Tough Loss at Wrigley: Cubs Fall to Cardinals 2-1
Hey Cubs fans, it was a nail-biter at Wrigley Field today, but ultimately the Cardinals managed to edge us out with a 2-1 victory.
Let's dive into the game summary and see where things went wrong.Early Deficit
The game started with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman showing their hitting prowess for the Cardinals in the top of the 1st, though they couldn't score thanks to a strikeout by Nolan Arenado.Our bats were silent in the bottom of the 1st as Mike Tauchman, Christopher Morel, and Cody Bellinger couldn't manage to get on base.
The Cards drew first blood in the top of the 2nd when Pedro Pagés blasted a two-run homer bringing in Brandon Crawford. Their 2-0 lead stayed intact as our offensive struggles continued through the 2nd inning with three quick outs.
Middle Innings Frustration
Both teams' defense and pitching held strong through the middle innings, with neither able to score. Notably, Dansby Swanson and Miguel Amaya grounded out to close out the 3rd inning, while in the 5th, we saw Michael Busch ground out followed by Swanson and Amaya popping out, leaving us still scoreless at 2-0.Pitching changes came in the top of the 7th for the Cubs as Drew Smyly relieved Jameson Taillon, who had a decent outing keeping us in the game.
Valiant Effort Comes Up Short
Finally, we got on the board in the bottom of the 7th! Ian Happ doubled, and a single by Michael Busch brought him home to make it a one-run game at 2-1!
In the 8th, Pete Crow-Armstrong stole second after Tauchman's walk, putting the tying run in scoring position. However, Morel and Suzuki couldn't bring him home, leaving us still one run behind.
We were still hopeful in the bottom of the 9th. Happ walked and stole second, giving us another chance to level the score. Yet, Busch struck out looking, and Swanson walked, setting up Patrick Wisdom as a pinch hitter. Unfortunately, he lined out to left, sealing a 2-1 defeat.
Wrapping Up
While the Cubs' defense tightened up after the early mishap, the bats didn't quite come alive as needed. Hats off to Ian Happ and Michael Busch for giving us a glimmer of hope and to our pitchers for keeping it close. Better luck next game, folks—let's break this down and come back stronger!
️Scoreboard for Cardinals @ Cubs (June 16th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 |