Jacob Webb’s first bad outing in months should not overshadow his dominant season or prompt changes in the Cubs bullpen.
Losing a close game is always tough. Losing a close game in walk-off fashion when you had the lead is even tougher. And given how little wiggle room the Chicago Cubs seem to have in the NL Central race right now, it can feel backbreaking.
Over the last two nights, the Cubs have lost in walk-off fashion to the Seattle Mariners. The first came on a single by Leo Rivas. Then, on Saturday night, a two-out, two-run home run by Randy Arozarena gave the Mariners a 5-4 win.
Cubs closer Jacob Webb entered in the ninth inning and retired the first two batters he faced. The Cubs had a 4-2 lead and were one out away from evening the series in Seattle and getting back on the right track. But after a double by Weston Wilson and a single from Rivas, the Mariners had pulled within one and brought the winning run to the plate in Arozarena.
The Mariners left fielder hit a home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning, robbed a home run during the game, and then hit another home run on the final pitch of the game. Ironically, he joined Pete Crow-Armstrong as one of only three players ever to hit a leadoff home run on the first pitch and a walk-off home run on the final pitch of the same game.
It had only been done once in baseball history before this season, by Vic Power on May 7, 1957. PCA then did it against the White Sox on August 17 before Arozarena did it to the Cubs on Saturday night.
Anytime a team suffers a devastating loss, it's easy to have a quick overreaction. And make no mistake about it, the Cubs' current three-game losing streak could very well be the dagger to any hopes they had of chasing down the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. They now sit 7.0 games back, trying to run down the best team in the sport with a month to play.
But even if that's the case, and even if Saturday was the nail in the coffin for the Cubs' NL Central hopes, it doesn't affect much in a broader sense. It shouldn't affect how we look at this year's Cubs, nor should it affect how we view a pitcher like Jacob Webb being in the closer role.
The Cubs are still safely positioned as the National League's top wild card team with a 74-56 record entering play on Sunday. The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres both hold wild card positions as well, and while there could be a race to the finish with the Phillies for the right to host the Wild Card Series, the Cubs should still comfortably make the postseason.
It would take the Arizona Diamondbacks gaining more than 6.0 games of ground on Chicago the rest of the way to put the Cubs in jeopardy. Even for a team that has endured some rough stretches of baseball in 2026, I don't imagine that's going to happen.
And as far as Webb is concerned, let us not forget how dominant he had been prior to Saturday night. Since June 21, he had been riding the longest scoreless innings streak in baseball at 24.2 consecutive scoreless innings, posting a 0.93 WHIP, a perfect 0.00 ERA, and 25 strikeouts to just 10 walks. Cubs manager Craig Counsell was able to see the bigger picture after the game.
“He's kind of held this whole thing together for most of the year. He's been great. He's having a heck of a season. Today doesn't change that. He's gonna be out there the next time there's an opportunity," said Counsell.
The Cubs have already announced that Daniel Palencia's role is shifting following his return from the IL, with Webb earning the closer role as Counsell's go-to reliever in high-leverage situations. And one game does not change that, no matter what. The single from Leo Rivas in the ninth inning that extended the inning was hit just 64.9 mph off the bat.
It was a blooper off the end of the bat that landed in no man's land. And had it been caught, there would be no questions about Jacob Webb doing his job or where the Cubs are currently positioned in the standings.
So while Arozarena's walk-off home run may hurt, and while it may prove consequential when everything is all said and done, it shouldn't elicit an overreaction or a call for change as far as the Cubs' bullpen is concerned.
