Jed Hoyer's Chicago Cubs took game one of the Crosstown Cup on Tuesday night, beating the Chicago White Sox 7-6. It may have been one of the weirdest in the series' history. The game included a partial evacuation, a rain delay, brawls in the stands, errors, and comebacks. Of course, it did - because Crosstown Cup.
The in-game drama started when a Christopher Morel error led to the first run of the game crossing and runners on second and third with nobody out. It could have been a crucial double-play, but two home runs were hit, and the Cubs were down 5-0 in the blink of an eye.
To Morel's credit, he roared back by hitting a home run that helped a sixth-inning rally tie the game at five. The tie was thanks to a basketshot from Patrick Wisdom on a 3-2 count. This took Shota Imanaga off the hook for his second consecutive loss and brought the Cubs back into a whole new ballgame.
The White Sox took the lead right back in the top of the seventh, thanks to an absolute moonshot from Luis Robert Jr. But the bottom of the eighth belonged to Ian Happ's two-RBI double that took the lead for good. Some drama ensued in the ninth, but Hector Neris escaped, and the Cubs won the series opener.
The power outage from this offense felt like a thing of the past, albeit for just one night. Craig Counsell's decision-making paid off big with pinch-hitting and situational matchups. There are plenty of positives to take away from Tuesday, but there's a long, long way to go. It seems like Jed Hoyer knows that.
Jed Hoyer: Cubs Will Add If Needed, But Believes In Group Here Now
Before the game on Tuesday, Jed Hoyer met with the media to talk about a struggling Cubs team and the upcoming trade deadline. He said this team has not struggled all season, just the last four or five weeks. He cited the team's hot start in April as an example of what this team is capable of.
Hoyer also said that if the team needs to make moves, he will "of course" do what is necessary. He continued to echo his belief in this team coming around offensively to balance the success of the roster. The main takeaway was Hoyer's comment saying he wants to see how June goes. Then, he may be inclined to add.
It sounds like Jed Hoyer does not buy into the speculation that they may be sellers by the deadline, which is good news. The only thing he addressed was adding if needed. The concerning part is he wants to wait until June is over to evaluate where the team is.
Christopher Morel, the best home run hitter on the team, has a batting average of .201 and is slugging just .388. Additionally, his defense at third continues to be a liability. Catchers Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes also hinder the Cubs offensively and defensively. It does not take a whole month to dissect the team's needs at a crucial point in the season. Hoyer and the Cubs should be on the phone right now. Specifically, a catcher and some power would be nice (understanding the bullpen is a priority, too).
