Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell comes under fire for controversial pitching decision

For the struggling Chicago Cubs, losers of eighteen of their last twenty-three games, every single mistake or miscalculation is now taking on an exaggerated level of importance.

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And when it comes to mistakes and miscalculations—as well as disappointing underperformance—there’s been plenty to point out in this recent stretch of games.

On Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, against the Athletics, one disputed tactical error may have meant the difference between a solid win and a gut-wrenching extra innings loss.

Second-guessing Counsell’s Colin Rea call

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Up 4-2 in the fifth inning, Cubs manager Craig Counsell made the decision to remove starter Colin Rea despite the veteran having thrown just 69 pitches and not looking to be in any particular trouble. The Cubs bullpen would proceed to give up three runs over the next 4.2 innings, including the game-winning run in the top of the tenth.

Counsell’s decision to remove Rea was a source of extreme second-guessing following the game and into the next morning.

The Mully & Haugh show on 104.3 The Score was one of those places where a “why did he do that” rang out.

“[Counsell] ran out a bullpen that is not a very good bullpen,” declared co-host Mike Mulligan. “You finally gave up the game-tying home run late in the game, and then you ended up losing that game. You had no business losing that game when you scored four runs.”

Mulligan then turned to MLB insider and veteran Cubs beat writer Bruce Levine for his insight on the matter.

“He [Rea] was asked directly afterwards, ‘is that too early to come out?’ He said, ‘No, I was starting to get hit harder. It was the right time for me to come out.’” Levine said. “So, is that a guy being a tremendous teammate and protecting his manager and his coaches or is he the most honest guy on that team? He knows his own limitations, He felt he was getting hit harder and they took him out…What Mike said was true. The bullpen has to protect that win, and trying to get wins right now is a precious commodity that they haven’t been able to do.”

Levine would also acknowledge that during rough patches like this, every move taken by the manager will be under a microscope.

Frustration all around

There is no doubt a lot of scrutiny focused on this Cubs team right now, and deservedly so. After beginning the season with ambitious deep-playoff aspirations, the team now sits in fourth place in the NL Central Division, two games above .500 and already 6.5 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers.

There have been legitimate reasons for the flatlining performance, above and beyond just general lack of execution. Notably, injuries plaguing the starting rotation as well as the bullpen have created a very slim margin for error with everything.

As a whole, though, this Cubs team is in a bad place because hardly anyone is playing up to snuff. And while it could be argued that Counsell also isn’t performing up to expectations, it’s ultimately the responsibility of each and every player on the roster to execute.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Cubs as a whole respond to this ugly stretch of disappointment.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-craig-counsell-colin-rea-controversial-decision/