Cubs' Struggles Reemerge in 5-2 Loss to Diamondbacks

The Chicago Cubs didn't put their best foot forward to kick off the unofficial second half of the 2024 season. Even Justin Steele was vulnerable against an impressive Arizona Diamondbacks offense. If the lefty isn't looking his best, there isn't much hope for a win.

The offense was stagnant against Arizona's Ryne Nelson. It was more of the same that Cubs fans are all too familiar with from the first half of the season. The North Siders need to turn things around on Saturday to bury this disappointing loss.

Tale of the Tape

Justin Steele was solid to begin the contest and things were trending in the right direction for the Cubs. But the train started to fall off the tracks in the third inning as the Diamondbacks capitalized on a scoring threat.

Gabriel Moreno hit an RBI single to open the scoring. Another runner got on before Christian Walker hit a line drive to Ian Happ that made it 3-0. It was beginning to look disappointing for a Cubs team that was impressive in the week before the All-Star break.

Steele's day on the mound was a short one. Through 4.2 innings , the lefty was on the hook for five earned runs on nine hits. He'll certainly look to leave Friday's start in the rearview mirror.

The Cubs got on the board in the sixth inning thanks to an RBI single from Christopher Morel. His bat is beginning to heat up and the Cubs will need that offensive spark moving forward.

Ian Happ hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2, but the Cubs' hopes for a win were already at the point of no return.

Beyond the Cubs' struggles, poor umpiring elicited headaches on Friday afternoon. Too many calls were blatantly wrong, as Jon Lester highlighted best as the newest member of Marquee Sports Network.

Takeaways

The Cubs need to forget about Friday's showing quickly as there was nothing good about it from top to bottom. Heading into Saturday, there's still a chance of winning this series.

The offense was quiet on the scoreboard and the starting pitching was uncharacteristically off. With the playoffs expanded, it's still not the end of the world for the Cubs.

As the clock continues to tick, the team approaches a fork in the road regarding their trade-deadline strategy. If the Cubs view themselves as playoff contenders, they need to cut down on detrimental instances such as Friday's lifeless effort.

What's On Tap Next?

The Cubs will look to get back on track Saturday as they send Kyle Hendricks to the mound. Chicago has a tall task at hand as the Diamondbacks will turn to ace Zach Gallen. First pitch is at 6:15 PM CDT and the game will air on FOX.

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