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Two and a half weeks ago, shortly after his best start of the year in Yankee Stadium, Jameson Taillon wondered whether Chicago Cubs fans truly knew what kind of pitcher he can be when he gets on a roll.
Taillon’s eight shutout innings of one-hit ball that night in New York sparked his best stretch of the season at a decisive point for the direction of the team. He allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings in Sunday’s 7-2 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving him a 1.83 ERA over his last three starts.
As Taillon walked off the mound toward the dugout, the 31-year-old right-hander Cubs received a standing ovation from Cubs fans among the 38,223 at Wrigley Field.
“I mean, that’s a great feeling,” Taillon said of the reaction. “I walked off a little nervous because I left some runners on base and some traffic. But that’s a very gratifying moment. Fans are into it here. Every game, packed house, Cubs-Cardinals, doesn’t get much better than that. So, that was really, really cool. Hopefully there’s a lot more than that to come.”
Cody Bellinger’s two-run homer in the first inning and a five-run third gave Taillon all the run support he needed to keep the Cardinals in check. With the series victory and three consecutive wins, the Cubs (48-51) sit 5 1/2 games back of the final wild-card spot and are 6 1/2 games out of first place in the division. They still have a lot of work to do to be in the thick of the National League playoff race.
Another two series against losing teams — games at the White Sox and another four-game series against the Cardinals in St. Louis — gives the Cubs some runway to claw their way to .500.
But will that be enough to convince president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office to not sell at the Aug. 1 trade deadline? The Cubs’ record has not been at least .500 since May 12.
“I honestly don’t know, I really don’t, like, I’d be lying to you if I had an answer,” Taillon said. “We’re just trying to play good baseball. I know it’s a very cliche answer. … We can obviously put a lot of weight into the games over the next week, but we’ve also had months to show who we are. So obviously you don’t want to overcook these games, but I do feel like we’re playing well right now and I do feel like we’re clicking in a lot of areas.
“I don’t really pay attention to that, I can genuinely say I’ve been a part of enough trade deadlines where people are moving — coming in, coming out — to where you can’t concern yourself too much.”
Bellinger’s bat continues to serve as an offensive lightning rod. With his homer and three RBIs Sunday, Bellinger is leading the majors among qualified hitters with his .436 average over the last four weeks. His production in July alone has produced MVP-level numbers: .452 average, .475 on-base percentage, 1.270 OPS, five doubles, seven home runs and 22 RBIs in 19 games.
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“Obviously I understand the circumstances,” Bellinger said. “But it’s all out of my control, you know? The only thing I control is showing up and playing and it’s what I try to do.”
Bellinger is positioned to become a free agent again in the offseason. He holds a mutual option for 2024 that was expected by both sides to be declined entering into the deal if he had the bounce-back season he’s currently delivering. It puts Bellinger in an unfamiliar trade deadline position. The Dodgers made the postseason all six seasons he played in Los Angeles, winning five division titles in that span. They’ve been annual buyers at this point in the season, creating a different dynamic for Bellinger individually and within the clubhouse.
The Cubs’ inconsistencies have not caused Bellinger to waiver from his conviction with the group.
“I’ve been confident in it, I see the talent,” Bellinger said. “I’ve been around some good teams, been on some good teams, got the right guys in this clubhouse. I believe it. We all know that so I believe.”
Since June 9 when they began their series in San Francisco, the Cubs are 22-15 (.595) for the fourth-best record in the majors, however, they haven’t made up much ground in the division. Within that stretch, the second-place Reds have the second-best record (26-12/.684) while the first-place Brewers are tied for the sixth-best record (21-16/.568).
Big innings have played an important role the few times the Cubs lineup developed game-to-game momentum and ripped off a winning streak. During the 10-game homestand coming out of the All-Star break, the Cubs have scored four or more runs in an inning six times.
“I think you’re starting to see the best version of us,” manager David Ross said. “… For me, it’s the resiliency of the group and how it’s all coming together.”
