Chicago Cubs starter comments on his costly mistake

The Chicago Cubs lost a heartbreaker to the Philadelphia Phillies, losing by a score of 4-3 in extra innings, where the bullpen couldn’t keep the game tied and give the offense one more chance to score some runs. The Cubs haven’t had a hard time scoring runs this season, as they rank second in all of Major League Baseball in runs scored (366), but were limited to just three runs last night, as the Phillies sent their Ace Zack Wheeler to the mound, who had just returned after he and his wife welcomed another child.

To counter Wheeler, the Cubs sent left-hander Matthew Boyd to the mound, and he didn’t disappoint, as he matched Wheeler pitch for pitch. Boyd and Wheeler both pitched six strong innings, in which they both allowed one earned run, but Boyd allowed two runs overall after he committed a costly error in the fifth inning, which led to the Phillies taking the lead in the ballgame.

Boyd comments on his costly error

After the ballgame, during his scrum with the media, Boyd commented on the error that allowed the Phillies to take the lead after Phillies’ rookie third baseman Otto Kemp went first to third after Boyd attempted to pick him off. Boyd, via Marquee Sports Network, said about the error:

“The part that sticks out to me is the error … when you’re going up against a guy like Zack Wheeler, there’s not a lot of margin for error.”

Matthew Boyd on his outing today.”

“The part that sticks out to me is the error … when you’re going up against a guy like Zack Wheeler, there’s not a lot of margin for error.”

Matthew Boyd on his outing today. pic.twitter.com/Z4lKueg7np

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 10, 2025

Kemp would end up scoring on that costly error after Boyd allowed a bloop single, which fell in front of Kyle Tucker out in rightfield. Boyd is not wrong about matching Wheeler’s pace, as he is one of the best pitchers in the sport and has finished in the top ten for the Cy Young in three out of the last five seasons.

Boyd could be one of the Chicago Cubs’ lone pitchers on this year’s All-Star team

The Cubs may have a few players represent them at this year’s All-Star game, most of them being position players, but with the way Boyd has pitched this season, and the way he’s carried the staff after it has dealt with injuries, Boyd could be one of the only pitchers that represents the team at this season’s Midsummer Classic. Overall, through 13 starts, Boyd has pitched to a 5-3 record with a 2.89 ERA and an ERA+ of 132 in 74.2 innings.

The now 34-year-old Boyd is pitching in his first fully healthy season, after making eight starts last season for the Cleveland Guardians after having Tommy John Surgery in 2023. Boyd is showing no signs of slowing down, and if he can continue his run of dominating hitters while on the mound, he could find himself pitching in his first career All-Star game.