Cubs squander another solid start by Stroman as Pujols crushes homer No. 695
The Cubs decided to put their youth movement on hold and bring back veteran pitcher Wade Miley to start on Tuesday against the Reds at Wrigley Field.
Miley, 35, has been out with a left shoulder strain since June 10 and made just four starts all season.
Of course, turning to older players pays off sometimes. The Cubs lost again in St. Louis 2-0 on Sunday, with the game's only runs coming on a 2-run pinch-hit homer from 42-year-old Albert Pujols.
After Marcus Stroman pitched 7 scoreless innings, the Cubs turned to left-handed reliever Brandon Hughes. He gave up a one-out double to Tommy Edman, then Pujols grabbed a bat. Manager David Ross visited the mound and chose to pitch to Pujols with first base open.
Ross was concerned with having to face Paul Goldschmidt with runners on base if they put Pujols on.
"You're in that mode where you pick your poison," Ross said. "One of those things, you've got to trust your guys. We wanted him to attack Albert and just left one middle."
Hughes threw one fastball high on the outside half and it was fouled off. On the second pitch, he might as well have put it on a tee and Pujols didn't miss the chance to launch career No. 695.
Asked what Ross told him during the mound visit, Hughes said, "Go at him with my best stuff and if I fall behind, put him on."
The Cubs scored 3 runs in the first inning on Saturday, but otherwise, tallied just a single run over 26 innings in St. Louis. In their last two series in St. Louis, the Cubs have gone 0-6 and were outscored 35-9.
They managed 2 hits and 2 walks Sunday against starter Miles Mikolas and closer Ryan Helsley. Stroman allowed 4 hits and no walks over 7 innings.
"My last time out, I think I had 11 or 12 hits, 5 runs in 5 innings back at Wrigley," Stroman told reporters after the game. "So definitely attacked them a bit differently, definitely broke out some pitches that I haven't thrown much this year. You've got to adapt when you face a lineup like that. You can't go at them with the same stuff."
There wasn't a huge difference in Stroman's pitch mix on Sunday, but he did throw more sliders and four-seams. The sinker has been his primary weapon this season.
The Cubs claimed Miley off waivers from Cincinnati last November, hoping he could add some stability to the rotation. That hasn't happened, but Ross is a fan of what Miley brought to the clubhouse.
The Louisiana native is one of Cubs' more vocal characters, often joking around with teammates and reporters. His laid-back, country personality is similar to what Andrew Chafin brought last year.
"The little things he does for us are really invaluable," Ross said. "It's really noticeable when he goes off on a rehab start or he doesn't make a trip with us, there's a lot of energy in the dugout that's missing."
It's a fair argument to ask, "Why bother?" Miley doesn't figure to be on the roster next season. But the Cubs seem to place importance on treating veterans well, and Miley wants to show teams he can still pitch heading into next season.
"I feel like I've just been playing catch up from spring training," Miley said. "I've never really had the chance to have a full build up until now. Hopefully we can finish out the year strong."
The Cubs are also giving Justin Steele more time to recover from a sore back that knocked him out of his last start.
Mervis, Powell earn honors:
The Cubs named Iowa first baseman Matt Mervis and Tennessee pitcher Walker Powell the team's minor league player and pitcher for the month of August. Mervis hit his 30th home run of the season Sunday and now has 106 RBI. Powell posted a 0.44 ERA in five outings last month.
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