One bad inning proves costly for Steele, Cubs drop fourth straight

Momentum and confidence are funny things in sports.

When the wins are piling up everything is right in the world.

Guys are loose and laughing because they're hitting lights out and pitchers are mowing down batter after batter. Things are so good that the catcher comes out wearing a helmet for a postgame interview because he inadvertently ran into his pitcher during a perfect game bid.

The confidence swells to the point that players aren't afraid to believe a "special season" has just begun.

So was the story of the 2023 Cubs for the first month of the season, with David Ross' squad winning 14 of their first 24 games.

"I feel like we've built a team that from top to bottom can really do this," said Yan Gomes, the aforementioned catcher.

But then came a 1-run loss in Miami on April 28. Then another one the next day. Then another one.

A 5-1 victory at Washington could have righted the ship, but the Nationals rattled off 3 straight wins by a total of just 5 runs to dump the Cubs under .500.

Now, the early momentum is all but a distant memory.

The downward spiral has only accelerated and is threatening to reach a fevered pace, especially after ace Justin Steele - who was dealing with flu-like symptoms - yielded 5 runs in 6 innings during a 7-3 loss to the Astros on Tuesday. It broke a string of 12 straight starts in which Steele threw 5-plus innings and allowed 3 or fewer runs. That was the longest such streak by a Cubs pitcher since Jake Arrieta went 20 straight in 2015-16.

"For him to go out and have that performance - he did a really nice job for us," Ross told reporters.

Now, the Cubs have lost four straight, are 19-23 overall and are tied with the Reds for third place in the NL Central.

Nothing special about all of that.

The Cubs, who were without Cody Bellinger (7 HRs), managed a measly 3 hits against the Astros through eight innings. One was a solo homer by Matt Mervis in the second inning that tied the game at 1-1. It was Mervis' first major-league homer.

Bellinger injured his left knee after catching a deep fly ball against the wall in Houston on Monday. He is day-to-day.

Steele only allowed two total baserunners in 5 of the 6 innings he pitched. The problem was the fourth, when Houston ripped 4 RBI doubles in the span of six batters.

The inning got off to a rough start as Steele (6-1) hit Alex Bregman in the foot. Yordan Alvarez followed with a towering drive that bounced high off the left-field wall. It scored Bergman to give the Astros a 2-1 lead. Alvarez has now reached base in 40 straight games dating back to last season.

The other doubles came from Kyle Tucker, Corey Julks and Chas McCormick.

Steele's ERA went from 1.82 to 2.44.

Seiya Suzuki's 2-run homer in the ninth made it 7-3. Patrick Wisdom, who did not start, pinch hit after Matt Mervis singled. Wisdom struck out looking to end the game.

Houston (4-1) starter Cristian Javier gave up 2 hits and walked two in six innings.

McCormick made a highlight-reel catch against the center-field wall to rob of Dansby Swanson of extra bases in the sixth inning.

"Definitely one of the best catches and one of the most exciting catches that I've seen," Javier said in Spanish through a translator. "He committed there and made that jump and said he was going to catch that ball."

The defending champion Astros, who remain without second baseman Jose Altuve and pitcher Justin Verlander, have won six of seven and are 23-19 overall.