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Chicago Cubs strand 15 runners in a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Cleveland Indians to complete a 2-game sweep: ‘This was a tough series’

meghan montemurro, chicago tribune
·5 min read

Chicago Cubs second baseman Eric Sogard fought off pitch after pitch, looking to make enough contact for a two-out hit to drive in the go-ahead run.

Right-hander James Karinchak, the Cleveland Indians’ sixth reliever of the game, peppered the strike zone and challenged Sogard with 96 mph fastballs. That much-needed clutch hit continued to elude the Cubs, and Karinchak unleashed an 81 mph curveball on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. He froze Sogard for strike three looking with runners on first and second to end the inning.

The Cubs couldn’t match the scoreless inning in the bottom of the 10th. Cleveland center fielder Amed Rosario slashed a two-out, bases-loaded single off rookie right-hander Keegan Thompson to hand the Cubs a two-game series sweep with the 2-1 loss in 10 innings.

The Cubs’ struggles with runners in scoring position cost them for a second consecutive game. The offense finished 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position Wednesday and left a season-high 15 runners on base. In the two-game series, the Cubs posted a 2-for-27 mark with runners in scoring position and stranded 25 runners. Those failures loomed large in back-to-back one-run losses.

It didn’t help that the Cubs faced a former Cy Young Award winner Tuesday, right-hander Shane Bieber, and opposed one of the best bullpens in baseball. Cleveland’s 2.61 bullpen ERA and 83.9% left-on-base rate are the best in the majors, while their 17.2% strikeout-walk rate ranks eighth.

Given those challenges, Cubs manager David Ross is happy with his team’s overall approach. A two-game sample size makes it more challenging to dissect the Cubs’ RISP struggles in Cleveland.

“The fact that we’re getting guys on base against this type of pitching and taking our walks and grinding at-bats, really good ABs overall,” Ross said. “We’ve hit into some double plays and punched out in some moments where we’re just trying to try to come up with a big hit. Just hadn’t come through.

“This was a tough series, but one hit here or there and it swings totally the opposite way.”

Willson Contreras and Joc Pederson accounted for most of the Cubs offense Wednesday. They went a combined 7-for-10 while the rest of the lineup finished 2-for-28. The Cubs put runners on first and second with one out in the first and second innings against Indians starter Sam Hentges but failed to advance the runners.

“Sometimes you put good swings on it and sometimes you don’t,” Pederson said. “So just keep moving and stay positive. We’re close. Things are coming, pitching has been great. We’re moving in the right direction.”

Cubs right-hander Zach Davies couldn’t get through Cleveland’s lineup a third time but again looked good, continuing a strong May as he tries to bounce back from an awful April. Davies allowed one run in 5⅓ innings, walking two and striking out four.

The Indians’ lone run off Davies quickly erased the Cubs’ one-run lead. Two-out doubles from Ildemaro Vargas and Pederson put the Cubs on top 1-0 in the sixth. But two pitches into the bottom of the inning, César Hernández and Amed Rosario each doubled to tie the game.

With the Indians threatening to take the lead in the sixth, Ross turned to rookie left-hander Justin Steele in relief of Davies. Steele struck out Eddie Rosario and Josh Naylor to strand the go-ahead run on third. In their brief time up in the big leagues, Steele and Thompson have already earned Ross’ trust in big moments.

“(Steele’s) been impressive, Keegan’s been impressive, almost getting us out of that craziness right there at the end (in the 10th),” Ross said. “These guys are throwing strikes, they’ve got some good stuff that plays in the zone and they’re not backing down. They’re fearless.”

The Cubs lineup Wednesday featured three players who either opened the year in bench roles (Matt Duffy and Sogard) or were in the minors (Vargas) and have since been thrust into more playing time because of injuries. That generally doesn’t bode well for an offense, though Duffy’s production over the last three weeks has been a welcome spark.

The Cubs should get two regulars back for their weekend road series against the Detroit Tigers.

Nico Hoerner (left forearm strain) is expected to come off the injured list before Friday’s game, and the hope is Kris Bryant will be OK by then too. Bryant did not start Wednesday because he was still “super under the weather” and did not get much sleep, Ross said before the game. Sinus and breathing issues caused Bryant to exit Tuesday’s game early.

Bryant pinch-hit in a key spot in the seventh with two runners on and the score tied at 1. On the third pitch, right-hander Cal Quantrill drilled Bryant near his left hand. Nick Martini pinch ran for Bryant when he reached base, a move Ross planned regardless of the bruise Bryant sustained from the hit by pitch.

Ross has reason to be confident the Cubs’ problems with runners in scoring position were a byproduct of their opponent and team health rather than a concerning trend. Since the Cubs offense busted out of an early funk, they entered the series in Cleveland ranked among the best in key areas with runners in scoring position: .286 average (second), .873 OPS (third), .363 wOBA (tied for fourth), .228 ISO and 132 wRC+ (sixth).

“I don’t want to make excuses, but we’ve done a really nice job of having good at-bats up and down the lineup and then it just gets to a spot that (we) just haven’t been able to come through,” Ross said. “We are banged up and the grit, the determination and the fight and how these guys approach really good pitching when we’re short-handed — I’ve been impressed with, to be honest with you.”