The Cubs had logged 12 pickoffs this season, from 11 different pitchers, entering Wednesday. Four had come in the last four games, in a weekend series against the Reds and the series opener against the White Sox on Tuesday.
“Teams are aggressive running, period, in the league,” manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday afternoon. “If you have people that can run, they are running right now. That’s what’s going on in the league right now. So you have to exhaust every opportunity to try to prevent it or defend against it. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Through Tuesday, the Cubs had allowed 51 stolen bases, tied for the seventh most in the majors. And limiting stolen bases going forward will fall to not only the Cubs’ catchers but also their pitchers.
Case in point, one of the Cubs’ more timely pickoffs came in the ninth inning of the team’s 7-6 victory against the White Sox on Tuesday.
The White Sox are one of those teams with a clear baserunning threat, in Duke Ellis, who made his major-league debut Tuesday. He recorded 34 stolen bases in Double-A this year before his call-up.
He entered the game as a pinch runner on first base with one out in the ninth inning. He promptly stole second base.
Cubs closer Héctor Neris picked over to second base twice to keep Ellis from bolting to third. The second time, in a 1-2 count, Neris’ throw beat Ellis to the bag. Ellis tried to maneuver around second baseman Nico Hoerner’s tag with a swim move, but Hoerner extended through and tagged him on the abdomen.
Counsell said the pickoff call came from the bench.
“He can really run,” Counsell said of Ellis after the game. “You saw on the two pitches before, he was interested in trying to get third base. And he’s just a tough guy to stop if he’s running. So we were just trying to slow him down, essentially, and keep him there, and make them get a hit to tie the game.
“When you put plays like that on, you’re not really thinking, out,” Counsell said. ‘You’re just thinking, keep him close, and maybe he takes a wrong step. And he got caught leaning the other way.”
The White Sox challenged the out call, but a review upheld the call. To finish the at-bat, and close the game, Neris induced Corey Julks to pop out. Neris recorded his eighth save of the season.
Defensive evaluation
Cubs third baseman Christiopher Morel has put together stretches of shutdown defense. But he also has made plays like Tuesday in the fourth inning, when he misplayed a chopper up the line with two runners on, extending what became a five-run rally for the White Sox.
“We have to keep evaluating it, absolutely,” Counsell said Wednesday. “Our job is to put the best team out there. And you do have to have your eye on making players better, and players that can get better to make your team as good as it can possibly be. But you also have to produce.”
Morel made up for his error Tuesday with a two-run home run.
Wicks next steps
Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks (strained left forearm) joined the team in Chicago and was set to throw a bullpen session Wednesday.
Counsell said the team would wait until later in the week to decide whether to activate Wicks or have him make another rehab start with Triple-A Iowa. If they were to choose the former, starting and coming out of the bullpen were both on the table as of Wednesday afternoon.
