Chicago Cubs get some nifty defense from Nick Madrigal and others but are held to 3 hits as their win streak ends at 5
With Patrick Wisdom going on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a sprained right wrist, Nick Madrigal is preparing to make consistent starts at third base for the Chicago Cubs.
After returning last week from a stint at Triple-A Iowa, Madrigal is eager for any opportunities he gets.
“I was just excited to get back with the guys,” Madrigal said. “When I got sent down, I was just trying to do everything I could to get back as soon as I could. The body is feeling good right now and I feel like my timing has been coming back with more reps.
“This team has been playing some good baseball. The vibes overall are just unbelievable right now.”
Madrigal, who had played exclusively second base in his major-league career before this season, showed off his increased comfort level at third Sunday, making a pair of nifty plays in foul territory as the Cubs’ five-game winning streak ended with a 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Wrigley Field.
“The different angles and the reaction time with the ball off the bat is a little different over there at third,” Madrigal said. “I’ve worked extremely hard and I do feel comfortable over there. It’s taken a lot of work in pregame and a lot of credit to the staff for getting me ready for it.”
Madrigal made a tough running catch near the Cubs dugout on Anthony Santander’s foul popup in the fifth, having to cover a lot of ground while playing closer to the normal shortstop position with the infield shifting against the left-handed hitter.
When Santander came up in the seventh, Madrigal — playing in the same defensive alignment — had no chance to stop the Orioles designated hitter’s single down the third-base line. But Madrigal tracked down the ball along the wall in foul territory in shallow left field, quickly turned and threw out Santander at second base.
Stellar defense — which also included Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki making diving catches and Mike Tauchman throwing out Austin Hays at the plate from center field — kept the Cubs in the game despite their being outhit 14-3.
The Cubs (33-38) led 3-2 before the Orioles (44-27) scored three times in the sixth. After Jameson Taillon departed with the game tied 3-3 and a runner at second with one out, reliever Anthony Kay allowed three straight singles, including RBI hits from Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo that gave the Orioles the lead for good.
Taillon (2-5) allowed four earned runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out one and walked two.
“It was just another one of those days where we’re close to having a good day, but it turned into a bad day at the end,” Taillon said. “A couple weak hits, a couple timely good at-bats by them with runners in scoring position — it’s kind of the story of how my year has been so far.
“Overall I felt good, but it doesn’t really matter if this is the result. I’m just going to keep putting in the work until the results come.”
Tauchman had quite a two-pitch sequence in the first. After he caught Santander’s flyout and nailed Hays with a perfect throw to the plate for an inning-ending double play, Tauchman homered on the first pitch of the bottom of the inning.
It was Tauchman’s first home run with the Cubs and first in the majors since June 23, 2021.
“That was sweet,” Taillon said. “It’s one of those baseball god things. You make a sick play to end the inning and you lead off the next inning with a big hit or a homer. I’ve seen that a decent amount of times. (Tauchman) has been awesome for us ever since he came up.”
Christopher Morel hit a two-run homer in the fourth, his 13th in 31 games this season, to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
Madrigal, meanwhile, reached base in all six games of the homestand, including a hit by pitch in the seventh Sunday, and had five hits during the stretch.
Cubs manager David Ross said he has noticed a few changes in Madrigal since his return from Iowa, where he hit .488 over 11 games.
“I think the calmness within the at-bats,” Ross said. “One of the things we identify that with is getting on base. He’s walked at a high rate. It feels like he’s taking those walks a little more and not pressing.
“We’re giving him a pretty good regular run here. Being able to hit down in Triple A and get his timing back, it seems like he’s on a lot of pitches now and able to control the strike zone.”
Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya was hit by a pitch on his right arm in the seventh and was lifted for a pinch runner, but Ross said X-rays came back negative.
After a 5-1 homestand, the Cubs head to Pittsburgh for three games with the Pirates beginning Monday before their trip to London for two games against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The loss dropped the Cubs four games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, but Madrigal likes the team’s position after a successful week at home.
“Overall it’s just exciting times being in a Cubs uniform,” Madrigal said. “Our division is kind of up in the air right now and we’re trying to do everything we can to take it home. It’s one game at a time. We’re playing some good baseball.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
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