Alzolay deals, helps halt Cubs' losing skid

Kyle Hendricks has played the role of stopper for the Cubs plenty of times. When Chicago has encountered a rough stretch, its reliable rotation leader has stepped up to help the club find its footing with a strong performance.

Right now, Hendricks is searching for his own answers, and the rotation as a whole has not performed up to expectations. Leave it to the starting staff's kid, Adbert Alzolay, to halt the Cubs' five-game losing streak, guiding the way to a 9-3 win over the Braves at Truist Park on Thursday night.

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"Every night," Cubs manager David Ross said, "when you're scuffling and can't find wins, you're hoping each guy is the stopper."

In the finale of what had been a disheartening four-game series in Atlanta, Alzolay reached new career highs in innings (six) and pitches (94). He leaned heavily on his dangerous slider, helping him to six strikeouts and 14 whiffs.

Alzolay tried to help his cause in the batter's box, collecting his first Major League hit with an opposite-field single off Bryse Wilson in the second. That did not spark a rally, but the Cubs' offense -- following back-to-back blankings by the Braves -- more than had Alzolay's back in a 16-hit outpouring.

"As a team, I feel like we needed it," Alzolay said. "We haven't been as good as everybody was expecting us [to be] as starting pitchers. But tonight, I felt that it was good as a team -- for the starters, too -- that I went out there and I gave the team six innings."

Alzolay was not wrong, either.

In the wake of Hendricks' rough seven-run setback on Wednesday night, here were the Cubs' rotation ranks in the National League in some key categories entering Thursday:

• 5.58 ERA (15th)
• 5.02 fielding independent pitching (14th)
• 90.6 mph average exit velocity (15th)
• 78.7-percent contact rate (15th)
• 9.7-percent walk rate (13th)

Going into this season, Chicago knew that a rotation led by Hendricks and including Jake Arrieta, Zach Davies and Trevor Williams, would be reliant on weak contact and defense. The inflated walk and home run rates have been the most surprising developments.

In terms of pure stuff and potential, Alzolay stands out on the staff.

"His stuff, I'd put it up there with anybody in baseball," Cubs infielder Matt Duffy said. "Just the way it moves. I faced him in a live BP right before the season started and was thoroughly impressed."

That was evident in the first inning, when reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman struck out swinging on a slider that dove to the dirt near his shoe tops. It was clear again in the second, when Ozzie Albies straightened up and practically left the ground as he attempted to foul off an elevated, inside sinker.

Later in the second, Alzolay had an eye-opening, three-pitch sequence against Guillermo Heredia. The Braves outfielder whiffed on a 2-0 slider, was frozen by a low fastball over the outer edge and then -- with both of those in his mind -- swung and missed again as a slider spun beyond his bat.

"You saw really good hitters that face a lot of right-handed pitching and good pitching, take really bad swings today," Ross said.

Alzolay induced 10 swinging strikes with his slider, but he said he needed a few innings to find a good feel for that pitch. He said the bigger key was being able to locate both his fastballs (four-seam and sinker) to both sides of the plate.

"When you can command and control a pitch to both sides of home plate," Alzolay said, "it will always open so many doors for you."

Prior to Thursday, Alzolay had not worked more than 5 1/3 innings in his career and had never logged more than 87 pitches (a career best set in 2019). Twice this year, Ross has pulled the plug as Alzolay's pitch count has climbed -- only to have the bullpen add five additional runs to Alzolay's season line.

The offense's strong night -- with seven players recording an RBI -- created a more conducive environment for Alzolay to keep building. The righty played damage control in a one-run fourth and later set down his final three batters after a towering solo homer by Marcell Ozuna.

"It was nice there," Ross said, "especially letting him work through that last inning when you have some run support and some cushion there, and the way we've kind of been behind the eight ball lately."

For a night, Alzolay played the role of stopper.

"In a moment where we needed a big performance," Ross said, "he stepped up and gave us that tonight. I'm super proud of Adbert, putting us on his back."