Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 9, Orioles 2 – July 9, 2024 – Bleacher Nation

Michael Busch had a huge night (4-6, HR, RBI). Ian Happ had a huge night (2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI. Seiya Suzuki had a great night (2-5, 2B, 2RBI). Miles Mastrobuoni made another spectacular defensive play. Ian Happ did too.

Pete Crow-Armstrong re-emerged from his injured time off with a stitched-up thumb. Mark Leiter Jr. came back from the IL with a dominant 1-2-3 inning. Cubs relief prospect Hunter Bigge debuted, hitting triple digits on the radar gun, while notching his first strikeout in a 1-2-3 ninth inning…*breathes in*

*exhales*…The Cubs won a couple challenges. They scored early (at least one run in each of the first four innings), often (scoring in six out of nine innings overall), with runners in scoring position (4-16), by the long-ball (2 HRs), by sac outs, and even by taking advantage of misplays.

And all of this against the best team in the American League on the road, with the bullpen allowing nothing but a single hit. That’s a pretty good night. Oh, and in case the vibes weren’t good enough, EVEN MATT SHAW RETURNED TO THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES LINEUP TONIGHT!

But all of that is setting aside The Ankin Law “Making It Personal” Player of the Game: Jameson Taillon.

For the second straight start, Taillon went up against a very good team (he faced the Phillies last week before taking on the Orioles tonight). But he came through big again, with another six innings of 2-run ball and 7 strikeouts. He even finished the game with 12 consecutive outs. That’s just incredible stuff for what ultimately became his sixth quality start in a row.

I am still holding out hope for a miracle run from this team (because I am a sick, sick man), but if that does not happen, Taillon is certainly setting himself up for a whole lot of attention from starting-needy contenders out there … especially after the way he handled literally the two best teams in baseball back-to-back. What a great night, what a great win. Go Cubs.

Full Box Score.