CI Recap (5/14/17) – Cubs 0, Cardinals 5: Cubs Undone by Long Ball, Happ Gets Two Hits in Loss
It was a beautiful, warm day in St. Louis. Unfortunately, the Cubs were unable to enjoy it. Yadier Molina hit two home runs and Matt Carpenter added a two-run bomb of his own. Adam Wainwright went a season-high seven innings and completely shut down the Cubs lineup. It was a dismal end to a less than stellar road trip that ended with a 2-4 record for the Cubs.
Jake Arrieta had another hard day today. He was pounding the strike zone — throwing 60 of 85 total pitches for strikes — but he could never get into a rhythm after giving up a home run in both the 2nd and 3rd innings. He allowed baserunners in every inning except the 1st.
The offense had their own struggles. The leadoff man for the Cubs reached base in three straight innings — the 2nd, 3rd and 4th — but they failed to score a single run. Adam Wainwright entered today’s game with a 6.37 ERA and proceeded to throw seven innings of four-hit baseball.
On the bright side, Ian Happ collected two hits, one of which was a double down the left field line. So far, he’s looked very good at the plate since being called up on Saturday.
Stats that Matter
- Jake struggled, again – 6.0IP, 7H, 4R, 1BB, 5Ks, 2HRs
- The Cubs offense was dumbfounded by Wainwright – 0R, 4H, 4BB
- Ian Happ had a nice day at the plate – 2-for-4, double
Bottom Line
The Cubs are in a major funk right now, as they have been all May, and currently sit below .500 with an 18-19 record. There’s always room for optimism in May, particularly with a team as talented as these Cubs. But the questions will continue to grow if they can’t pick things up heading into June. Hopefully Joe Maddon has some tricks up his sleeve to get things going in the right direction.
On Deck
Tomorrow is on off-day for the Cubs as they travel back to Chicago. On Tuesday they start a ten-game homestand as they line up against the Cincinnati Reds at 7:05 CDT. John Lackey will take the mound for the Cubs. The game will be broadcast on CSN Chicago.
