Frustration Rising, Expectation Falling as Cubs’ Skid Reaches Double Digits

The Cubs have cleverly managed to offset the expectations created by two 10-game winning streaks by losing 10 straight  — they’re the second team in 10 years to do so — and could well be continuing that skein as the season threatens to unravel completely. People are watching the sky fall and entertaining thoughts of past debacles when the team collapsed amid otherwise competitive seasons.

I’m awaiting developments. Patrick Mooney opined on the North Side Territory podcast that this is still a playoff-caliber squad, even if they no longer carry the cachet of a World Series contender. I’d tend to agree. They’re still over .500, though they’re tied with the Pirates for last place while the Brewers, who have somehow stolen some of the devil magic the Redbirds used to have, are 3.5 games in first over those very Cardinals.

Neither team is especially impressive. Their players don’t have gaudy numbers, but they just win. The Brewers do it with pitching and timely hitting. The Cardinals do the same to a somewhat lesser degree. The Cards are likely to slip some, but the Brewers are +77 in run differential (257/180) and are here to stay.

The Pirates have a +34 margin, but their defense is so bad that they win fewer games than they should. Oneil Cruz is possibly the worst centerfielder in baseball. He doesn’t always seem to make the effort, but his bat makes up for it. He’s not the only one on that squad who has a hole in his glove.

Though the Cubs have an excellent defense, the people who catch and throw aren’t hitting. Perennial .285-.300 hitter Nico Hoerner has slipped to the .250s. Ian Happ leads the club in most offensive categories, Alex Bregman the others, and neither has been especially good so far. Dansby Swanson isn’t even threatening the Mendoza line. Pete Crow-Armstrong is so far in his own head that he might not get back out again. Moisés Ballesteros looks to be in danger of a Triple-A refresher course. Seiya Suzuki isn’t doing next year’s contract any favors, and it may well be that his next deal won’t be in Chicago.

These guys are going to have to snap out of the funk right quick, or the worrywarts will carry the day. The pitching isn’t going to help much. Justin Steele, Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton, Hunter Harvey, Porter Hodge, Riley Martin, Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, and Ethan Roberts have all spent time on the IL. Horton and Hodge won’t be available until sometime in 2027, assuming that there is a 2027 season.

This leaves Shōta Imanaga, who turns into Mike Imanaga, his evil twin that has the meatballs, far too often for my liking. Then they have the venerable Jameson Taillon, who is usually effective enough, and Colin Rea, with a revolving cast of spot starters and relievers.

The people who remain might be, as Matthew Trueblood opines, trying too hard. PCA often looks like Cruz out there, and if he’s the face of the Cubs, their face is an angry red. Hoerner, the other face, doesn’t look happy either. He doesn’t wear his usual smile so much and conducts himself as if he’s made his funk the PCA-funk.

How to fix it?

Hell, if I knew, I’d say so. Albert Einstein reportedly said that doing things the same way repeatedly is a form of insanity, but then Wile E. Coyote makes his bones that way, and erosion is a real thing. The players who get on the field are going to have to grind and hope for results. We’re watching expectations ebb even as the Cubs keep the 2016 background theme running so they can fan what flames still remain in order to maintain the precious profit margin.

If the Cubs don’t recover, I expect a fire sale.

This fan, my great-grandson, deserves better. C’mon, Cubs.