It’s not often a home team leaves their home playing surface to resounding boos for the night. It’s especially rare at Wrigley Field. However, that is exactly what happened to the Chicago Cubs on Monday night after giving a win to the San Francisco Giants. Another blown lead, another blown save, and another gut-punching loss leave many, including manager Craig Counsell, questioning what is left for the Cubs in 2024.
President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer says that the bats will turn around; we all must be patient. Starter Javier Assad pitched five innings of one-run baseball, and the struggling Cubs offense generated six hard-earned runs. But that wasn’t nearly enough for a bullpen Counsell cannot count on.
After Hayden Wesniski gave up another lead via a home run, Ian Happ came up clutch to give the Cubs a lead on a three-run bomb that found its way to Waveland. This gave the Cubs a three-run cushion heading into the eighth inning. Mark Leiter Jr. surrendered a longball to make it 6-4 Cubs, but two runs should be plenty of cushion for a major league closer in 2024. Right? Right?…
Counsell called on “Heart Attack” Hector Neris to close the game for the Cubs in what felt like a must-win situation. He, of course, allowed two base runners to set the stage for Thairo Estrada, the Giants’ eight-hole hitter, to launch a three-run home run that would eventually win the game for the Giants.
It’s beyond me how this was only Neris’ fourth blown save of the year, but that’s the case. The Cubs heard it from their home crowd after another frustrating loss. Change needs to come, but Counsell told the media otherwise after the game.
Craig Counsell met with the media after another blown save and crushing loss Monday night. He was asked if Hector Neris lost his closing job after another three-run outing in the ninth. Counsell said he “wouldn’t anticipate” the Cubs making another plan for the ninth inning. He said they need outs and need to continue finding who can give them those consistently.
In 28 outings this season, Neris has allowed at least one batter to reach base in 23 of those outings. His ERA is now 4.73. The reality is that Neris is all the Cubs have for the ninth inning. No one is healthy and available to challenge him. That is how bad this bullpen is.
Still, Counsell and Jed Hoyer will count on the Cubs being just two games out of a playoff spot and it “only” being June. Hoyer will preach patience and probably remark about how six runs are what we like to see. He’ll use that and a remarkable starting rotation to convince everyone he’s done his job to the best of his ability.
Hoyer oversold Craig Counsell on what he would inherit when joining the Cubs as the next manager. Now, he’s tasked with figuring out how to put square pegs into circular holes. For now, Counsell is doing the best with what he has been given. But what was given is a mid-team playing lousy baseball in the third-largest market.
