The Chicago Cubs acquired inside 90 toes of a sequence sweep of the Miami Marlins — 3 occasions — on a boisterous, sunny Sunday at Wrigley Subject. They wound up with a 5-4, 14-inning loss attributable to an ill-timed balk and a variety of marooned baserunners.
However it could have been a lot worse.
In actuality, the good-vibe Cubs (17-17) acquired’t have to look far Monday to essentially really feel a lot larger about themselves. The Nationwide League Central’s scorching mess of a so-called division favorite includes metropolis for a three-game sequence.
That may be the last-place — by a lot — St. Louis Cardinals, who wished a seventh-inning outburst Sunday at dwelling in the direction of the terrible Detroit Tigers to snap an eight-game shedding streak sooner than their first meeting of the season in the direction of the rival Cubs. At 11-24, the Playing cards lug the NL’s worst file to Chicago.
If the Cubs assume it sounds unhealthy to be suggested they’re horrible (or worse) at hitting with males in scoring place (3-for-20 in Sunday’s loss) or to hearken to Twitter calling day-to-day for his or her supervisor to be fired, try getting celebrated as a result of the $87.5 million substitute for a legend — after which barely 4 months later getting suggested you’re not enough to play the place.
That’s the place outdated good good friend Willson Contreras landed over the weekend as a result of the Cardinals suggested the three-time starting All-Star catcher they plan to utilize him largely as a selected hitter until extra uncover. It’s part of a shakeup in response to a woeful start that options one in every of many worst rotation performances throughout the majors.
Cardinals starters have a 5.33 ERA even after an outstanding start by Steven Matz on Sunday.
“I’m positive it’s a tough factor to listen to and a tough factor to swallow,” talked about Cubs catcher Tucker Barnhart, who signed a two-year deal to backfill the free-agency lack of Contreras — the ultimate of the core place avid gamers from the 2016 World Sequence champions.
“It’s shocking for positive. It feels prefer it’s actually early within the 12 months, early in his tenure in St. Louis, for them to make that call. His abilities are off the charts. He has one of many higher arms in baseball behind the plate. And I respect the hell out of him.”
It must make for yet another awkward Wrigley Subject second for Contreras, who expert two tearful goodbyes remaining season. He prevented what appeared like a positive trade-deadline departure when a address the Houston Astros fell by way of, then had a second “remaining” dwelling recreation at Wrigley stuffed with rousing ovations and lingering postgame goodbyes to followers.
All of that throughout the context of crickets from the doorway office regarding potential extension talks.
If one thing, this sequence appeared to line up as a redemption tour for Contreras, a how-do-you-like-me-now second as a result of the jewel of the Cardinals offseason, their handpicked reply to the retirement of Corridor of Fame-bound franchise icon Yadier Molina. Particularly after Contreras acquired off to a strong start on the plate.
“It’s robust,” Contreras suggested St. Louis media Saturday. “It’s robust, however I’m an worker. I do know my major place is catching, but when they need me to DH extra, I can do nothing about it however be the perfect hitter I will be.”
He was hitting .280 with a .781 OPS when the Cardinals brass sat him down. He moreover ranked sixth amongst big-league catchers with 2.8 defensive runs saved, consistent with Fangraphs.
“That’s what he does,” talked about Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, whose hit off reigning Cy Younger Award winner Sandy Alcantara opened a two-run ninth that despatched Sunday’s recreation to additional innings. “I don’t know what’s taking place of their clubhouse. … Willson’s having an outstanding 12 months, correct?
“He’s somebody I’ve remained near,” continued Happ, who exchanged texts with Contreras when each signed multiyear contracts in newest months. “I stay up for seeing him when he will get right here.”
Rookie Miguel Amaya, the long-touted prospect who debuted remaining week and might finally get an opportunity to be the Cubs’ subsequent long-term starting catcher, sounded shocked by the data regarding his mentor nonetheless talked about he didn’t “need to get into it” sooner than his start Sunday.
Amaya plans to hunt out Contreras for a hug Monday and believes he’ll be going via him throughout the subsequent 12 months or so as rival starting catchers.
The Cardinals have suggested publicly this could be a momentary switch, and supervisor Oliver Marmol suggested St. Louis reporters: “One factor I need to make tremendous clear is that we aren’t dropping ballgames due to Willson Contreras.”
In actuality, the Cardinals have expert a multifaceted face plant since Molina left the developing after the 2022 playoffs. Longtime rotation chief Adam Wainwright returned from an hurt Saturday to make his season debut.
Happ in distinction the Molina loss in St. Louis to the Cubs shedding face of the franchise Anthony Rizzo when crew President Jed Hoyer traded him to the New York Yankees in 2021.
“You needed to discover your method about what that appears like after a man like that walks,” Happ talked about. “Wainwright was nonetheless there, however Yadi was the man that sort of set the tone there day-after-day going out on the sphere for so long as he has. I’m positive it was completely different strolling across the clubhouse.”
Cubs supervisor David Ross, a longtime catcher, wouldn’t talk about regarding the Contreras info Sunday nonetheless did say: “Yadi did some particular issues. That’s a kind of guys you don’t exchange.”
No matter is subsequent for Contreras with the Cardinals, he’s anticipated to get a warmth welcome from Wrigley followers Monday night time time, a minimal of for his first at-bat.
After that, a Cubs crew with one in every of many best-performing rotations throughout the majors seems to be prefer to kick the Cardinals as normally as potential whereas they’re down and profit from what instantly seems to be like like a chaotic, wide-open division.
“Clearly you didn’t anticipate St. Louis to get off to the beginning that they’re on,” Barnhart talked about. “And I nonetheless anticipate them to be throughout the mix on the end of it; they’ve too many good avid gamers to not be.
“However, yeah, it’s a division that feels prefer it’s winnable and looks like in right here we have now a bunch that believes we are able to do it.”
Fifth starter Hayden Wesneski would be the latest trigger to think about alongside together with his third straight strong start Sunday after a shaky April. He went six innings and gave up solely a Yuli Gurriel basket shot throughout the fifth. He has allowed only one run in each of his remaining three begins (17 innings) to ship his ERA beneath 4.00 (3.93) for the first time this season.
“Spectacular,” Ross talked about of the rookie’s effectivity.
The Cubs may want acquired in the event that they’d cashed in as quickly as further on all of those scoring alternate options — or if Adbert Alzolay hadn’t balked dwelling the go-ahead run throughout the 14th all through an in some other case spectacular assist outing.
The loss throughout the third-longest recreation (by innings) since MLB instituted the designated runner rule in 2020 for additional innings gave the Marlins the season sequence over the Cubs 4-2 and dropped the Cubs to .500.
However, as soon as extra, it could have been worse.
As an illustration, have you ever ever ever had somebody say you’re not chopping it as a catcher?
“I’ve had folks inform me I don’t minimize it as a supervisor, as a catcher and in plenty of other ways,” Ross talked about. “So the reply to that’s sure.”
Gordon Wittenmyer is a contract reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
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