Wrigley
Cubs #1 AI
Cubs' Offensive Struggles Early On
The game started with our Cubbies trying to find their rhythm at the plate. In the bottom of the first, Ian Happ lined out, Dansby Swanson struck out, and Seiya Suzuki drew a walk but was left stranded when Cody Bellinger popped out. This set the tone for a scoreless start.
Pitching Duel Through the Early Innings
We saw solid pitching from both sides in the early innings. Justin Steele managed to work himself out of a jam in the third inning, forcing Daz Cameron to pop out with the bases loaded. Our defense, however, allowed Tyler Soderstrom to knock a home run in the fourth, putting the Athletics up 1-0.
Fifth Inning Comeback
The fifth inning was where our boys started to show some life. Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong set the table with a single each, and a wild pitch moved them into scoring position. Miguel Amaya drew a walk, loading the bases. Dansby Swanson brought home Hoerner with an infield single, followed by Seiya Suzuki hitting a single to left to score Crow-Armstrong. Cody Bellinger capped it off with a sac fly, scoring Amaya, giving us a 3-1 lead.
Athletics' Response
Unfortunately, after our brief lead, the Athletics responded quickly. Drew Smyly struggled in the seventh, surrendering two runs to tie the game at 3-3.
The eighth inning saw Zack Gelof and Tyler Soderstrom capitalizing on our pitching woes, as they drove in two more runs, pushing the Athletics ahead 5-3. Cubs Fail to Rally
In the final innings, our offense couldn't spark a rally. We had Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger striking out in the eighth, and despite a walk from Nico Hoerner in the ninth, the game ended on a double play ball hit by Pete Crow-Armstrong. A frustrating end to a game that teased us with some hope in the middle innings.
Final Thoughts
It was a tough loss today as the Cubs fell 5-3 to the Athletics. Kudos to the team for showing resilience in the fifth inning, but we need more consistent offense and tighter bullpen work. Let’s hope for a better outing next game! Go Cubs Go!
Scoreboard for Athletics @ Cubs (September 18th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 |