CLEVELAND – If the loud crack of the bat didn’t give it away, Cubs reliever Drew Smyly’s reaction made it clear: the ball off Jhonkensy Noel’s bat was traveling a long way.
Smyly crouched, wincing as the ball soared toward the left-field concourse for what would be the deciding run in the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Guardians on Tuesday.
“I obviously knew what type of hitter he was and what he’s trying to do,” Smyly told the Sun-Times. “And there’s a lefty on deck, so I was trying just to get him to chase. And, unfortunately, I just hung it. Just missed my spot pretty badly.”
It was Noel’s third home run of the series and the only hit Smyly gave up in the 1 ⅓ innings he pitched.
When the game ended, the Braves, who occupy the last National League wild-card spot, were still playing the Giants. So, the Cubs (59-62) sank to 4 ½ games back, dropping below the Reds (59-61).
“The roller coaster’s still got a lot of up and down to go for the season,” manager Craig Counsell said before the game. “… This group has got their heads down and focused on trying to play good, trying to get better, trying to win a baseball game. And I don’t think that’s changed at any point.”
After the rise of the last week and a half, two one-run losses to the American League Central leaders was a painful dip. And with so many teams within shouting distance of the NL wild card, too many downs will boot the Cubs from the race.
“[Monday] night, I thought it was a really impressive fight to be able to get back into that game,” Nico Hoerner said Tuesday. “And tonight, you want to score in those early innings. Obviously, they have a strong bullpen, that’s been their bread and butter this year – not that you can’t score. But we had some opportunities we weren’t able to cash in on.
“Nothing as far as lulls in energy or things like that. We just didn’t come out on top the last two days.”
Their fight Tuesday included a strong performance from the pitching staff. Starting pitcher Javier Assad limited the Guardians to one run, which scored in the second inning with three infield singles.
Third baseman Isaac Paredes almost pulled off a diving play on the second, but his toss to second base was just late, and the safe call was overturned upon review. The run scored on Brayan Rocchio’s bunt single to Assad, whose throw home bounced wide.
Smyly took over for Assad with two outs in the fifth inning. He retired four of the five batters he faced, but the exception proved costly.
Cubs relievers Jorge López and Nate Pearson each threw a perfect inning. But, unlike the night before the Cubs scored eight runs in a loss, the offense struggled to break through.
Hoerner was the only Cub to reach second against left-hander Matthew Boyd, who was making his Guardians debut and his first major-league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
Hoerner doubled, stole third base and then scored on Dansby Swanson’s sacrifice fly in foul territory in the second inning.
Then in the ninth, Hoerner gave the Cubs another glimmer of hope. Against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, he chopped a two-out single to third. Then with Swanson up to bat, he stole second.
Swanson hit a grounder to third baseman José Ramírez. Hoerner, thinking Ramírez would throw to first and wanting to be ready to score on a bad throw, got caught in a rundown between second and third.
“There was an out at first base if [Hoerner] stayed,” Counsell said.
Clase collected his fourth save in as many days.
“Hopefully we get out of here with one tomorrow and just get back on track when we get home,” Smyly said. “But I don’t think one or two games changes the vibes of what we’ve done the last few weeks.”
The margins, however, are only getting slimmer.