Game Forty-Seven – Cubs 4, Royals 8
WP – Kelvin Herrera (1-1, BS 1) LP – Pedro Strop (1-3) Save – None
The Cubs fought back from a 4-1 deficit and tied the game in the seventh inning after a two-run homer from Jorge Soler in the sixth and a solo home run from Addison Russell in the seventh. But the bullpen and defense combined on an ugly eighth inning. The Royals scored three runs in the eighth and added one more in the ninth as the Cubs gave Kansas City a game on Friday afternoon.
The eighth inning of Friday afternoon’s game will not make any of the Cubs’ highlight reels for the season. And it really summed up the Cubs season to this point. When the Cubs have lost games it has generally been because of the bullpen and below-average defense. The Royals scored three runs on one hit, two walks and an error in the eighth inning.
Joe Maddon had Edwin Jackson pitch the ninth. And his throwing error led to the Royals’ eighth and final run of the game.
The Royals scored eight runs, five earned, on 11 hits with help from three walks by the Cubs’ relievers and two charged errors on the defense.
Jake Arrieta gave up three solo home runs in the first four innings. And all four runs scored off Arrieta came on extra basehits. Arrieta allowed three home runs all season before Friday.
Alcides Escobar launched the first pitch of the game into the bleachers in left center and set the tone for the afternoon. The Royals added solo home runs from Alex Gordon in the second inning and Salvador Perez in the fourth. The fourth run Arrieta was charged with scored on an Eric Hosmer double that was misplayed by Junior Lake.
Jake Arrieta allowed four runs on eight hits, three home runs, without a walk and five strikeouts. Arrieta threw 93 pitches, 65 for strikes, in seven innings.
Pedro Strop was charged with the three runs, one earned. James Russell and Justin Grimm both did their jobs Friday. And Edwin Jackson allowed the last run in the ninth.
For as out of sync as the offense looked for a majority of the afternoon, the Cubs fought back and tied the game.
Kris Bryant (2-for-4 with a double and a RBI) doubled in Addison Russell (2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two runs scored) with the Cubs first run in the third inning.
Jorge Soler (1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) launched a two-run homer in the sixth and Russell tied the game in the seventh with a solo home run.
Anthony Rizzo (1-for-3 with a walk) reached base twice, Starlin Castro (1-for-4 with a run scored) was on base two times and scored a run. But the Cubs made Edinson Volquez look very good again. Five of the first eight batters went down on strikes and Volquez was allowed to strikeout a season-high nine batters. The Cubs struck out 15 times with only two walks on the afternoon.
With Friday’s loss, the Cubs slipped to 25-22 on the season.
With the Cubs down 2-0 going into the bottom of the third following homers by Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon, Jake Arrieta was caught looking for the first out … the fifth strikeout in the first eight batters for Edinson Volquez. Addison Russell drove a 1-2 pitch to right center. The ball one-hopped the wall and stuck in the ivy. Russell circled the bases before returning to second base on the ground rule double. Dexter Fowler flied out to left for the second out.
Kris Bryant delivered. Bryant doubled to left center. Russell scored and made it a 2-1 game. Rizzo struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Royals led 2-1 after three innings.
Jake Arrieta caught Lorenzo Cain looking at a 3-2 pitch for the first out in the fourth. And Eric Hosmer grounded out to second. Salvador Perez gave the Royals their two-run advantage again with a homer to left on a 1-2 pitch. Gordon flied out to right to end the inning.
The Cubs could not take advantage of a Starlin Castro infield single and a Junior Lake walk in the fourth. And the game went to the fifth with the Cubs down 3-1.
The Royals added to their lead in the sixth with another extra basehit off Jake Arrieta. Escobar grounded out to second and Moustakas struck out swinging for the first two outs. Lorenzo Cain singled to center.
Eric Hosmer drove a 0-1 pitch over Junior Lake’s head in left. Lake misplayed the ball twice and the defensive miscue cost the Cubs a run when Cain scored and made it 4-1 game. Junior Lake went back to the wall but did not put his glove up. The ball hit just above his head and bounced back toward the infield because Lake got too close to the wall. Arrieta struck out Perez looking to end the inning.
Anthony Rizzo led off the sixth with a single to left (3-2 pitch). Castro rolled over another pitch and grounded out to short. Rizzo was forced at second. The ball was not hit hard enough to turn two. Miguel Montero flied out to left center (3-2 pitch) for the second out.
Jorge Soler was given the green light on a 3-0 pitch and launched a two-run homer into the bleachers in left. Soler’s first homer since May 8 cut the Royals’ lead to 4-3.
Ned Yost went to his pen and replaced Volquez with Ryan Madson.
Junior Lake grounded out to third to end the sixth inning.
Jake Arrieta labored through the seventh inning and kept the Royals from tacking on … with a huge assist by Dexter Fowler on a diving catch in center to end the inning.
Kelvin Herrera started the seventh. Chris Coghlan hit for Arrieta and predictably grounded out to second on the first pitch.
Addison Russell stepped in and pulled a 0-1 pitch into the bleachers in left.
Russell’s fourth homer of the season tied the game at four. Fowler grounded out to second. Kris Bryant singled to right and Rizzo walked on four pitches. But Castro struck out swinging to end the inning.
The game was tied at four after seven innings.
Pedro Strop started the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Mike Moustakas. Lorenzo Cain doubled to center (2-2 pitch), Moustakas scored and the Royals took the lead again at 5-4. Eric Hosmer was intentionally walked. Strop struck out Perez swinging and Maddon went to the pen for James Russell.
Russell struck out Gordon swinging for the second out. Maddon made the slow walk and switched out Russell with Justin Grimm. And Grimm did his job. Omar Infante hit a liner to center that Dexter Fowler dropped, kicked away and slipped trying to pick up the ball. Two runs scored on Fowler’s first charged error of the season. Grimm struck out Paulo Orlando swinging to end the inning.
The Royals scored three runs on one hit, two walks and one error in the eighth.
Wade Davis struck out the side in order in the eighth. And the game went to the ninth with the Cubs down 7-4.
At that point, Joe Maddon waived the white flag. Edwin Jackson pitched the ninth. Jackson gave the Royals another run. Jarrod Dyson bunted back to Jackson. He threw the ball away. Dyson went to second and scored on an Alcides Escobar single to center … 8-4 Royals. Moustakas grounded into a 3-6-3-4-6-5 double play. Jackson walked Cain as it started to rain at Wrigley. Hosmer grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Cubs went down in order in the ninth to end the game.
Weather permitting … Tsuyoshi Wada takes on Yordano Ventura on Saturday night (6:15pm CDT).