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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Cubs cruise to a 7-1 win over the Washington Nationals for their 7th straight series victory
WASHINGTON — Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Pomeranz tried to keep his routine the same despite the slightly different game circumstance. For the second time in a week, Pomeranz got the start as an opener versus a Washington Nationals lineup stacked with lefties at the top. Thursday marked the third time manager Craig Counsell used an opener this season, with the Cubs winning all three games. Pomeranz's scoreless opening frame led way to right-hander Colin Rea tossing 5 1/3 shutout innings, and the Cubs rode an early lead behind Pete Crow-Armstrong's two-run home run for a 7-1 victory. The Cubs won their seventh consecutive series, having gone 16-5 over that stretch, and own a five-game lead in the National League Central heading into their weekend series in Detroit. At 39-23, they have the second-best record in the majors behind the Tigers (41-23). Crow-Armstrong's first-inning blast was his team-leading 16th, and he tied Seiya Suzuki for the team lead in RBIs with 53. Ian Happ collected three hits and drove in four runs, including two on a home run in the sixth. Rea became the first Cubs pitcher since Jamie Moyer in 1986 with at least 5 1/3 shutout innings and no strikeouts. Although Pomeranz has made 141 starts during his 12 years in the majors, he likes to keep a bullpen mentality, so he tried to channel that while warming up in the top of the first at Nationals Park. 'I probably tried to overhype myself a little bit, instead of just attacking the zone,' Pomeranz conceded afterward. 'I like to be rushed, I like the adrenaline. That's part of being in the bullpen. It helps thrust you into the moment. So I think I tried to overcreate it a little there, but it's just the game you play. I'm trying to go out there and get out of there as soon as possible.' Pomeranz has not allowed a run in 14 2/3 innings (16 appearances) this season, giving up only five hits and three walks. Pomeranz's performance and Caleb Thielbar's consistency has given Counsell trusted lefty relief options. Thielbar worked out of trouble in the seventh, striking out Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams to leave the bases loaded and maintain a 5-0 lead. Theilbar's strikeout represented their only one of the night, the fewest strikeouts by Cubs pitchers since May 25, 2017, when Eddie Butler recorded the one strikeout. 'It lets us put guys in good spots, most importantly, and they've been performing in those spots and against a team like this you need it frankly,' Counsell said of their lefty relievers. 'Caleb's just been so solid in that sixth, seventh inning. He's done a heck of a job.' Thielbar has surrendered just one run since April 15. In his 19 appearances and 17 innings over that stretch, Thielbar has recorded 10 hits, five walks and 15 strikeouts. 'Having the movement on my fastball back, that was really my goal coming into this year, is to get the carry on the fastball back, and it's been pretty consistent where it needs to be,' Thielbar said. 'And when I've been good in the past, that's where it is right now.' While the Cubs have dealt with some injuries to their pitching staff, the bullpen has settled steadily into roles, especially in high-leverage spots. Over the last five weeks, the bullpen owns the sixth-best ERA in baseball. 'Everyone's doing well, going in, pounding the zone, getting guys out,' Pomeranz said. 'You know you're not going to be perfect every time, but if you have that mentality going out there, just attacking guys and going right at them, trying to keep the free bags off the table, you get good results, and we have been so far.' The Cubs expected to rely on their lefty relievers more in this series because of how the Nationals lineup is constructed. They know certain teams will force those kind of matchups; another looms next week in Philadelphia, where big at-bats against sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber await. 'We're trying to do whatever we can to win games,' Pomeranz said. 'So if that means I have to be an opener every time, whatever, that's fine too. I'll do whatever's asked of me.'
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cubs bullpen power rankings: Which Chicago relievers are the most reliable?
