Column: With change in the air, the Chicago Cubs bounce back for a 6-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers

Chicago Tribune

13 hours ago

Per usual, Matthew Boyd warmed up to the guitar licks of Jimi Hendrix's 'Voodoo Child' before his start at Wrigley Field, providing a perfect soundtrack to Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.
For decades, Cubs fans clung to myths like the black cat and the Billy Goat Curse while searching for explanations for bad occurrences, only to see the team finally break through in 2016 and win a World Series.
The days of superstitious rationalizations were over, and any losing Cubs team in the future would have to instead look in the mirror.
But maybe a little bit of voodoo was exactly what the Cubs needed Tuesday against the hottest team in baseball.
Or perhaps it was just a matter of giving Owen Caissie a chance that turned the trick.
After replacing slumping All-Star Kyle Tucker in right field, the rookie hit his first career home run and drove in three runs, leading the Cubs to a 6-4 win before an announced crowd of 33,103 in the makeup of Monday's postponement.
'He was the impact of this game that we needed today,' Boyd said. 'I think when you get to this time of year, we all know what's ahead of us and the excitement that comes with that. For someone that just comes up and is part of the ballclub, part of this team now, to help us win is just so awesome. It's fun to be part of something bigger than yourself.'
It was a much-needed win for the Cubs after Monday's lackluster 7-0 loss, which was followed by manager Craig Counsell's announcement that Tucker would sit for an undisclosed number of starts to recalibrate his mental game.
The Cubs improved to 71-54, with Jameson Taillon scheduled to make his long-awaited return from a right calf strain in the nightcap.
Boyd was not at his best, allowing four runs in six hits over 5 1/3 innings. But he improved to 10-0 at Wrigley in 12 starts, and 12-6 overall. Caissie made two nice catches in the right field corner in the third inning, and four relievers helped keep the Brewers at bay, with Daniel Palencia notching his 17th save with a game-ending double play grounder.
Caissie got the Cubs out to an early lead with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the first after Andrew Vaughn's error kept the inning alive. A day earlier he struck out with the bases loaded in a similar situation, but was determined to get the job done.
'I really just told myself, 'You're made for this, step back in the box and do a job,'' the rookie said. 'I said this morning I'm going to have many more opportunities to do that, and today I got one. So I really embraced the challenge.'
A run-scoring double by Pete Crow-Armstrong in the third preceded a two-run home run by Willie Castro, making it a 5-0 lead. Would the Cubs cruise for once?
Not against this Brewers team, a spiritual descendant of 'Harvey's Wallbangers,' their 1982 World Series team, albeit without the wall-banging.
'They chipped away and chipped away,' Counsell said.
Maybe they're 'Murphy's Woodchippers,' a bunch of grinders who chip away until you suddenly find yourself losing a lead that seemed insurmountable.
As Chicago Cubs' Kyle Tucker sits for a mental reset, the slumping slugger continues to search for answersThe Cubs' lead was down to one run after the Brewers' two-run sixth, but Caissie's first career home run — an opposite field shot to left in the bottom of the sixth — made it 6-4. The bullpen core of Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Drew Pomeranz and Palencia did the rest.
'If we do what we know we can do every day, we'll be where we want to be,' Boyd said.
Well, it might be too late for a division title. But if making the postseason was the ultimate goal, Boyd was indeed correct.
Voodoo aside, the latest Cubs' collapse, from a 6 1/2 game division lead to eight games behind the Brewers before Tuesday's Game 2, couldn't be blamed on any supernatural phenomena.
The brilliant play of Milwaukee, combined with the Cubs' offensive malaise, had the two NL Central rivals switching places like a baseball version of 'Freaky Friday.' On the bright side, a wild-card spot is firmly in the Cubs' hands, and every win gets them closer to making their first postseason in a non-pandemic year since 2018.
'Baseball is a sport where you can trick yourself into saying things are going bad and they're not,' Counsell said before the game, adding that his team understands the reality of the situation.
Now, if Counsell can only convince Cubs fans that things are not going badly, he's got something. They were only 12-15 entering Game 2 since reaching their high-water mark of 20 games over .500 on July 19. But Counsell disputed the notion that the Cubs were playing bad baseball and said his players welcomed challenges.
'Like, bring them on,' he said. 'The regular season is tough, man. And let's go. Let's bring it on. We're not scared of these challenges. The guys in there aren't scared of these challenges. This is a major-league baseball season. You've got to earn playoff spots.'
A reporter thanked Counsell for his candor. Counsell told him others might not agree with that assessment, which was confirmed.
Evidence that the Cubs have been playing well was hard to find outside of a game here and there. Tucker, Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki were all hitting under .200 since the break, and the Cubs' .229 average was third-worst in the majors. Only the solid starting pitching has helped keep the team from going into a prolonged slump.
But the Cubs have plenty of time to show they're still a viable World Series contender, and the final three games of this five-game series could push them in the right direction for the wild-card stretch run.
Maybe a little bit more Caissie in right field might be the difference. Or perhaps Tucker will quickly recover and Caissie can rotate between right and left fields, and DH on occasion.
'Kyle will do what he needs to do,' Boyd said. 'There is not a worry in the world about him. He picked us up at times in the first half. Let's not forget that. Where we are this year is because of him. We've got his back.'
But for the time being, the Cubs will have to do it without their struggling superstar, adding another unexpected storyline to a season of twists and turns.