Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/25/26): D-Backs 5, Cubs 4 – Webb Walked Off Again

The Cubs were positioned to win a second consecutive game against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night with a four-run lead through seven innings. Then the bullpen had another complete meltdown as they suffered their third walk-off defeat on the road trip.

Both starting pitchers were rolling early until Chicago broke through against Brandon Pfaadt with a three-run homer by Ian Happ in the top of the 4th. Clay Holmes was completely locked in, eventually going seven frames and allowing only four men to reach base.

Michael Busch added an insurance run with an RBI single in the top of the 6th inning to increase the North Siders’ advantage to 4-0. Daniel Palencia relieved Holmes in the bottom of the 8th and ran into major trouble. A bizarre RBI double on a check swing by Gabriel Moreno was followed by a two-run single by Geraldo Perdomo that cut Arizona’s deficit to 4-3.

Jacob Webb tried to recover from a rough performance in Seattle and close out the game for the Cubs in the 9th inning Tuesday, but he suffered the same fate again. He walked a batter earlier in the frame, setting up pinch-hitter Ryan Waldschmidt‘s two-run homer that handed the D-Backs a 5-4 win. (Box score)

Key Moment

Moreno’s 8th-inning double started out well foul before hitting something and making a sharp turn to the left and ricocheting off of first base. Arizona would score four more runs after that to win the game.

Why the Cubs Lost

The bullpen squandered a game that was well in hand.

Stats That Matter

• Holmes should have a win after that terrific performance: 7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 5 K, and 2 BB.
• Busch had a double in addition to his single.
• Seiya Suzuki also singled and doubled.

Bottom Line

Webb was the one guy who had found some consistency in the bullpen for the Cubs recently, so it’s a problem if he suddenly can’t get big outs. The other viable closing option, Palencia, was also a culprit in this defeat. This is going to be an issue for the rest of the season, so prepare for very stressful high-leverage situations the next month plus.

On Deck

The rubber match of the series is Wednesday afternoon at 2:40pm CT. Matthew Boyd faces fellow lefty Eduardo Rodriguez in a game airing on Marquee with radio feed available on The Score.