ATLANTA – Just when it seemed like the Cubs offense was steering back on course going into the final month of the season, their 4-1 loss Monday to the Braves capped a series of middling early-September performances.
Facing right-hander Bryce Elder for the second time in a week, they managed one hit in the first five innings, courtesy of Willi Castro, before finally loading the bases in the sixth – with no runs to show for it.
“You can’t just give the other team 15 outs in a game to start the game,” manager Craig Counsell said Monday night. “You’re putting yourselves against the wall, and heading into bullpens, and things like that. So not good enough offensively, that’s kind of the bottom line tonight.”
Did he see any common themes in his team’s at-bats those first five innings?
“Outs,” Counsell said.
The Cubs were still missing Kyle Tucker from the lineup, as he continued to work through the tight calf that’s sidelined him for five games. And Pete Crow-Armstrong was the designated hitter in his first game back since fouling a pitch off his knee Saturday. Having both of them healthy and in a groove at the plate is key to getting the offense rolling.
Monday, however, wasn’t the Cubs’ only offensive dud in recent weeks. While they’ve had offensive barrages like an 11-5 victory against the Nationals, an 11-7 win over the Rockies and a 12-1 rout of the Angels, they’ve also scored three or fewer runs in eight of their last 16 games.
“There’s no doubt that we have the pieces and talent and guys in the room to put up a lot of runs on any given night,” second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “And that consistency, it doesn’t come from a team meeting and the whole team committing to one thing. We do have different skill sets. But there is an intensity and competitiveness that we all feed off each other when it’s rolling. And we have a chance to do that [Tuesday].”
Counsell, when asked his confidence-level that the offense could get going again, spoke with a sense of urgency.
“We’ve got very good hitters that we’ve got to get back on track,” Counsell said. “And they will, they will. But it’s time to do it.”