Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/14/24): Rockies 6, Cubs 5 F/10 – Another Late Loss Spells Doom
The Cubs’ late-inning issues continued Saturday night at Coors Field with the Rockies scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the score before eventually winning the game 6-5 in the 10th. It was the third consecutive game in which Chicago’s bullpen gave up runs in their opponent’s final at-bat.
The North Siders went ahead when Seiya Suzuki doubled against Kyle Freeland to score Dansby Swanson in the 1st inning. Cody Bellinger hit a line-drive solo homer to right that increased the lead to 2-0 in the 4th. Jameson Taillon was pitching well again in this one, keeping Colorado off the board through five frames.
The Rockies broke through on a Brenton Doyle sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 6th that cut the deficit in half. Pete Crow-Armstrong responded with a home run to very deep center that gave the Cubs a 3-1 advantage in the 7th. Taillon started the bottom of the frame and immediately surrendered a solo dinger to Michael Toglia, but he left the game up 3-2.
Pete goes 438 ft to center! pic.twitter.com/NDz9BBB5P9
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 15, 2024
Michael Busch and Doyle traded sac flies in the 8th inning as Chicago clung to a 4-3 advantage. Ian Happ slapped an RBI single up the middle to score Crow-Armstrong with a big insurance tally in the 9th. Porter Hodge quickly struck out the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the frame but a walk brought pinch-hitter Sam Hilliard up to the plate for the game-tying homer to right.
The Cubs failed to bring home their automatic runner in the top of the 10th and Colorado won when Doyle ripped a single to left off of Drew Smyly that completed the 6-5 victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
Hodge walked Hunter Goodman with two outs in the 9th and a 5-3 lead. A free pass to bring the tying run to the plate is a bad idea in any ballpark but it’s even more problematic at Coors and the Cubs paid the price for it Saturday night.
Why the Cubs Lost
The bullpen’s recent slump continues and it cost them a second game in Denver.
Stats That Matter
- Taillon did a very nice job and put his team in a position to win: 6 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 6 K, and 1 BB.
- PCA had a stolen base and two big catches in addition to the long home run.
- Bellinger, Paredes, and Suzuki each had two hits on Saturday.
Bottom Line
Not being in the playoff race in September is no fun but one ancillary benefit is very tough losses like Saturday’s don’t hurt nearly as much. It will be interesting to see what the Cubs do with their bullpen in 2025. They have attempted to go with patchwork relievers in recent years, trying to avoid expensive long-term deals. It’s been relatively effective other than when it comes to closing. It might be time for Chicago to get a reliable closer who can solidify the relief corps in 2025.
On Deck
The Cubs try to avoid being swept on Sunday at 2:10pm CT as Kyle Hendricks takes the mound against Cal Quantrill in a game airing on Marquee and 670 The Score.