Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/7/24): Yankees 2, Cubs 0 – Second Consecutive Shutout as Offense Stalls
The Cubs’ offensive issues against the Yankees continued at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. Chicago was shut out for the second consecutive game and third time in their last four as their playoff chances ebbed away.
New York took an immediate lead on Javier Assad via an RBI groundout by catcher Austin Wells. The North Siders couldn’t figure out starter Clarke Schmidt and the score remained 1-0 into the 6th.
A throwing error by Cubs backstop Christian Bethancourt on a double steal attempt provided the Yanks with an insurance run in the 6th. Lefty reliever Nestor Cortes replaced Schmidt in the 5th and went the rest of the way, walking only one batter as he secured the 2-0 victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Cubs had two runners caught stealing second base Saturday, which definitely did not help their efforts to manufacture any kind of offense.
Why the Cubs Lost
Just a complete lack of any kind of scoring this entire series.
Stats That Matter
- Assad did very well but got absolutely no support from his teammates: 5.2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 5 K, and 3 BB.
- Ian Happ was the only Cub to reach base twice Saturday with a walk and a single.
Bottom Line
Consistency has been a major problem for the Cubs lineup all season long. They can be explosive at times but fall into prolonged slumps far too often to be consistently good. Avoiding these ice-cold hitting stretches is something that’s going to have to be a priority going into 2025 if they want to make a playoff run.
On Deck
The Cubs try to escape a sweep Sunday at 1:20pm CT. Former teammates Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole face off in a game airing on Marquee and 670 The Score.