I hereby submit this game, the Cubs’ 4-3 loss to the Pirates Sunday at Wrigley Field, as prima facie evidence that the pace of play in Major League Baseball is awful.
Eleven walks (two intentional, but one on a 3-0 count). Three somewhat pointless mid-inning pitching changes. Three hundred thirty-four pitches, seemingly endless full counts, just a drag of a three-hour, 37-minute game that was delayed at the start 55 innings by rain.
The Cubs did have some chances to come back and win in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but fell short.
When they scored two in the first inning, though, it seemed a continuation of Saturday’s big offensive day.