Chicago Cubs Reliever Trent Thornton Expresses Frustration After Early Exit

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Trent Thornton expressed his dissatisfaction following his performance in a 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. During Wednesday night’s game at Wrigley Field, Thornton’s reaction to being removed in the fifth inning was notably frustrated.

Thornton came into the game in the fourth inning with two outs and a runner on third base. With the Cubs trailing 6-5, the pitcher successfully struck out Luis Lara to end the inning and prevent further scoring.

After the Cubs failed to score in their next opportunity, Thornton returned for the fifth inning. His initial success continued with a strikeout against Christian Yelich. However, the situation quickly changed as Thornton allowed three consecutive baserunners – walking Joey Ortiz and giving up singles to Cooper Pratt and Jackson Chourio.

This sequence prompted manager Craig Counsell to pull Thornton from the game, leading to Thornton’s visible frustration. He demonstrated his discontent by spiking his glove into the bench and vocalizing his anger.

Following Thornton’s departure, Ryan Rolison took over and effectively retired the next two Brewers, maintaining the score at 6-5. Thornton has generally been a reliable figure for the Cubs, boasting a 3.40 ERA in 45 innings across 44 games, along with three saves.

Despite Thornton’s strong overall season, the Cubs couldn’t mount a comeback, ultimately falling 9-5. They’ve now lost two games in the pivotal series against their National League Central adversaries.

The Cubs, standing at 78-62, aim to split the four-game series with the Brewers, who hold a record of 87-53. The final game is scheduled for Thursday evening at 7:15 p.m. ET.