Bleed Cubbie Blue · Sep 4, 2024
Pirates 5, Cubs 0: The offense vanishes yet again
Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty ImagesThis game was likely going to be an uphill climb no matter how well Kyle Hendricks threw against the Pirates, what with Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes on the mound.
Hendricks put together a credible start, allowing five hits and two runs in five innings, with five strikeouts. Really, you can’t ask for much more.
It didn’t matter, because the Cubs offense failed to show up. They had just five hits, all singles, and after the third inning, 18 of the last 19 Cubs went down without much fuss. Only a one-out single by Ian Happ in the seventh interrupted that string of Cubs outs, and thus they lost for the second time to the visitors from Pittsburgh, 5-0.