For the third time in seven games, the Chicago Cubs faced a Cy Young Award winner, another test for an injury-tested team.
Rookie right-hander Adbert Alzolay held his own in countering Cleveland Indians right-hander Shane Bieber. Alzolay held the Indians to three runs in six innings for his second quality start and didn’t walk a batter while striking out six.
The Cubs offense, however, failed to capitalize on prime scoring opportunities against Bieber in a 3-2 loss Tuesday at Progressive Field. The Cubs went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.
The Cubs’ best chance came in the second inning. The first four batters reached, securing a 1-0 lead on Willson Contreras’ RBI double. But Bieber struck out Ildemaro Vargas — a late addition to the lineup after Javier Báez was scratched with lower back tightness — and got Eric Sogard to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Sogard hit his first home run of the season in the fifth, besting Bieber in a seven-pitch battle to put the Cubs ahead 2-1.
The Indians’ three runs off Alzolay came on two home runs. José Ramírez’s leadoff homer in the fourth tied the score at 1. César Hernández connected on Alzolay’s 3-2 slider in the fifth for a two-run homer that proved to be the decisive runs.
Kris Bryant exited the game in the sixth because he was under the weather.
