The breeze was not on the Chicago Cubs’ side on Sunday. Catcher Miguel Amaya witnessed a promising hit from Pete Crow-Armstrong thwarted by the wind. Crow-Armstrong, a standout for the Cubs and a National League MVP contender, struck a powerful fly ball traveling 106.4 mph during the third inning. Despite seeming likely to secure an early lead for the Cubs, the wind blowing inward at 10 mph reversed the ball’s course by 18 feet, as reported by the Wrigley Field scoreboard. Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz caught the ball, marking the second out of the inning. Amaya retreated to first base.
Further illustrating the weather’s impact, Crow-Armstrong launched another ball two innings later at 103.2 mph, seemingly headed for the bleachers. Cruz again intercepted, resulting in two outs attributed to wind interference and removing potential runs, a key contributor to the Cubs’ 4-3 defeat to the Pirates. The loss positioned the Cubs at an 83-67 record, tying them with the Philadelphia Phillies for the leading NL wild-card berth. The Cubs have a favorable tiebreaker record against the Phillies, having won the season series 6-1.
After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell commented on the unpredictable influence of weather on gameplay: “Some days it plays for you, the hitter, some days it plays against you. It’s random on who it affects, who it helps, and who it hurts. It hurt us today. We can be mad about it, but there’s nothing we can do. When it’s out of our control, it’s hard to focus too much on it. As the hitter, you got to take good swings, and Pete took two very good swings. They’re home runs on neutral days, they’re home runs on mild days, but during the game, the wind was blowing in hard.”
With 12 games remaining in the season and postseason prospects looming, the Cubs are focusing on controllable factors. One such element was pitcher Daniel Palencia’s performance. Palencia, who took on the Cubs’ closing role in 2025, encountered difficulties following an elbow inflammation-linked hiatus lasting two months. After returning, his ERA increased to 9.95 over seven outings, initially achieving a scoreless inning return. Concerns rose due to decreasing fastball velocity, averaging 98.2 mph in September, down from 99.9 mph in May, and a significant drop in career whiff rate, falling to 6.1% from 27.5% last season.
In Sunday’s game, Palencia recorded five whiffs from 18 pitches, averaging 98.8 mph on his fastball, reaching triple digits with the four-seamer, and striking out Bryan Reynolds to conclude the ninth inning. He expressed increased confidence and satisfaction: “Definitely, I feel better. I feel in a good spot right now. I feel more confident in myself. I just go there and just trying to enjoy the game, have fun and being healthy. When I’m doing that, everything’s working, so, right now, I’m just trying to be a kid playing baseball.”
Addressing bullpen challenges, the Cubs recognize improvement is necessary from within. Solutions may not immediately arise from injured pitchers nearing recovery or from minor league arms. Strengthening the existing bullpen is key. For Palencia, repetition is crucial. Sunday’s outing marked his 28th of the season, compared to 60 appearances last year across regular and postseason games.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell expressed optimism regarding Palencia’s Sunday performance: “I thought it was Danny’s best outing since he’s been off the injured list, absolutely. That was encouraging to see. That’s why you just keep putting them out there. When it happens, or did he figure out something in this outing? Did he feel something? It’s going to happen on the mound. It’s encouraging to see, and hopefully, we can build on it.”
Beyond game outcomes, Palencia’s exuberant celebration following Reynolds’ strikeout drew attention. His expressive reactions, accompanied by distinctive walkout music and stadium light effects during game entrances, have endeared him to Cubs fans, continuing from last season’s playoffs.
Reflecting on his emotional display, Palencia stated, “Yeah, because that’s me. I’m just trying to enjoy the baseball. I’m having fun right now. I am on a good team. I like (being) with those guys. Everybody here is playing for wins. That’s me.”
Andy Martinez serves as a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.