The Chicago Cubs dropped their third straight game in a 10-8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, falling further behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Trent Thornton surrendered five sixth-inning runs to break open a costly home defeat at Wrigley Field.
The pitching blew up when it mattered most. Chicago returned home expecting to handle the last-place Cincinnati Reds, but the sixth inning turned into a horror show. Reliever Trent Thornton was victimized in the sixth inning as he gave up 5 runs, all of them earned, and he allowed 2 home runs. The Reds blasted four home runs in total, overpowering Chicago’s staff and gaining the decisive edge.
That bullpen meltdown spoiled a productive day at the plate. Chicago’s offense responded with six extra-base hits, including home runs by Michael Busch and Pedro Ramirez. Outfield star Pete Crow-Armstrong is battling for the NL MVP award and has hammered 33 home runs on the year. Ian Happ has contributed 23 long balls and Seiya Suzuki has blasted 22 homers. Yet, those dynamic power numbers have not saved Chicago from a sudden tailspin.
Chicago has now lost 6 of their last eight games. The division crown appears to be out of reach.
This dangerous slide has been building for over a week. After dropping the series finale to the cross-town Chicago White Sox, the Cubs lost 2 of 3 games to the Seattle Mariners. They briefly looked dominant by closing that series with a 19-2 triumph and following it with a series-opening 7-0 victory against the Diamondbacks. However, they dropped the last two games to the Diamondbacks before returning home to fall against Cincinnati.
Manager Craig Counsell could see his team fall 8.0 games behind the Brewers if Milwaukee secures a victory against the Texas Rangers. Longtime sports author Steve Silverman, who wrote “Who’s Better, Who’s Best in the NFL.”, highlighted that defensive lapses in key frames are destroying Chicago’s postseason positioning. If the pitching staff cannot stabilize quickly, the Cubs will find themselves entirely erased from the division race.
