The Cubs went into the last day of June just a game over .500 on the month and clinging to a two-game division lead. Winning on Sunday wasn’t a must by any stretch, but it sure would have been a boost heading into July. Instead, just one mistake that wasn’t even a mistake at all cost them a game in which offense was very hard to come by.
Jameson Taillon and Framber Valdez traded four scoreless innings, and the Cubs starter was left in to finish the 5th against Jose Altuve. The diminutive second baseman had struck out twice against Taillon already, so the decision made sense.