Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (4/26/21): Braves 8, Cubs 7 – Bats Come Alive, Davies Struggles Again
Zach Davies took the mound against the Braves looking to improve on his last outing in which he only lasted four innings against the Mets. Unfortunately, that was not the case as he was roughed up for the fourth consecutive time. After one inning, which Davies needed 34 pitches to complete, the Braves already had a 4-0 lead.
He then gave up another run in the 3rd when Dansby Swanson sent a solo shot to right field. As he did against the New York, Davies wasn’t able to make it out of the 4th, giving up five earned runs on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts.
The Cubs offense seemed completely overwhelmed by Charlie Morton for the first two innings, but that changed in a big way in the 3rd. Down by four with two outs, the Cubs loaded the bases after Davies, Nico Hoerner and Anthony Rizzo reached safely. Kris Bryant then came to the plate and sent a curveball over the left field wall for a game-tying grand slam.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 27, 2021
Down 5-4 in the 5th, Tony Wolters opened the inning with a walk followed by a double by Hoerner into the left field corner. After Rizzo hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, the Braves regained the lead in the 6th when Brandon Workman allowed a three-run bomb off the bat of Freddie Freeman to give Atlanta an 8-5 lead. Willson Contreras cut the deficit to one with a two-run homer in the 7th, but that was as close as the visitors would get as they lost by a final of 8-7. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Lost
Despite multiple home runs, including a grand slam, poor outings from Davies and Workman resulted in tonight’s loss.
Key Moments
In what was a frustrating night, the Cubs rallied to tie the game in both the 3rd and 6th innings only to see their pitching give the lead right back to the home team.
Stats That Matter
- In his last four outings, Davies is 0-2 with a 12.15 ERA
- Bryant hit his 6th career grand slam
- Trevor Megill made his MLB debut and threw absolute filth: 1 IP, 2 K’s, 99 mph heat
Bottom Line
The offense was the main problem early in the season, but now it appears as if pitching is the team’s biggest concern. The starters have posted an ERA of 5.42 collectively and the bullpen has the highest walk rate in the majors. If they truly want to contend, all the cogs of the machine need to be working together in unison.
On Deck
Trevor Williams (2-1, 4.66 ERA) takes the mound against Ian Anderson (1-0, 3.27 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:20pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score.