Cubs fans won't like Craig Counsell's excuse for blown seven-run lead
By Josh Wilson
The Chicago Cubs, up 8-0 at one point on the San Diego Padres, wound up losing 9-8 following a seven-run onslaught in the sixth inning and two more from the Padres in the eighth inning. Plenty of the local fans may have very well hit bedtime before the end of the late West Coast game thinking it was a certain win, only to wake up to a shocking scoreline.
Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the go-ahead runs in what would be a nail-in-the-coffin moment when he smashed a slider from Adbert Alzolay over the plate in the eighth for a two-run homer.
After the game, comments from the Cubs were raw. The season is long and Chicago needs to pick itself up and dust off, but this is a tough one.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell has not-so-great excuse over massive comeback loss
After the game, Counsell said to the media: "We just couldn't stop it anywhere, really. It was just one of those nights where they had some good at-bats and we couldn't make the next pitch and get the next out. And they made us pay for it."
In a simplified way, this might not be untrue. But a seven-run inning is more than just not being able to get ahead on a pitch or two. That's mistake after mistake after mistake. Win probability swung 28.3 percent toward the Padres in just one inning following this from the Padres:
- Walk
- Base on fielding error
- Single
- Triple
- Groundout RBI
- Single
- Home run
Counsell made two changes in the inning to the pitcher position, but it wasn't enough.
After such an implosion, there are few good things you can say as manager of the team on the losing side. Unfortunately, Counsell's words were certain to be taken with a pessimistic scowl from Cubs fans rightfully displeased with such a miserable performance.
A long season means Chicago can right the wrongs of Monday as soon as Tuesday night against their Padres. Down 1-0 in the series, they can still come out on top with a win Tuesday and Wednesday.
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