Cubs blanked again in Atlanta, 7-0, as bats remain stuck in deep freeze
ATLANTA — Two games into their three-game series in Atlanta, the Chicago Cubs are still looking for their first run.
The Cubs’ offense stayed in a deep freeze Tuesday night against the powerful Braves, who notched a 7-0 win after opening the series Monday night with a 2-0 victory. The Cubs have managed just eight hits through the first two games of the series.
READ MORE: Chicago Sky open 2024 season Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas
The Cubs haven’t scored since Mike Tauchman came home on a passed ball in the top of the 10th inning during Sunday’s 5-4 win in Pittsburgh.
The series concludes Wednesday night in Atlanta, which also wraps up the Cubs’ six-game road trip. They’re 2-3 after taking two of three from the Pirates and losing the first two against the Braves. Chicago also fell 1.5 games back of Milwaukee for first place in the early National League Central standings after the Brewers won Tuesday night.
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field for seven games against the same two teams they played on the road trip, four against the Pirates from Thursday through Sunday and three more against the Braves next week.
Bad inning for Taillon
Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon started for the first time in 10 days Tuesday night. He allowed a run in the bottom of the first but mostly cruised through three innings until a rough fourth.
Taillon’s fielding error on Orlando Arcia’s grounder helped set up the Braves’ six-run inning, including a solo shot by Michael Harris II and a three-run homer by Matt Olson that broke the game open by making it 7-0.
Five of the Braves’ runs in the fourth were unearned. Taillon (3-1) allowed seven runs, two earned, in four innings.
“I felt fine stuff-wise, but the fourth inning got away from me,” he said, adding, “I don’t think I need to overthink this too much.”
RELATED: Portland, Oregon HS student finds vintage Ernie Banks Cubs jacket at Goodwill
Sale cruises
Olson drove in four runs total and former White Sox All-Star Chris Sale pitched two-hit ball over seven innings for Atlanta, which has won six of seven. The Cubs were held to three hits by Sale and relievers Aaron Bummer and Jackson Stephens.
Olson said he needed to relax after entering the game with a .209 batting average.
“I’ve just been grinding a little bit, started getting uptight,” he said. “Sometimes you have to just relax a little bit and trust it out there.”
Sale (6-1) had nine strikeouts, his third consecutive start with at least nine, and didn’t walk anybody. The right-hander won his fifth straight start.
Harris led off the fourth with his fourth homer and his first since April 19. Olson, who doubled in a run in the first, added the three-run shot, his fifth.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said he wasn’t concerned about Harris’s power drought or Olson’s slow start.
“It’s good, it was going to happen,” Snitker said. “These guys are all going to get it going at sometime.”
Cubs right-hander Tyson Miller threw two scoreless innings in his debut after he was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for minor-league infielder Jake Slaughter. Left-hander Richard Lovelady was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Trainer’s room
Cubs: SS Nico Hoerner was scratched with left hamstring tightness. “I wasn’t in a great spot to play (Tuesday), but we’re going to check back in (Wednesday),” Hoerner said, adding he had “a little bit of concern” with the hamstring before Tuesday. … DH Christopher Morel started after leaving Monday night’s game in the ninth inning with a sore left foot but had the same foot hit by a pitch from Sale in the first inning. Morel remained in the game.
Up next
RHP Javier Assad (3-0, 1.70) is scheduled to start for the Cubs in Wednesday night’s series finale.
RHP Charlie Morton (3-0, 3.14) is scheduled to start for Atlanta. He’ll be making his first start against the Cubs since July 28, 2016, while with the White Sox.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:20 p.m.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
