The record shows that the Cubs went just 2-5 in their seven-game homestand at Wrigley Field, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Chicago actually scored opponents during those seven games, but lost a pair of series to the Tampa Bay Rays and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The homestand started off well for the Cubs as they won the first series against the Rays by a score of 4-2. Patrick Wisdom got the scoring started in that game with a two-run blast, and Frank Schwindel added some insurance with a late home run.
Tampa Bay got even in the series with a 6-5 win in the second game, and then blasted the Cubs by a score of 8-2 in a rain-shortened affair. Losing a series to the Rays wasn’t a surprise, but things turned bad in a hurry.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are supposed to provide relief for any MLB team, but they certainly gave the Cubs a tough challenge over this past weekend. Pittsburgh came into Wrigley Field and won three of four games from the Cubs, but two of those wins were by just one-run.
The only win for the Cubs came in the form of a 21-0 win on Saturday, and it was a game in which everything went almost perfectly. David Ross and his team would have gladly traded that 21-0 win for a couple of more victories against their division rivals.
There was plenty of optimism after the first week of the season, but this homestand appears to be a major cause for concern.
The Pitching Is A Problem
Pitching has become a major issue for the Chicago Cubs, especially when looking at the starting rotation. The Cubs came into this season with some concerns in the starting staff, but things have actually gone worse than predicted.
Marcus Stroman just continues to melt down at times, Justin Steele can’t throw strikes, and Wade Miley is still injured. The bullpen has actually saved the Cubs at times this season, but the starters just continue to put the Cubs in a hole.
If it wasn’t for the Cubs being one of the best offensive teams in baseball then they might already be buried in the standings.
Cubs Set Some Records in Rout
It’s not often that the Cubs beat an opponent by 21 runs, and it’s even more rare to see the final score being 21-0. In fact, the 21-0 win was the largest shutout win in franchise history, sliding just past the 20-0 win that took place back in 1886.
The previous record for the largest shutout win over Pittsburgh was just 11-0 and that was set over 100 years ago. The Cubs had 20 more hits than the Pirates in the blowout win and all of the starters had at least one hit in the game.
What was even more impressive is that the Cubs had just one home run in the win, and they did it all with singles and doubles.
