Chicago Cubs news — Bregman, Happ, Busch, PCA, Palencia, Boyd

The Chicago Cubs faced a challenging loss against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night, falling 6-5 in a 10-inning game marred by key errors and a costly balk call. Lefthanded pitcher Matthew Boyd struggled throughout the outing, allowing eight home runs in his last four starts, including two three-run and three two-run blasts. Boyd admitted to intentionally targeting Cal Raleigh with a high heater, but his fastball proved ineffective when placed in the middle of the plate.

Boyd also faced issues with his curves late in the game, which seemed to lose velocity. The pitcher's balk call, in particular, stood out due to his decreased movement toward first base. Despite these issues, Alex Bregman contributed significantly with a 3-for-5 night, including two home runs and three RBIs. Ian Happ and Michael Busch also had productive outings, with the latter adding a solo homer and two doubles.

Starting pitcher Craig Counsell was ejected after being called for a balk on a pickoff attempt, further adding to the Cubs' frustrations. The team's struggles with runners in scoring position (RISP) were evident, as they went 1-for-16 in those situations. Daniel Palencia returned to the rotation, pitching a scoreless inning and recording two strikeouts, providing a brief highlight amidst the team's overall poor performance.