Boyd (0-1) took the loss in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Padres on Tuesday. He gave up four runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk over four innings.
The left-hander didn't have trouble finding the zone with 42 of his 58 pitches going for strikes, but the Friars made plenty of hard contact with four extra-base hits, including three homers. The poor showing from Boyd was a departure from his recent form, as he surrendered just two earned runs across 12 frames in his final two starts of the regular season. The Cubs will need to salvage the next two games in San Diego for Boyd to get a chance at redeeming himself with another playoff start.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Will start Game 1
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Boyd has been named the starting pitcher for Tuesday's Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Padres, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
This was the expected move from the Cubs, who last deployed Boyd against Miami on Thursday, allowing him to line up for the start in Game 1 of the wild-card round. The southpaw pitched well in his last six outings of the regular season, posting a 3.28 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 25 strikeouts over 35.2 innings.
Boyd (10-5) picked up the win after allowing one run on five hits and two walks over seven innings against the Marlins on Thursday. He struck out three.
In his final start of the campaign, Boyd tied his season high with seven innings pitched, which he previously accomplished four times this year. The southpaw allowed just one run on a Jakob Marsee RBI single in the third inning as he secured a second straight victory. The 35-year-old will end the year with a 3.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 96:39 K:BB over 126.2 innings.
Boyd (9-5) earned the win against the Reds on Saturday, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks with four strikeouts over five innings.
Boyd opened with four scoreless innings before allowing two runs in the fifth. The southpaw generated 11 swinging strikes and departed at only 71 pitches, his lowest total since he struggled in his very first outing of the campaign. He owns a 4.06 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 93:37 K:BB across 119.2 innings this year and will make his final start of the regular season at Boston next weekend.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Fades late in loss
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Boyd (8-4) took the loss against Milwaukee on Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over seven-plus innings.
Boyd got through four scoreless frames before yielding a run in the fifth. The Cubs held a 2-1 lead going into the eighth, and manager Craig Counsell elected to keep Boyd on the mound. That move ended up backfiring, as the lefty hurler put the first two batters of the inning on base via a walk and a double. Boyd was subsequently pulled, but both runners came home to score following his departure, saddling him with the loss. Boyd has gone 0-3 over his past five starts, recording a 5.46 ERA over 29.2 innings during that span. He'll look to get back on the winning foot his next time out, which is lined up to be a home matchup against Pittsburgh.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Takes no-decision vs Milwaukee
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Boyd did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Brewers, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 5.1 innings.
Boyd kept Milwaukee off the board through four innings before three singles produced a run in the fifth. He allowed two runners to reach in the sixth before exiting, and both eventually came around to score. It marked just the second time in his last 11 starts that Boyd failed to complete six innings. The left-hander now owns a 4.05 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 79:31 K:BB across 102.1 innings this season and is slated to face Miami next on Sunday.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Outdueled in Arizona
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Boyd (8-3) took the loss Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over six innings as the Cubs were downed 2-0 by the Diamondbacks. He struck out five.
The veteran southpaw delivered his seventh quality start of the season on 94 pitches (58 strikes), but Chicago's hitters couldn't solve Eduardo Rodriguez or the Arizona bullpen. Boyd's lone mistake resulted in a sixth-inning solo shot by Jordan Lawlar, and keeping the ball in the yard has been an issue for him in August. Over five starts and 31 innings this month. Boyd has been taken deep nine times, leaving him with a 5.23 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 16:11 K:BB. He'll look for more run support in his next outing, which is set to come at home early next week against the Brewers.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: No-decision versus Mariners
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Boyd allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three over six innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Friday.
Boyd's troubles with the long ball continued -- he gave up one homer, a three-run blast to Cal Raleigh, as the Mariners rallied ahead in the second inning to answer the Cubs' hot start. That's now eight homers allowed in August for Boyd after he allowed just six long balls across his first 12 appearances of the year. The southpaw is at a 4.15 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 71:28 K:BB through 91 innings over 16 games this season. His next start is projected to come in Arizona.
