Self-Inflicted Wounds Hinder Cubs in 6-0 Loss to Royals

The Chicago Cubs continue to find new ways to embarrass themselves on a daily basis. Putrid offense and regressing defense, both of which were on display in Friday's 6-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals, are just some of the problems that have haunted the 2024 season.

With an aging Kyle Hendricks on the mound, expectations weren't especially high entering the series opener. All six of Kansas City's runs came in the fifth inning while the Cubs bats were shut out.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Cubs front office should be having active discussions about organizational moves. From the front office down, this season has been an absolute disgrace to fans waiting patiently for contention after the mass sell-off of 2021. The Cubs' futility is unacceptable, and their biggest issues were magnified in Friday's defeat.

Tale of the Tape

It was shaping up to be a pitcher's duel early as Kyle Hendricks was matching Brady Singer as each inning went by.

Real action was brewing by the time the fifth inning. The Cubs threatened with two runners on and no outs, a prime scoring chance for the visitors. But then reality set in and Chicago was held scoreless.

The Cubs performed atrociously with runners on base in this game. With one out in the inning, third base coach Willie Harris made a terrible decision to have Mike Tauchman tag from third.

It was a sign of bad things to come in the bottom of the inning. The previously unscathed Hendricks finally faltered Royals offense lit him up for six runs in the frame.

Father Time has Hendricks' number already. With the Cubs' season effectively over at the trade deadline, the veteran will spend his final moments as a Cub doing his best to eat innings.

Frankly, it's a shame the Cubs are subjecting him to this after his storied tenure in the starting rotation.

Takeaways

These are dark times on the North Side. The levee has officially broken and they can only hope to build back better for 2025 and beyond. Jed Hoyer's position as team president needs to be in question and ineffective roster pieces need to be shown the door.

The Cubs were expected to take a big leap forward this season, but they've instead regressed to a reassessment period. There are some promising flashes, such as Michael Busch's showing with his new team, but it seems the group as a whole is rotted to its core.

What's On Tap Next?

The weekend set continues Saturday as the Cubs will try to avoid another series loss. Shota Imanaga will toe the rubber against Royals' All-Star Seth Lugo. First pitch is at 6:10 PM CT and the game will air on Marquee Sports Network.

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