Baez delivers clutch hit, but Cubs hold off Tigers
At this point in the season, the Cubs can't complain about enduring brushes with danger, as long as they win.
The bullpen squandered a 3-run lead in the eighth inning, then Yan Gomes and Nick Madrigal started the ninth with back-to-back doubles and the Cubs hung on to beat the Detroit Tigers 7-6 on Monday at Comerica Park.
"That's a character win for the group," Cubs manager David Ross said. "Phenomenal job up and down."
With the win, the Cubs improved to a season-high six games above .500 at 65-59 and moved past San Francisco in the wild card race. The Cubs now hold the second wild card spot and, if the season ended today, would face Philadelphia in a three-game series. NL Central leader Milwaukee had the night off.
Gomes hit the first pitch of the ninth inning for a double to the wall in left field. Madrigal followed by bouncing an inside pitch down the third-base line for a go-ahead double. Madrigal later scored on a fielder's choice from Ian Happ to boost the Cubs' lead to 7-5.
"That was a great job by the offense," Ross told reporters after the game. "Knew we were going to need some runs today. Their middle of the order can really hit, they've got some power. Nice job by the offense all the way up and down, guys getting on base, having really good at-bats, doing a nice job of just turning the lineup over, continuing to grind. Then even when we gave it back, they fought."
This was also the first time Tigers shortstop Javy Baez played against the Cubs. He was traded by the Cubs to the Mets at the deadline in 2021, then signed with Detroit as a free agent the following winter.
Before the game, Baez listed winning the World Series and his walk-off home run on Mother's Day as his favorite Cubs memories.
"There's going to be a lot of emotions, but I'm really excited," Baez said before the game, according to Marquee Sports Network. "I'm just going to be myself as always, try to have a good series and win it."
The Tigers trailed 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth when former Detroit pitcher Michael Fulmer had a rough outing. After a double, single and walk, the Tigers loaded the bases with nobody out. Fulmer got a strikeout, but then two ex-Cubs delivered in the clutch.
Baez swung at Fulmer's first pitch, broke his bat at the handle, and poked a soft line drive that landed on the right-field line for a 2-run double. Then Zach McKinstry, whom the Cubs traded to Detroit just before Opening Day this year, lifted a bloop single just in from of a sliding Cody Bellinger in center to tie the game.
Daniel Palencia replaced Fulmer on the mound and retired the next two batters to keep it a tie game. Mark Leiter Jr. gave up a run in the ninth that was harmless.
"That was huge," Ross said of Palencia. "He hadn't pitched in so long (Aug. 13) and sometimes you worry about going to those guys who haven't pitched. He handled it really nicely. Credit to our pitching coaches and him to just keep working in the downtime. That's really hard to do."
Ross was clearly hoping to get 6 innings out of starter Javier Assad, because he'd used both Adbert Alzolay and Julian Merryweather out of the bullpen the past two days. Assad was cruising along through 5 scoreless innings, then gave up back-to-back home runs to Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter to start the sixth.
Hayden Wesneski and Jose Cuas got the Cubs through seven innings and they seemed to be in good shape when a Happ triple and Bellinger RBI single stretched the lead to 5-2.
The Cubs scored 3 runs in the second inning against Detroit starter Alex Faedo. The rally included a single by Seiya Suzuki, an error by first baseman Torkelson and RBI double from Madrigal. Suzuki's 13th home run made it 4-0 in the fourth.
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