The Tigers struck in the first inning as Horton was off his game to begin. He allowed a leadoff single to Parker Meadows and then walked Gleyber Torres. Horton retired the next two hitters, but Spencer Torkelson then hit a ball off the wall in right that was just out of Kyle Tucker\u2019s reach and both runners scored.<\/p>\n
Flaherty set the Cubs down in order the first time through the batting order, then walked Ian Happ leading off the fourth. Tucker also walked, but Seiya Suzuki struck out.<\/p>\n
Then this happened [VIDEO].<\/a><\/p>\n Admittedly, it took a perfect throw from Kerry Carpenter to throw out Happ. Carpenter played stellar defense in this series. The Cubs challenged, but the call stood.<\/p>\n Me? I think I would have held up Happ at third. Then the Cubs would have had the bases loaded with one out. Carson Kelly followed with a walk, and of course sequencing would have been different, but a bases-loaded, one-out situation might have given the Cubs a better chance to score, especially since Flaherty had been dealing.<\/p>\n In the top of the fifth, Dansby Swanson led off with a double.<\/p>\n Nico Hoerner was then called out on strikes. Here\u2019s the pitch (pitch 5) on which strike three was called.<\/p>\n Well… pitches like this have been strikes before, but that\u2019s not really a strike.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what happened after that [VIDEO].<\/a><\/p>\n Jim Deshaies is correct, Nico never argues like that. Both Hoerner and Counsell were tossed quickly \u2014 an umpire with a short fuse is never good, and as JD noted, this is an inexperienced umpire (Derek Thomas, in just his third MLB season, and second full season). Maybe trying to make a statement?<\/p>\n In any case, let me say this right now: The ball-and-strike calls throughout this series were pretty bad, for both sides. The challenge system cannot come soon enough.<\/p>\n More on the ejections from BCB\u2019s JohnW53:<\/p>\n Craig Counsell\u2019s ejection was his first this season and fourth in his 227 games managing the Cubs. He was ejected 28 times in 1,332 games as manager of the Brewers.<\/p>\n Nico Hoerner had been ejected from only one of his previous 608 big league games, his 452nd, at home against the White Sox on June 5 of last year. Like today\u2019s ejection, it came after arguing a called third strike, with one out and nobody on in the third inning. The Cubs trailed, 5-1, but rallied to win, 7-6, on Mike Tauchman\u2019s leadoff homer in the ninth.<\/p>\n The challenge system should eliminate most of these ejections, and get calls right. Can\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n Horton then allowed two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. After the first out in that inning, Torres singled and Carpenter doubled him to third. A single by Riley Greene scored both runners to make it 4-0.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t think Horton threw badly, apart from those two RBI hits. He struck out six and threw 85 pitches (56 strikes). Here are his six K\u2019s [VIDEO].<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Screenshot_2025_06_08_at_4.41.54_PM.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n