The Cubs completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon, but the bigger storyline came from the early exit of starting pitcher Jameson Taillon.
Taillon was cruising through five innings, allowing just one run on three hits with three strikeouts. He had thrown only 62 pitches when manager Craig Counsell walked out to the mound and pulled him before the sixth inning. Postgame, Counsell revealed the move was precautionary, as Taillon reported tightness in his left groin.
“There’s always concern when you take a guy out,” Counsell said. “So it’ll be something we evaluate over the week.”
Taillon downplayed the issue, calling it nothing more than a “small cramp,” per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. The right-hander said he felt the discomfort after sitting during a long half-inning and tightened up while preparing to go back out. “I just felt a tiny little cramp,” Taillon explained. “It was a long sit. I went out there, tried to get the body moving again, and that’s when I noticed it.”
Cubs hang on to sweep the Angels
The Cubs gave Taillon some run support after Taylor Ward opened the game with a solo homer for Los Angeles. In the third inning, rookie Matt Shaw doubled and scored on a single by Kyle Tucker. In the fourth, Ian Happ worked a walk and came around to score on Nico Hoerner’s RBI double, putting Chicago ahead 2-1.
The Cubs added two more runs in the fifth, chasing their former ace Kyle Hendricks, who was making his first career start against the team with which he won a World Series. After Hendricks allowed a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases, Pete Crow-Armstrong lifted a sacrifice fly and Carson Kelly followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1.
The Angels rallied in the sixth, with Ward driving in another run on an RBI double and later scoring on a fielding error by Dansby Swanson to cut the deficit to 4-3. That would be as close as they’d get. Daniel Palencia slammed the door in the ninth, striking out the side — including Bryce Teodosio and Christian Moore with 100-mph fastballs — to earn his 20th save of the season.
The afternoon also marked a sentimental return for Hendricks, who spent 11 seasons with the Cubs and remains one of the most respected pitchers in franchise history. Cubs fans in Anaheim gave him a warm ovation, which he acknowledged after the game. “Just to get that from that side, too, is really special,” Hendricks said. “I appreciate them so much.” Hendricks allowed four runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings, taking the loss in his first matchup against Chicago.
The Cubs improved to a season-best 21 games over .500 and closed within five games of the NL Central-leading Brewers. While Taillon’s groin issue doesn’t appear serious, his status for Saturday’s scheduled start in Colorado will depend on how he responds in the coming days. For now, the Cubs will breathe a sigh of relief. They earned a sweep on the road, kept their playoff push on track, and avoided what could have been a far more significant injury setback.
