ATLANTA -- Based on the streaks the Cubs have put together through their first 44 games, it already feels as though they have lived through an entire season.
Thursday’s 2-0 win against the Braves at Truist Park snapped Chicago’s four-game losing streak -- their longest of the season -- coming into the matchup scoring only three total runs while batting .108 (13-for-120) as a team in that span.
“I can say we did all right, we held our own, but it’s a full-team effort,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said. “Our pitching staff picking us up to get that win is the most important thing.”
The Cubs had a 10-game winning streak followed by a three-game losing streak -- twice this season. They will be riding a 15-game home winning streak, their first since 1935, when they return to Wrigley Field on Monday after three games on the South Side against the White Sox.
Here are some takeaways from the series finale:
Brown continues to impress
Ben Brown was stretched to 65 pitches through four frames on Thursday, giving up only one hit with seven strikeouts. Coming into this outing, opponents were batting .175 against him, while hitters had gone 6-for-44 with 17 strikeouts against his knuckle curve this season.
Brown recorded six strikeouts with the pitch on Thursday, including two against Matt Olson.
“I thought curveball execution was really good today,” Brown said. “There's a lot of lefties [in their lineup], so that's an issue of concern when the long ball is in play, and I thought the curveball was really good.”
Even though Brown felt like his changeup was the worst it has been all year, he continued to throw it -- eight times -- which encouraged him.
“Honestly, that's a big one to know. Like, when it's not there, I just gotta throw it,” Brown said.
Another positive manager Craig Counsell has seen in the righty is the addition of his sinker this year, which has given hitters something else to consider.
Brown made his first start of the season last Friday against the Rangers, tossing four scoreless innings (46 pitches) while starting in place of Matthew Boyd, who remains on the IL after undergoing surgery on his left meniscus. The right-hander now owns a 1.60 ERA through 33 2/3 innings pitched with a 0.86 WHIP.
Happ breaks hitless streak
Happ provided insurance in the eighth, hitting a solo shot off an 83.3 mph slider on a 1-2 offering from Reynaldo López. It was Happ’s 10th home run of the season and the Cubs’ only run scored against Atlanta’s bullpen in the series.
“Felt good,” Happ said. “Just being able to get one elevated in the air in that situation and poke one in the seats and give us a little bit of breathing room there for the bullpen.”
He also drew a leadoff walk in the sixth before Seiya Suzuki reached on a throwing error by Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Matt Shaw followed with a groundout that gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
Entering Thursday, Happ had gone hitless in his previous 14 at-bats and had struck out nine times in his last four games. He owns a .234/.376/.481 slash line so far this season.
“We certainly had a couple opportunities there, and we did a good job taking a few bags. But, you know, we needed a little bit of a mistake there for us to score a run, and [against Chris Sale] and as good as he's been, sometimes you need that.” Happ said.
Amaya back in lineup
Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya returned to the lineup for Thursday's series finale after dealing with back tightness that surfaced the day after their May 7 win over the Reds.
Since then, Carson Kelly has handled most of the catching duties, while Moisés Ballesteros started the series opener against the Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday.
Amaya participated in baseball activities that day, doing fielding work and taking live at-bats before rejoining the lineup on Thursday. The 27-year-old went 1-for-4 with a single and a strikeout.
“We pitched five guys tonight, and when you're going through five guys, that's not easy,” Counsell said. “It's not one guy kind of cruising through the course of the game. It's figuring out five guys and five pitch mixes, and that's where the catcher probably doesn't get enough credit. So, I think from that perspective, Miguel did a heck of a job.”