Cubs’ losing streak worst since 2002

Jeff Samardzija has been the closest thing the Cubs have to a stopper this year.

But even Samardzija couldn’t save the hapless Cubs Wednesday night even though he turned in a quality start.

The Houston Astros broke open a 2-1 game in the eighth inning against reliever Rafael Dolis to beat the Cubs 5-1 and sweep the three game series. The Astros also sent the Cubs to their first nine-game losing streak since 2002.

Samardzija’s record fell to 4-3 and his ERA held at 3.00 as the Cubs’ team record dropped to 15-29.

There was a moral victory for the Cubs, who aren’t getting any of the real kind. Reed Johnson’s first inning home run gave them their first lead in one week, or into the 60th inning since the last lead.

For his part, Samardzija worked 6 innings, giving up 6 hits and 2 runs. He gave up his only 2 runs in the fourth inning, both coming home on a double by J.D. Martinez, a ball on which second baseman Darwin Barney collided with right fielder David DeJesus.

Samardzija recovered from that inning nicely and ran his pitch count to 90 before being taken out for a pinch hitter in the seventh.

Almost two months into the season, Samardzija is showing his move from bullpen to rotation has been a good one for the Cubs.

“His stuff has always been there,” acting manager Jamie Quirk told Judd Sirott on the WGN radio pregame show. Manager Dale Sveum was in Arizona for the high school graduation of his son. “I think it’s even better now since the first day of spring training when he knew he had a chance to be a starter. He took it and ran with it and he’s fit to be a starter.

“His consistency has been phenomenal. I don’t know if we totally expected that because we didn’t know what we were getting in his first shot at being a starter. But he’s embraced it. He’s the perfect candidate to be a starter. I don’t know who we give the credit to — Jed (GM Hoyer), Theo (team president Epstein), Dale. I’ve never really asked who’s the one who decided he was going to be a starter this year, but it was a great call.”

Samardzija walked two and struck out four. But aside from Johnson’s homer, the Cubs offense did nothing with Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez (4-4).

Cubs batters drew no walks while striking out eight times. They were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position while stranding 10. Alfonso Soriano, who has been hitting lately, ended three innings with men on base, stranding a total of five baserunners.

Lefty James Russell, the Cubs’ most dependable reliever all year (1.80 ERA) worked a 1-2-3 seventh. The Cubs needed to get some work for Dolis, who hadn’t pitched since Sunday. But he wound up throwing 32 pitches to eight batters in the eighth, giving up 3 hits while walking two and hitting one.