Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/26/24): Giants 4, Cubs 3 – Losing Ways Continue by Bay
The Cubs hit the halfway point of the 2024 season in a complete free-fall with their third straight loss against the Giants and their fourth consecutive overall on Wednesday. It was yet another one-run defeat featuring the exact same issues that have popped up repeatedly this year.
Chicago went ahead on rookie Hayden Birdsong in the top of the 2nd on an RBI single by Pete Crow-Armstrong but the lead would be very short-lived. Spot-starter Hayden Wesneski gave up three runs in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back homers from Michael Conforto and David Villar that put the home team on top 3-1.
PCA was running from first on a two-out single by Miguel Amaya in the 4th inning, coming all the way around to score and cut the margin to 3-2. Seiya Suzuki then cracked a 431-foot, game-tying solo shot to center off of Birdsong in the 5th.
Speed. PCA is speed.
Cubs within one! pic.twitter.com/PjV6gaxnbL
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 27, 2024
Drew Smyly took over for Wesneski in the bottom of the frame and, like clockwork, gave up a go-ahead homer to Luis Matos that put the Giants back on top 4-3. That was the final score, as the North Siders could not scratch out another tally the rest of the night. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Cubs had three runners thrown out on the bases Wednesday, which is just another symptom of a team that does all the little things wrong.
Why the Cubs Lost
The pitching did a decent job outside of the homers, so it was the inability to score enough runs that doomed them yet again in this one.
Stats That Matter
- Wesneski did well for the most part, but homers are an issue he has to address if he wants to really be effective: 4 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 7 K, and 1 BB.
- Crow-Armstrong showed the kind of mayhem he can create when he gets on base. His problem right now is just reaching to make that speed matter
- Christopher Morel got on four times including three walks. He should have had a double, but replay review ruled that Thairo Estrada shoving Morel’s hand off the base while making the tag was legal.
Bottom Line
The Cubs are now a season-high seven games under the .500 mark and show no signs of stopping their slide. Their record is almost identical to what it was at the halfway point of 2023 (38-43), but that team was starting to show flickers of life with a winning record in June. Any life appears to be draining out of this year’s version with every game. It would take some kind of miraculous infusion of energy to kickstart anything with this group and I don’t even know where that would come from.
On Deck
Chicago tries to salvage the final game of the series Thursday at 2:45pm CT. Shōta Imanaga takes on Jordan Hicks with broadcasts on MLB Network (out of market only), Marquee, and 670 The Score.
