A sense of cautious optimism filled Wrigley Field on Friday, following the Chicago Cubs’ ninth-inning rally the night before that ended an eight-game losing streak at home. The victory was marked by the Cubs collecting six hits with runners in scoring position, a notable achievement considering their previous .168 batting average in similar situations over the last 22 games, a rank as the second-worst in the majors.
It’s one baseball game, but given how we’ve been playing, everyone hopes it relaxes guys a little bit and lets us just go play,
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer stated before Friday’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants.
The game quickly turned as the Giants dominated the Cubs’ pitchers, hitting seven home runs and scoring the first 16 runs of the game, resulting in an 18-3 defeat at Wrigley Field. Cubs starter Edward Cabrera allowed three of the seven home runs and faced boos from the 39,060 fans as he left the mound in the fourth inning.
Cabrera expressed his frustration, stating, Personally, it bothers me. I love to compete. I don’t like to lose, but sometimes things happen in the game that are costly.
Despite the disappointing outcome, the Cubs hoped Thursday’s win would initiate a turnaround following a 5-17 slump that succeeded a strong 20-3 performance featuring two 10-game winning streaks.
Friday marked the beginning of a 12-game stretch against the Giants and Colorado Rockies, both positioned at the bottom of the National League standings with a combined 28 games under .500. But the Cubs’ momentum was quickly deflated.
The team aimed to improve, paired with the favorable schedule and Cabrera’s return as right-hander Tyler Ferguson moved to Triple-A Iowa. A potential comeback for opening day starter Matthew Boyd further fueled hopes for recapturing early-season form. Instead, they struggled significantly.
Friday’s loss highlighted ongoing issues since the last winning streak ended on May 10. Cubs starters hold a 6.35 ERA since, a rank as the second-worst in the majors within that timeframe. Cabrera’s difficulties persisted, adding more uncertainty to the rotation.
The Giants increased their lead early with a two-run home run by Willy Adames in the first inning, followed by further successes against Cabrera in the fourth inning, including a grand slam by Matt Chapman and a two-run homer by Casey Schmitt.
Manager Craig Counsell noted Cabrera’s challenging performance, stating, He made some bad pitches, and they ended up in the seats.
Although Cabrera allowed eight runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings, Hoyer emphasized the need for improvement, mentioning the home run issue as a major factor for quick scoring against the Cubs.
The offense only managed to score after the game was largely out of reach, going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The lineup on Friday fell short compared to its previous performance. Hoyer acknowledged the necessity of improvement from the current roster, although trade talks surfaced ahead of the deadline two months away.
The trade deadline seems quite distant given how we’ve played,
Hoyer noted, stressing the priority of better performance from position players to enhance team effectiveness.
Hoyer remains optimistic about the Cubs’ ability to play better moving forward, identifying enhanced play as crucial for improvement.
Andy Martinez is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.