Miami Marlins just went wild for six runs in the 12th inning Tuesday night, absolutely crushing Chicago 8-2 and slamming the brakes on the Cubs’ NL wild-card push. It was a brutal gut punch for Chicago fans who saw their team sitting on the edge of a playoff berth, only to watch it slip away in extra innings.
That 12th Inning Was a Total Nightmare for Chicago
Man, that 12th inning was a clinic in how to break a team’s heart. Griffin Conine kicked it off, driving in Esteury Ruiz with a bloop single that broke the tie and put Miami ahead for good. Then Jakob Marsee piled on with a run-scoring single, and Joe Mack dropped the hammer with a two-run single to cap off a truly wild six-run outburst. The Marlins, who had been on a three-game skid and now sit at 77-80, looked like a completely different team. Josh Ekness (3-4) came in and locked it down for the win with a scoreless inning. This loss stings for the Cubs (87-70) because they could’ve officially clinched a playoff spot with a win. Adding insult to injury, the Diamondbacks won their game 7-2 against Colorado, keeping the pressure on. Going into Tuesday, Chicago was tied with San Diego at the top of the wild card standings, with Philadelphia just one game back. The Phillies did their part, grabbing a 6-4 victory over Milwaukee, so every game matters big time right now.
Missed Opportunities and Key Absences That Haunt the Cubs
Before that epic 12th inning implosion, the Cubs actually had a golden chance to walk it off in the 10th. They loaded the bases with two outs, the crowd was buzzing, but Miami second baseman Javier Sanoja pulled off an incredible sliding stop to rob Pedro Ramírez of a game-ending single. What a play, right? That’s the kind of moment that swings games. Chicago also had to play without their three-time All-Star third baseman, Alex Bregman, who’s still recovering from multiple facial fractures after getting struck by a foul ball. Talk about bad luck, though he might be back before the regular season wraps up this weekend. Earlier in the game, Miami got on the board when Kyle Stowers doubled and scored on Agustín Ramírez’s single in the fourth, and Stowers even hit his 20th homer in the sixth. Chicago tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth, getting runners on the corners. Michael Busch hit a hard grounder, but Mack mishandled Deyvison De Los Santos’ throw to the plate, letting Pete Crow-Armstrong scamper home. Ian Happ then tied it up with a single off Calvin Faucher. All that effort, just to fall apart late.
The Cubs have got to shake this off fast. They’re back at it Wednesday night with Ryan Gusto (1-5, 4.14 ERA) on the mound for Miami, facing off against Chicago’s Kevin Gausman (9-12, 4.55 ERA). Every single pitch is critical now with that playoff berth still hanging in the balance.
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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