Cubs Waste Hayden Wesneski's Gem, Fall 3-1 to Brewers

Wesneski tossed 6.2 innings without allowing a run. He certainly gave his all in perhaps the Cubs' biggest matchup so far this season.

With Justin Steele possibly returning Monday, the Cubs will have an important decision on their hands because Wesneski has done enough to earn another start.

Craig Counsell then turned to Richard Lovelady, who turned in a solid inning of work. 

But Counsell's biggest downfall was calling upon Adbert Alzolay with one out in the eighth inning. The struggling righty entered the game with five blown saves on the season, making the decision a head-scratcher regardless of the Cubs' bullpen availability.

The Brewers proceeded to score three runs against Alzolay. To stop the bleeding, Counsell turned to Colten Brewer to pitch the rest of the way.

After the fateful top of the eighth, the Cubs offered no pushback as they only got a single from Nico Hoerner the rest of the game.

Takeaways

There's no sugarcoating it — this game was an embarrassing performance from the Cubs. Squandering a brilliant pitching performance from their starter against a division rival — and leader — is not what winning teams do.

It's become clear that the Cubs can't function properly without Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki, both of whom are on the injured list. Christopher Morel and Mike Tauchman can only do so much on a daily basis.

There's still an opportunity to take two of three games on the weekend. But if the Cubs seek to win the NL Central, they can't squander games like Friday's.

Adbert Alzolay has shown that he's not the same pitcher he was in 2023. He shouldn't have been counted on to preserve a lead in such a high-leverage situation.

At 90 pitches, Wesneski could've gone a bit deeper given the circumstances of a questionable and tired Cubs bullpen.

What's On Tap Next?

The Cubs look to turn the page from Friday when they send Jameson Taillon to the mound on Saturday. Rookie Tobias Myers will take the mound for the Brewers. First pitch is at 1:20 PM CT and the game will air on Marquee Sports Network.