Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/3/24): Brewers 3, Cubs 1 – Milwaukee Steals Late Win
The Cubs returned home to Wrigley Friday afternoon to begin a series with the first-place Brewers. Chicago received another quality starting pitching performance, but it was wasted once again by an unreliable bullpen and a total lack of hitting as Milwaukee manufactured three late runs to pick up a victory.
Hayden Wesneski was excellent from the first frame Friday, completely shutting down the Brewers into the 7th inning. The Cubs went ahead in the 6th when Christopher Morel crushed a long solo shot to center off of Joe Ross.
Hit the road ball!
And don't you come back no Mo, no Mo, no Mo, no Mo 👋 pic.twitter.com/Tyoel2vb6M
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 3, 2024
Chicago held on to that narrow 1-0 advantage into the top of the 8th when Adbert Alzolay entered the game. The struggling reliever was not victimized by the home run on Friday, but the stolen base would prove his and his team’s demise in this one.
Jackson Chourio singled with one out and then swiped second before William Contreras knocked him in with a hit to left field that tied the score. Contreras then grabbed another steal with two outs and came home on a Willy Adames single to put the Brewers on top. Adames then stole Milwaukee’s third bag of the inning and crossed the plate after a Jake Bauers blooper giving the road team a 3-1 advantage.
That was more than enough to defeat an anemic Cubs offense and the Brew Crew would go on to win by that same 3-1 score. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Brewers stole a total of four bases against Chicago in the 8th inning. Neither Cubs catcher has been very good at stopping baserunners so far in 2024 and it could be a real problem the rest of the season.
Why the Cubs Lost
The offense is providing almost nothing recently, which is putting even more pressure on the bullpen. As things currently stand, this current group of relievers is just not capable of holding a one-run lead with any consistency.
Stats That Matter
- Wesneski did an incredible job and got let down by his teammates offensively: 7.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 8 K, and 2 BB.
- Ian Happ had a pair of singles and the Cubs could really use his hot bat.
- Michael Busch had two hard-hit balls, including a double, and appears to be coming back around.
Bottom Line
The Cubs are just not going to keep getting away with doing so little offensively. They are giving no margin for error to a bullpen that’s simply not up the task. Alzolay is completely lost right now and I’m not sure what Chicago can do to fix things.
On Deck
The Cubs look to bounce back on Saturday afternoon at 1:20pm CT. Jameson Taillon takes the mound against Tobias Myers in a contest available on Marquee and 670 The Score.