Cubs' Matthew Boyd: On wrong end of history Saturday
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Boyd (8-2) took the loss Saturday as the Cubs fell 8-4 to the Cardinals, coughing up seven runs on five hits -- including four home runs -- and three walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out two.
It's the first time since 2019 that Boyd has served up four homers in the same game, and three of them came off the bat of rookie Joshua Baez, who became the first player in MLB history to go yard in his first three plate appearances. This also marks the first time since June 30 that Boyd has failed to complete six innings, and since the beginning of July he's produced a 3.33 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 31:16 K:BB over 51.1 innings. Incredibly, the loss was his first since Opening Day. Boyd will try to shake this one off in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Seattle.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Continues to provide length
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Boyd (8-1) earned the win against the Royals on Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in seven innings. He struck out three.
The Cubs scored runs early and often Sunday, helping Boyd to mostly cruise through seven strong frames. The 35-year-old southpaw has been a model of consistency since the beginning of July, logging five quality starts in his past seven outings while tossing at least six innings each time during that period. Boyd will be looking to keep the good times rolling next in a favorable home matchup against the Cardinals while sporting a 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 66:23 K:BB over 79.2 innings.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Survives awful first frame
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Boyd (7-1) earned the win over the Dodgers on Monday, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 6.2 innings.
It looked like Boyd could be in for a quick hook after he surrendered four straight hits (resulting in three runs) to begin the game. However, he gave up only two more runs (one of which was unearned) the rest of the way, and Chicago's offense exploded to provide him plenty of support. Boyd managed to give the Cubs a hearty 6.2 innings on just 92 pitches, aided by the fact that he issued just one walk and registered a modest three punchouts. This was far from a great outing overall for the lefty -- the nine hits allowed were a season high, and Boyd snapped a stretch of three straight quality starts -- but it speaks volumes that he was able to rebound after the rough beginning against the back-to-back champs. Boyd hasn't taken a loss since his first outing of the season, going 7-0 across his subsequent 12 starts.
Boyd took a no-decision Wednesday against the Cardinals, allowing no runs on four hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out five.
Boyd engaged in a pitching duel with St. Louis right-hander Dustin May, who did fire five shutout innings, but Boyd was even better with seven scoreless frames. The 35-year-old southpaw notably escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning unscathed, and he's now pitched at least six frames in five straight outings while logging four quality starts during that span. Boyd is lined up for a tough test his next time out against the Dodgers, holding a strong 3.41 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 60:19 K:BB over 66 innings.
Boyd didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Pirates, allowing one run on seven hits and three walks over seven innings. He struck out four.
The veteran lefty ran into trouble in the fifth inning, walking two batters and then giving up two singles before he could record an out, but Boyd limited the damage to a single run before giving the Cubs two more clean frames. He left the mound after 97 pitches (64 strikes) having produced his fourth quality start of the season, and Boyd's six-decision win streak remains intact -- he hasn't been saddled with a loss since March 26. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is set to come on the road next week in St. Louis.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Wins fourth straight start
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Boyd (6-1) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over six innings in a 6-2 victory over the Twins. He struck out four.
The veteran southpaw won his fourth straight start and picked up his sixth straight winning decision since he took the loss Opening Day against the Nationals. Since returning from knee and shoulder issues in late June, Boyd has produced a 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over five outings and 28 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Pittsburgh.
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Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Grabs fifth win
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Boyd (5-1) earned the win Sunday against the Reds, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk across 6.1 innings. He struck out three.
All four of the runs charged to Boyd came in the third inning, capped by a Eugenio Suarez two-run homer with two outs. However, the Cubs would rally for four runs of their own in the seventh, giving Boyd his third straight win. Since returning from the IL in late June, the left-hander has pitched to a 2.08 ERA in four starts (22 innings). Overall, his ERA sits at 4.50 with a 1.28 WHIP and 47:13 K:BB across nine outings (46 innings).
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