Chicago Cubs: Bryant provides blast in much-needed road win

Kris Bryant came through for the Chicago Cubs when they needed him most and finally stopped the bleeding to beat the Pirates.

I’ve been hard on Kris Bryant. I will admit it. I think about his 2016 MVP season with the Chicago Cubs and wonder where that guy is now. Bryant, 27, is now slashing 0.290/0.391/0.537 through 117 games this season. He collected both his 25th home run and 60th RBI on a solo blast in the top of the 7th inning in Saturday’s game.

The solo shot would prove to be the game-winning hit as the Cubs finally stopped the bleeding of their road woes, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0. It’s no secret that the Cubs have been awful on the road this season and, for whatever reason, have been the complete opposite at home.

Heading into the 9th inning on Thursday in Philadelphia, the Cubs held a 5-1 lead over the Phillies but a David Bote error and some bad bullpen pitching led to a Bryce Harper walk-off grand slam. Friday night, they couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth against the Pirates and lost in walkoff fashion again.

Jon Lester was not his best in Saturday’s start and generally has not been good since July 1. In 7 starts since then, Lester has a 5.63 ERA in 40.0 innings of work and has allowed 6 home runs. On Saturday, Lester tossed 6.0 innings of 4 hit ball but walked 5 batters and struck out 3.

Saturday’s game wasn’t necessarily a must-win game for the Cubs but they needed to have a solid road trip. If you recall, I stated that this 10 game trip was the most important of the season. They started the trip with a 3.5 lead in the division but entered Saturday looking up at the Cardinals in the division.

Tomorrow evening, the Cubs have a chance to salvage a 4-6 roadtrip despite Thursday and Friday’s disastrous outcomes. They’ll have to get that win at the site of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Jose Quintana will look to build off his 14 strikeout start on August 13.

His counterpart will be 23-year old Mitch Keller who is 1-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 17.0 innings of work. The Pirates number 1 prospects has struggled with his command in his first four starts. The Cubs will need to be patient at the plate and capitalize off key moments.