The Chicago Cubs suffered another 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, marking their second consecutive loss to Pittsburgh this MLB season. MLB SEASON.
Chicago Offense Disappoints
Despite a standout performance by starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who allowed five hits and two runs in five innings while recording five strikeouts, the Cubs offense failed to support. Hendricks' performance was remarkable, especially considering the quality of the opposing pitcher.
Throughout the game, the Cubs showed serious hitting difficulties, managing only five hits, all singles, and failing to score runs. The offensive deficiencies became evident when 18 of the Cubs' last 19 batters were retired after the third inning, with only Ian Happ getting a single in the seventh inning.
Early opportunities were squandered, with the Cubs leaving the bases loaded twice. In the first inning, Seiya Suzuki singled, and Cody Bellinger and Isaac Paredes got bases on balls to fill the bases, but Nico Hoerner ended the inning with a scoreless force play.
The Cubs loaded the bases again in the second inning with two outs, after singles by Dansby Swanson and Christian Bethancourt, and a base on balls to Michael Busch. However, Suzuki connected on a hit back to the pitcher, and once again, the Cubs failed to score.
In the top of the second inning, the Pirates threatened to score by putting two runners on base with two outs, but Hendricks managed to get out without allowing a run. The Pirates took the lead in the third inning by scoring two runs on three hits and a sacrifice, putting the Cubs at a 2-0 deficit.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a particularly difficult game, striking out four times, including twice against Pirates ace Paul Skenes and twice against Pirates relievers, highlighting the Cubs' struggles against Pittsburgh pitching.
Offensive Drought Dominates Chicago Game
After the third inning, the Cubs offense faded, failing to generate any meaningful offense and leaving a total of eight runners on base in the first three innings alone. Cubs reliever Tyson Miller compounded the team's problems by allowing a three-run home run to Jared Triolo in the seventh inning, extending the Pirates' lead to 5-0.
This was Miller's second poor performance in his last three appearances, despite having been an effective pitcher earlier in the season.
The Cubs' struggles have been pronounced this season, with the team being blanked 13 times, the most since they were blanked 16 times in 2014.
This represents a significant increase from the previous two seasons, where the Cubs were blanked eight times in 2022 and 12 times in 2021. From 2015 through 2023, the team averaged 8.8 shutout games per season.
Shutout in Chi-town.#RaiseIt pic.twitter.com/5JyzJhG4L2
- Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 4, 2024
Consequences of the Result
The loss also hurt the playoff hopes of the Cubs, who fell 4½ games behind the Atlanta Braves, who won their game on Tuesday, as did the Mets. With 23 games remaining in the season, the Cubs need to secure wins right away to stay competitive in the race.
To achieve a successful 4-2 homestand, which is crucial to their playoff aspirations, the Cubs must not only win the final game against the Pirates, but also sweep the New York Yankees in their next series, a challenging but necessary task.
The Cubs have a potential advantage in the series finale game against the Pirates with Shōta Imanaga, a reliable starter for the Cubs who has a 19-6 record in games he has started this season. Domingo German is scheduled to start for the Pirates in the game, which is scheduled for 6:40 PM CT.
