Ben Brown, backed by potent offense, delivers much-needed strong start

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MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Cubs offense continues to be the obvious strength of the team. The Cubs showed up early Friday night, jumping to a 9-0 lead after two innings. They topped the Brewers 10-0 on the road, punctuated by a grand slam by Michael Busch and two solo shots from Pete Crow-Armstrong.

This lineup is as potent as any in the game. It has proved it through the season’s first month against some of the best pitchers in the National League. The Cubs need to establish some depth and consistency from their rotation. In particular, youngster Ben Brown has to show that outings like last Saturday’s at Wrigley Field won’t be the norm.

Brown bounced back nicely Friday, working with an early lead and pounding the strike zone while throwing six shutout frames. He struck out four, walked none and allowed just four hits, all singles, while tossing just 74 pitches.

“He threw a ton of strikes tonight,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Just attacked ahead in the count. He was in the strike zone — they were swinging. In a night like that, when you go out there for your second inning and you got a nine-run lead, that’s your job.”

In a 10-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies last weekend, Brown lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs as things quickly unraveled for him in the fourth. Counsell was pointed with his comments about the young starter, saying, “We need better.” But that was less Counsell putting Brown on notice about his spot in the rotation and more so just being honest. That’s how the manager has always been. There’s little sugarcoating, and straightforwardness is his default mode.

Last season, Brown posted a 3.58 ERA while striking out nearly 30 percent of the batters he faced in 55 1/3 innings. An odd neck injury cut his season short, but he showed he could thrive at the highest level. This year, his outings have been uneven.

Before Friday, in three of his last four starts, he failed to throw more than four innings, something that will tax the bullpen if done regularly. But that other start — six innings of shutout baseball against the Los Angeles Dodgers — and Friday’s outing show his potential.

Solid stuff from Ben Brown 👏 pic.twitter.com/IkBS69jo5o

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 3, 2025

“This is the first time I’ve struggled in the big leagues,” Brown said. “Last year was a different animal; I was in survival mode for half the time, and I did well. This year I feel fine. I feel like a professional baseball player —work on things but can’t overdo it. But week in and week out, I’m in a good spot to compete. I wasn’t doing that.”

Games like Friday’s need to become more consistent for Brown. Even if pitching with a big lead, he has to learn how to get deep in games and do simple things like pound the zone. Brown did that Friday, with 71 percent of his fastballs in the zone. This after a 56.5 percent zone rate on the pitch entering the game.

“When there’s a one-run game, it’s a little different,” Counsell said. “It just is. But I think it gives you confidence to attack. I think he pitched like that tonight. That’s a good thing.”

Counsell can’t have that short of a leash with Brown. The Cubs’ starting depth has taken too much of a hit early on to start pulling a talent like Brown out of the rotation. Justin Steele is out for the year after undergoing left elbow surgery. After an oblique injury in the spring delayed the start of Javier Assad’s season, he was built back up to five innings, and the Cubs had a target date for his return. But a setback with the same injury has him on the 60-day injured list and out for an extended period.

Jordan Wicks looked like he’d be a rotation mainstay with a strong debut in 2023. But injuries and poor performance in 2024 kept him from locking down a spot. Now he’s in Triple A and struggling with a 6.38 ERA and poor peripherals in 18 1/3 innings. Chris Flexen is on the big-league roster, but the Cubs would rather Brown grab hold of his rotation spot than be forced to go with a veteran journeyman.

Beyond that, Cade Horton is dominating and looks close to being ready. Perhaps if Brown falters, Horton will take his spot. But the Cubs want Brown to thrive. And with their lack of starting depth, they can’t afford to move him to the bullpen. He has to stay stretched out, and it’s unlikely he has much to learn at Triple A.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of work,” Brown said. “I know what’s at stake here. I have a really good opportunity with this team. I don’t want that to go away. I want to contribute, I want to be there for this team, I want to save the bullpen, I want to do things I have to do, I want to win games. I have to pitch better, right?”

So outings like Friday’s are important. They’re a step in the right direction for Brown and what this team needs to see more of. Because options are limited and Brown’s talent is undeniable. Living up to his potential is critical in a season in which the offense is as good as any in the game and the team has a chance to make noise throughout the summer and into the fall.

(Photo: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)

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