Pirates 8, Cubs 7: It’s time to take Jameson Taillon out of the rotation

Jameson Taillon was a solid if unspectacular member of the Cubs rotation the last two years.

This year, though, the long ball got him, and then a hamstring injury kept him out about six weeks. Since his return he’s made two starts and they’ve both been, well, terrible. Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh was yet another example of Taillon giving up way too many home runs, three of them, including a grand slam by Ryan O’Hearn.

The Cubs did make a pretty good comeback attempt, but it fell a run short in an 8-7 loss to the Pirates .

Let’s rewind to the beginning of this one.

No one scored in the first, and that wasn’t because Jamo was fooling anyone. Brandon Lowe — who’s just feasted on Cubs pitching all year — singled with one out.

Then this happened [VIDEO].

Your browser does not support the video tag. Lowe took off for third, apparently convinced that Bryan Reynolds’ ball was going to fall for a double. But Michael Conforto made a nice catch and, with Lowe standing on third, had an easy inning-ending double play. A note on the double play from BCB’s JohnW53:

The first-inning double play by Michael Conforto to Michael Busch was the Cubs’ first this season started by a right fielder making a catch. The previous one was started by Willi Castro at home against the Brewers on Aug. 19 of last year.

Their first this year started by a left fielder was by Ian Happ on Friday.

They have not had one this year started on a catch by a center fielder. They had three last year, in March and July by Pete Crow-Armstrong, then by Kevin Alcántara on Sept. 7 at home against the Nationals.

In the top of the second, Conforto drew a one-out walk and one out later went to second on a single by Pedro Ramirez. Dansby Swanson’s single scored Conforto to make it 1-0 Cubs [VIDEO].

Your browser does not support the video tag. Nice “swim move” slide there by Conforto, incidentally.

A note on Ramirez’s hit from John:

Pedro Ramirez’s second-inning single made today’s game the Cubs’ 4,788th in a row on the road with a hit, tying the Pirates’ National League record. The Cubs last were hitless on the road Sept. 9, 1965, when Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game against them at Dodger Stadium.

The Yankees hold the big league record of 5,366 and counting, since Sept. 20, 1958.

That lead did not last long. Esmerlyn Valdez took Taillon deep leading off the bottom of the second to tie the game. O’Hearn walked and one out later, Shawn Ross, playing in just his second MLB game, got his first MLB hit and home run, a two-run blast. I don’t usually show these for Cubs opponents but holy hell look how that ball was demolished [VIDEO] .

Your browser does not support the video tag. So it’s 3-1 Cubs and Taillon got hit hard again in the third. With one out, Lowe singled, Reynolds doubled and Valdez walked to load the bases, and O’Hearn unloaded them with his slam. Now it’s 7-1 and that’s three home runs in three innings off Taillon in this game. To save a bit of bullpen work Craig Counsell had Taillon work the fourth, and the Pirates didn’t score.

So since Taillon’s return from the IL, that makes two starts, 8.1 innings pitched, 11 hits and four walks allowed (1.800 WHIP), 11 earned runs (11.88 ERA) and five home runs allowed. All told, Taillon has served up 25 home run balls this year in just 76 innings. Only Jeffrey Springs of the A’s has given up more homers and he’s thrown 26.2 more innings than Taillon. And, the Cubs have now lost seven of Taillon’s last eight starts — and the one they won, which was the last time they played in PNC Park, the game was tied when Taillon left after five innings and he’d given up two homers in that one. Over those eight starts: 7.82 ERA in 35.2 innings, 1.626 WHIP, 13 (!) home runs allowed.

This just can’t continue. Give Javier Assad that rotation spot until the Cubs can pull off a trade for a starting pitcher. Taillon’s next start would come up against the Yankees at Wrigley Field and do you want him facing Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the rest of the Yankees? I sure don’t, and I hope the Cubs brass doesn’t either.

That’s it for my TED Talk, now back to this game.

The Cubs did mount a decent comeback attempt and didn’t wait too long. In the top of the fourth, Nico Hoerner led off with a single and stopped at third on a double by Conforto.

Carson Kelly’s ground out scored Nico [VIDEO].

Your browser does not support the video tag. Conforto took third on that play and scored on a single by Ramirez [VIDEO] .

Your browser does not support the video tag. Pete Crow-Armstrong followed with this RBI triple [VIDEO].

Your browser does not support the video tag. That was a productive inning and the Cubs trailed by only three, with five innings to go. They’ve made big comebacks in PNC Park before. Could they do it again?

Well, you know the answer to that, but they did make a good attempt. Ryan Rolison got touched up for a run in the fifth and that turned out to be a very important run indeed for the Pirates.

The Cubs couldn’t do anything in the sixth or seventh, but made it 8-5 in the eighth. Busch led off with a double and went to third on a single by Ian Happ. That continued Happ’s PNC Park record on-base streak, now at 44 games.

Nico singled in Busch to bring the Cubs back within three [VIDEO].

Your browser does not support the video tag. Aaron Civale threw two scoreless innings of relief, the sixth and seventh, and Trent Thornton made his first appearance since he was hit on the foot last Monday at Wrigley Field. He looked 100 percent to me and retired the Pirates scoreless in the eighth after a leadoff single.

That left the Cubs still down three as they entered the ninth to face Mason Montgomery, who throws 100 miles per hour. Swanson led off with a single and after PCA struck out, Seiya Suzuki launched his 18th home run of the year [VIDEO] .

Your browser does not support the video tag. Well. Back to within one, and there’s only one out. Unfortunately, Busch grounded...

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →