Cubs Movin’ On (In Style) After Tough Series Against Cardinals

The Chicago Cubs offense was kept at bay in Wednesday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. In fact, the Cardinals managed to keep the top offense in baseball completely under control the entire three-game series.

It’s confounding to watch an offense as laden with talent as the Cubs score seven runs over three games, particularly since they’d been averaging almost 5.5 runs per game before this series.

Cubs drop the final game of the series 7-2 (Box Score).

Jake Arrieta (11-2, 1.74 ERA) was mostly good, for his part. He gave up a couple early extra base hits but managed to get out of the few jams he found himself in. His control was the main problem, as he walked a season high four batters in the game and gave up two runs in the fifth inning on two walks, a single and a throwing error by Ben Zobrist. That was all for Jake, as he’d reached 106 pitches thrown and would be replaced by Justin Grimm in the sixth inning.

The Cardinals offense then feasted on Grimm and Carl Edwards, Jr., who came in to relieve Grimm, scoring five more runs on five hits. It got real ugly, real fast once Jake departed.

The highlight of the game for the Cubs was Willson Contreras’ two-run home run, his second of his short major league career, in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was a basket shot to left center field and at least gave the fans something to cheer about in an otherwise forgettable game.

Willson came on in the sixth inning to replace Miguel Montero, who left the game with a sore right knee after a collision at home plate with a sliding Brandon Moss, who scored on the play. According to a report by Carrie Muskat, Montero is not expected to miss any time due to the injury

Stats that mattered

• Jake had control problems and threw a lot of pitches, too many – 5IP, 4H, 2R, 4BB, 6Ks, 106 pitches
• Three hits. Three walks. That was all the offense the Cubs could muster.
• The Cubs bullpen was ineffective – 4IP, 5R, 5H, 1BB, 6Ks

Bottom line

The Cubs were bound to get swept in a series this year and it will most assuredly happen again this season. That’s just baseball in the major leagues. But the question I have, that I’m sure most of you do too, is why on earth did it have to happen against the Cardinals and at Wrigley Field. I guess it wouldn’t be a rivalry without them getting in their punches against the Cubs. Time to move on…in style, no less.

#Cubs pic.twitter.com/rIEM7Mixvf

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) June 22, 2016

Next up

The Cubs will get no rest as they travel to Miami to take on the Marlins in a four-game set beginning at 6:10 PM CDT on Thursday. Jon Lester (9-3, 2.06 ERA) will get the ball for the Cubs as they look to put an end to their three-game skid.