CHICAGO -- Matthew Boyd knew immediately that he had misfired with his changeup. The Cubs lefty released the pitch in the fifth inning on Tuesday night and then unleashed a frustrated yell on the field before even turning to see where Heliot Ramos sent the baseball.
“In my mind, it’s the pitch I wanted to throw,” Boyd said. “I just missed with it. That’s just what it came down to.”
It was that kind of night for Boyd in a 5-2 loss to the Giants at Oracle Park, He was off just enough for San Francisco to take advantage. Combined with Justin Verlander quieting the Cubs’ lineup -- including moving into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time strikeouts list -- it was enough to halt Chicago’s three-game winning streak.
The defeat knocked the Cubs to 6 1/2 games back of the National League Central-leading Brewers, but Chicago maintains its hold on the top Wild Card slot. One of the main reasons for the Cubs being in strong playoff position has been their rotation – a cast that leads MLB in ERA (2.91) since July 1.
The 34-year-old Boyd has been a crucial piece to that equation as an All-Star who continues to author an inspiring comeback story after multiple injury setbacks. As Boyd moves into a workload territory beyond anything he has handled since 2019, it is easy to overreact to dips in execution. Cubs manager Craig Counsell saw no red flags on Tuesday night.
“Nothing stood out,” Counsell said. “It was kind of a baseball game that they hit a couple of his good pitches.”
In the second inning, Wilmer Flores attacked a first-pitch fastball that was on the inside edge and got enough of it for a solo home run to left field. In the sixth, Matt Chapman ended Boyd’s night by hammering a fastball at the very top of the strike zone, launching it into the left-field stands for a two-run homer.
“The fastball to Chapman, he was able to get on top of it,” Boyd said. “I probably would’ve liked it maybe a few inches higher, but he was on it. So hat’s off to him. Unfortunately, that was a difference in the game there.”
Boyd issued three walks – his second outing in a row with that many free passes allowed. He noted that both opponents (Milwaukee and San Francisco) are not prone to chasing as much as other lineups, adding that he still could have been better with his command.
Over his last six outings, Boyd has walked 12 batters, compared to 11 in his previous 14 starts. He has yielded 19 earned runs in the past six turns for a 4.93 ERA, following that 14-game stretch that included 19 earned runs surrendered in all with a tidy 2.00 ERA. He has given up five runs twice in his last six – after allowing as many as four earned runs just once in the previous 20 appearances this year.
One thing those numbers show is just how strong of a run Boyd was on through May, June and July. His recent downturn has not been a steep decline, but rather a bit of expected regression, especially as Boyd sits at 26 starts and 153 1/3 innings on the year. He averaged roughly only 52 innings in each of the past five years.
Boyd is just focused on the next start.
“There’s always adjustments,” he said, “whether they’re good outings or bad outings.”
Boyd certainly will be going over that changeup to Ramos.
With two outs and a runner on second, Boyd intended to send his first-pitch offspeed offering low and away. Instead, the lefty pulled it inside, where the Giants left fielder was able to pull it deep into the left-field corner to spark a two-run inning that swung the night’s momentum.
“I think what this group really does,” Cubs catcher Carson Kelly said, “is we’re really good at evaluating how we did and not making the bad so bad, right? Not making it such a big problem and really just emphasizing what we do well, our strengths and coming back every single day with a new mindset.”