SAN FRANCISCO — The Chicago Cubs were set up to endure another heartbreaking loss Thursday.
The bullpen and Ian Happ made sure that didn’t happen.
Four relievers combined to toss four shutout innings with just one hit allowed, and Happ delivered the go-ahead, two-run home run in the 10th to give the Cubs a 5-3 victory.
The Cubs (38-44) avoided a four-game sweep as Porter Hodge earned his first career save.
“I was really proud of Porter Hodge,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Happy for the guys in the bullpen as much as anything.”
As the Cubs head to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the division-leading Brewers, here are three takeaways from their trip to Oracle Park.
1. Javier Assad’s injury again tests pitching depth
A cramping sensation in his forearm that lingered off and on over the last two weeks became too bothersome for Javier Assad to continue pitching through.
The Cubs placed Assad on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Monday, with a right forearm extensor strain.
“It’s the worst being injured,” Assad said through an interpreter. “Because you want to go out there and be able to help the team, but you just try to go out there and just get better whenever that does happen.”
It hadn’t affected him during starts, Counsell noted, but was bugging him a little between outings. Additionally, Assad was symptomatic while playing catch Wednesday, leading the Cubs to believe it was best to put Assad on the IL to shut down and recover.
“Hopefully we can resolve it quickly and he can be out there,” Counsell said.
Right-hander Hayden Wesneski moves into the rotation to replace Assad after he allowed three runs in four innings on a bullpen day in Wednesday’s loss. Assad becomes the sixth starter to spend time on the injured list this season, joined currently by right-hander Ben Brown (neck) and left-hander Jordan Wicks (right oblique strain). Brown is making progress, but the Cubs are being cautious. Wicks is rehabbing in Arizona and isn’t expected to be back with the team until after the All-Star break.
“Every team has their pitching injuries, and we’re positioned well enough,” Counsell said. “As we get players back, we lose a player and so we’re kind of thin always. You’ve just got to deal with it and manage it as best you can.”
2. Shota Imanaga’s velocity not a concern
The worst outing of Shota Imanaga’s young major-league career led the lefty to reflect on his performance.
The New York Mets tagged Imanaga with 10 runs on 11 hits in three-plus innings on June 21, and Imanaga made clear afterward that he needed to make adjustments. Most notably, his efforts to maintain his stuff so he can pitch deep into games had Imanaga not fully harnessing his velocity early in outings, including versus the Mets. That changed Thursday when his velocity upticked, maxing out his fastball at 94.6 mph and his 92.6-mph average up 0.9 from his season average.
“My pitching mechanics felt good,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “In MLB, you can’t get the hitters out with dropping your output. I learned that last week.
“Today throwing 93, 94, it’s not an all-out effort, but I made an adjustment with my mechanics where I can still get to there, so I think that was a good learning point.”
Imanaga gave up three runs in six innings during Thursday with all three runs scoring in his final inning. He preferred the victory to have been a 3-0 game, but as long as Imanaga keeps pitching well, he can give the Cubs a chance to win like they did against the Giants.
3. Cubs opt for external reliever option
With Wesneski shifting from his versatile reliever role to the rotation following Assad’s injury, the Cubs had an open bullpen spot.
Rather than promote an internal arm, such as right-handers Ethan Roberts or Daniel Palencia — who are both on the 40-man roster — the Cubs signed right-hander Vinny Nittoli to a major-league deal and added him to the active roster before Thursday’s game.
“He’s got a little bit of a unique pitch mix, it’s not velocity,” Counsell said. “He’s got to be a pitcher when he’s out there. It’s depth in the organization, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Nittoli allowed two runs in eight innings (seven appearances) this season with the Oakland A’s before they designated him for assignment June 21. He rejected the outright assignment to become a free agent instead, agreeing to a deal with the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. Both sides are familiar with each other after Nittoli, 33, was in big-league camp with the Cubs last spring and enjoyed working with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and the club’s pitching analytics.
“I just really love the way the Cubs do stuff,” Nittoli said.
The key for Nittoli’s success will be his cutter, which he picked up near the end of last season. It has been a weapon he has paired with his slider, curveball and occasional sinker.
“It’s a new pitch for me still, so I’m throwing that a lot but it’s been good,” Nittoli said. “It’s been better than my fastball.”
