US EditionCubs to Help Brown with Opener
- Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced on Saturday that Drew Pomeranz will open for Ben Brown's usual starting spot following a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday in Chicago.
- The decision follows Brown allowing 14 runs across nine innings in his last two starts, with a notably high 9.90 ERA in the first inning this season.
- Brown, a 25-year-old, 6-foot-6 right-hander acquired from Philadelphia in August 2022, has been developing a changeup and acknowledged that excitement has caused him to lose focus on his core skills.
- Brown admitted that his enthusiasm to pitch early in the game caused him to lose focus on his strengths, explaining that his early struggles to throw strikes were more of a mental challenge.
- The opener strategy aims to improve Brown's early inning performance and provide incremental team improvements during a challenging stretch under Counsell's management.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The Quad-City Times
Cubs to help Brown with opener
CHICAGO — Ben Brown has struggled in the first inning so far this season. While he works on a solution, the Chicago Cubs are going to try a different approach.
Mankato Free Press
Cubs going with an opener to help Ben Brown with first-inning trouble
Ben Brown has struggled in the first inning so far this season. While he works on a solution, the Chicago Cubs are going to try a different approach. Drew Pomeranz is going to open on Saturday on Brown’s regular turn…
NiagaraFallsReview.ca
Cubs could go with an opener to help Ben Brown with first-inning trouble
CHICAGO (AP) — Ben Brown has struggled in the first inning so far this season. While he works on a solution, the Chicago Cubs might try a different approach.
Cubs turning to opener to aid struggling Ben Brown as starting pitching stays under microscope
Manager Craig Counsell didn’t leave much mystery when he was asked Friday whether right-hander Ben Brown is expected to remain part of the Cubs’ starting rotation. ‘‘That’s the expectation, yes,’’ he said. But the Cubs will do something different with Brown, 25, who has struggled to the tune of a 6.39 ERA in his 11 outings this season, 10 of them starts. The Cubs will start left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz on Saturday against the Reds. Pomeran…
Cubs Getting Creative in Hopes of Masking Young Pitcher's Struggles
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Cubs manager Craig Counsell has opted to begin Saturday’s game against the Reds with left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz, who will serve as the team’s opener. The Cubs are getting creative in hopes of masking Ben Brown’s first-inning struggles so far in 2025. Brown is still expected to pitch the bulk of Saturday’s game, but he won’t be the official starter for the Cubs. Counsell confirmed the decision …
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