The Cubs blew a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning against the Brewers Monday, ultimately falling 4-3 in a hard-fought game that came down to a head-scratching managerial decision. Matthew Boyd was absolutely dealing, cruising through seven innings, but manager Craig Counsell’s choice to leave him in one batter too long turned a solid outing into a disaster that handed the Brewers the win.
That Eighth-Inning Collapse Was Completely Avoidable
Boyd had been magnificent for seven straight innings, giving up just four hits and one run while striking out six. He’d thrown 87 pitches, totally under control. Heading into the eighth, the Cubs were up 2-1, and Boyd faced left-handed leadoff hitter Garrett Mitchell. You figure, let Boyd face Mitchell, then bring in a right-handed reliever like Ryan Zeferjahn, who had been lights out in his last two outings, for Joey Ortiz and Jackson Chourio, both righties. That’s the playbook, right? But after Boyd walked Mitchell, pushing his pitch count to 93, Counsell still didn’t make the move for Ortiz. What was he thinking?
You know what happened next. Ortiz doubled down the line, putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out. *Then* Zeferjahn came in, facing Chourio in the toughest possible spot. Chourio blasted a two-run single, giving the Brewers the lead. After a walk and a strikeout, Jacob Webb was called in, but he promptly walked another batter to load the bases before a Christian Yelich sac fly gave the Brewers a fourth run. That run, as it turned out, they absolutely needed. Counsell simply had to take Boyd out after Mitchell. Period. It was a no-brainer.
Before The Meltdown, A Real Ballgame Unfolded
Before the late-game drama, this was a fantastic ballgame. Both Boyd and Brewers starter Robert Gasser were dealing, matching zeroes through four innings. Boyd was on fire, striking out four straight Brewers at one point. The Cubs had a shot in the fourth when Alex Bregman walked and Tyrone Taylor doubled him to third with one out, but Bregman got tagged out in a rundown.
The Cubs finally broke through in the fifth. Pedro Ramirez, who had been in an 0-for-19 slump, blasted his fifth home run of the year with two outs, putting the Cubs up 1-0. But the Brewers got that run right back in the bottom of the inning when Luis Lara singled, was sacrificed to second, and Mitchell singled him home, tying it at 1-1. The Cubs took the lead again in the top of the seventh. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled, then stole second (his 34th) and then *again* stole second (his 35th!), tying his career high and putting him just five away from a historic 40/40 season. Seiya Suzuki walked, and Bregman singled to make it 2-1 Cubs.
They had the lead! It was a well-played game, a real battle, until that inexplicable eighth-inning decision. This loss stings, big time. You just can’t give away games like that when your starter is dominating, and you have the bullpen arms ready. This is one that’s going to stick with the fans, and they’ll be wondering what could have been.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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