CHICAGO _ Cubs manager Joe Maddon blew off some steam and got ejected in the second inning of a 9-5 loss to the Reds Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
To console himself, Maddon said he mixed in a workout while later enjoying some buttered raisin bread.
But that was as good as the day went for Maddon and the Cubs. They wasted four home runs and griped about what they perceived as home plate umpire Jerry Meals' inconsistent strike zone. Hence, Maddon's ejection.
The Cubs (52-31) now have lost five of their last six games as they recently are lacking any semblance of consistency with the All-Star break approaching.
One of the lone recent bright spots for the Cubs has been the resurgent power of shortstop Addison Russell, who led a comeback from a 5-0 deficit with a two-run homer to cap a four-run third. He then added a solo shot in the fifth that cut their deficit to 6-5.
The Cubs, however, couldn't overcome John Lackey's rocky start as they failed to push across the tying run in the sixth despite a promising opportunity.
David Ross led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second when pinch-hitter Jeimer Candelario was hit by a pitch.
Then, their execution faltered. Javier Baez, who ripped a home run off starting left-hander Brandon Finnegan in the third, spoke for several seconds with third base coach Gary Jones before stepping into the batter's box.
Baez failed on his first bunt attempt before popping out to reliever Raisel Iglesias on his second for the first out.
Ben Zobrist flied to left and Kris Bryant struck out to end the threat.
After the game, Maddon declined to assess blame for the futile bunt attempt.
"I'm so out of it," said Maddon, mentioning the long distance between the dugout and his clubhouse office. "We have no special phone service into the dugout.
"When I was a bench coach (with the Angels and) left in charge of the game, I never wanted to hear the manager in the tunnel. I hated it. Just let me do my thing. This is how I learn. I stay away from that. I didn't actually see it."
For his part, Lackey, walked three consecutive batters in the first and finished with a season-high five walks in six innings.
Lackey was perturbed that he walked Billy Hamilton to start a two-run rally, with Hamilton scoring from second on a passed ball and throwing error by Ross to a late-arriving Lackey covering home plate.
Lackey and Maddon, both were irritated by Meals' insistence that he didn't miss any calls. Ross took off his shin guard after a 3-0 pitch, only to learn later that the pitch was called a strike.
"It was a culmination of other calls that went against us recently at the plate, so it boiled over in that particular moment," Maddon said. "I haven't had a day off in a while, so I thought it was the appropriate time to do it.
"It's egregious. I only wanted to tell (Meals) that he blew it. I would have walked away. It happens to all of us. We all make bad calls, and if (he admits it), you just walk away. That was my argument."
