Seattle – Jacob Webb’s impressive streak of scoreless appearances came to an abrupt end, providing a setback for the Chicago Cubs in a second consecutive walk-off loss to the Seattle Mariners. The Cubs managed to rally from a slow start against Mariners lefty Kade Anderson during his major-league debut, eventually seizing a three-run advantage in the sixth inning. Their lead held firm until the ninth inning.
Switch-hitter Ian Happ’s right-handed swing woes continue to trouble him and Webb faced the first two Mariners batters, dispatching them in just eight pitches. However, a double by Weston Wilson and an RBI single by Leo Rivas, the previous night’s walk-off hero, shifted momentum. Randy Arozarena, already a problematic force for the Cubs, entered the ninth inning. He earlier took starter David Peterson deep on his first pitch of the game and spectacularly denied catcher Miguel Amaya a potential homer with a leaping catch.
The Cubs strategy against Arozarena was simple: “Throw trash, he’s going to chase,” Amaya noted later. Despite aiming to bury a slider into the dirt, Webb’s error hung the pitch too low, allowing Arozarena to smash it 404 feet for a decisive walk-off two-run home run, concluding Cubs’ 5-4 loss. “A lack of execution on my part,” Webb confessed, acknowledging that facing a strong lineup resulted in good swings and a break in his focus ended his streak.
Webb’s ninth-inning challenge ended his 24-game scoreless streak, marking the first runs allowed since June 20. Only Andrew Chafin (2021) and Mark Guthrie (2003) have achieved similar streaks for the Cubs with Chafin reaching 26 scoreless games and Guthrie matching Webb’s 24. Manager Craig Counsell expressed that “Baseball happened and showed how impressive it’s been. Although unfortunate in resulting in a loss, Webb’s performance over the year has been noteworthy, and this game doesn’t detract from his remarkable season.”
David Peterson’s performance maintained the Cubs’ chances until relief was needed. Over six innings, Peterson limited the Mariners to two runs from four hits, walked two, and struck out eight. Acquired on June 25 from the Mets in response to rotation injuries, Peterson has excelled even amidst temporary bullpen assignments to accommodate Edward Cabrera’s return. Across his last eight games, Peterson boasts a 2.20 ERA. He stated, “Upon being traded, my objective was to fill gaps while players recovered and to assist the team’s wins in any capacity.”
The Cubs have capitalized on starting pitchers during their third order cycle, evidenced by their .826 OPS, second-best in MLB. The Mariners experienced this firsthand when Alex Bregman and Michael Busch delivered consecutive home runs in the sixth inning—the Cubs’ fifth back-to-back homers of the season. Despite moving to right-hander Carlos Vargas, Nico Hoerner and Tyrone Taylor’s consecutive doubles extended the Cubs’ lead to 4-2. Nonetheless, the Cubs failed to record hits in the final three innings, limiting further runs.
Facing a critical series finale, the Cubs (74-56) will rely on left-hander Shota Imanaga. Their current three-game losing streak comes at a disadvantageous time as they seek to maintain their National League wild-card position, which stands at a mere 2-game lead over Philadelphia—currently enjoying an eight-game victory run. However, the Cubs hold the seasonal advantage over the Phillies.