Cubs Struggle Without Closer Palencia in Loss to Blue Jays

The Chicago Cubs faced disappointing news on Saturday morning as their closer, Daniel Palencia, was diagnosed with a mild flexor strain in his right arm. This setback will prevent him from pitching for over a week. ‘We’re looking through the road trip, and then we’ll start ramping it up a little bit,’ manager Craig Counsell said before their game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Wrigley Field.

Sadly, the Cubs felt the absence of their reliable closer when they squandered a five-run lead and ultimately lost 8-6. The bullpen faltered, giving up eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Pitchers Trent Thornton, Caleb Thielbar, and Jacob Webb combined to allow these runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

‘We didn’t have a good day in the bullpen,’ Counsell remarked. ‘Colin Rea pitched great, definitely put us in a position to win. When three guys have bad days, we give up a lot of runs because of it. We just didn’t get it done in the bullpen today.’

Palencia is the latest in a series of injuries affecting the Cubs’ bullpen. The team has been plagued with setbacks throughout the pitching staff. Several pitchers from the opening-day bullpen are now in different roles or injured. Rea and Ben Brown have moved to the rotation, while Hunter Harvey and Palencia are on the injured list. Phil Maton, a significant offseason acquisition, has been struggling, recording a 5.92 ERA. Counsell has been reluctant to use him in high-leverage situations recently.

With Palencia on the injured list, lesser-known names like Thornton, Ryan Rolison, and Webb have been stepping up. Counsell felt confident with a three-run lead and decided to hand the game over to his bullpen to cover the remaining outs. Rea had a solid start, retiring the first 12 batters. With runners on base in the sixth, Rolison effectively induced an inning-ending double play.

The Cubs manager planned for Thornton, Thielbar, and Webb to secure the final nine outs. ‘We’re going to try to get in that same spot tomorrow,’ Counsell emphasized. ‘Whether it’s a 5-0 lead in the sixth or a 5-3 lead in the eighth, every time you have to try to get to that spot again. We just didn’t get it done today.’

The bullpen has struggled throughout June, with a 4.94 ERA. They have blown the second-most saves this month and pitched the sixth-most innings. Opposing teams have started adjusting to names that were successful earlier in the year. Webb, in particular, exemplifies these challenges. He had a stellar record in May but has seen his ERA rise dramatically in June.

Saturday saw Webb give up three earned runs, including a three-run homer by Kazuma Okamoto, leaving the Cubs trailing. ‘I didn’t execute today, plain and simple,’ Webb admitted. He’s determined to figure things out and improve his game.

The Cubs found solace in Palencia’s MRI results, which didn’t indicate a major injury. Meanwhile, Matthew Boyd was set for a rehab outing with High A South Bend, offering hope of bolstering the pitching staff. Yet, urgency looms as the team must address pitching issues amid offensive strides. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 16th home run and extended his on-base streak, while Matt Shaw contributed with a three-run homer.

‘I’m trying to go out there and do my best every outing,’ Webb said. ‘Not always does it work that way. We’d like Danny back soon, but we have to play without him until we can get him back.’

Andy Martinez contributed to this report for the Chicago Tribune.