Cubs Cough Up Yet Another Lead, Lose 3-2 in Finale and Drop Series to Rays

Like a broken record, the Chicago Cubs once again blew a late-game lead. I know, it's shocking at this point. Thursday's slip-up against the Tampa Bay Rays continued a damaging pattern that the Cubs can't seem to escape. The offense produces just enough to raise hopes only to crumble under pressure along with the bullpen.

Now seven games back in the NL Central standings, whatever hope the Cubs had of catching the Milwaukee Brewers seems to be fading.

Internal discussions should be heating up regarding solutions, but they may be too little, too late when it's all said and done.

Tale of the Tape

After Wednesday's nail-biting victory , closing out the set with a win was a must for Chicago. All of the makings of a Cubs series win were in the cards as Justin Steele took the mound and offered hope for a turnaround.

Steele gave it his all on the mound, giving the Cubs a chance as long as they could get things going on offense.

Unfortunately, Rays' starter Taj Bradley was just as dominant too. It wasn't until the fifth inning when Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yan Gomes both put runs on the board thanks to some nifty bunts. At least the Cubs were trying to manufacture runs in creative ways.

With a 2-0 lead and Steele dealing , things were beginning to look up for once. But a disastrous seventh inning, something that's been all too familiar for the Cubs, changed the scope of the game. Mark Leiter Jr. took his turn in crumbling at the worst of times on the mound.

The bases were busy as the Rays got runners on and moved them forward. With two on, Josh Lowe got Tampa Bay on the board with an RBI single. At 2-1, it wasn't doom and gloom for the Cubs yet.

But like a leaky faucet, the Rays trickled runs across the plate. Ben Rortvedt and Yandy Diaz drove in runs to give the Rays their first lead of the night at 3-2. Once again, the Cubs were bitten by one bad inning.

With a runner on and one out in the ninth inning, the Cubs had a chance to rally. But as usual, they found a way to dash those hopes as fast as they crumble under pressure. Nico Hoerner grounded into a double play that resulted in yet another humiliating Cubs loss. It's become rather comical at this point.

Takeaways

The 2024 Chicago Cubs have become a tiresome exercise in futility. Watching them seems to be a chore at this point. With few bright spots, this team is full of uninspiring role players.

After hiring Craig Counsell, the Cubs apparently thought they didn't need to add any other notable names. In reality, the expectations of the roster should have matched what they were for the manager.

Missing the playoffs by such a small margin in 2023 should have been a wake-up call for Jed Hoyer. Instead, he doubled down on a bad roster that clearly overachieved last year.

At this point, the Cubs are giving themselves no choice but to lie in the mess of a bed they made.

What's On Tap Next?

The Cubs return to Wrigley Field on Friday looking to take their frustrations out on the St. Louis Cardinals. Jordan Wicks will take the mound for the North Siders opposite Cardinals' veteran righty Kyle Gibson. First pitch is at 1:20 PM CT and the game will air on Marquee Sports Network.

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