Cubs Waste Ben Brown Gem — And the Tuesday Pitching Matchup Makes the Offensive Problem Even Loom Larger
Ben Brown held the Pirates in check long enough to win. The Cubs did not score enough to cash in the start, left traffic on the bases again, and now head into Tuesday facing a tougher run-prevention test against Braxton Ashcraft.
The Game in One Line
When a starter gives up one run, the offense is supposed to close the deal. Chicago did not. Michael Busch’s solo homer was the only swing that produced a run, and the Cubs never found a follow-up punch after tying the game in the fifth.
Who Didn’t Deliver
- Pete Crow-Armstrong: 0-for-4
- Ian Happ: 0 hits
- Michael Conforto: 0-for-4
- Dansby Swanson: 0-for-3, 4 runners stranded
You do not usually lose a 2–1 game because of the back end of the lineup. You lose it because the hitters expected to create pressure do not convert pressure into runs.
Pitcher Matchup: What Tuesday Looks Like
- MLB Gameday and ESPN list Wicks as Chicago’s probable starter for Tuesday at PNC Park.
- Because Pittsburgh owns a strong on-base profile, Wicks cannot give away counts or free traffic early.
- The cleanest formula: first-pitch strikes, finish left-on-left matchups, and force weak contact instead of nibbling.
- Ashcraft entered Tuesday at 3–2 with a 2.89 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts.
- Against Ashcraft, the Cubs need to attack hittable fastballs early instead of letting his whiff profile control counts.
- MLB’s matchup page shows Michael Busch with the only listed Cubs homer against Ashcraft in prior meetings, while Happ’s line is light and Hoerner/PCA have had the better limited-sample success.
What the Cubs Need vs Ashcraft
- Win strike one. Falling behind a power right-hander with a 2.89 ERA is asking for another six-inning slog.
- Create pressure without waiting for the homer. Two-strike contact, runner advancement, and early-count damage matter more than hunting the perfect pitch.
- Force pitch-count stress. If Ashcraft gets comfortable through four, this game can start to look a lot like Monday.
What Wicks Must Do vs Pittsburgh
- Attack the zone. Pittsburgh came into Tuesday with one of the better OBP marks in baseball, so free baserunners are dangerous.
- Avoid the one mistake inning. Monday was manageable until one extra two-out hit and then one solo homer. Same warning applies here.
- Neutralize Lowe/Cruz/Reynolds traffic. That is where the lineup gets dangerous if counts get away from the starter.
Bullpen Usage Breakdown
Monday’s bullpen picture matters if Tuesday stays close. Chicago did not burn a ton of relievers behind Brown, but Pittsburgh did ask a lot from Wilber Dotel.
| Team | Pitcher | IP | Pitches-Strikes | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHC | Ben Brown | 6.0 | 83–58 | Gave the bullpen a manageable night. |
| CHC | Trent Thornton | 1.0 | 21–15 | Only one inning, but he gave up the decisive solo homer. |
| CHC | Jacob Webb | 1.0 | 23–16 | Moderate workload; not a full bullpen drain. |
| PIT | Carmen Mlodzinski | 5.0 | 86–50 | Starter handed the game off after Busch’s homer. |
| PIT | Wilber Dotel | 3.0 | 41–28 | Heavy leverage bridge; bigger workload than a normal back-to-back reliever spot. |
| PIT | Gregory Soto | 1.0 | 14–8 | Lighter save workload than Dotel; late-inning factor still very much in play. |
The practical takeaway: the Cubs should not treat Tuesday like they are facing a fully untouched Pirates relief bridge. Dotel’s 41 pitches stand out, while Soto’s 14-pitch ninth is much easier to bounce back from.
Visual: LOB and RISP Problem
Bottom Line
Ben Brown did his job. The lineup did not. Tuesday becomes tougher because Ashcraft’s season line says the Cubs are not walking into an easy reset, and because Wicks will need to control a Pittsburgh offense that gets on base and punishes wasted counts. If Chicago wants the losing streak to stop, the fix is not complicated: better at-bats from the top and middle of the order, earlier count pressure on Ashcraft, and fewer empty innings after a quality start.