The Chicago Cubs’ brief winning streak was short-lived, ending after just two games.
After needing miraculous comebacks to eke out back-to-back one-run wins over the lowly Chicago White Sox this week, the Cubs returned to their losing ways on Thursday. Chicago kicked off its seven-game road trip with yet another loss, falling 8-4 to the Cincinnati Reds as Javier Assad got pounded for five runs in one of his worst starts of the season and Chicago’s bullpen faltered.
After 22 games, the Cubs are presently 7-15, dropping back below.500 to 31-32. Chicago’s difficulties have mostly been against the NL Central; in that time, the team has only gone 3-11 against divisional opponents.
Prior to that run, the Cubs had a 4-2 record versus the NL Central, for an overall record of 7-13 within the division. They are ahead of everyone else, 24–19.
Chicago’s record is 0–4 when playing their division rivals. The Cubs are 3-4 versus the Pittsburgh Pirates, 0-2 against the St. Louis Cardinals, 1-3 against the Reds, and 3-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Chicago’s skid started when the team lost three of four at home to the Pirates in mid-May. After dropping two of three to the Atlanta Braves, the Cubs endured a devastating 1-5 road trip against the Cardinals and the Brewers. Chicago then lost two of three at home to Cincinnati before taking both games (barely) from the White Sox.
The Cubs continue to struggle on the road as well, going 13-19 with a minus-30 run differential away from Wrigley Field.
Chicago is even more irritated by the fact that the NL Central isn’t particularly strong. The Cubs aren’t exactly losing to dominant teams—Milwaukee is the only team in the league with a winning record right now. After their incredible start, they’ve just been playing poor baseball, which is why they’re no longer in first place.
Chicago still has three games left to try to turn around these alarming trends this weekend in Cincinnati. On Friday night, Nick Lodolo (5-2, 3.11 ERA) will face Justin Steele (0-2, 4.10 ERA), who will be looking for his first victory of the year.
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