Cubs salvage series finale with walk-off victory against Diamondbacks
The Cubs were euphoric Sunday after beating the Diamondbacks 2-1 on a walk-off walk by Nico Hoerner to avoid a three-game sweep.
But the victory did little to quell concerns about an offense that continues to sputter. The Cubs didn’t put any pressure on the Diamondbacks until the ninth, when they tied the score, and they were outscored 9-4 in the three-game series.
Next up is a critical three-game set against the National League Central-leading Brewers starting Monday. The Cubs are 10 games behind the Brewers and 3œ games out of the last NL wild-card spot, though they trail five teams.
‘‘All of them right now seem important,’’ shortstop Dansby Swanson said. ‘‘It’s just huge for us to be able to battle back after a couple of days of probably not playing our best and just come out with one and moving into another big series.’’
If the Cubs (48-53) end up sellers at the trade deadline July 30, it will be because of performances such as the one Sunday, when their pitching gave them a chance but the offense was powerless until it was almost too late. Cubs starters are eighth in the majors in ERA (3.70), but their hitters are 25th in OPS (.674).
It’s hard to envision the Cubs making any additions at the deadline when they struggle to win a game in which All-Star left-hander Shota Imanaga had a no-hitter entering the sixth inning.
Imanaga continues to perform as an ace. He allowed one run, two hits and one walk and had a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings. He relied mostly on his fastball and incorporated his splitter.
‘‘Both sides pitched really well,’’ manager Craig Counsell said after the Cubs outhit the Diamondbacks 4-2. ‘‘Shota was excellent; their starter [Brandon Pfaadt] was excellent. Not many opportunities, really, for either team. Nico starting [the ninth] off getting on base was just huge; it gives you a little momentum.”
Hoerner began the Cubs’ ninth with a double to right field. He took third on a grounder by Michael Busch and scored on a single by Seiya Suzuki past a drawn-in infield.
Reliever Hector Neris (8-2) allowed a walk in the 10th but escaped unscathed. In the bottom half, the Diamondbacks intentionally walked Swanson to put runners on first and second. Miguel Amaya laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that reliever Joe Mantiply (3-2) retrieved slowly, and Amaya ended up reaching safely to load the bases.
One out later, the Diamondbacks brought in Humberto Castellanos, who walked Hoerner on a 3-1 count. It was only the Cubs’ second victory of the season when trailing entering the ninth inning.
The Cubs have had all of June and three weeks in July to turn their season around but have yet to do so. Perhaps this is just whom the Cubs are this season: a team with impressive pitching, good defense and subpar hitting.
The team lacks a superstar who can carry the offense through rough stretches and provide pure power. Fangraphs gives the Cubs a 7.7% chance of making the playoffs.
‘‘We’ve got to win baseball games,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘[We] don’t have margin for error. We didn’t win a series. We’ve got to win baseball games.’’