The Chicago Cubs were able to salvage the final game in their three game set in Atlanta, taking on the Braves. Starting Pitcher Javier Assad continued his early season prowess with six blemish-free innings of baseball, before turning it over to the bullpen. Three runs in the first inning set the tone for the Chicago offense, a unit that tallied seven runs and 13 hits.
The Atlanta Braves were unable to complete the sweep Wednesday night at home, falling to the Cubs 7-1. Charlie Morton got hit around early and the Atlanta bullpen could not stop the bleeding. The Braves offense that had been sizzling as of late cooled off, only managing to scratch across one run late.
Chicago Cubs Bats Alive Early on the East Coast
Mike Tauchman set the tone for this game from the first pitch, literally the first pitch. The Chicago Cubs lead-off hitter slashed an opposite-field home run off Atlanta Braves starter Charlie Morton. The direction wasn’t the only thing that was opposite on the play, as Tauchman, one of the league’s more patient hitters, uncharacteristically jumped on the fastball to jolt a Cubs offense that had been shut out in the first two games of the series.
The first inning went downhill for Morton after the Tauchman long ball. Seiya Suzuki doubled and Cody Bellinger singled to create another scoring opportunity for the Chicago Cubs. Morton got Christopher Morel to hit into a fielder’s choice to record the first out of the game, but the second run of the inning came in to score. More trouble was ahead for the 40-year-old right-hander, as he gave up another hit and a walk to load the bases. Morton then hit Pete Crow-Armstrong to force in the third run of the first inning.
Offensive Onslaught Continues for Chicago Cubs
The first inning wasn’t the end of the Chicago Cubs offensive output on Wednesday night. Morton continued to commit unforced errors, letting in the fourth run of the game in the top of the third on a botched pickoff attempt that allowed Miles Mastrobuoni to score from third. The frazzled Morton wouldn’t be out on the mound for much longer, as he was done after finishing the third inning. Morton’s final line for the ball game: 3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K.
Crow-Armstrong had his hand in the offensive effort for the Chicago Cubs. The rookie laid down a perfect bunt through the triangle on the first base side of the mound that allowed him to reach and Michael Busch to come in to score and make it a 5-0 game. In his next plate appearance, PCA drilled a triple to the wall in left and eased home on a sacrifice fly from Yan Gomes in the eighth.
The final salvo from the Chicago Cubs in this one was from Seiya Suzuki. Suzuki took a cutter from Jesse Chavez that caught too much of the plate and deposited it into the left-center field bleachers. It was Suzuki’s fourth home run of the year and his first since coming back from the IL. The long ball gave the Cubs their seventh and final run of the contest.
Javier Assad Delivers Again Against Atlanta Braves
Javier Assad took on the vaunted Atlanta Braves lineup and staved them away for six innings. Assad added another start to his 2024 ledger allowing two or fewer runs, with the streak to open the season now at nine. Assad staggered four hits and a walk across the six innings, getting most of his work done on his sinker. The Mexican-born right-hander normally features a variety of pitches, velocities, and locations.
The effort to rely on his sinker was Assad’s case to face the Atlanta Braves lineup for a third time. Assad has been restricted to two turns through the order for most of his starts, with his numbers against a lineup a third time diminishing noticeably. As the outing continued, Assad featured his off-speed and breaking pitches more, making it halfway through the Atlanta order for the third time. He was relieved after six innings. Assad threw 86 pitches and struck out seven on his way to earning his fourth win of the season.
Ben Brown made an appearance out of the bullpen, his sixth of the year. It was a busy two innings for the Chicago Cubs rookie. He gave up four hits, including an RBI single from Zack Short, who has filled in admirably for the injured Austin Riley. Brown flashed what makes him a top prospect by striking out three and handing the ball to Luke Little. Little made his first appearance since being called up from AAA, and after letting two baserunners reach, retired the side and gave the Cubs their only win of the series.
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