The Chicago Cubs’ Webb of late-inning concern grows after brutal loss

The Chicago Cubs took a real gut punch on Tuesday at Chase Field when the Arizona Diamondbacks came back from a 0-4 deficit coming into the eighth inning to walk-off the game in the bottom of the ninth and end the evening on top 5-to-4.

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To be extra specific, Cubs’ manager Craig Counsell took a gut punch now that the balancing act he’s managed in addressing the team’s closer situation has seemingly fallen apart.

When Daniel Palencia returned from the IL last Friday, the talk was about how great things would be with two legit closers on-staff now.

With Jacob Webb having established himself as the team’s high-leverage late-inning guy in Palencia’s absence—riding high on a 24 scoreless inning streak—the Cubs seemed set with the 1-2 closer tandem.

But things definitely haven’t worked out as planned.

Webb’s struggles

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Webb blew his first save in a long time that Saturday, allowing 3 earned runs in two-thirds of an inning in a walk-off win for the Seattle Mariners. Still, Counsell held firm in his belief in the veteran.

“He’s kind of held this whole thing together for most of the year,” Counsell told reporters after that tough loss. “He’s been great. He’s having a heck of a season. [Saturday] doesn’t change that. He’s going to be out there the next time there’s an opportunity.”

In his very next appearance, however, Webb failed to close the show and again presided over a walk-off ninth inning loss. This time, he had a tag team partner in facilitating the fail—Palencia.

The hard-throwing righty would come into the game in the eighth inning and give up 3 earned runs in two-thirds of an inning before being replaced by Webb.

“I was trying to do my job. It wasn’t my night,” Palencia told media after the game. “They beat me today.”

From concern to a full-blown issue

The closer situation has now progressed beyond being just a one-time thing that still allows for positivity the rest of the way. It’s now a full-blown issue.

Throw in the struggles of trade deadline acquisition Ryan Zeferjhan, who was brought in because of his strong late-inning potential, and now there’s real cause for concern.

Since the August 3 deadline, the late-inning trio of Webb, Palencia, and Zeferjahn have posted an ugly combined ERA of 6.27—and that’s with Zeferjahn having already fallen out of Counsell’s circle of trust, relegated to more low-intensity appearances.

The Webb and Palencia situation is especially troubling for the Cubs, who have strong postseason aspirations and face a tightening race in the NL Wild Card race. Some chatter has already begun about a returning Ben Brown and how he might be used in the closer role when cleared for a full-time comeback. Hoby Milner is also expected back soon to help with the bullpen issues.

In the time being, though, Counsell and the Cubs will have to rely on the longstanding Cubs bullpen strategy of doing the best with what they’ve got and hoping like crazy that it all works out.

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