The Chicago Cubs appeared to have a crucial road victory secured Tuesday night, but a stunning ninth-inning collapse turned a one-run lead into a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Chicago carried a 4-3 advantage into the bottom of the ninth and was only three outs away from closing out the win. The situation looked even more favorable after Nolan Arenado and Ildemaro Vargas were retired on consecutive lineouts, leaving Arizona down to its final out.
Then everything unraveled.
Tim Tawa kept the inning alive with a walk, and the Diamondbacks subsequently put a runner in scoring position when pinch-runner Jose Fernandez attempted to steal second. Fernandez was initially involved in a tense play at the bag, but a replay review upheld the safe call, giving Arizona new life with two outs.
That set the stage for Ryan Waldschmidt.
The Diamondbacks pinch-hitter stepped into the batter’s box against Cubs reliever Jacob Webb and delivered a devastating blow. Webb left a slider in a dangerous location, and Waldschmidt crushed it for a walk-off two-run home run, sending Arizona to a dramatic 5-4 victory.
For Chicago, it was an especially painful way to lose after controlling much of the game.
The Cubs bullpen now faces increased scrutiny following another difficult outing from Webb. The reliever suffered his sixth blown save of the season, while his struggles have become increasingly concerning. He entered the game needing to protect a one-run lead but ultimately surrendered the decisive home run.
Webb’s recent numbers make the situation even more alarming. His ERA has climbed to 6.43 across his last seven appearances, raising questions about how manager Craig Counsell should handle him in high-pressure situations moving forward.
The loss also ended what had been a promising night for Chicago. The Cubs had built a 4-3 lead and seemed positioned to bounce back after the Diamondbacks were shut out 7-0 in the series opener.
Instead, Arizona produced one of the most dramatic possible comebacks, scoring twice in the final inning and leaving the Cubs stunned.
Waldschmidt’s heroics were particularly unexpected. The outfielder had only two home runs and 19 RBIs entering the game and had primarily been used in a supporting role. Despite those modest numbers, he delivered when Arizona needed him most, turning a seemingly lost game into a memorable walk-off victory.
The defeat also comes amid an already heated series between the two clubs. Arizona had previously expressed frustration over an alleged sign-relaying incident involving Chicago’s third-base coach during the series opener, with Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly criticizing the situation.
While Tuesday’s result was not directly connected to that controversy, the dramatic comeback provided Arizona with a measure of revenge after its lopsided loss the previous night.
For the Cubs, however, the larger concern is what the collapse could mean for their bullpen heading into the remainder of the season. Chicago is battling for postseason positioning, making late-game reliability extremely important.
Blowing a ninth-inning lead in such fashion can be especially damaging because it not only costs a game but also forces the coaching staff to reconsider its late-inning pitching hierarchy.
The Cubs will now have to regroup quickly. A team with postseason ambitions cannot afford repeated bullpen failures, particularly when it has already done enough offensively to put itself in position to win.
What looked like a routine ninth inning ended with Waldschmidt circling the bases, Arizona celebrating and Chicago left to wonder how a 4-3 lead disappeared with just one out remaining.
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