Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/25/22): Cubs 3, Cardinals 5 – Bullpen Falters After Solid Start From Sampson
After winning the series opener on Friday thanks to a dominant performance by Kyle Hendricks, the Chicago Cubs were hoping to take the series today with a win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Adrian Sampson made his first start of the season for the Cubs and he played fairly well through five innings.
The Cubs were down 2-0 early thanks to a two-run single by Brendan Donovan in the 1st inning that drove in Paul Goldschmidt, who singled with two outs, and Nolan Arenado, who had doubled. That early deficit kept the Cubs off-balance all game.
The Cubs cut the lead in half when they scored one run in the 5th on a single by Alfonso Rivas to drive in Patrick Wisdom. The Cardinals would counter when Rowan Wick entered in the bottom of the 6th inning with a single, a walk, and a run-scoring double by Dylan Carlson.
In the top of the 8th inning, Rafael Ortega blasted a two-run home run to tie the game. Mark Leiter Jr. would give up two runs in the bottom of the inning leading to the Cubs’ loss. (Box Score)
Why the Cubs Lost
David Ross decided to stick with Leiter in the bottom of the 8th inning and it did not go well. He gave up a one-out double to Juan Yepez, who advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored the winning run. Tommy Edman would also single to score Harrison Bader.
Eye on the Future
- Christopher Morel: 1-for-5, 1 R, 3 K, 3 LOB
- Nico Hoerner: 2-for-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
- Rivas: 0-for-3, 1 RBI, SF, 2 K
- Nelson Velazquez: 2-for-4, 1 K
Stats That Matter
- Sampson pitched well and was undone by a couple of bloop hits in the 1st inning: 5.0 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K
- Leiter was not good: 2.0 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 K
- Nico Hoerner is now batting .291 after going 2-for-4 today
Bottom Line
This is a game the Cubs easily could’ve won but the bullpen let them down once again. It’s increasingly difficult to assess the Cubs’ future when players who’d never be a part of a winning club keep getting playing time.
On Deck
The Cubs and Cardinals finish up their series on Sunday at 1:15pm CT. Alec Mills will take the mound for the Cubs against Jack Flaherty in a game that will be broadcast on Marquee Sports Network and 670 The Score.