Maddon says recent Cubs losses just a 'snapshot,' not a trend
Is what the Cubs are going through right now a snapshot of their season, or are there troubling trends that need addressing?
That's the question I put to manager Joe Maddon after Wednesday's disappointing 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs came from behind early and led 3-1 in the seventh on a decent pitching performance by spot starter Adam Warren.
But reliever Trevor Cahill gave up a 3-run homer to No. 8 hitter Tucker Barnhart in the seventh, and the Reds added an insurance run against Carl Edwards Jr. in the eighth.
Beginning with a June 20 loss to the Cardinals, the Cubs are 5-12 and have suffered series sweeps against the Cardinals and Mets.
“It's more likely a snapshot, just based on people in and out of the lineup,” said Maddon, whose team lost two of three to the Reds and fell to 52-32 for the season. “Our bullpen isn't 100 percent. We're experimenting with different things.
“Listen, the big part, we need to do better in the latter part of the game scoring runs, too. That's another part. Even if it's close, we get behind or even if it's tied, we're just not doing a really good job of finishing off games offensively. But overall, man, everything is good. They beat us with the 3-run homer.”
Even though the Cubs do miss injured leadoff man Dexter Fowler, much of what's gone wrong over the last 17 games can be traced to starting pitching.
Cubs starters have turned in 6 quality starts and 11 non-quality starts over this current span, and the starters' overall ERA is 5.60.
Although Warren worked 5 innings of 3-hit, 1-run ball Wednesday, it was technically not a quality start, and it was the sixth non-quality start the Cubs have gotten in their last six outings.
Earlier in the season, starting pitching set the tone for almost all of the Cubs' success.
Wednesday also marked the 20th of 24 consecutive days the Cubs have played a game. Warren got a spot start to give the rest of the rotation a break.
“That's what I've been talking about the whole year,” Maddon said of the importance of pitching. “Everybody's talking about the offense and the run differential, but it's all about starting pitching, period, because that also impacts your bullpen. We've run into a little bit of a rough patch. That's going to happen.
“If you look around baseball, I've seen a lot of double-digit-to-1, double-digit-to-2 victories. Pitchers get tired, man. Regardless of their wanting to concede to that point or not, which they never will, that's why you have to be kind of proactive regarding doing things like we're doing right now involving a sixth starter, if you can. I think it's really pertinent, especially when you don't have days off or the rainout doesn't occur that you push things.”
Warren gave up a leadoff homer to Zack Cozart to start Wednesday's game. The Cubs got 2 in the second, on an RBI double by Addison Russell and a run-scoring single by Miguel Montero. They went up 3-1 in the fifth on a one-out homer by Ben Zobrist.
But the Cubs did not get a hit from the sixth through the ninth.
“I really can't explain it right now,” said Russell, a newly named all-star who has 7 RBI in his last three games. “But we're still going to go out there and try to get the job done. Obviously, the past few weeks, it hasn't been working, but we still have high hopes and high faith. We've just got to go to the next day and get better.”
Scouting report
Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field
TV: ABC 7
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchup: The Cubs' Jason Hammel (7-5) vs. Lucas Harrell (1-0) at 7:05 p.m.
At a glance: This is a makeup of the game rained out on April 30. The Cubs are 3-2 against the Braves this year. Atlanta is buried in last place in the NL East. The Braves rank at or near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories. Braves pitchers are 10th in ERA. Freddie Freeman leads the Braves offense with a line of .289/.370/.511 with 14 home runs and 31 RBI. This will be the Cubs' 21st game in a stretch of 24 consecutive days heading into the all-star break.
Next: Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, Friday-Sunday
— Bruce Miles