The Cubs' losing ways continued on Tuesday with a blowout loss to the Pirates. It was never really a game, as the Pirates scored five runs in the first inning and went on to win 12-1.
Offensive Struggles Continue
During this 10-game losing streak, the offense has been painfully terrible at bringing baserunners home. The Cubs were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base while scoring just one run on Tuesday.
The offense is at full strength—Matt Shaw, a part-time player, is the only injury—but they've just stopped hitting as a group. Things are a total mess right now.
Injuries Take Their Toll
The rotation is also badly banged up, with Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera on the injured list. As such, Jordan Wicks was forced to make his first MLB start since 2024. He gave up eight runs on nine hits in 4 ⅓ innings.
A Season of Extremes
The Cubs are still above .500 at 29-26 and that's largely due to two separate 10-game winning streaks earlier this season. They started 7-9, then won 10 in a row, lost three in a row, won 10 straight and have gone 2-14 since the second winning streak.
The Cubs are only 9-26 outside of the two winning streaks. Those are the two longest winning streaks in baseball this season, as no other team has a winning streak of more than eight games.
This is the earliest in a season a team has ever pulled off what the Cubs have done. It's the most extreme sequencing we've ever seen before the calendar turns to June.
Historical Context
This is the first time since the 2017 Dodgers that a team has had two 10-game winning streaks and a 10-game losing streak in the same season.
The Cubs are now tied for the 13th-longest losing streak in Cubs history. This is the longest losing streak since they lost 12 straight twice in 2021. The Cubs started the 1997 season 0-14, and that 14-game losing streak remains the longest in franchise history.
The Cubs are now two losses away from the longest losing streak of the 2026 season, trailing only the Mets' 12-game losing streak.
Upcoming Matchup
On Wednesday, the Cubs send Jameson Taillon (2-4, 5.20 ERA) to the hill against Bubba Chandler (1-6, 4.79) of the Pirates.