3 things I heard inside the Chicago Cubs clubhouse on Friday
By Kevin Henry
Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon proving offseason decision right
The opening frame for the Cubs certainly wasn't how David Ross or Taillon would have drawn it up. The right-hander issued a walk to two of the first three batters he faced and would throw 30 pitches in the inning. However, Taillon also recorded strikeouts for all three first-inning outs to help himself out of the jam he created.
Those strikeouts were part of seven that Taillon logged on the day, helping him work around four hits, four walks and a wild pitch. However, the main number to be seen after his six-inning effort was the zero that was in the run column for the Rockies.
Taillon's outing allowed him to earn his first win since August 8 and continue his recent dominance at Wrigley Field. Since July 23, he has allowed just six earned runs in 34.2 innings on the north side, equating to a 1.56 ERA during that stretch.
Outings like Friday are a reminder of why Taillon was chased by the Cubs this offseason, a franchise that landed him with a four-year, $68 million deal.
“This team went out and got me for a reason and I had an opportunity to go out and prove them right,” Taillon said on Friday. “Having a good game on a day like today when we really needed it felt really good.”