Cubs Raise Big Questions About Bullpen, Daniel Palencia in Late-Game Collapse

The Cubs blew this one.

The Chicago Cubs (76-57) led the Arizona Diamondbacks (70-63) 4-0 going into the 8th inning, but the Diamondbacks scored 5 runs in the final two frames and walked the game off with a Ryan Waldschmidt 2-run home run.

The Way He Are. pic.twitter.com/VUdfRVxzxp
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 26, 2026

It's a gut-punch loss for the Cubs, who were cruising behind Clay Holmes' seven strong innings in Arizona, but Daniel Palencia's messy 8th inning gave the Dbacks a chance, and they pulled off the win in the 9th.

The loss hurts a little more with the Brewers also losing. But at least the Cubs don't lose any ground in the NL Central. Regardless, the negatives outweigh the positives this evening. Here are three takeaways from the Cubs' 5-4 walk-off loss to the Diamondbacks.

Holmes settling in with Cubs

Aug 25, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Clay Holmes in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Clay Holmes is starting to look like an ace after 7 innings of 2-hit baseball from the 33-year-old sinker-baller. Throwing 93 pitches, Holmes leaned on his sinker 48 times and posted a 61.1 percent ground ball rate for 10 groundouts.

Holmes now has a 2.26 ERA on the season, and his five strikeouts were the most he's had since May 15th. He looks to be fully healthy and comfortable with the Cubs right now, and the results are three quality starts in four outings.

The acquisitions of Kevin Gausman and Holmes are paying off right now with back-to-back good starts. Two new Cubs combined for the best back-to-back starts for the team since 2024!

Gausman & Holmes:

First time Cubs have had consecutive scoreless starts of 7+ innings since Jameson Taillon & Kyle Hendricks on Sept 27-28, 2024

It was the last start Hendricks made for the Cubs@WatchMarquee
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) August 26, 2026

The Cubs' pitching is no longer being held together with chewing gum, and it's encouraging to see Holmes get better with each start in a Cubs uniform. A postseason rotation that includes Holmes, Gausman, and Matthew Boyd feels leagues better than what the Cubs had going into the playoffs last season.

Offense Leaves Just Enough on the Table in Loss

Aug 25, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ tosses his bat after hitting a three run home run in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cubs out-hit the Diamondbacks 7-5 and were the only team coming through with runners on base for seven innings. The scoring started in the 4th inning with an Ian Happ 3-run home run – his 23rd of the year – after an 8-pitch at-bat against Brandon Pfaadt.

397 feet later, your Chicago Cubs are winning. pic.twitter.com/ym6z2Vo1r1
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 26, 2026

Happ's been on a mini-heater over his last 10 games with a .859 OPS and 2 home runs coming into the game. But a Michael Busch RBI single after a Seiya Suzuki double would produce the 4th and final run of the game for the Cubs, leading 4-0 in the 6th.

The Cubs did load the bases in the top of the 7th, but with two outs, Suzuki flew to center field and the Cubs wouldn't threaten the rest of the game. Four runs off Brandon Pfaadt should have been enough for the Cubs to win.

Alas ...

Palencia’s Bullpen Role in Question

Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Daniel Palencia (48) celebrates the final out in a win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs closer Jacob Webb technically takes the loss and the blown save – marking his second in as many outings. But the story was Daniel Palencia.

The righty flamethrower looked solid in his return to the majors with two strikeouts against the Mariners this last Saturday. However, Palencia got jumped by the Dbacks. Palencia hit Jordan Lawler and then walked Lars Nootbaar to set up Gabriel Moreno's RBI check-swing double in the 8th. Geraldo Perdomo would follow that up with a 2-run parachute single to Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field, and now the Diamondbacks were down just a run.

Palencia's night was done, and Jacob Webb would enter the game to attempt a four-out save against the Dbacks and their 22-18 record in 1-run games. The exit velocity on the two hits Palencia allowed was below 90 mph, with Moreno's double clocking in at 62.1 mph and traveling just 28 feet.

Webb would work out of the jam in the 8th. However, a one-out walk to Tim Tawa would bring the go-ahead run up to the plate. Ryan Waldschmidt would later pinch-hit and crush a 2-run walk-off home run to send the Cubs home with a 5-4 loss.

Apparently the Cubs have a history of bad losses at Chase Field over the years.

Chase Field has been cursed place for Cubs last few years with a bad loss each time

Tonight: 2-out, 2-run walk-off HR after up 4-0 in 8th
2025: AZ scores 8 in B8 in 10-6 comeback
2024: walk-off loss in 10 innings after blowing late lead
2023: AZ scores 2 in B13 for 7-6 walk-off
— Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) August 26, 2026

Maybe it was fate that the Cubs lost this game, but in terms of what it means for Daniel Palencia come October, Craig Counsell said the righty needs to throw more in postgame. The Diamondbacks did have some luck on their two hits off Palencia, though he's still sitting firmly outside Counsell's circle of trust in the bullpen.

Counsell and the Cubs hope their former closer can lock back in with a month left in the season. For what it's worth, it does create a small sense of panic when your former and current closer can't combine to get the job done in a game you led 4-0.

Cubs have Matthew Boyd going in the rubber match against the Diamondbacks before starting their weekend series with the Reds. The Cubs need a win over the Dbacks Wednesday for a split on their six-game road trip filled with walk-off losses.

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