CHICAGO -- It's that time of year, where we break down the first-place Chicago Cubs to assess whether their glass is half-full or half-empty. Putting aside the rest of the competition in the National League -- just for a moment -- there are some alarming trends for the two-time Central Division champions.
At a time of year when veteran manager Joe Maddon usually has his teams firing on all cylinders, the Cubs are having trouble starting the car. After a miserable 9-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Maddon's team dropped to 12-11 since the All-Star break.