{"id":46608,"date":"2025-04-04T10:58:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T10:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=46608"},"modified":"2025-04-04T10:58:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T10:58:39","slug":"3-takeaways-as-chicago-cubs-squander-a-lead-and-split-the-series-but-craig-counsell-still-trusts-the-bullpen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=46608","title":{"rendered":"3 takeaways as Chicago Cubs squander a lead and split the series \u2014 but Craig Counsell still trusts the bullpen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

PHOENIX \u2014 It wouldn\u2019t be a trip to Chase Field without a frustrating loss for the Chicago Cubs.<\/p>\n

They were on the verge of taking three of four games against the Arizona Diamondbacks when an eighth-inning meltdown by the bullpen thwarted those efforts in a 10-6 loss Sunday.<\/p>\n

Kyle Tucker\u2019s three-run home run off a first-pitch curveball from Diamondbacks lefty reliever Joe Mantiply gave the Cubs a four-run lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.<\/p>\n

Arizona responded by sending 12 batters to the plate and putting up eight runs against three Cubs relievers, with most of the damage coming against right-hander Eli Morgan, who allowed six hits and six runs in 2\/3 inning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like a lot of balls were middle, I have to go back and watch that,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cThey were making smart contact.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cubs head to Sacramento to play the Athletics before the Wrigley Field opener on Friday. As they departed Arizona, there were three takeaways from the Cubs\u2019 series split.<\/p>\n

1. Cubs are trusting in the bullpen.<\/h4>\n
\"3
Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Pressly celebrates a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ryan Pressly\u2019s first three outings in a Cubs uniform haven\u2019t showcased his best stuff.<\/p>\n

The 36-year-old veteran reliever, acquired from the Houston Astros in the offseason, has allowed six hits, three runs, four walks, one home run and struck out one in three innings. Pressly recorded his first save for the Cubs in Saturday\u2019s 4-3 win when shortstop Dansby Swanson\u2019s heads-up defensive play ended the game, preventing the Diamondbacks from having the bases loaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just trying to execute pitches as best as I can,\u201d Pressly said afterward. \u201cThat\u2019s a good team, they\u2019re swinging the bat really well right now, especially (Eugenio) Su\u00e1rez. I mean, I thought I executed my pitches up and he still got to it. So need to tip your hat to him, it\u2019s just one of those things, but you\u2019ve got to go out there and keep executing pitches as best as you possibly can and give your team a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bullpen didn\u2019t have its smoothest moments against the Diamondbacks, with Sunday\u2019s collective outing the rockiest. Right-hander Julian Merryweather was unavailable out of the bullpen, Counsell said afterward, complicating the options in the game\u2019s biggest moments. Merryweather warmed up twice during both Thursday\u2019s and Saturday night\u2019s game and didn\u2019t recover well, so he wasn\u2019t able to go.<\/p>\n

Dansby Swanson\u2019s heads-up defensive play puts finishing touch on Chicago Cubs\u2019 4-3 win over Arizona Diamondbacks<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThis is our group, and we\u2019ve certainly got to be a little better than that and expect it, and we will,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cToday wasn\u2019t a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Counsell commended Pressly on Saturday for being able to control the situation during his stressful ninth inning. The Cubs\u2019 late-inning high-leverage spots out of the bullpen were built in the offseason to have Pressly as a key part of that mix, beginning the season as their closer.<\/p>\n

The Cubs expect Pressly to get locked in the more he pitches, so rolling him out in opportunities like the ones he has been called upon thus far will continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously it means we\u2019re winning so that\u2019s a good thing, but he needs to pitch,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cWe need to get him out there pitching. He gave up some runs, and that\u2019s not good, but Saturday was a good day for him. I think he\u2019ll take some from today for the positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Seiya Suzuki broke through.<\/h4>\n
\"3
Chicago Cubs\u2019 Seiya Suzuki celebrates with Justin Turner after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth inning on Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo\/Rick Scuteri)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the Cubs\u2019 offense to be great this year, Seiya Suzuki needs to be a big part of it.<\/p>\n

Coming off a top-15 offensive season in the league, Suzuki has shown the damage he can do when he stays healthy. This year, in a full-time designated hitter role, Suzuki was off to a slow start after a tough stretch of right-handed starters. Suzuki entered Sunday\u2019s series finale 2-for-21 with one double, one walk and 11 strikeouts through five games.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys the first two days were, stuff-wise, pretty exceptional, the matchup (Saturday) night, it\u2019s a tough one for Seiya,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cIt\u2019s the kind of matchup that for every hitter, they\u2019ve got that tough one. And Brandon Pfaadt is a tough one for Seiya. So you\u2019ve got to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Column: CHI BASE OPS group text is feeling \u2018Giddey\u2019 over the start of a new baseball season<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Counsell noted how facing a left-hander like Diamondbacks Sunday starter Eduardo Rodriguez is always good for a right-handed hitter. His comment proved fortuitous. Suzuki slugged his first home run of the year in the sixth inning, a two-run shot that importantly gave the Cubs some cushion on their 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n

The usually non-demonstrative Suzuki didn\u2019t hold back his emotions following the home run, showing relief after being frustrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was feeling a little lost, a little lost in my swing, not being able to get my best swing in there, and just kind of upset about myself and just thinking about stuff like that,\u201d Suzuki said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. \u201cSo I\u2019m glad I was able to get my best swing off today.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Matt Shaw found balance with his approach.<\/h4>\n
\"3
Chicago Cubs\u2019 Matt Shaw smiles in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning on Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo\/Darryl Webb)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rookie third baseman Matt Shaw hasn\u2019t found himself in too many pinch-hit opportunities.<\/p>\n

But when Shaw was called on to pinch hit to open the seventh inning on Saturday, he attacked the first pitch he saw, an elevated fastball. He expected to be challenged in the at-bat, and Shaw got all of it, hitting his first big-league home run.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an amazing moment,\u201d Shaw said. \u201cObviously, for me, it makes the moment even cooler that we end up needing that run at the end of the game. So it was just a great game overall. Coming in later in the game is unique, but it was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaw should hit plenty more home runs in his big-league career, but the most valuable lesson from his first long ball is how it will help him hone his approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think my balance has been a little bit on the side of passive the first four games, just kind of getting a feel for the big leagues and everything in the environment,\u201d Shaw said. \u201cBut going into that game, my mindset was I need to step up, be a little more aggressive, kind of take that aggressiveness that I\u2019ve always had into my day to day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt showed in that at-bat, and I think it\u2019s something that I\u2019m going to continue to build off of, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally Published:

The Chicago Cubs were on the verge of taking the series thanks to Kyle Tucker\u2019s three-run home run when an eighth-inning bullpen meltdown thwarted those efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":46609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[81,282,823,317,936,80,592],"class_list":["post-46608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-arizona-diamondbacks","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-craig-counsell","tag-kyle-tucker","tag-matt-shaw","tag-mlb-baseball","tag-seiya-suzuki"],"yoast_head":"\n3 takeaways as Chicago Cubs squander a lead and split the series \u2014 but Craig Counsell still trusts the bullpen - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=46608\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 takeaways as Chicago Cubs squander a lead and split the series \u2014 but Craig Counsell still trusts the bullpen - 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