Cubs get immaculate inning from struggling reliever

Nine pitches. Nine strikes. Three strikeouts. That’s all Kittredge needed to get out of the seventh inning and help maintain the Cubs’ lead. It’s a great sign for Kittredge to put on a dominant display, considering there were some concerns after Tuesday night’s loss. Regardless, he is seemingly back on track and aims to remain hot for the remainder of the season as Chicago aims to make a playoff push.

Immediately after his immaculate inning, the Cubs were able to extend their lead in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings by adding four more runs on the scoreboard. Kittredge’s performance potentially lit a spark under his teammates, as they made sure to increase the lead in the final frames of the ball game.

The Cubs traded for Kittredge with the goal of him improving the bullpen. Before the deal, he was having a solid campaign with the Orioles, as he owned a 3.45 ERA and 1.085 WHIP while recording 32 strikeouts through 31.1 innings pitched.

Those are the numbers the Cubs expect to see from their new reliever. His ugly performance against the Reds on Tuesday evening certainly inflated his ERA. However, if he can continue playing great baseball for the remainder of the season, then his numbers should balance out.