London Series: Chicago Cubs settle for a split after Marcus Stroman leaves 7-5 loss early with a blister
Chicago Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman was hyped leading up to Sunday’ s start on an international stage. He embraced the opportunity to bring the“ Stro Show” to the London Series, in which the Cubs had an opportunity to secure a two-game sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals. Head athletic trainer Nick Frangella and manager David Ross visited Stroman on the...
Chicago Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman was hyped leading up to Sunday’s start on an international stage.
Stroman had gotten a taste of it before, pitching in big games in the World Baseball Classic. He embraced the opportunity to bring the “Stro Show” to the London Series, in which the Cubs had an opportunity to secure a two-game sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“I think everybody here enjoyed it,” Stroman said. ”You know you’re not going to prepare as well as you normally do just because of the schedule, but put that out of mind and you just go out there, have fun and compete.”
Stroman’s memorable experience was cut short by a blister on his index finger that forced him to depart in the fourth inning of the Cubs’ 7-5 loss.
Stroman shook his right hand after multiple pitches in the fourth, including his final pitch that resulted in a go-ahead RBI single by Paul Goldschmidt. Head athletic trainer Nick Frangella and manager David Ross visited Stroman on the mound after the sequence.
The blister didn’t open up, prompting Stroman to come out of the game before it worsened. He initially felt the spot begin to heat up during his pregame bullpen session, and by the second inning, the blister started to affect his stuff.
Stroman allowed six runs, three earned, on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 3⅓ innings. A four-spot in the first off Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore stood as the only runs for the Cubs (37-39) until Nico Hoerner’s two-out sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Stroman was encouraged the blister didn’t open because “honestly, it felt like it was going to rip on any pitch in those last few innings,” which likely would have caused him to miss at least one start.
The July 10-13 All-Star break sets up Stroman, who has been one of the best starters in the majors this year, for a chance to recharge for the second half.
“That break will definitely give me some time to heal and to rest for a bit,” he said. “I need a break, man. The biggest thing for me is to be as healthy as possible and to pitch for this team. … The body needs a rest at some point, and that’s the time I’m going to get hopefully seven to nine days. I should come back feeling great after that.”
This isn’t the first time Stroman has dealt with a blister because of the pressure he generates on his index finger throwing his sinker and slider. He is optimistic he will make his next start.
“Other than that, I felt good,” Stroman said. “They did a good job of putting the ball in play and hitting in early counts. Other than that, I felt like my mechanics, everything else, was pretty on point.”
The Cubs defense didn’t help, with two misplays by Trey Mancini at first base. The first was a throw he couldn’t handle from shortstop Dansby Swanson to begin the bottom of the first that resulted in an error charged to Swanson. Working with a 4-0 lead, Stroman struck out Goldschmidt and started a slick inning-ending double play.
But with two outs in the second, Mancini initially pursued a grounder to second baseman Nico Hoerner, struggled to get back to first and in desperation tried to make a barehanded catch of Hoerner’s throw. A run scored and Tommy Edman was safe on what was later changed to an error on Mancini to load the bases.
Two pitches later, Brendan Donovan’s two-run single cut the Cubs lead to one run before Stroman got out with the lead intact.
“It’s not the first instance lately where I’ve sped up plays that don’t really need to be sped up,” Mancini said. “I let the game speed me up there, and the game’s 100% on me.
“I’m sorry to my teammates and all the fans because it’s been such a great trip here and would have been nice to get two wins. I really feel very responsible for our loss today, and there’s no worse feeling than that.”
Mancini believed his two defensive miscues negated his two-run double in the first that put the Cubs ahead 3-0. The plays came on the heels of an error at first base Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Mancini said his internal clock has been off when reading plays. He has made only seven starts at first since May 31.
“Balls to my right I’m going after probably too much when I should just go straight to the bag, and it happened again today,” Mancini said. “It’s tough and the worst feeling you can have as a baseball player.
“(Stroman is) pitching his ass off for us all year and once again today and could have gotten out of a big spot there. It changes the momentum of the game. I was mad. He was mad. I think everybody was. I would have reacted the same way.”
After the second inning, Stroman and Mancini chatted in the dugout, where the 31-year-old first baseman apologized for his error.
“They’ve bailed me out of a ton of jams, big-time plays here and there,” Mancini said. “It’s baseball, man. As I told him right after, I don’t care at the end of the day. Like, in the moment … but they’ve bailed me out so many times. I can’t get mad at anyone for that situation.”
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