Chicago baseball report: The Cubs' bullpen is on a stellar streak — and the White Sox called up a local

Chicago Tribune

6 hours ago

After Wednesday's rain out, the Cubs wrap up their series against the second-place Milwaukee Brewers as they look to build on their National League Central lead heading into a weekend matchup versus the Seattle Mariners at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs finally square off against the Cardinals for the first time this season when they travel to St. Louis next week for a four-game series starting Monday at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals entered Wednesday tied with the Cincinnati Reds for third in the division, seven games back of the Cubs.
The White Sox make a quick trip to Canada on Friday for a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays before returning home to face the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.
The Sox entered Wednesday with a 12-9 home record since May 1. But they are 4-18 on the road during that period. The Sox last won a series in Toronto in 2019 when they took two of three from the Blue Jays. They are 3-10 at Rogers Centre since, including going 1-2 in 2024.
Every Thursday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what's ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.As the Cubs continue to navigate a stretch of 26 games in 27 days, with their next scheduled off day coming June 30, their bullpen keeps stepping up.
The Cubs are the only MLB team with three pitchers who own an active streak of at least 15 games without allowing an earned run.
Left-handers Drew Pomeranz (20 games dating to April 25) and Caleb Thielbar (17 games since May 5) and right-hander Ryan Pressly (16 games since May 9) are on a roll and have given manager Craig Counsell options for the high-leverage spots in the late innings. That trio's streaks represent the longest, second-longest and tied for the third-longest active streaks this season.
Right-hander Chris Flexen has also been a reliable arm, not allowing an earned run in his 11 appearances this year, spanning 17 1/3 innings. The relief production the Cubs have received from Pomeranz, Flexen and Brad Keller (2.10 ERA in 34 1/3 innings) is especially impressive given they each have predominantly been starters during their careers.
Their lack of experience pitching out of the bullpen for a full season makes it important for the Cubs to monitor how they are feeling each day and requires constant conversations. For Counsell, it also means finding opportunities to give them rest when appropriate.
'The fact that they've done something different is not unusual, that's how it happens a lot,' Counsell said Wednesday. 'If it was a young pitcher, chances are they were a starter two years ago in the minor leagues, so it's no different in that regard. That's what bullpens are. They're a combination of guys that have taken a different journey to get where they're at, and they're working well together.'
The Cubs' bullpen has held opposing hitters to the third-lowest on-base percentage in the majors (.334) while posting the fourth-lowest ERA at 3.12 and the lowest home run percentage (1.5%).
Ryan Noda grew up in Fox Lake, rooting for the Chicago White Sox.
'Paul Konerko is my favorite player,' the Grant product said before Saturday's game against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
Noda has gone from cheering on to playing for the Sox after he was claimed off waivers from Boston on Friday and called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.
'It means everything,' Noda, 29, said of the opportunity.
Noda started Saturday and Sunday against the Rangers, becoming the latest option at first base for the Sox. His previous big-league experience came in two seasons with the Oakland Athletics (2023-24), where he hit .212 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs in 164 games.
'(Noda provides) above-average defense out there,' manager Will Venable said on Tuesday. 'At the plate, going to make really good swing decisions, and he's just going to have to hit some balls hard.
'This is a situation where offensively we need some help and we've highlighted him as somebody with a skill set that we can throw in the mix, give us competitive at-bats, quality at-bats, and hope to score some runs.'
Noda joined Miguel Vargas and Lenyn Sosa as possibilities at first base after the Sox optioned Tim Elko to Triple-A Charlotte and traded Andrew Vaughn — who had been in Charlotte — to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Noda stepped in after combining for a .204/.404/.375 slash line with seven home runs, 21 RBIs, 27 runs and 43 walks in 51 games this season with Triple-A Salt Lake in the Los Angeles Angels organization and Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox system.
He had a .378 average (14-for-37) in 13 games with Worcester.
'I just got back to doing what I do,' Noda said. 'A lot of the things they said resonated with me. It was getting to work, good language goes a long way. A lot of things they did over there, respect to (Worcester hitting coach) Collin (Hetzler). He helped me out a lot and got me back to doing what I do — having good at-bats, driving the ball, getting on base and playing good defense.'
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki have homered on the same day five times this season (April 29, May 23, June 7, June 12 and Tuesday) through the Cubs' first 74 games. The last time Cubs teammates homered in the same game five times in a season in fewer games happened in 2019 when Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber accomplished the feat in 65 games through June 10, per team historian Ed Hartig.
The Cubs aren't making concrete plans for left-hander Shota Imanaga's rehab progression beyond Friday.
That's when Imanaga will make a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa. Imanaga hasn't pitched for the Cubs since sustaining a left hamstring strain when attempting to cover first base on May 4 in Milwaukee. Counsell said the Cubs will evaluate Imanaga's outing Friday and go from there.
Imanaga threw four innings in his second rehab start in the Arizona Complex League on Saturday, getting up to 55 pitches, which included throwing additionally in the bullpen after exiting the game. The Cubs are targeting Imanaga to throw 70-75 pitches for Iowa. They will want to make sure he feels good and his pitch count builds up enough before activating him from the injured list to avoid taxing the bullpen.
Right-hander Porter Hodge (hip impingement) threw a scoreless inning Tuesday in his second rehab outing, striking out one batter and issuing one walk. Hodge will make another rehab appearance at Triple A.
Right-hander Eli Morgan, who has been sidelined since April 15 because of a right elbow impingement, did not feel good coming out of his rehab appearance with Iowa on Tuesday in which he allowed two hits, four runs, two walks and struck out one in 2/3 of an inning. Morgan will be reassessed by a doctor, Counsell said.
Lenyn Sosa saw some benefit to going on an injury rehab assignment last weekend with Triple-A Charlotte.
'I was going there to find my timing,' Sosa said through an interpreter on Tuesday. 'That's something when you don't play every day, it kind of gets off.'
Sosa returned from the IL on Tuesday and went 1-for-3 in the 12-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Sosa had been one of the team's more productive hitters before retroactively going on the IL on June 3 with a right hip flexor strain. He is second on the club with 56 hits coming into Wednesday. He played in three games with Charlotte before coming back to the Sox.
'Hopefully he can get our offense going a little bit,' Venable said before Tuesday's game. 'Obviously, he has a dangerous bat.'
While he had some spotty moments in the field on Tuesday, including a first-inning throwing error, Sosa aided the Sox at the plate with a double in the fifth inning. He later scored on a sacrifice fly.
'The key is to have your mind in the right place,' Sosa said. 'You have to be calm. Just be patient at home plate.'
'I don't know whose elbow thing I had on. I have no idea. It was kind of a blur.'