On Tuesday afternoon, Cubs manager Craig Counsell wanted to avoid getting into a broad discussion about his team’s season during his customary pregame press conference. Counsell noted that Chicago still had six weeks remaining in their schedule to attempt, however unlikely, to get back into the postseason picture.
Counsell stated, “The roller coaster still has a lot of ups and downs left for the season.” That still needs to take place. There are still going to be highs and lows. That is how baseball seasons operate, whether it be on a nightly or series basis. There were two games remaining in Cleveland at the time of those remarks. On Wednesday night, the Guardians defeated the Cubs 6-1 to complete a three-game series sweep at Progressive Field. For a series that offered the North Siders an opportunity to prove themselves against a ballclub worthy of October, it was the worst-case situation.
The Cubs had the second-most wins in the National League going back to July 4th when they arrived in Cleveland with a 20–12 record. Once more, the offensive was in full swing. The pitching was excellent. The defense was flawless. Furthermore, Chicago was encouraging some people to think that a late-season run would be feasible.
The Guardians slapped us with reality.
On Monday night, the Cubs overcame an 8-3 deficit to win 9-8, but Cleveland held on. The two sides played a closely contested match on Tuesday, with Chicago losing 2-1 in the end. The Cubs lineup was quiet in the game’s conclusion, which highlighted starter Jameson Taillon’s stat line of four runs in six innings. Following Wednesday’s loss, Counsell expressed disappointment. “I felt that the first two days we played two really solid games. We didn’t perform well offensively today, in my opinion. It is regrettable that we did not do more today.
Without a doubt, that baseball squad is good. Right now, they have the best record in all of baseball. However, being swept is undesirable. According to Fangraphs, the Cubs’ 30-game run before the Cleveland series increased the team’s chances of making the playoffs from 4.9% on July 3 to 9.4%. They were nine games below.500 for the season at that time in the calendar (39-48). Before playing the Guardians, Chicago also reduced its deficit in the NL Wild Card standings to just three games. With the outcome of the Braves-Giants game on Wednesday night, the Cubs’ three-game drubbing at the hands of Cleveland has dropped them to five and a half games behind the third NL Wild Card slot.
