Cubs Melt Down in Milwaukee, Fall 10-6 to Brewers

Any good vibes the Chicago Cubs generated on Tuesday became a distant memory on Wednesday. The North Siders have little going right for them after a 10-6 loss to the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Following Ben Brown's no-hit performance, Shota Imanaga experienced the exact opposite on the mound at American Family Field.

Pitchers can run into a buzzsaw every once in a while, but doing so against a division rival is just the luck the Cubs have experienced in 2024.

The offense seems to be emerging from its previous ump as the Cubs did their best to mount a comeback in the ninth inning.

Ian Happ continues to improve and Seiya Suzuki is on a six-game hitting streak. Some facets of the team are looking better, but the Cubs still can't translate it to consistent, quality wins.

Tale of the Tape

With Shota Imanaga on the mound, the situation was perfect for the Cubs to build off a great win on Tuesday. But as usual, it's never that easy when it comes to this team. Unfortunately, even the most dominant pitcher on the staff is human.

The damage came early as Christian Yelich hit a long two-run homer to put the Brewers up 2-0 in the opening inning. From there, it became a game of catch-up for the Cubs.

To his credit, Ian Happ didn't "go gentle into that good night" as he continued to heat up with a home run in the following inning.

If the Cubs can get the switch hitter back into his usual self, it'll go a long way in helping turn things around before it's too late.

Imanaga's day was cut short after 4.1 innings. An abbreviated outing from their most dominant starter isn't the best recipe for success. After allowing seven earned runs, the lefty will have to go back to the drawing board.

With the Cubs down 7-1, Kyle Hendricks got the call from the bullpen to perform mop-up duty.

The offense did their best for once. Attempting to overcome the shortcomings of their pitching, the Cubs crossed home five more times the rest of the way. There was intrigue in the ninth inning, but two runs weren't enough to rally that late in the game.

Takeaways

The Cubs are having a hard time with consistent production. When one aspect of the team succeeds, the other shoe drops with a terrible showing. Adjustments still need to be made if the North Siders want to make a legitimate postseason run this year.

Shota Imanaga is still a good pitcher. There shouldn't be any worries about his rough outing moving forward.

On a positive note, the bullpen will be well-rested thanks to the longevity of Kyle Hendricks' relief outing. At this point in his career, it appears that eating innings in a blowout is his greatest skill.

The Cubs need to address the elephant in the room. It's long past time to part ways with the pitcher .

Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki provided great at-bats on Wednesday. The Cubs surely hope that they're coming out of their slumps at the same time.

What's On Tap?

The Cubs look to leave Milwaukee with a split in this series. Jameson Taillon takes the mound Thursday against former Cubs' righty Colin Rea and the Brewers. First pitch is at 12:10 PM CT and the game will air on Marquee Sports Network.

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