Chicago Cubs' recent struggle in multiple areas, beat writer says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Cubs will host the White Sox in the Crosstown Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday.
While the Sox have had their strugglesthis season, the Cubs have also had a rough go, coming off losing a series to the last-place Cincinnati Reds.
CBS 2 Sports Director Marshall Harris spoke with Chicago Tribune beat reporter Meghan Montemurro about what's going wrong on the North Side.
Montemurro: "Yeah and I think it's the way they've been playing. It's not just one facet of their game. I mean, they haven't been playing well defensively. They, coming into today, were leading the league in outs on the bases. They're not hitting with runners in scoring position. The bullpen has been used a lot and certain guys, they're being tested and they're not holding up as well. I mean, really, starting pitching is kind of the only area that has been pretty consistent through the first two months and so yeah I think if you're the Cubs, you're frustrated with how things are going, because it's not just one thing where you're like, 'If we solve this, we're gonna start winning games.' And so I think that is troubling."
Harris: "Health was kind of the reason why things looked like they were going poorly for a while, but now they look like they have their guys back and healthy. How do you explain what you're seeing right now at the plate for the Cubs?"
Montemurro: "Yeah I think it's a mix of things. Like some guys are unlucky. You talked about Christopher Morel, Dansby Swanson. You look at some of their expected numbers, they're hitting into some back luck, but the fact is, like, these guys have to produce and they know it. I think especially with runners in scoring position, sometimes guys might try and do too much. You wanna be the guy that comes through in those moments. But I definitely think, yeah it's concerning. Obviously a good sign [was] Seiya Suzuki with the grand slam on Saturday night. You hope that gets him going. Ian Happ has looked a lot better over the last two weeks. Like you just need some guys to get hot in the lineup and hope that starts things because, yeah, it's kind of bleak right now."
Pitcher Shota Imanaga will take the hill for the Cubs against Chris Flexen for the White Sox. Imanaga is coming off of his first loss of the season.