Cubs bullpen – With a five-run lead, the Cubs’ relievers unraveled in the seventh and eighth innings, surrendering eight runs in an 8-6 loss to the Blue Jays. Jacob Webb capped the collapse by allowing a three-run homer to Kazuma Okamoto, while starter Colin Rea’s 5⅓ scorele
For most of Saturday, the Cubs looked like they were cruising toward another win. Then the innings turned—fast—and the bullpen failed them at the exact moment a playoff push needs reliability.
Staked to a five-run lead, Cubs relievers gave up a combined eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings in an 8-6 loss to the Blue Jays. The collapse finished with Jacob Webb allowing a tiebreaking three-run home run to Kazuma Okamoto in the eighth.
Webb didn’t dress it up afterward.
“I didn’t [expletive] execute today, period. Plain and simple,” Webb said. “Coming in to stop the game right there, it’s not anything else other than that, literally.”
The Cubs had started fast. A three-run homer by Matt Shaw in the second gave them a 3-0 lead. Pete Crow-Armstrong then hit a two-run homer, singled and walked to extend his on-base streak to 23 games. During that run, he has a .468 on-base percentage and has jumped into the MVP conversation. The problem was that none of it carried through when the game finally belonged to the bullpen.
Colin Rea’s outing set the tone early, too—he delivered 5⅓ scoreless innings and appeared to put the Cubs in position to win. But the relief corps couldn’t build on it.
Manager Craig Counsell said the bullpen’s performance was the difference.
“We didn’t have a good day in the bullpen,” Counsell said. “Colin pitched great, definitely put us in position to win. When you have three guys that have bad days . . . we gave up a lot of runs because of it. We just didn’t get it done in the bullpen.”
The bullpen’s rough day wasn’t a minor glitch in a healthy system. Entering Saturday, it had a 3.82 ERA—12th in the majors—but that number didn’t hold up.
The troubles began earlier in the relief sequence, with rough outings from Trent Thornton and Caleb Thielbar before Webb took over. And even with a roster full of money and name recognition, the Cubs’ relievers have been something of a moving target.
Unlike the rest of the roster, which is full of big names and salaries, Cubs president Jed Hoyer hasn’t committed top-line resources to the bullpen. The group has also been thinned by internal shifts, with Rea and Ben Brown switching to the rotation to fill holes there.
Webb’s recent stretch reflects the frustration. After being effective for most of the season—including an 11-game scoreless streak—he has given up runs in three consecutive outings and in four of his last five.
He described the last few appearances in blunt terms.
“The last few outings, I’ve made mistake after mistake, truly,” Webb said. “And it’s pretty [expletive] frustrating, I’m not going to lie. Back to the drawing board [to] figure some stuff out.”
The Cubs now face the same difficult reality their bullpen showed on Saturday: the margin for error in late games is unforgiving. Rebuilding the pitching staff has become a parallel problem with the same urgency.
On the broader staff side. the Cubs have gotten a combined seven starts from Cade Horton. Matthew Boyd and Justin Steele. Boyd. recovering from an injury to his left knee. threw four scoreless innings and struck out seven during a rehab start Saturday for High-A South Bend. Horton is gone until 2027, and Steele’s return remains a question mark.
With those questions hanging over the rotation, the Cubs are a candidate to add starters before the trade deadline Aug. 3.
Help may also come from closer Daniel Palencia—at least in the form of good news. Counsell said the MRI exam on Palencia’s right elbow showed only a mild flexor strain. Palencia will be shut down through the upcoming road trip to New York and Milwaukee.
Palencia hopes to be able to start throwing again when the Cubs come home June 29 against the Padres.
Even with that window opening, the bullpen’s job remains the same: get outs, especially when leads are on the line. For Webb, the fix starts with the basics—his location and his pitch selection.
“Every outing I have, I’m trying to go out there and do my best,” Webb said. “Not always does it work that way.”
Against the Blue Jays, it didn’t. In the seventh and eighth innings, the Cubs’ lead slipped away, and the game turned into a reminder that in a playoff race, the bullpen isn’t just part of the team—it decides whether the season keeps moving forward or stalls.
Cubs Chicago Cubs Blue Jays bullpen Jacob Webb Kazuma Okamoto Craig Counsell Colin Rea Daniel Palencia Pete Crow-Armstrong Matt Shaw Trent Thornton Caleb Thielbar MLB
Bullpen gives up 8 in like two innings and everyone’s shocked? That’s been the whole season lol.
I swear Colin Rea pitched great and then they just… stopped? Like why even have relievers if they can’t close out a 5 run lead. Makes me mad.
Ok but Webb gave up the 3-run homer, so was that pitching choice or was the catcher calling it wrong? Like I’m not saying I know, but that’s usually what it is right
That Kazuma Okamoto homer was the whole game, but it’s funny how the Cubs look unstoppable for like 5 minutes and then the bullpen turns into chaos. Also Crow-Armstrong MVP talk?? 23 on-base streak doesn’t matter when they can’t hold a lead. Idk I’m just tired.