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The Chicago Cubs have finally welcomed back Jameson Taillon, after an IL stint that seemingly lasted six seasons. Though it was only a few short weeks, the Cubs have been desperate for any of their starting pitching to return, but Taillon didn't exactly return with a flourish. The score was four to nothing by the time the Cubs took an at bat.
Taillon may have had a rough first inning, but that shouldn't spoil the entire day. Taillon recovered and still delivered an acceptable performance for the rest of the game, and the offense even supported enough to give the team a solid chance to win.
Devastation in extras
The game didn’t start on the footing that the Cubs would have hoped, and it sure didn't end that way, either. After a lengthy battle for the lead, the Cubs managed to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. The ninth inning brought a nail-biting finale that culminated in the Cubs blowing it after an Alex Bregman strikeout.
That's when things got worse. After giving up two runs and the lead, right hander Trent Thornton took a ball to the foot where he was then removed from the game. He valiantly put forth the effort to try to make the out, but there was nothing doing.
Not only did the Cubs lose the game in full Cubs fashion, but they also lost Thornton to a left heel contusion. That is one of the most Cubs things I've ever heard. They finally got a reliable arm back, and they lost a reliable arm in the same game. It's exhausting to be a Cubs fan sometimes.
The Cubs have shown all season that they're capable of overcoming adversity, but losses like this are especially difficult to stomach. A game they were one pitch away from winning instead ended with another bullpen injury and another painful reminder that, sometimes, baseball can be downright cruel.
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This article was originally published on dawindycity.com as Cubs lose heartbreaking extra inning battle after Jameson Taillon returns.
