Game Recap: Flaherty blanks Cubs in series finale

Rick Osentoski - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 7 hours ago

DETROIT - Everyone knew that when the Chicago Cubs (40-25) began this six-game road trip, they were going to find out just how good they are. Not only do they get one of the best teams in the National League (Philadelphia) beginning on Monday, but the Cubs were also in Comerica Park this weekend to take on the MLB-best Detroit Tigers (43-24).

After splitting the first two games of the series, the Cubs entered Sunday with a chance to win the series, and that alone would be a massive accomplishment for this team. Instead, it was Jack Flaherty silencing the Cubs' offense as he struck out nine across six dominant innings to lead the Tigers to a 4-0 win. The nine strikeouts were a season high against the Cubs as he joined Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the only pitchers to strike out nine Cubs this season.

You got a sense of how things were going to go early on, as Flaherty not only retired the Cubs in order through three innings but also did so in a dominating fashion, striking out five through three. That put a lot of pressure on Cade Horton to keep the Cubs in it, and even if his final line isn't great, he didn't pitch that poorly as he took his first loss of his Cubs career.

Horton allowed four runs through five innings, walking two and striking out six as he continues to do everything the Cubs can ask of him and more. Things didn't start the best for Horton as Parker Meadows opened the game with a leadoff single before advancing to second on a Gleyber Torres walk. With Horton retiring the next two hitters, he came close to working out of that jam, only to have Spencer Torkelson come through with an RBI double to put the Tigers in front 2-0.

Had they not scored the rest of the way, those runs would have been enough, and with Horton making the necessary adjustments, it was looking as if two runs would be all the offense they would need. After dominating the Cubs through three innings, things started to get dicey for Flaherty in the fourth as a pair of walks to Ian Happ and Kyle Tucker to start the inning had the Cubs in business.

Two batters later, it was Pete Crow-Armstrong coming through with what looked to be an RBI single, only to have Happ gunned down at the plate to keep the Cubs off the board. Carson Kelly would follow that up with the Cubs' third walk of the inning, only to leave the bases loaded on an inning-ending Michael Busch lineout to dead center.

Chicago continued to keep the pressure on in the fifth, with Dansby Swanson leading things off with a double to put another runner in scoring position. However, the game shifted shortly after as Nico Hoerner was called out on strikes and was immediately ejected from the game for arguing the call. Craig Counsell did his best to stick up for his player, but he was also shown the door as he, too, was ejected from the game.

After settling down from his rough first inning, Horton found himself in trouble in the fifth as Torres picked up a one-out single to set the offense up. That was followed by a Kerry Carpenter double to put a pair of runners in scoring position as Horton was in a tough spot. Needing a massive strikeout to keep things close, Horton had Riley Greene with two strikes only to have the outfielder rip one the other way for a two-run single as the Tigers doubled their lead 4-0.

Horton would finish off the fifth without further damage, but down four, given that Flaherty was pitching, any comeback effort wasn't going to come easy. With the combination of Ryan Brasier and Chris Flexen holding the Tigers scoreless the rest of the way, the Cubs offense had a chance, but with the strength of the Tigers' pen entering the game, nothing was going to come easy.

Chicago had a chance to draw closer in the seventh as a pair of singles from Busch and Swanson had Brenan Hanifee on the ropes, only to have the right-hander escape without damage. Those were the final baserunners of the game for the Cubs as Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest took care of the rest in the series-clinching 4-0 win.

Chicago was held to four hits in the loss, with Swanson leading the way with two. Next up for the Cubs is a trip to the City of Brotherly Love as they open a three-game set with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.