As Ben Brown was going through some of the struggles last season that played a part (along with an oblique injury) in halting a rise to the big leagues, he’d often look to those around him for affirmation that things would turn.
It wasn’t that Brown wasn’t confident in his abilities. He’d clearly been doing something right to go from a 33rd-round pick in 2017 to on the cusp of a call-up in 2023. But being able to quickly wash away a bad outing and move onto the next one was something he was still trying to get better at.
Along with the physical side of the game, which he said included cleaning up some mechanical deficiencies that cropped up last year, working on the mental side was on his offseason checklist, too.
And after getting roughed up in his second inning of his MLB debut after being called up by the Cubs on Saturday, that work was quickly put to the test.
“I’m still building that confidence,” Brown told CHGO earlier this week. “You can wrestle with that fear of failure, especially being up here and having a rough one your first time, like, you don’t want to mess up your second time because you know what that means. But no, it doesn’t matter anymore. Those thoughts, they don’t matter. All that matters is controlling your execution, your work ethic, and knowing that, you can play free.”
Of course, a little affirmation from teammates doesn’t hurt.
After his first big league outing, when he was charged with six runs over just 1 2/3 innings, Brown’s newest teammates were nothing but supportive. For a guy still in the very early stages of his big league career, that can go a long way.
“That was probably the best part about moving forward was the love I got from the other guys,” Brown said Wednesday after the Cubs’ 9-8 win over the Rockies, “because I think in a situation like that, you tend to think you’re alone. And then, all of a sudden, you get opened up to so many different perspectives. There’s just so much thankfulness. The Lord put those guys in my path to help me out in that way. It was awesome.”
So, by the time he entered Wednesday’s contest in the top of the second inning, Brown was ready to show he belonged on a big league mound.
No, the conditions weren’t great. The game-time temperature was 36 degrees, and it rained off and on throughout. But none of that affected him as he looked to rebound from his debut.
Brown tossed four-plus innings, striking out five while giving up three hits and a walk. The lone run he allowed came after his exit following a leadoff double in the sixth. It was an impressive showing from Brown despite the conditions, and his curveball was particularly effective, producing four called strikes and six whiffs on 18 total curves.
“I thought he was really good against the right-handed hitters tonight,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I thought his breaking ball was exceptional, and it just kind of felt like he was on the attack tonight. And that worked out for him. So, maybe just getting that [first outing] out of the way [helped], for sure.”
The biggest change Brown made to find more success Wednesday than he had his first time out? As it turns out, there really wasn’t one.
“I just really honed in on not changing too much, kind of sticking to what I do best,” he said. “One blip in the road isn’t gonna change my routine or my repertoire, and I think that’s the big difference between where I was at last year.”
Regardless of the fact he was facing a struggling Rockies team, it was a good sign from Brown that he can be a contributor moving forward.
After Luke Little opened the game — Counsell said Colorado’s generally consistent lineup meant he’d likely face two lefties in the top of the first — Brown handled the bulk of the innings before handing the ball off to the rest of the bullpen. In total, the Cubs used seven relievers to cover all nine innings in the victory.
It was necessary because Wednesday was originally lined up to be Justin Steele’s second start of the season, but obviously, Steele is expected to miss at least the rest of April with a left hamstring strain.
Jameson Taillon (back strain) could return soon. Counsell got “all good” feedback from Taillon’s live batting practice session Tuesday, and he’s now slated to make his first rehab start Sunday, likely with Double-A Tennessee. But Counsell also noted Taillon would need “multiple” rehab appearances.
So, those two injuries combined are testing the Cubs’ pitching depth very early in the season.
Rather than push a starter up to pitch on short rest or call someone up for a spot start, the Cubs’ off day Thursday allowed Counsell to use his relievers to work the game. They got it done Wednesday night to finish off the sweep, with Brown’s outing leading the way, and that’s a prime of example of how the Cubs can get creative and still find success until the rotation is healthy again.
