The Chicago Cubs got a couple of their best players back from injury, but the offensive woes have continued.
Chicago Cubs can't win even with return of Bryant
It was just a few days ago that the team thought it might finally be turning the corner. Trailing going into the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals, the squad managed to score three and end the series against the Nats with a victory.
After they managed to pull off that win, the Cubs talked like they thought the come from behind victory was the turning point in the season. The team talked as though Chicago had finally figured out how to win the tough ones and they were going to go on the kind of run we saw a year ago.
Since that game, the Cubs haven't won a game. Instead, they've been manhandled by a Cincinnati Reds team that is currently dead last in the Nl Central. Today, there was yet another reason to be hopeful, because the lineup saw the return of both Kris Bryan and Ben Zobrist.
Bryant had missed a few games with a sprained ankle. When he suffered the injury there were some Cubs fans who wondered if it wasn't the beginning of the end of the season. His quick return to Chicago should have made people feel better. While he had a hit in his return, he couldn't lead his team to a victory, as they lost 5-3 on Saturday night.
Chicago Cubs are sinking fast
While the defending World Series champions are now a game below .500, the St.
Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers are both getting hot. The Brewers have managed to take a three-game lead on the Cubs while the Cards are now just a half-game behind them.
While the NL Central is a race that isn't going to be decided anytime soon, any ground lost could be the deciding loss. The Cubs certainly know they need to find a way to win more games over the next few weeks.
The problem is Chicago likely felt as though the series against the Cincinnati Reds was one they could come out and dominate.
Even more frustrating for the team on Saturday night was that they took a 3-0 lead against a pitcher that was making his Major League Debut. After that 3-0 lead, the Cubs stopped scoring altogether. A few innings later, Chicago surrendered the lead and the Reds never looked back.
It's a safe bet the Cubs are going to be looking back at the last few days and wondering what has happened to their offense. The good feelings have evaporated as the team once again has to try and figure out a winning formula.
The Chicago Cubs are watching time run out on the season while they try and figure things out.
