Cubs Falter Again in Shutout Loss to Diamondbacks

Things seem to be unraveling for the Chicago Cubs, who rode a nice stretch of games into the All-Star break. In the first two games of this weekend's series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the offense appears broken and the starting pitching has been underwhelming.

After a dominant start against the St. Louis Cardinals before the break, Kyle Hendricks couldn't recapture the magic on Saturday. It's to be expected as his moments of greatness show more of what he once was rather than the pitcher he is now.

For the Cubs to avoid a trade-deadline sell-off, things need to change immediately. The offense needs to do a better job of scoring, as the pre-break series against the Baltimore Orioles feels like an outlier instead of the norm.

Tale of the Tape

The nationally televised setting gave the Cubs a chance to make an impression on the rest of the league. Both offenses were quiet as the pitching expectedly held them in check.

Kyle Hendricks wasn't great, but he still did a good job of limiting the damage on the scoreboard. By the fifth inning, the wheels were beginning to fall off as the Diamondbacks scored their only runs of the game.

Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll each went deep for the visitors, putting the game out of reach for the light-hitting Cubs. It was an all too familiar situation for Chicago. Without a clear source of power, these types of games become more common.

Too many times have the Cubs squandered scoring opportunities. It's frustrating to watch a team that has good players underperform.

At this rate, it makes it easier to predict the organization's direction with the trade deadline quickly approaching. With Luke Little potentially done for the season, the Cubs were losing one more member to an already banged-up bullpen.

Drew Smyly did his best in relief. His two innings of shutout baseball are encouraging for the Cubs moving forward. Whether it be via trade or on the roster, Smyly is showing his value as a lefty out of the bullpen.

Takeaways

The Cubs are leaning too much into their bad habits at the worst time. At a moment when they need to show they're for real, they continue to give more reasons as to why that shouldn't be the case.

If the offense continues a rollercoaster of inconsistency, there should be no debate that this season should be over by the end of July. Good teams hit the ball over the fence and the Cubs have difficulty doing that in 2024.

The hope is that things will turn around quickly and that these first two games of the series are just an aberration. If they aren't, it'll be a long summer of waiting for Bears' football.

What's On Tap Next?

To avoid the sweep, the Cubs are sending All-Star Shota Imanaga to the mound on Sunday. Righty Brandon Pfaadt will toe the rubber for the Diamondbacks. First pitch is at 1:20 PM CT and the game will air on Marquee Sports Network.

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