HOUSTON _ Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward were out of the Cubs' lineup Monday at possibly the worst time.
That's because the Cubs offense went five innings without scoring after Anthony Rizzo's two-run home run in the first, as they struck out 12 times against nemesis Gerrit Cole.
Solo home runs by Albert Almora Jr. and Addison Russell in the ninth off closer Roberto Osuna weren't enough in a 6-5 loss to the Astros before a sellout crowd of 42,135 fans at Minute Maid Park.
The Cubs put the tying run on first with one out in the ninth, but Kyle Schwarber struck out and Javier Baez struck out for the fifth time.
Bryant was evaluated by a doctor before the game, one day after colliding with center fielder Jason Heyward. Bryant wasn't placed in concussion protocol, and manager Joe Maddon said he could return in a day or two in a best-case scenario.
Heyward experienced soreness above his right hip as a residual effect of his collision with Bryant.
To compound the matter, left-hander Mike Montgomery was pulled as he was ready to warm up after relieving Cole Hamels to start the fifth.
Trainer PJ Mainville examined Montgomery's pitching hand before he was pulled, and the Cubs announced later that Montgomery felt discomfort in his left middle finger.
After Rizzo's two-run home run landed in the upper deck in right field, Cole retired the next eight batters _ five on strikeouts. Cole limited the Cubs to three hits while walking one in a six-inning, 99-pitch performance.
Cole improved to 10-3 with a 2.53 ERA with 115 strikeouts in 96 innings against the Cubs covering 15 starts dating to his days with the Pirates.
Meanwhile, the first four batters in the bottom of the third reached safely against Hamels, who was tagged for nine hits in four innings in his last start against the Phillies.
Yuli Gurriel hit a shoe-level pitch into shallow left field to score Alex Bregman, and Robinson Chirinos followed with an RBI double off the left-field wall. Jack Mayfield, who hit a double in his first major league at-bat in the second, grounded to third to score Gurriel.
Derek Fisher followed with an RBI single that eluded Rizzo and second baseman Daniel Descalso, and Jake Marisnick's grounder to second scored Tyler White.
Hamels has allowed nine runs on 16 hits in eight innings covering his past two starts.
An error by Gurriel at third set up the Cubs' run in the seventh off former teammate Hector Rondon.
