Craig Counsell: ‘The inning just snowballed’
The Chicago Cubs have serious questions with their starting rotation after Saturday’s 10-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 40,068 fans at Wrigley Field.
The fifth spot in the rotation was a question before the regular season. The Cubs gave Ben Brown the job, but it’s clear Chicago needs another starting pitcher soon after losing Justin Steele for the season as he recovers from an elbow injury that needed Tommy John surgery.
Brown gave up six earned runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings pitched.
Chicago Cubs manager sent pitcher a three-word warning
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (11) before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Following the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell gave Brown a three-word warning in his statement to reporters.
“Craig Counsell on starter Ben Brown: ‘We need better,’” ESPN’s Jesse Rogers posted on X.
Counsell gave a similar warning to Gage Workman after he gave up two errors in the Cubs’ win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, saying the infielder needed to make a play. Chicago DFA’d him the next day and sent the Rule 5 pick to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday for cash considerations.
Ben Brown knows he needs to pitch better
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Ben Brown (32) throws a pitch in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
In his post-game presser, Brown said he understood he needed to pitch better so he could stay on the mound longer.
“The team needs better out of me,” Brown said via video from Marquee Sports Network. “The bullpen needs a break, and they can get it. And I think I was cruising towards that today, and what happened just didn’t seem like there was an end in sight, which is unfortunate.
“Just gotta keep making good pitches, but ultimately gotta wake up tomorrow and do my best to get out there in six days, and give that length that the bullpen needs, and that the team needs. And it starts now with how I recover and how I go about reviewing my outing, and just getting better.”
Brown entered Saturday’s contest with a 6.04 ERA and a 2-2 record. On a bright note, he threw five strikeouts before exiting early.
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