SAN DIEGO — Ben Brown’s rough major-league debut could have been the precursor to a potentially tough transition as he made the jump from the minors.
The 24-year-old right-hander didn’t let that night in Arlington, Texas carry over. Ten days later, Brown shut down the San Diego Padres in his first big-league start. Brown’s 4 2/3 shutout innings were exactly what the Cubs needed after blowing an eight-run lead in Monday’s 9-8 loss at Petco Park. The Padres managed just three hits, one walk and struck out five times. Brown recorded 11 called strikes and five whiffs with his fastball, which topped out at 98.4 mph.
The Cubs put up five runs in the fifth inning behind Yan Gomes’ home run and Christopher Morel’s first career grand slam. That was all they needed to put away San Diego in a 5-1 win.
Before Brown’s start Tuesday, manager Craig Counsell said the Cubs needed to be a little careful with his pitch count because Brown had not been fully stretched out before his call-up to replace the injured Justin Steele. Brown, at 77 pitches, was replaced by Drew Smyly with two outs in the fifth and No. 8 hitter Jackson Merrill due up.
“He’s done a nice job and he’s getting a ton of feedback on being a major-league starter and going through the lineup a couple times and that’s great for him,” Counsell said.
With limited big-league experience, the feedback Brown gets from seeing how big-league hitters attack his stuff is an important tool for his development and how he needs to adjust.
“You can tell him, but you have to experience it,” Counsell said. “That’s what is great about this and that’s the natural process for a starting pitcher to go through.”
Counsell didn’t think Brown’s big-league debut March 30 against the Rangers was as bad as his pitching line might indicate. But after giving up five hits and six runs in 1 2/3 innings, Brown delivered a “fabulous” outing, from Counsell’s perspective, his next time out. In Brown’s four innings April 3 he limited the Colorado Rockies to three hits, one run and one walk while striking out five.
The adjustments of trusting his stuff, mainly his fastball and curveball, and honing his command proved Brown won’t let himself be defined by the low moments.
“It’s a hard league and the league is unforgiving and it’s not if you’re gonna get knocked down, you will get knocked down and what’s after that is always the most important thing,” Counsell said. “And I think that’s a great sign of what Ben did after his first appearance in the big leagues.
“Now, it’ll happen again at some point and you kind of keep going through that and keep taking the feedback in, keep getting better and making little adjustments, keep connecting with your teammates and coaches on how to get through that and that’s how you get the ball handed to you every fifth day.”
Merryweather showing patience as the recovery process begins
Julian Merryweather expected a muscle strain might sideline him for two weeks based on the location and pain he felt in his shoulder area.
Finding out he sustained a bone-related injury surprised Merryweather, whose rib stress fracture in his upper back will keep him out for more than a month. Merryweather is shut down from throwing for four weeks but will keep his lower half active and legs strong. The injury, however, limits how much upper-body rotation he can do and even affects him with non-baseball activities like getting out of bed.
Merryweather is confident the Cubs’ bullpen can take on his role while he’s out.
“We have loads of depth and great arms and I think we showed last year what we can do,” Merryweather said Tuesday. “I know we’re going to have guys step up.”
Counsell balances regulars with incorporating the bench
One of the biggest benefits to Christopher Morel playing third base is the flexibility it gives Counsell with the designated hitter spot.
Counsell has not hesitated to use the DH as a way to give lineup regulars like Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ partial days off by slotting them in and getting them off their feet. Five players have logged at least one start as the DH through the Cubs’ first 11 games.
On Tuesday it meant starting Garrett Cooper as their DH against Padres starter Joe Musgrove even though it set up a righty-righty matchup. Counsell explained a decision like that stems from finding a good spot to work in Cooper even if the opposing team isn’t starting a left-hander that day.
“We’ve got some good options there,” Counsell said. “We also have an everyday set of guys that are doing a really nice job as well. And we’ve had enough off days kind of spaced around this first part of the season where I’m not too worried about getting the regulars a rest so to speak.”