■ Happ’s 2 HRs only bright spot in Cardinals doublheader sweep of Cubs.
Happ’s pair of homers Cubs’ only bright spot in sweep
Ian Happ hit two home runs in his return from a bruised right eye but couldn’t mask the problems facing the Chicago Cubs entering the final 20 games of the season.
Starting pitcher Adbert Alzolay lasted only 2 2⁄3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs managed only three hits in a 5-1 loss in Game 2. The Cardinals’ sweep cut the Cubs' lead in the National League Central to 2½ games. The teams play Sunday night and finish the five-game series Monday.
That put more stress on a bullpen that had a 4.97 ERA while in the midst of a stretch with 14 games in 13 days.
The Cubs addressed that issue somewhat by promoting pitcher Tyson Miller from their South Bend, Ind., alternate site before Game 2, which reliever Colin Rea started.
To make room for Miller, the Cubs designated outfielder Steven Souza Jr. for assignment. Souza went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts on six pitches in the first game and was hitting .148.
The search for relief help continues with no assurances that veteran Pedro Strop — signed Friday to a minor-league contract — will be assured a spot in a bullpen he helped stabilize for seven previous seasons.
And some roster tweaking is imminent. The Cubs claimed switch-hitting infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. The Cubs will have to make room for Vargas, 29, who wasn’t added to the roster yet.
Happ, who fouled a pitch that caromed off the plate and hit his right eye in the fourth inning of a 6-2 loss to the Pirates on Thursday, hit the second pitch from Adam Wainwright off the rightfield scoreboard and added an opposite-field shot to left-center in the fifth.
But while Happ increased his home run total to 12 while improving his career batting average to .571 (8-for-14) against Wainwright, he can’t cure the Cubs’ issues by himself.
The bullpen appears to be the biggest concern, especially because of the inconsistency, recent extra usage and no days off until Sept. 14.
Yu Darvish’s seven innings of one-hit ball Friday saved the Cubs from falling into a deep predicament — especially after Alec Mills lasted only five innings in the loss Thursday in Pittsburgh — and Alzolay walked five against a Cardinals team that managed only one run on two hits in five innings against him on Aug. 19.
Much of the anticipation shifts to Strop, 35, whom the Cincinnati Reds released last month despite a 3.86 ERA in four appearances. Strop was extremely popular with the Cubs after posting a 2.90 ERA from 2013-19 and serving as a mentor to many younger relievers.
But the Cubs overhauled the bullpen in the offseason and desperately need results after releasing veterans Cody Allen, Kelvin Herrera and A.J. Ramos from South Bend.
Strop walked six in only 2 1⁄3 innings with the Reds, whose bullpen had a 5.36 ERA and a 45% save-conversion rate entering Saturday.
“Pedro has been a big part of this group, one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had,” manager David Ross said before Game 1.
“I mean, this guy is infectious, his personality, the way carries himself, the way he works.
“He can really affect the room, but ultimately the goal is to get him back to being able to help us on the field. That’s first and foremost and then obviously all those benefits come with him.”
With Tyler Chatwood (right elbow) and left-hander Jose Quintana (left lat) on the injured list, Alzolay received an endorsement from Ross despite his bout of wildness.
“We have plenty of faith in Adbert,” Ross said after the game.
The Cubs missed a chance to give Alzolay support in the second when they loaded the bases with no outs but didn’t score.
“We’ve got to move the baseball in that situation, make something happen,” said Ross, who remains optimistic the Cubs will improve their .191 average with the bases loaded.
“There’s a balance. But nobody out, for sure, we got to move the baseball, at least push one across there. That was a huge difference-maker in this game.”
Vargas has a career .477 slugging percentage against lefthanders but he was 2-for-24 (.083) with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Twins this season against lefties.
Vargas can play second and third base, which could mean that third baseman Kris Bryant could play the outfield more frequently.
Coincidentally, a Bryant error on a potential double-play grounder caused Alzolay to labor in the second. But a fielder’s choice in which first baseman Anthony Rizzo dropped a throw prevented an inning-ending double play and allowed the tying run to score in the third.
Alzolay issued three of his five walks in the third, including a bases-loaded pass to Matt Carpenter that allowed the go-ahead run to score and caused Ross to pull him.