the sweeper got better as we went.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Martin next man up in pen<\/p>\n

The Cubs selected right-hander Corbin Martin\u2019s contract from Triple-A Iowa to take closer Daniel Palencia\u2019s spot on the active roster. Palencia (strained left oblique) was the 10th Cubs pitcher added to a burgeoning injured list Friday.<\/p>\n

Right-hander Cade Horton, who had the makings of a staff ace, was moved to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Martin. Horton had Tommy John surgery Thursday.<\/p>\n

The Cubs signed Martin, 30, to a minor-league deal for depth during the offseason. In parts of four seasons, he has a 6.54 ERA in 74\u2154 innings with the Astros, Diamondbacks and Orioles.<\/p>\n

Martin is out of minor-league options and would be exposed to waivers if the Cubs try returning him to Iowa.<\/p>\n

Martin, who had Tommy John surgery in 2020 and surgery to repair a lat tendon in 2023, dealt with back spasms after pitching in Iowa\u2019s opener and was out for two weeks before pitching again Tuesday. He allowed one earned run in two innings.<\/p>\n

He pitched in eight games during spring training, allowing six earned runs in 7\u2154 innings with 10 strikeouts and five walks.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018He pitched two innings in Iowa, so this is need-based,\u2019\u2019 manager Craig Counsell said.<\/p>\n

Jacob Webb, Ben Brown and Martin are the only right-handers in the bullpen.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018We\u2019ve had a lot of needs, and we wanted to get a right-hander here, frankly,\u2019\u2019 Counsell said. \u2018\u2018Ideally, he would have pitched more in Iowa after the back injury, but we have a need.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

PCA not moping<\/p>\n

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong seems to be keeping his frustration over a .218\/.265\/.282 batting line to himself. Perhaps playing with multiple stars at the World Baseball Classic helped.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018The WBC was a great experience for Pete in that regard,\u2019\u2019 Counsell said. \u2018\u2018Being around those guys made him understand who he can aspire to be. I see he\u2019s improving at it.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

But Counsell said he doesn\u2019t want Crow-Armstrong to be anything other than himself, which is someone who plays with his hair on fire.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018There is a lot of good in that we don\u2019t want to acknowledge, and that\u2019s sometimes hard to understand,\u2019\u2019 Counsell said. \u2018\u2018He needs to play with emotion, and we should not try to take that out of him. We should try to get it going in the right direction. It\u2019s too much fun to watch.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\"Mets<\/p>\n

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Manager Craig Counsell called on Kelly to pinch-hit for Moises Ballesteros for the righty vs. lefty matchup he preferred, and Kelly was ready, launching the first pitch into the Wrigley Field bleachers.<\/p>\n

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Where has Robert\u2019s All-Star talent gone? The Mets haven\u2019t really seen it yet, much as the White Sox didn\u2019t really see it after his 38-homer season in 2023.<\/p>\n

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Hoerner wouldn\u2019t be the first player whose numbers were affected by new money. But it\u2019s certainly not making him complacent, and there are no signs of him succumbing to pressure to perform better.<\/p>\n

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