The dynamics of a bullpen can shift quickly. A trusted reliever can suddenly look shaky after just a handful of so-so outings and vice versa. The Chicago Cubs bullpen's ERA ranks 22nd in baseball, at 4.59. But if one were to look only at the current eight relievers, that number drops to 3.67. Not elite, but certainly significantly better. Advertisement Like nearly every playoff team, the Cubs will need to supplement their bullpen in some way come July. What type of reliever and how much they have to pay are the questions. But for now, they'll likely have to make do with who they have in the organization. Here's a power ranking of the Cubs' bullpen group as presently constructed. Like relievers themselves, this list is volatile and could shift from day to day. But heading into play Friday, here's a subjective look at the current trustworthiness of each reliever in the Cubs bullpen. He strikes guys out, doesn't walk them, puts the ball on the ground and can hit triple digits with his fastball — which happens to be the most valuable pitch, by Statcast's Run Value, of any offering in the Cubs bullpen. What's not to like? Manager Craig Counsell seems to trust him in almost any situation. That versatility is probably why he isn't closing games but rather being used whenever and wherever Counsell needs. On April 6, Thielbar's ERA was above 6.00 and he had a 26.3 percent walk rate. Since then, the lefty has been nails. Over his last 14 1/3 innings, he has a 1.80 ERA, 28.2 percent strikeout rate and 5.1 percent walk rate. Over that span, he has faced the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants twice each, the latter three on back-to-back days. 'Shortened up arm action just a touch, and that's kind of what makes it click,' Thielbar said of his turnaround. 'It was just a matter of getting into the rhythm of the season, too.' Thielbar could see the arm-action issue from side angles while watching video. It's something he has learned will happen, and he knows he just needs to get out there and get it right. The fastball gets more ride and the curve more bite once his delivery is right. It has earned him a ton of trust from Counsell, who continues to put him in difficult situations that he manages to handle with aplomb. Advertisement The next three on this list are all close, but Pomeranz gets the edge because he has been brilliant in 8 2/3 innings. He has struck out 29 percent of the batters he has faced and walked just 6.5 percent while allowing zero runs. At 93 mph, his average fastball velocity is down a tick from his peak but still gets good stuff grades, and he pairs it nicely with a knuckle curve that he has yet to yield a hit with. Remember when the Cubs had big questions with their left-handed pitching? Right now, trading for Pomeranz is looking like another smooth move by Jed Hoyer and company. Health feels like the key here with Pomeranz. Palencia has finally earned some trust after years of showing off tantalizing stuff. He's still walking too many (12.2 percent), but that's down from the previous season, and the strikeouts are starting to pile up (26.5 percent) as he's limiting runs. He's averaging 98.9 mph with his four-seamer, locating it up in the zone brilliantly and allowing an .097 batting average against on the offering. Wednesday's outing was encouraging. Despite allowing a walk and a hit, Hodge struck out two batters in a scoreless inning. He had gone four outings without striking out a batter, and the last time he'd struck out multiple batters in an appearance was April 13. If he stacks up a few more outings like this, he'll quickly rise up this list. In seven innings of work, he has allowed one run. Flexen is hardly flashy, but he fills his role nicely: Eat innings, save the bullpen and throw strikes. Pressly's disaster outing last week against the Giants felt like it was inevitable. He just wasn't missing bats, and it was becoming a concern. But in his next two outings (1 1/3 innings), he struck out two and walked one. Nothing brilliant, but he needs small steps forward to earn back those high-leverage moments. Advertisement 'There's been some good progress with Press over the last few weeks,' assistant pitching coach Casey Jacobson said. 'We've had some pretty productive meetings. Some of it is traditional deception and making sure we're using stuff the right way. And some of it was delivery stuff we felt could help him recapture some of his best version and keep the hitter guessing.' If Pressly starts missing bats again, it'll be encouraging. The Cubs need a trusted veteran reliever like him to step up; otherwise, it ramps up the urgency of finding someone at the trade deadline who has done it before. After allowing multiple runs in three of his last four outings, it is officially time to be concerned with Merryweather. His average fastball velocity is down two ticks to 96 mph from his peak in 2023. Merryweather has dealt with a multitude of injuries over his career and missed significant time last season, including a stint late in the season with a right knee issue. Though Jacobson wouldn't say if he's hurting now, he did say, 'There's aches and pains throughout the course of the season that guys are dealing with.' In his last outing, Merryweather's fastball velocity was down to 94.2 mph, his lowest of the season. 'The delivery is going to impact a lot of the output stuff,' Jacobson said. 'Whether he's feeling really good on a day or maybe doesn't, that's going to adjust some of the delivery things, what he feels he can get to as far as the lower-half output.' The Cubs know what Merryweather's best version looks like and are working to get him back there. Much more of this, though, and they'll have to consider putting him on the injured list if he's not healthy or make tough decisions, especially with Gavin Hollowell looking solid in his brief outings. (Top photo of Brad Keller: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
