As the Chicago Cubs returned home for the first time since the trade deadline passed relatively quietly, manager Craig Counsell was not ready to look too far ahead.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last week that he was thinking more about 2025 and beyond with his trade-deadline strategy as the Cubs entered this seven-game homestand 6½ games out of a National League wild-card spot. But Counsell made it clear Thursday that his focus is on the present.
“My feeling is these are our guys for the next two months, now let’s go get them,” Counsell said. “It’s as simple as that. That’s what’s great about this time of the year. You cross over past the deadline and it’s like, ‘This is our team. Let’s go get them.’ ”
Counsell’s guys rallied for a spirit-lifting win Thursday night, scoring three times in the bottom of the ninth inning — capped by Mike Tauchman’s pinch-hit, walk-off double — to stun the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 at Wrigley Field.
Tauchman bashed a two-out double that landed just fair down the left-field line to score Dansby Swanson and complete the comeback against All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.
“It’s a great feeling,” Tauchman said. “You always want to come through for the team. We’ve battled a lot of adversity this year and it’s no secret we’re not where we want to be right now. It’s a good start to the month and all we can do is play our best baseball right now.”
Tauchman joked about an unexpected good-luck charm involving his wife, Eileen.
“My wife had an OB-GYN appointment this morning and she told me the last walk-off I had, she also had a doctor’s appointment that morning,” Tauchman said. “I’m going to start sending her to the doctor a lot more. Shoutout to women’s health care.”
Tauchman’s heroics came after Swanson doubled in Nico Hoerner — who had singled and stolen second — to tie the game.
Photos: Chicago Cubs 5, St. Louis Cardinals 4 at Wrigley Field
The rally started when Cody Bellinger launched his 11th home run of the season to center field.
Bellinger also doubled in the game and is 7-for-13 with five RBIs over his first three games back after spending nearly three weeks on the injured list with a fractured left middle finger.
“Pretty remarkable, really,” Counsell said. “One, the injury he’s coming back from is a tough one. When you have a broken finger, you feel it on kind of every swing. And two, not having the live at-bats and stepping right back into the middle of the offense and being super productive, it’s something we’ve needed and it’s been a big boost for us.”
Nate Pearson, whom the Cubs acquired Saturday in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, threw two innings of scoreless relief to earn his first win with the team.
The Cardinals (56-53) took a 4-2 lead with three runs in the seventh, the big blow a Masyn Winn two-run home run off Shota Imanaga, who allowed four earned runs over 6⅔ innings.
Leading up to Tuesday’s deadline, the Cubs traded reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the New York Yankees for a pair of minor-leaguers — infielder Ben Cowles and right-handed reliever Jack Neely.
The big move was acquiring Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays for Christopher Morel and minor-league pitchers Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson. Paredes, an All-Star this season who is under contract through 2027, figures to be the starting third baseman in 2025.
But Counsell said he isn’t thinking about next season.
“Why would we?” Counsell said. “We’re trying to win games. That’s the focus for me is this team trying to win games and let’s put our energy into that.”
One player Counsell will not have at his disposal anytime soon is reliever Adbert Alozaly, who will have arm surgery.
“He’s seeking second opinions just to determine exactly what and where, so it’ll probably be early next week before we know for sure,” Counsell said of the surgery.
Alzolay had 22 saves and a 2.67 ERA last season but struggled early this year, going 1-4 with a 4.67 ERA and four blown saves in eight opportunities. He has been on the injured list since May 13 with a flexor strain in his right elbow.
Alzolay returned to the mound for a rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, but more arm problems arose after the appearance.
“It’s from the initial injury,” Counsell said. “He got to a point where he was feeling good and he was pitching, but through the outings he just couldn’t recover, so you knew something was wrong.”
On the other hand, August started quite right for the Cubs (53-58).
“That was a huge one for us,” Swanson said. “The at-bats that entire ninth inning were so good and even throughout the game, we hit balls hard.
“It was a great night for us.”
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