CHICAGO -- Cubs starter Jameson Taillon bounded off the mound on Monday afternoon, letting out a yell as he punched the air in celebration. The full-count curveball that Taillon had just fired froze Colorado’s Michael Toglia for a called strikeout to end the top of the sixth inning.
Taillon did not encounter many jams in his stellar showing against the Rockies, but his escape in the sixth was critical in helping the Cubs secure a 3-1 victory at Wrigley Field. On a windy day that made offense a challenge for both clubs, Taillon’s effort paved the way to the win column for the National League Central-leading North Siders.
“I liked that,” Kyle Tucker said of Taillon’s emotion on the mound. “He got fired up at the end of the inning. He’s out there competing. He’s excited, especially when he gets out of certain situations.”
In the opener of this three-game series, Taillon gave Chicago 6 1/3 innings, marking his team-leading seventh outing consisting of at least six frames this season. That length from the right-hander was especially important, given that three of the past four games for the Cubs featured a start of five or fewer innings.
The Cubs also scored 30 runs in the past four games and have been on an overall offensive tear all season. Chicago had scored runs at a rate of 8.6 per game over the previous nine, heading into the series against the Rockies. Thanks to the effort of Taillon and the bullpen, three runs (two via Tucker’s bat) were sufficient on this afternoon.
Taillon was efficient -- 10 of the 23 batters he faced saw their at-bat end in two or fewer pitches -- and exited with seven strikeouts against no walks in his 82-pitch effort. The righty registered 18 first-pitch strikes, going on the attack against a Rockies lineup that has labored in the batter’s box this season (.644 OPS as a team).
“He just did a good job at kind of what he’s good at,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Attacking the strike zone, filling up the strike zone and getting ahead. Getting ahead with quality pitches, because they're going to be aggressive. So he got some early contact and some weak contact. He pitched well.”
Taillon was perfect through the first 14 batters he faced on Monday before Mickey Moniak defied the elements with a two-out solo homer to the right-field bleachers in the fifth. That blast pulled the game into a 1-1 deadlock and came on an 0-1 changeup after Taillon fired a similarly-located changeup on the previous pitch.
This season, Taillon has been working on a kick-change version of the offspeed pitch as a weapon against lefty batters. Cubs catcher Reese McGuire called for a fastball away against Moniak, but Taillon wanted to try another change. It back-fired in this instance, but the pitcher felt his conviction in that moment was positive.
“It’s still a new pitch,” said Taillon, who generated three whiffs out of 13 changeups in the game. “I’m still learning and figuring some things out with it.”
Colorado threatened again in the sixth, when Jacob Stallings and Jordan Beck got things started with consecutive singles off Taillon. Ezequiel Tovar then used a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position, bringing Ryan McMahon to the plate. Taillon leaned on his new changeup again, inducing a ground ball past the mound on a 3-1 count.
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner gloved the roller and fired it to McGuire at home, cutting down Stallings as he tried to score the go-ahead run.
“That was awesome,” Taillon said. “Nico, of course, knows the guy’s speed at third. Slow heartbeat in that situation. Makes a great throw to the plate. Once we got that guy out, I was able to pitch to the next guy a little carefully.”
The next hitter was Toglia, who worked the count full after taking a four-seamer that Taillon elevated and fired just beyond the zone for a ball.
The location of that 2-2 fastball made the curveball an appealing option for Taillon on the next pitch. The pitcher also considered that a walk would bring up Brenton Doyle -- a favorable matchup. There was also the fact that batters entered the day with a .103 average and .103 slugging percentage against his curve.
“I should feel confident throwing it aggressively for strikes,” Taillon said.
The curve caught the outside edge for the strikeout, stranding two runners and leading to Taillon’s emphatic reaction.
“That was a big situation in the game,” he said.