Nope. It’s not deja vu.
It’s September and the Cubs’ offense has looked eerily similar to the group that struggled to put runs on the board in each of the last three seasons.
The Cubs’ offensive woes came to a head in Thursday’s 7-0 loss to the last-place Pirates as they could muster just two hits against Pittsburgh pitching, dropping three of four games to the Bucs.
They scored eight runs over the four games against the Pirates with five of those runs coming in Monday’s 5-0 win. It’s the fifth time in the last seven games the Cubs have scored one or fewer runs in a game.
The Cubs were held hitless by Pirates starter Chad Kuhl until Anthony Rizzo’s one-out double in the sixth inning.
“I think where we can improve as I look back is just commanding the strike zone,” manager David Ross said before Thursday’s loss. “I think we’ve gotten in a situation where you’re trying to search for hits and search for contact.
“When you’re struggling, and you really want to get hits, taking a step back and re-learning the strike zone command, commanding the strike zone and making the opposing pitcher throw it in there into your plan within that box that is defined as the strike zone is where we can get back to.”
Happ gets a breather to tend to sore ankle
Center fielder Ian Happ got the day off in Thursday’s series finale against the Pirates with Rizzo taking over the lead-off duties. The Cubs’ lead-off man is dealing with a sore ankle, he sustained in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss.
The day off should also serve as a mental rest day for Happ, who has struggled in September after being the Cubs’ best hitter for the majority of the season.
Happ leads the team with 12 homers and is second on the team in OPS in 55 games this season, but has .207/.278/.366 with three homers this month.
“[He] may be underneath the ball,” Ross said. “I don’t know if that’s it. His legs may not be underneath him. [He] may be tired. Maybe it’s just again, timing.”
Ross has high praise for eventual World Series Champion
The Cubs’ skipper made headlines before the shortened season after his outlook on the 60-game season saying, “If they’re passing out a trophy, I want it.” Ross hopes it’s his team hoisting the trophy, but thinks whoever wins the World Series this season should have a lot to celebrate.
“I’m not a historian, per se for baseball. I kind of live in the moment, but I definitely think, whoever wins the World Series this year, this is the hardest,“ Ross said. “I’m a first-year manager, so I have zero background on this other than just talking to other managers and listening around.
“This is the hardest baseball season I think anybody’s ever really had to go through from what I’m hearing from other people and the protocols and the issues that these guys have had to deal with. Whoever wins the World Series this year should be extremely proud of overcoming adversity.”
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