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Cubs frustration continues with another loss to Pirates

It's tough to say one play made a significant difference in a 7-1 loss, but the Cubs were left scratching their heads Sunday after a second straight defeat in Pittsburgh.

In the third inning, the Cubs had runners on first and second with one out. Anthony Rizzo grounded to second, the Pirates got the force at second, but the throw to first was wild, allowing Ian Happ to score from second and bring the Cubs within 3-2.

But after a review, the run was wiped out because the replay center ruled Willson Contreras didn't make a legal slide into second base. The play seemed pretty ordinary when it happened. Shortstop Kevin Newman was off the base when Contreras slid and the runner never touched second base, but he could have easily hit the bag by just reaching out another inch or two.

"I don't think I did anything wrong there," Contreras said. "I just slide within reach of the base. They probably called me out because I didn't touch the base, but for me, I didn't touch the guy and if you watch the play, he threw the ball before I got to second base, so I don't know why they said I broke the rule on the slide.

"For me, that was a clean slide. I wasn't getting spikes up or anything like that, we didn't touch each other, but they just called it out."

Since the ruling was made at MLB's replay center, manager David Ross never received any explanation of the call.

"I asked for one, hopefully the league will call me tomorrow and explain that one to me," Ross said. "That was a tough one to understand. The only replay I saw was on the (video) board and didn't even touch him. It looked like he could reach the base; it looked like he didn't alter his path to take him out from all the replays I saw."

That play changed the momentum a little bit, but it doesn't erase the Cubs' concerns from losing this three-game series. They continued to struggle at the plate - collecting 5 hits total, with the lone run coming on a Javy Baez homer in the second. The team batting average is now .167.

And the two pitchers they were counting on to be under-the-radar guys ready to step it up - Zach Davies on Saturday and Trevor Williams on Sunday - had bad days on the mound.

Like Davies the previous day, Williams sailed through the first inning, then was hit hard in the second. Williams, who spent the past five years with the Pirates, left after 3⅓ innings, allowing 5 earned runs and 10 hits.

"Just looked like he fell behind on a couple batters and got into hitters counts," Ross said. "I think the pitcher (Pittsburgh's JT Brubaker) drove in 3, so that was the game right there. If we keep it a little bit closer and keep some of those runs in, we have a better chance of being in the ballgame."

The reversed call at second base was the middle leg of a frustrating series of events for the Cubs (4-5).

Contreras got on base from being hit by a pitch and was clearly angry as he slowly walked to first base, bat still in hand. Then in the next inning, Kris Bryant was hit on the arm and Cubs associate coach Mike Borzello was ejected for yelling something toward the umpires.

After the game, Contreras expressed frustration at being fined by MLB for walking toward the mound earlier this week when he was hit by pitches two days in a row against Milwaukee.

The Cubs begin another three-game series, this against the Brewers on Monday.

• Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls

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