Kyle Hendricks' performance Tuesday night mirrored the fortunes of the Cubs' eroding season: Plenty of promise, only to deteriorate gradually and eventually sink into an abyss.
Hendricks threw 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball Tuesday, only to allow five consecutive hits to open the seventh. And that was compounded by two errors that led to seven runs and cap one of the Cubs' most humiliating endings in a 9-2 loss to the Pirates before 9,989 at PNC Park.
The Cubs' tragic number for elimination from postseason play is one _ either a Brewers win or a Cubs loss _ following their season-high seven-game losing streak.
The Cubs' five errors were the most they had committed since logging six in a loss to the Braves on April 1. The miscues increased their season total to 114, second only to the Pirates' 116.
The Cubs (82-75) were in first place in the National League Central as recently as Aug. 22 and trailed the Cardinals by only two games entering play on Sept. 25.
