Cubs Crush Mariners 19-2 With 2 Grand Slams to Avoid Sweep

Q: Could a lingering hidden injury be the real reason behind the most disastrous back-to-back pitching starts in modern baseball history?

Yes, a lingering injury is a plausible explanation, but the available evidence does not prove it is the main cause. The strongest clue is timing. Miller said a minor lat issue first surfaced on July 24, and his sharp decline has tracked closely with that point. Since then, his results have cratered: over his last six starts he has an 8.01 ERA, and over his last eight starts a 7.19 ERA. Sunday’s outing against the Cubs was especially suggestive because the problem was not just hard contact; it was command. He allowed only two hits, but walked a career-high seven batters and twice loaded the bases with free passes. For pitchers, a lat issue can disrupt mechanics, arm slot and command even when velocity does not fully collapse. There is also a recent pattern with Miller. He has a history of injury-affected performance swings, including elbow trouble in 2025 and an oblique strain earlier this season. Reports tied previous dips in his stuff and fastball quality to health problems. That makes it reasonable to suspect he may be pitching at less than full strength again. Still, Seattle has not said the lat issue is significant, and Miller himself has refused to use it as an excuse. Other factors also matter: his mechanics appear out of sync, his confidence has eroded, and the Mariners’ thin, overworked staff may have limited their ability to back off his workload. So the hidden-injury theory fits the facts, but right now it remains an informed suspicion, not a confirmed diagnosis.

3 articles · Updated · KOMO News · Aug 24

Ian Happ and Pedro Ramírez each hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as Chicago erupted for a 19-2 rout in Seattle, salvaging the series finale.
Bryce Miller unraveled with a career-high seven walks, including two bases-loaded jams that fueled Chicago’s big innings; Pete Crow-Armstrong added his 33rd homer and Michael Conforto hit his 11th.
Aaron Civale steadied the Cubs with four scoreless relief innings after Shota Imanaga exited in the third, while Seattle’s final damage came off backup catcher Jhonny Pereda in the eighth.
Seattle fell to 62-69, three games behind Houston in the AL West and three back of the final wild-card spot, while the 75-56 Cubs maintained a 4 1/2-game NL wild-card lead.