Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/21/24): Tigers 8, Cubs 2 – Three Detroit Homers Bury Chicago

The Cubs came into Wednesday night hoping to win a second consecutive series against the Tigers. The pitching staff that has been so good for Chicago wasn’t up to the task in this contest as Detroit blasted three home runs en route to an 8-2 victory.

Jameson Taillon was shaky from the start and the Tigers got to him with a pair of homers in the top of the 2nd inning. Rookie shortstop Trey Sweeney hit a two-run shot for his first career homer, then Riley Greene added his own two-run jack to put the Cubs behind 4-0.

The North Siders made their only dent in the scoreboard in the 5th when backup catcher Christian Bethancourt whacked a two-run dong off reliever Brant Hurter that cut the deficit in half to 4-2. The home team got a couple more scoring chances but was unable to add any more offense.

Jack Neely made his major league debut in the 9th and it did not go well, with Detroit scoring four times, including a three-run home run from Kerry Carpenter that put the game on ice. The Cubs went quietly in the bottom of the frame losing 8-2. (Box score)

Key Moment

Patrick Wisdom came up to bat with two runners on and two outs in the 7th inning representing the go-ahead run. He crushed a deep fly ball to left field that died at the warning track for the third out to end the threat.

Why the Cubs Lost

The usually reliable pitching did not come through in this one and it spelled doom.

Stats That Matter

• Taillon has really struggled since the trade deadline and Wednesday was a lot of the same but he did manage to make it five innings: 5 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 5 K, and 2 BB.
• Bethancourt has been a steady contributor since coming to the Cubs.

Bottom Line

This was another loss Chicago just could not afford given the very high mountain they need to climb to get back into the race. With time running out, it’s getting pretty clear that it’s not going to happen this year. Moving on from Héctor Neris is an indication the rest of the season might be about getting some of the promising prospects currently in Iowa a chance to get their feet wet in September. Honestly, it would be a lot more interesting than trying to cling to some pretty faint postseason chances.

On Deck

The rubber match of the series is Thursday at 1:20pm CT. Justin Steele gets the start and the Tigers go with yet another bullpen game in a contest available on Marquee and 670 The Score.