Craig Counsell suggests lineup changes coming after Cubs’ sixth consecutive loss

Craig Counsell is known for his steady hand and staying the course in rocky waters, but even he seems to have seen enough of a Chicago Cubs offense that’s struggling to come through in the biggest moments.

“I think we gotta do something different,” Counsell said after a 4-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Friday, the team’s sixth straight defeat. “There’s some at-bats where confidence is starting to feel like it’s shaken. Sometimes that’s just a different look in the lineup or a day off or whatever. I think we’re at that point, absolutely.”

Friday’s third inning was emblematic of everything that’s going wrong for this team of late. Trailing 1-0, a leadoff walk followed by a pair of hit-by-pitches handed the Cubs a prime scoring opportunity.

The Cubs have been in a funk, especially in these moments, and their two biggest culprits, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, were due up. Following the script, Happ struck out, and Suzuki popped out. A groundout by Michael Conforto ended the threat.

“Not getting runs across in that inning, that’s frustrating,” Counsell said. “I don’t know how else to say it. It’s an opportunity with the middle of your lineup up. Not being able to get it done is just frustrating.”

Talking about frustration and suggesting a change is a rarity for Counsell. He wasn’t overly animated, but it’s clear he needs to see his team play better baseball and that different names may be called upon to do it. The offense is floundering and shaking things up, even briefly, can’t hurt.

It’s a small sample, but the Cubs are in a 2-10 stretch where they just can’t come through in clutch moments. During those 12 games, the team as a whole is 13-for-99 with runners in scoring position.

“You want to come through, you want to help the team,” Happ said. “Be the guy that breaks the seal and gets us going. The challenge is not to put more pressure on yourself and just have your at-bat, but it’s never that easy.”

Counsell wondered if that pressure is being felt by his offense.

“The pressure’s on the pitcher in those at-bats,” he said. “The pitcher’s in a tough situation. It feels a little backwards right now in terms of that.”

So what do they do? Simply put, they have to get that big hit. Counsell will likely trot out a tweaked lineup in the coming days. Perhaps Happ or Suzuki gets moved down in the lineup or sits out a game. Maybe the recently called-up Pedro Ramírez gets a shot. Moisés Ballesteros may get a chance to get out of his funk.

Happ and Suzuki have strong numbers, but their inability to deliver with runners on has become glaring. The trio of Happ, Suzuki and Dansby Swanson went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position Friday. On the season, they’re 22-for-149 in those moments, a .148 batting average. Happ, in particular, seems to be searching for it. After becoming more contact-oriented over the years, his strikeout rate has skyrocketed this season, sitting at 33.2% after two more on Friday, the fourth-highest rate in baseball.

On the day, the Cubs were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

“It’s one thing to just say it’ll be OK, and (it’s) another to be realistic and go out there with the intent and make the right changes,” Swanson said. “We’re giving ourselves chances, but we just haven’t been able to come through with consistent hits with guys on base. This offense is obviously really good when everybody’s passing the baton to one another. We just haven’t been able to do that recently.”

The Cubs are second in plate appearances with runners in scoring position. If they can keep that up, they don’t have to be the best in baseball in coming through in those moments. What they have to avoid is being completely abysmal.

Right now, they’re in the thick of it. Their six-game losing streak is their longest since 2022; this comes after they managed a pair of 10-game winning streaks. A season’s worth of streaks has occurred just 51 games into the season. With four months to go, it’s difficult to know what to expect from a group that’s really making sure everyone experiences the full roller coaster that comes with 162 games of baseball.

“It’s tough,” Happ said. “Tough stretch of baseball. But we have a really good group, a really experienced group. We’ll come out the other side of it.”

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