Pirates 8, Cubs 7: It’s time to take Jameson Taillon out of the rotation

Key Points:

• Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon struggled significantly in his recent starts after returning from a hamstring injury, giving up five home runs in 8.1 innings with an 11.88 ERA, including three home runs in Sunday’s 8-7 loss to the Pirates.
• Taillon’s home run issues have been a persistent problem this season, allowing 25 homers in 76 innings, one of the highest rates in the league, contributing to the Cubs losing seven of his last eight starts.
• Despite Taillon’s poor outing, the Cubs mounted a strong comeback attempt fueled by key hits from Michael Conforto, Pedro Ramirez, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, but ultimately fell short by one run.
• The Cubs performed well with runners in scoring position, going 5-for-11 and scoring seven runs, but the bullpen could not overcome the early deficit created by Taillon’s home runs.
• The team plans to move forward with Javier Assad likely starting in Taillon’s place while exploring trade options for starting pitching, as they prepare for a four-game series against the Cardinals starting Monday.