MILWAUKEE — When things are going well, everything seems easy. But when things are not going well, everything becomes a challenge. The Cubs have found themselves in the latter category over the last month and Wednesday’s series finale against the Brewers was no different.
The Cubs have been in the midst of a month-long tail spin and in their final game of June, they officially hit rock bottom. Not only did Wednesday’s 14-7 loss to the Brewers give Milwaukee a sweep and push their deficit in the division to six games, but also handed the Cubs what was easily their worst loss of the season.
Manager David Ross had said repeatedly that this week’s series against the Brewers didn’t define their season, but after the way the series went, Wednesday’s meltdown felt like a culmination of the last month.
After draining losses to the NL Central-leading Brewers on Monday and Tuesday, it looked like the Cubs would be on their way to an easy victory. The offense that had struggled to find that big hit all series came through in the first inning, turning Brewers starter Aaron Ashby’s major-league debut into a nightmare.
They got hits from Willson Contreras, Javy Baez, Eric Sogard and two hits by Patrick Wisdom, along with three walks and two stolen bases, leading to seven runs and giving them a comfortable 7-0 first-inning lead.
But that was the last positive in the game for the Cubs as things would quickly spiral out of control.
Starter Jake Arrieta struggled in the backend of the first half and after being spotted with a 7-0 lead, those struggles reappeared. The lead quickly evaporated as he allowed a run in the first inning before the Brewers scored five in the second, chasing Arrieta from the game after just 1 2/3 innings and closing his month of June with a 8.31 ERA.
Holding onto a 7-6 lead by a thread, the Cubs once-large lead was gone in a flash as Jace Pederson’s two-run single in the fourth inning gave Milwaukee an 8-7 lead. They’d never trail again.
Not only did the Brewers go on to score eight runs in the inning, but after the Cubs’ 7-0 first inning, they scored 15 unanswered runs. It’s just the second time in 50 seasons a team has scored seven runs in the first inning and lost by 7+ runs.
