Jameson Taillon hadn’t felt this nervousness in a while. The veteran right-hander had a hard time eating in anticipation of his season debut.
But Taillon didn’t show any uneasiness in his season debut after recovering from a back injury. He allowed one run and no walks in five innings in the Cubs’ 8-3 victory Friday against the Marlins at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs’ offense welcomed Taillon back by providing him with sufficient run support. His return could be the stabilizing force for the rotation that the team needs.
“He was just a true pro,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “He was able to command the strike zone with multiple pitches, really keep them off balance and keep the defense engaged.”
Entering the game, Cubs starters had thrown the second-fewest innings in the majors (82⅓), and relievers had logged the seventh-most bullpen innings (78⅓).
Taillon was aggressive in the zone, particularly with his fastball. The lone run he allowed was on a home run that wouldn’t have been a homer in any other ballpark, according to Baseball Savant. Getting ahead in the count allowed Taillon to use his entire arsenal.
“Sometimes I try to get a little too fine early in counts, especially against more aggressive teams,” Taillon said. “It’s like, screw that, hitting is hard, challenge them early, get good counts and put myself in a good position, especially when I have a lead.”
Taillon has started 29 or more games four times in his career. He has the reputation of being a workhorse. He said his back injury isn’t a problem anymore, describing it as “pretty acute.”
Taillon finished the first half of last season with a 6.15 ERA. He worked with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and posted a 3.70 ERA in the second half. Taillon said his strong performance Friday serves as confirmation that the two have found a formula for success.
The Cubs will need Taillon to go deep into games to help preserve a bullpen that has carried a heavy workload.
“I would have put myself in a position to go even deeper, which, you know, would be great,” Taillon said. “But, yeah, doubleheader tomorrow; I was definitely aware of trying to go until [manager Craig] Counsell told me I was done.”
Right-hander Keegan Thompson came on and threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Right-hander Colten Brewer also pitched two innings, allowing two runs (one earned).
Kyle Hendricks has struggled to find his footing this season, but Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad and Ben Brown have shown positive signs. Counsell said he’s looking for enough pitchers to “complete the 27 outs every day.”
Having a starter with Taillon’s track record should help ease the burden on the bullpen.
“It was just a lot of fun watching Jamo today in particular,” second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “That was impressive how much him and [catcher Miguel] Amaya were on the same page in the first outing of the year. He’s going to be huge for us, and he’s huge for our team morale and locker room in general.”
