Joe Maddon, Cub manager, continues to make the same mistakes, and they continue to cost him games. If you scroll down to the May 30, 2015 post, you will see how last year Maddon pitched to the opponent’s best hitter in key situations when he could have walked the batter rather than letting the opponent’s best hitter beat them, and it cost them the games. In that post you will see that twice in one series, Maddon pitched to Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt when he should have walked him, and it cost him both games.
What does Maddon do tonight? With the Cubs leading 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th, Goldschmidt, having driven in Arizona’s only run, is batting with two outs, man on third. There is no question you have to walk him in that situation, even though it means putting the lead run on base. You can’t let the other team’s best hitter beat you. Maddon pitches to Goldschmidt, he singles in the tying run, and the Diamondbacks score in the bottom of the 9th to win, costing the Cubs a chance for a perfect season (having started 3-0).