The Chicago Cubs are reeling after losing five of their last six games and watching their division lead shrink from 6.5 games to 2.5 games in a week. Tuesday night’s 8-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals was yet another frustrating loss and it was highlighted by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad game.
The Cardinals stormed back from an early 5-2 deficit, scoring four times in the fourth inning to take an 8-5 lead. Masyn Winn, who hit a two-run homer in the third, doubled to drive in two more runs in the fourth and then he scored from second base on a sac-fly to center.
That’s where PCA’s awful night began. The center fielder forgot how many outs there were in the inning. When he caught Alec Burleson fly ball Crow-Armstrong casually started to jog back in, thinking that was the third out. It wasn’t and Winn raced around third base to score.
No excuse for that. Cannot lose track of outs. Then, Crow-Armstrong’s night got worse.
Nico Hoerner hit a two-run homer in the sixth, getting the Cubs within one run of the Cardinals. In the seventh inning Crow-Armstrong stepped up to the plate with runners at first and second. With only one out in the inning all PCA had to do was get a fly ball to at least medium depth in the outfield or pretty much any contact would have tied the game because he’s very hard to double up on a ground ball.
Well, instead Crow-Armstrong attempted to bunt for a base hit and well…it didn’t work.
He’s facing a lefty and maybe didn’t feel comfortable there, but what a terrible decision that turned out to be.
After the game PCA owned up to his awful night.
PCA is obviously getting all the attention following the loss, but the starting pitching was awful again as Jameson Taillon gave up all eight runs. That’s the second game in a row the Cubs’ starter has been crushed for eight runs. Taillon has allowed 13 runs in his last two games combined and has not gone beyond four innings in either start.
Oh and by the way Dansby Swanson was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position Tuesday night. Going back to May 24, the Cubs shortstop is 2-for-29 batting w/RISP. Maybe stop putting him in the middle of the lineup, Craig.
