AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

The Rundown: Cubs Stuck in Neutral in Loss to A’s, PCA Excelling at Top of Lineup, Sciambi Advocates for ALS

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterJune 3, 2026

“Well I’ll be ridin’ on that bus ’til I Cadillac.” — Waitin’ for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago by ZZ Top

We’ve seen this movie before, right? The Cubs are going to let the Brewers get an unsurmountable lead before turning on the jets to fight for a Wild Card berth. Why is it so difficult for a Jed Hoyer/Craig Counsell-led team to win the division? Maybe I’m getting a little too ahead of myself here. After last nights 2-1 loss to the A’s, Chicago is a scant half-game above the last place Reds.

The Cubs wasted a stellar effort by Jameson Taillon, which is something they ought not to do considering his 2026 track record. Then again, Tarik Skubal or resurgent ace-in-making Ben Brown wouldn’t get a win when Chicago’s bats could muster just four hits against Gage Jump, Justin Sterner, Scott Barlow, and closer Hogan Harris. A bullpen that effective should be known as Hogan’s Heroes, don’t you think?

The Cubs had six baserunners in yesterday’s snoozefest, five courtesy of Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Alex Bregman plated Hoerner in the 1st inning with a not-really-a-run-driven-in RBI groundout. The Cubs are now 5-17 since May 8, which feels like three seasons ago at this point. Baseball-Reference says the North Siders have a 64.8% chance of reaching the postseason, but playing at a .227 clip for nearly a month says something completely different.

In case you’re wondering, I’ve previously had a much better time than this writing about the Cubs. I just wish Hoyer and Counsell were as tired as I am with watching Chicago’s wretched offense play with such ineptitude. The Hitless Blunders have scored two runs or fewer in 12 of their last 22 games, and they’re 1-11 in those contests. Asking for three runs must feel a little too Oliver Twist in these parts, because the concept of hanging crooked numbers seems foreign to Chicago’s batters. It’s like throwing toothpicks at water balloons. Nothing happens.

And still we’re clamoring for more pitching. I’d rather see Hoyer overhaul his lineup if I’m being brutally honest. There is a misconception that the Cubs have no positional availability, which, why? Who is irreplaceable in that starting lineup other than maybe Hoerner, Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, and Ian Happ? Dansby Swanson is batting .181 with a .517 OPS. Chicago has one regular with a .400 SLG or higher (Happ at .463), and two platoon players, Moisés Ballesteros (.405) and Michael Conforto (.532). Busch is trending that way after a slow start.

Seiya Suzuki has very quietly reached 200 plate appearances with a paltry 19 RBI. Conforto has 13 RBI in 94 PAs, all of them seemingly gargantuan. Counsell believes this team can hit, but he’s basing that on prior experience and two 10-game spurts where Hoerner, Busch, and Conforto basically carried the lineup. That said — and I sincerely apologize for the storyline reversal — here comes your M. Night Shyamalan plot twist.

Cubs hitters have posted 14.4 bWAR this season, which nearly doubles the Brewers (8.1). Milwaukee’s pitchers, however, have been worth 9.8 wins this season, while Chicago’s butt-ugly staff has been worth an anemic 0.3 bWAR. That is why you don’t waste a strong effort by Taillon, and that is also why Hoyer needs Skubal and another starter. Chicago’s North Side Baseballers are a streaky bunch who can’t beat anybody when their offense is as frigid as it’s been through most of May, but they’re more than capable. Those two 10-game win streaks are proof. As Mick Jagger so elegantly stated, “I’m a cold Italian pizza I could use a lemon squeezer — what’d you do?”

Chicago didn’t need a Luftwaffe-like assault by its hitters last night. Two timely extra-base hits might have won the game. And that’s the most telling statistic: Your 2026 Cubs lead the National League with 492 runners left on base. Swanson, Bregman, and Suzuki are a combined 28-for-211 (.133) with 57 punchouts with runners in scoring position. Last night’s loss was therefore a bitter reminder that the team’s inconsistent offense must find a way to reliably meet its expected production.

Cubs News & Notes

  • Crow-Armstrong is adjusting to his new powers like a young superhero. In 10 games batting in the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in the lineup, he’s hitting .308/.404/.462.
  • PCA noted that a “sense of urgency” can be a tricky mentality when there are still roughly four months and 100 games left in the regular-season schedule.
  • Given the championship-level expectations, something much different than this was expected.
  • The Cubs optioned starter Jordan Wicks back to Iowa in favor of reliever Tyler Ferguson.
  • Outfield prospect Josiah Hartshorn continues to crush baseballs at High-A South Bend. The team’s No. 8 prospect now has eight home runs across two levels.
  • The Cubs have been suspiciously lax in promoting Pride Month activities on Social Media. Jen Martinez, the Cubs’ senior director of communications, said the team’s commitment to supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community remains unchanged. “Throughout June, Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flags will be flying at Wrigley Field,” Martinez said. “Fans will see content across Instagram, X and Facebook showcasing our Pride Celebration at Wrigley Field, stories connected to our community initiatives, and coverage of our participation in the Chicago Pride Parade.”

Ball Four

I need a note from the nurse to skip class, because I’m feeling nauseous. Someone also needs to add the payroll column.

Central Intelligence

How About That!

Yesterday, MLB honored the legacy of Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig and all those living with ALS.

Cubs’ announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi has partnered with Operation Main Street and Obvious Shirts to raise money in an effort to find a cure for ALS.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Cubs and Sciambi’s employer, Marquee Sports Network, are sponsoring an online auction to benefit Project Main Street (you can bid at cubs.com/alsauction.)

If there is a face of ALS in MLB today, it is the unwavering smile of research expert Sarah Langs, who continues to work through all the insidious affliction has thrown at her, all the while tweeting out, “Baseball is the Best!” on a daily basis, multiple times a day.

The Dodgers are tired of being chastised for their league-high payroll.

Angels outfielder Jo Adell had a José Canseco moment Tuesday night, and I probably don’t have to tell you what happened.

The Giants would love to be sellers at this year’s deadline, but their albatross contracts may be prohibitive. Welcome to the big chair, Buster Posey.

The 2026 MLB All-Star ballot is now available to fans.

Justin Verlander has had a storied personal and baseball life, but he didn’t get his first Triple-A win until yesterday.

Apropos of Nothing 

The Cubs haven’t won a game at Wrigley Field in nearly a month (seven straight losses) after winning 15 straight at the Friendly Confines before that.

Extra Innings

That’s your highlight, folks. Put this sucker on repeat play and enjoy it up until game time tonight, if you like.

They Said It

  • “This has been a wake-up call, I hope, for everyone. Nothing’s going to be handed to us. The Brewers are for real again. Our division’s really good. The league’s really tough. It’s just going to take a lot of work to dig ourselves out of this.” – Taillon
  • “I think a ‘wake-up call’ is a nice way to put it.” – Crow-Armstrong

Wednesday Walk-Up Song

Something smells, but it’s coming from home plate at Clark & Addison.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterJune 3, 2026
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