Questionable pitching rotations, a premature hook for Kevin Gausman, and an offensive collapse from key stars fueled a swift sweep by the Padres, ending Chicago's postseason hopes.
The Chicago Cubs didn’t last long in this year’s postseason.
The Cubs were swept by the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Round. They were outmatched by a Padres team that has the best record in the National League since August 1. San Diego was just the better team in this series.
But what did go wrong for this Cubs team in the Wild Card Round? Here are three things that ultimately sealed the Cubs’ early exit.
Not Pitching Clay Holmes
The Cubs paid a premium at the trade deadline to get a pitcher like Clay Holmes. The front office traded away the team’s No. 2 overall prospect in Jefferson Rojas to acquire Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to help them down the stretch.
Well, Holmes didn’t even pitch in the Wild Card Round. Manager Craig Counsell went with Matthew Boyd in Game 1 and Kevin Gausman in Game 2. The Cubs essentially traded for a front-line starter at the deadline just to not throw him in the postseason.
Holmes should have been part of the Cubs’ pitching plans in Game 2. He had some strong outings since arriving in Chicago in early August and was one of the team’s top pitchers in the second half. If Holmes now declines his player option and leaves in free agency, the front office traded away Rojas for nothing.
Pulling Kevin Gausman
The Cubs rolled with Gausman for Game 2 in a do-or-die situation. He had a clean first inning before running into some trouble in the second. The Padres scored two runs that inning to give them an early lead.
After throwing another clean inning in the third, Gausman entered the fourth with the chance to put up another zero. Unfortunately, Counsell pulled Gausman after allowing a one-out double to Xander Bogaerts. Daniel Palencia then came in and allowed a two-run home run to Gavin Sheets two batters later.
In retrospect, Gausman’s shoulder wasn’t 100%, and Counsell likely felt it was time to turn to his bullpen with his team on the brink of elimination. However, that decision cost the Cubs because Sheets’ home run was the nail in the coffin.
Stars Not Stepping Up
In the postseason, your stars have to show up. Unfortunately, the Cubs stars did not.
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman went a combined 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts in the Wild Card Round. Both hitters did not come through in big spots and were at the forefront of the Cubs’ offensive struggles in this series.
Even Dansby Swanson didn’t come through when the team needed him most in Game 2. He struck out with runners on first and second and nobody out in the third inning, and then flew out with the bases loaded in the fourth.
