CHICAGO _ Jeff Locke's unraveling began with an innocuous fastball away but over the plate.
Bases empty, two outs, two strikes against Jon Jay, the left-handed Locke was one pitch away from escaping the fifth inning of the Miami Marlins' 10-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs scoreless. Locke placed a two-seamer about as well as he could have hoped, but it was ruled a ball.
The next pitch, another two-seamer, was faster and lower but also caught the plate _ according to MLBAM's electronic visualization of the strike zone, the data on which home-plate umpire Paul Emmel and his peers are graded _ and also was called a ball.
Locke walked Jay, then walked Kris Bryant, then gave up a three-run home run to Anthony Rizzo for a Cubs lead that turned into a permanent one Tuesday night. When Willson Contreras reached on a fielding error by shortstop J.T. Riddle _ another missed opportunity to end the inning _ and Jason Heyward doubled to right-center, Locke's second outing as a Marlin was over.
The line was an unremarkable one: 42/3 innings, four runs (three earned), four hits, four walks, three strikeouts. Prior to the missed called third strike, Locke was having a good night, successfully navigating traffic on the basepaths by stranding four runners in four innings.
It didn't help that the Marlins lineup offered little support, or that the bullpen _ namely right-hander Brian Ellington _ failed to keep it close.
Ellington allowed six runs while retiring just one batter in the seventh inning. The last two scored when Jay doubled against righty Dustin McGowan, bringing home two baserunners Ellington left behind.
The complete lack of effectiveness is a rarity this year for Ellington, who in eight previous major league appearances had allowed one run in 101/3 innings (0.87 ERA). His control issues remain (10 walks in nine games), but he is also striking out plenty (nearly one out of every three batters).
The Marlins took a first-inning lead against righty Jake Arrieta (six innings, two runs) when J.T. Realmuto beat out a potential double play grounder to short to allow Giancarlo Stanon (walk) to score. Miami had loaded the bases with one out, but scored only the one run.
Realmuto tripled to lead off the seventh and scored when Cubs shortstop Addison Russell booted Riddle's ground ball.
Rizzo finished 2 for 5 with four RBIs and two runs scored, the second night in a row a South Florida product burned Miami. Rizzo (Parkland) followed suit after Albert Almora Jr. (Hialeah) homered Monday.
