Game Recap: Henderson's late homer powers Orioles over Cubs

Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · Saturday, August 02 2025

CHICAGO - As nice as it would've been for the Chicago Cubs (64-46) to add another starter at the deadline, help is on the way as Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad should be back in the near future. Should either of them perform the way they are capable of, that is the equivalent of adding two deadline arms without having to give up the capital to get it.

Despite the Cubs not addressing their needs at the deadline, should the weather continue to play the way it has at Wrigley Field, the Cubs may not need another starter, as the wind has continued to blow in this season more often than not, and when that happens, every pitcher loves to pitch here.

Leading the Baltimore Orioles (51-60) 3-1 late, it was the Cubs looking to close things out as they turned to their pen to finish what Matthew Boyd started. Unfortunately for them, it was a rare off night from Caleb Thielbar, who served up a three-run shot to Gunner Henderson in the eighth inning to put the Orioles on top as they went on to knock off the Cubs 4-3.

While a loss like this against a team you should beat stings, it was nice to see Matthew Boyd bounce back after having his worst performance of the season last time out against the Brewers. Boyd dominated the Orioles through seven innings, scattering four hits and allowing no runs as he finished his outing with eight punchouts.

Matching up with Boyd was right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who, despite struggling early in the game, went on to toss five innings, walking one and striking out five. With neither team coming away with a run in the first, it was the Cubs offense that got rolling in the second as the Ian Happ double set the Cubs offense up with one out.

Newly acquired Willi Castro kept the line moving with a single to put runners on the corners, setting things up for MR. RISP himself, Nico Hoerner, who put the Cubs in front 1-0 with an RBI double. Throw in a Reese McGuire sacrifice fly, and it was the Cubs in front 2-0, which looked to be more than enough given how Boyd was pitching.

After allowing a two-out single in the first, Boyd went on to retire seven straight batters until a Jordan Westburg single led off the fourth. Boyd would wind up picking Westburg off, which proved to be a crucial play as Adley Rutschman delivered a two-out double later in the inning, which would have made things 2-1, but instead Boyd kept the Orioles off the board.

Of all the moves the Cubs made at the deadline, the Castro one could be the best of them all as he picked up his second hit in as many at-bats in the fourth using a one-out triple to put the Cubs in a position to tack on another run. Leave it to Hoerner to get the job done as his RBI single brought home Castro and pushed the Cubs' lead to 3-0.

That was it when it came to the Cubs' offense, but it didn't seem to matter as Boyd allowed just one more baserunner over his final three innings to put the Cubs in a position to pick up their second win in as many games against the Orioles. Looking to add to their lead late, the Cubs had their chances in both the sixth and seventh innings, but their inability to deliver in the clutch rang true again as the Cubs came away with no runs and stranded four runners on base.

With the bullpen set to take over in the eighth, Ryan Brasier was called on to relieve Boyd as the Cubs' pitching held the Orioles scoreless through the first 16 innings of this series. All it took for the momentum to swing was a leadoff walk to Colton Cowser as the Orioles had their first leadoff man on base of the game. Jeremiah Jackson followed that up with a single to put two runners on with no outs as Brasier was lifted in favor of Thielbar one hitter later.

Needing two outs to keep the Cubs' lead intact, Thielbar retired the first batter he faced only to have Westburg come through with a single to pull the Orioles within 3-1. Not out of the woods yet, Thielbar had to go through the toughest hitter in the Orioles lineup in star shortstop Henderson. Thielbar came within a strike of putting him away only to have Henderson turn on a breaking ball and launch it into the seats for a three-run shot that gave Baltimore their first lead of the weekend, 4-3.

Still trailing by that score in the ninth, the Cubs had one last chance to make things happen, and it would have to come against Keegan Akin, who is the acting closer with Felix Bautista on the IL. Things didn't come easy for Akin who walked Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki to put the tying run at second. That was as close as the Cubs would get as Akin struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong to end the game and gave the Orioles a 4-3 win.