Rizzo, Bryant return, but Cubs offense stymied again
In the last eight days, the Cubs have lost 7½ games to the Milwaukee Brewers in the standings.
A pretty good season turned to mass frustration quickly and nothing improved for the Cubs on Friday night in Cincinnati. They got a nice start from Alec Mills, but one big hit by the Reds was enough to create a 2-1 decision, the Cubs' seventh straight loss.
The Cubs got Anthony Rizzo (back), Kris Bryant (side) and Patrick Wisdom (neck) back in the lineup. But they struck out 14 times and managed just 1 hit in four innings against a team with the worst bullpen ERA in baseball.
Needless to say, the outlook is worsening quickly for the Cubs, especially with the future of Rizzo, Bryant and Javy Baez in doubt.
"We're all of us on a skid and it's not fun and losing stinks," Rizzo said. "But we have to come in tomorrow and just be ready to play. From now until the trade deadline, you guys are going to ask questions every single day and rightfully so because there are going to be rumors flying and stories written.
"But I think it's on all of us in the clubhouse to just stay connected, stay together and take it day by day - every cliché in baseball. Yes, there will be stuff flying, but we're all professionals and we know how to prepare and just play baseball."
Mills did rise to the occasion. He tied a career-high with 9 strikeouts and allowed just 2 baserunners in the first five innings. But in the sixth, he walked Jonathan India and gave up a two-out ground single to Nicholas Castellanos.
Cubs manager David Ross brought in lefthander Adam Morgan to face Joey Votto, a move that made sense. But Votto drilled a 2-run double into right field and the Reds had a sudden lead.
Ross could have used Andrew Chafin in that situation, but the pitcher's spot was coming up in the next inning and he wanted to save Chafin for a full inning when the Reds' lefties came up again.
"Morgan, I think Joey's 1-for-5 off him, no hard hit balls," Ross said. "Looked like a good matchup."
The pitching matchup wasn't really the issue, though, it was scoring just 1 run, thanks to a Jason Heyward RBI double in the fourth. The only Cubs hit against Cincinnati relievers was a two-out single by Ian Happ in the ninth. Pinch hitter Rafael Ortega then struck out to end the game.
The Cubs weren't hitting the ball in April, either, but turned it around and were the hottest team in the National League for most of May.
"You've got to grind," Rizzo said. "It's not easy. If there was a simple answer, I know we'd all be doing it. We're all grinding from the hitting coaches to our advance guys to all the boys in the clubhouse. We're all putting the work in."
Ross mentioned on the television broadcast that the Cubs had a team meeting, with a day off and their season at the halfway point.
"This is a marathon. We've got 80 games left, a lot of games left," Rizzo said. "Guys have had really good first halves and there's going to be guys, know one knows yet, who are going to have really good second halves.
"You've just got to continue to work and put your head down and the next thing you know. it's going to be September and hopefully we're right there in the fight."
Second baseman Nico Hoerner stayed with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs on a rehab assignment, playing his fourth game with Iowa on Friday. Hoerner went 1-for-5 at the plate and Trevor Williams (appendectomy) tossed 5 scoreless innings in his second rehab start.
Before the game, the Cubs sent reliever Tommy Nance down to Iowa - for the second time this week - and brought back right-hander Kohl Stewart.
Meanwhile, Patrick Wisdom was named NL rookie of the month for June.
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