Taillon, Busch Turn Frustration to Triumph in Sweep-Stopping Win

Three pitches into Sunday’s game, the Cubs were down 1-0. Six batters into the 2nd inning, the Cubs were down 5-0. Jameson Taillon surrendered a leadoff homer to Oneill Cruz on a hanging change that would have gone out even without the help of a stiff breeze. Brandon Lowe‘s grand slam probably would have died at the track or shorter under normal conditions, but Taillon will still probably tell you he shouldn’t have left that cutter middle-middle.

He’ll definitely tell you he shouldn’t have hit Konnor Griffin with a riding sinker right after walking Spencer Horwitz, which followed a Marcell Ozuna single to open the frame. It appeared as though the righty was getting a little too cute, knowing just about any contact in the air had a chance to leave the yard. Lowe’s shot served as a wake-up call, and Taillon retired the next eight Pirates in order with five of his 10 strikeouts in that mix.

Then Lowe stepped to the plate and whacked his second homer of the day, this one a no-doubter on a piped fastball. Taillon gave up a single to Bryan Reynolds before retiring the next six batters, three on strikes, to finish his day. Even after getting Griffin on a curve well outside the zone to finish the 6th, Taillon was visibly frustrated as he yelled into his glove on his way to the dugout.

His reaction was understandable in light of the mistakes a veteran pitcher should be expected to avoid, but his outing kept looking better as the game wore on. The Cubs had dented rookie Bubba Chandler for a pair of solo shots to keep the game within reach, and a sac fly in the 5th put them within a field goal. They kept chipping away as the bullpen held the Bucs at bay, finally breaking through for good with a walk-off run in the final frame.

Perhaps the most important blow came in a highly unlikely manner, with the scuffling Michael Busch providing the hit that tied the game. The first baseman had been pulled from Saturday’s game late and was not in the starting lineup for this one as he sat mired in a stretch of 30 at-bats without a hit. After missing one Justin Lawrence sweeper for a strike and taking another to even the count, Busch got just enough of a middle-in fastball to inside-out it to left for an RBI.

Dansby Swanson was able to come around with a little help from Reynolds’ terrible throw, and the Cubs were back in business. It wasn’t so much Busch getting a hit that was unlikely, even with his recent struggles. Going 0-for-30 just meant he was bound to get something to fall sooner or later. The surprise was that someone who finished in the 90th percentile for exit velocity last season (92.2 mph) and who was second among all first basemen with 34 home runs got the big hit on one of his five slowest batted balls of the season.

But that 68.2 mph looping liner to left got the job done, and it could be exactly what Busch needed to shake things loose.

“It’s been pretty frustrating,” the first baseman told reporters after the game. “I think I’ve built a solid enough foundation to kind of try to get back and try to just continue to work. I think balancing that through the season is challenging, and it always will be, but sometimes, it’s part of this game.

“I think when things are going this way offensively, you just try to find a way, whether it’s defensively or on the bases, to help this team win. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”

It’s fitting that his bloop took two Cubs off the hook, with Busch snapping his slump and Taillon’s loss turning into a no-decision. The entire complexion of the game changed in that moment. What had looked like a laugher that would result in the Cubs being swept at Wrigley for the first time since the Phillies beat them three times in a row from June 27-29 in 2023 immediately became winnable.

After back-to-back strikeouts by Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong gave the Cubs two outs with Seiya Suzuki on first, the Pirates had an 88.7% chance to win. Those odds dropped by only four points when Swanson walked. By the time the shortstop crossed home plate to tie it, the Cubs had a 57.9% chance to win. That’s a pretty big swing, pun fully intended.

The timing couldn’t have been better, and the result may even end up being bigger than just the outcome of one game. At the risk of going all Pat Hughes and saying that you feel like this could be a turning point, I won’t argue with you if you do feel that way.

“To be honest, I wasn’t aware of the 0-for-30. He’s so steady mentally,” Taillon said of Busch. “It’s not like he’s in a woe-is-me attitude or anything. He’s just working. He’s being himself. Still a pleasure to play with and be around. I really had no clue until I heard the broadcast say it. He’s super easy to root for. Great guy.”

Making matters even better for the Cubs, the rest of the division lost yesterday. The Brewers have now dropped five straight and may be without Christian Yelich for an extended period. He exited Sunday’s game with left hamstring tightness, and manager Pat Murphy said afterwards that they were “most likely to get bad news” after imaging results are reviewed.

The Cubs still have a whole lot of work today against a pretty tough upcoming slate of games, but they’re more than capable of making some noise if they just make like Busch and keep being themselves.