Cubs Waste Great Javier Assad Return in Series Finale vs. Giants

The Chicago Cubs had another walk-off win handed to them on a silver platter on Sunday night, but it wasn't meant to be this time around.

The Cubs (34-32) fell 2-1 in 10 innings to the San Francisco Giants (27-39), who took the series win in the rubber match. Chicago capped off the six-game homestand with just two wins.

They had plenty of opportunities to go ahead late in the game, including an 8th inning that saw them put runners on the corners with nobody out and the game tied at one apiece. But a crucial baserunning mistake meant Kevin Alcántara was caught too far off of third base on a lineout to first baseman Rafael Devers, who doubled him off and ended the threat immediately. Brutal.

A Matt Chapman single in the top of the 10th gave the Giants their first run since the 1st inning, and the Cubs, who had Pete Crow-Armstrong on third base with one out in the bottom half, hit two straight pop-ups to end the game.

Here are a few things we learned from a frustrating series finale ...

Here We Go Again

Jun 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

When it rains, it pours. And on a drizzly night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs saw yet another pitcher go down with an injury.

Taillon threw only six pitches in the 2nd inning before Craig Counsell and a trainer joined the right-hander on the mound. Just as quickly as the two made it out there, Taillon was off the mound and making a beeline, albeit stifly, for the clubhouse.

The team told reporters the following inning that Taillon exited the game with a left hamstring strain.

Jameson Taillon left the game with a left hamstring strain, per the team.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 8, 2026

Thankfully, Javier Assad was stretched out and available to replace Taillon after preparing for such a situation down at Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs also have Matthew Boyd, who has been out since injuring his meniscus on May 6, nearing a return to the rotation on the upcoming road trip to Denver and San Francisco.

Reinforcements are near, but they come in tandem with yet another injury blow.

By now, this is a storyline that's popped up far too often for the Cubs' pitching staff. Writing about it feels like beating a dead horse – yes, Cade Horton is out for the season. Yes, Justin Steele had a setback last month, and it's unclear when he'll return.

There's also Edward Cabrera, who spent time on the IL in late May with a finger blister and got a rude awakening in the form of eight earned runs on Friday during his first start back. At least Matt Boyd is about to return!

Assad's Warm Welcome Back

Assad entered the game like a firefighter who had just heard the bell ring. He had to jump up into a blaze on short notice and put it out as quickly as possible. And then he walked away a hero.

6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

A round of applause for Javier Assad! 👏 pic.twitter.com/6z5YUu1iqv
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 8, 2026

That sounds dramatic, but that's how dire things felt for the state of Cubs pitching when Taillon went down. More than anything, Craig Counsell needed Assad to eat innings and keep the pressure off the rest of his bullpen.

That's exactly what Assad did, and then some.

The 28-year-old tossed 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. He threw 72 pitches, 46 for strikes.

"Counsell is not an emotional guy," Cubs broadcaster Jim Deshaies — on the call for NBC — began. "But he might give Javier Assad a bear hug when he comes out of this game."

Javier Assad: first Cubs scoreless relief appearance of more than 6 innings since Tom Dettore (also 6.1 IP) 8/16/1974
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) June 8, 2026

Cubs' Hottest Stay Hot

Jun 6, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) after he hits a home run during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ entered Sunday's series finale as the Cubs' two hottest hitters.

And Crow-Armstrong isn't just the Cubs' best — he's the hottest hitter in MLB, period. The 24-year-old extended his hitting streak to 12 games on Sunday following his single in the 4th inning.

That bumped his average over his last five games to a scorching .500 (10-for-20) with an OPS of 1.645. The next-closest hitter to get anywhere near Crow-Armstrong's hot streak is the Philadelphia Phillies' Brandon Marsh, whose OPS over the last week is over 200 points lower at 1.437.

Despite cooling off over the past week, Happ is still pulling his weight in Crow-Armstrong's sidecar. He whacked a triple down the right field line in the 4th, and his 1.021 OPS is top-20 in MLB over the last 15 days.

Coming Up Next

Following an off day on Monday, the Cubs will head to Denver for a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Colin Rea is slated to start Tuesday's opener, which is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. CT. The probable pitchers for Games 2 and 3 are Shota Imanaga and Edward Cabrera, respectively.

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