The Cubs fell 2-1 to the Yankees on Sunday, but the real sting comes from a moment that never actually happened. Nico Hoerner stood at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth. The count sat at 3-0 against reliever Brent Headrick. One more ball would have tied the game, yet Hoerner didn’t challenge the next pitch. That pitch wasn’t close, and a successful challenge would have forced in a run to tie the score. Instead, Hoerner made an out on the very next pitch, a fly to left that ended the inning and the rally.
A Call That Should Have Been Made
Eight automated ball-strike challenges were made during this Sunday’s game, with four coming from each team. A successful challenge by the Cubs overturned a strike three call against Pete Crow-Armstrong in the first inning, marking all four of their challenges as successful. However, the team had the chance for a fifth successful challenge that could have changed the entire result. According to Bleed Cubbie Blue, the missed opportunity in the sixth stands out as the moment the game slipped away. The count was 3-0, a situation where a single ball forces a run home. The lack of a challenge there feels like a tactical error that the team cannot afford to make again.
It’s a tactical error.
Colin Rea pitched well enough to win despite the loss. He struck out seven batters and allowed just one run on a home run by José Caballero. Bleed Cubbie Blue reports that the Cubs achieved their fifth quality start within the last six games. Rea’s outing was his sixth quality start of the season, moving him up to second behind Shōta Imanaga. The pitching staff did its job, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on the chances created by the mound.
The Cost of Inaction
The Cubs have shown they can come from behind, having overcome a deficit in 46 games this season. They have won 30 of those 43 games where they trailed. This specific loss, however, highlights a different problem. The team had a clear path to tie the game in the sixth inning but failed to use the tools available to them. The count was 3-0 with the bases loaded, a scenario where the probability of drawing a walk is high. Not challenging the pitch meant leaving a run on the table.
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole wasn’t the primary reason for the loss, as he wasn’t the one who faced Hoerner in that critical at-bat. The loss came down to a specific sequence in the sixth inning where a ball should have been called a ball. The Cubs had the bases loaded and two outs, a prime scoring opportunity. Instead of fighting for the call, the team let the out stand. This passivity in a high-leverage spot is what separates winning teams from losing ones.
The Cubs will need to be sharper with their challenges in future games. They can’t rely on luck or perfect calls from the system every time. The data shows they have the pitching to keep games close, but they must match that with smart baserunning and batting decisions. Will the team challenge more aggressively next time the count goes full with runners in scoring position?
