CI Recap (4/7/17) – Cubs 1, Brewers 2: Offense Stalls as Game Drags On

Remember when we thought a trip to Mill-e-wah-que, which is Algonquin for “The good land,” would work well? It still could, but this first sojourn north of the Cheddar Curtain was incredibly cheesy.

Whether it was the fallout from National Beer Day or the fact that the Cubs were essentially playing in front of a home crowd, something just wasn’t clicking. A Ben Zobrist solo shot in the 2nd inning was the only tally they managed on the evening and was one of only two total runs scored by both teams through more than 10 innings.

Kris Bryant nearly added a run in the 1st when he lofted one out to the wall in right. That shot was hauled in on the track, pushing him to 0-for-14 and giving him the record for most hitless at-bats for a defending MVP in the following season. The man he passed: Ryne Sandberg (0-for-13 in 1985).

This is one of those games you just need to forget, and not only because it lasted so long that you don’t remember what happened in the early innings. Brett Anderson pitched really well in his first Cubs outing, working his whole repertoire with confidence. If he can keep up anything close to the form and results he showed Friday night, he’ll be fine.

The bullpen was excellent too, though it could be argued that it could have been more so had Joe Maddon dipped into it further. Mike Montgomery started hot, working a nasty curve/fastball combo and setting it off with a beautiful changeup. But he faded hard and fast late, eventually loading the bases and allowing the winning run on a wild pitch.

Stats that matter

• Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts
• Kris Bryant collected an infield hit after an out that pushed him to 0-for-14
• Ben Zobrist was 1-for-4 with that homer
• Koji Uehara and Hector Rondon pitched a pair of perfect innings with three strikeouts

Bottom line

This loss sucked, but not because it really means anything in the grand scheme of things. No, this was more a matter of being disappointed and frustrated all the way through the game and then having it fall apart at the end. Suck it up, move on, and make April 7 the answer to a trivia question about when the Cubs were last at a .500 record.

On deck

The Cubs once again tangle with the Brewers at 6:10 CT as Kyle Hendricks gets his first start against Tommy Milone. CSN+ has the television broadcast and The Score will carry the radio call.