Cubs 'Gotta Play Better' to Avoid Another Double-Digit Streak -

The Cubs have fallen sharply after previously looking like baseball’s worst-case scenario was impossible. They have lost nine straight games, and another loss would create three 10-game winning streaks in 39 games. Since May 9 in Arlington, they have been shut out four times and averaged 2.3 runs per game. They have scored only three runs in the first four innings of their last seven games, with all of those runs coming in one game. Over the same span, they have scored in only six of their last 63 innings. Their team batting average (.178), slugging (.273), and total runs (39) rank last in MLB. Pitching has also declined, with a 5.01 ERA and a 20.3% strikeout rate near the bottom, while starters have a 6.51 ERA and 58 runs allowed, ranking 29th.

"They're mired in an active streak of nine straight losses, so another defeat on Tuesday would give them three 10-game streaks in 39 games. That is unthinkable, but no more so than how poorly they're playing. Dating back to May 9 in Arlington, the Cubs have been shut out four times and have averaged just 2.3 runs per game. They have scored only three runs in the first four innings of their last seven games, with all of them coming this past Sunday against the Astros."

"In that same stretch, they have scored a total of seven runs against opposing starters. But you know what's even wilder? The Cubs have scored in just six of their last 63 innings. Compare that to the Astros, who scored in nine different innings during their recent sweep at Wrigley. Since this skid started, the Cubs' .178 team batting average is the worst in MLB by 19 points, their .273 slugging percentage is last by 26 points, and their 39 runs are tied for last."

"The pitching has been only slightly better, with a 5.01 ERA that ranks 28th and a 20.3% strikeout rate that sits 22nd. Their 76 runs allowed are fewer than only five teams, but their starters are carrying a 6.51 ERA with 58 runs allowed. Both of those tallies rank 29th, in case you were wondering. All of which is to say that the Cubs have arguably been the worst team in baseball over the last two-plus weeks."

""We gotta play better, we gotta swing the bats better, we gotta pitch better, we need more guys contributing to good stuff," a bewildered Craig Counsell said after his team's latest loss. "And as a coaching staff we gotta figure out a way to get th"

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