The last week hasn’t been particularly kind to the Cubs, with a 3-3 road trip followed by a series-opening loss to the Pirates last night. Injuries have forced Craig Counsell to mix and match in the bullpen and the lineup by taking a lesser-of-multiple-evils approach. But when your starting middle infield features dudes with sub-.600 OPS marks and your catchers are at .506 or lower, no amount of duct tape will hold things together.
With 11 strikeouts and just one walk on Thursday, it was evident the Cubs were overmatched. Nick Madrigal at least came through with an RBI single, but he struck out twice and flailed with one of the ugliest swings you’ll ever see this side of Javy Báez.