The Chicago Cubs continue to be stuck in an offensive slump that has seen the club score three or fewer runs in 10 of its past 16 games.
The Cubs will attempt to break out of the pattern on Wednesday night in the middle contest of a three-game series against the Athletics in Chicago.
The Cubs were 13 games over .500 in mid-May but have since dropped 13 of 16 games, including a 10-game slide, and stand just a half-game ahead of the last-place Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central.
Chicago had just four hits as it dropped the opener 2-1 on Tuesday. The Cubs were handcuffed by Athletics left-hander Gage Jump, who gave up one run and three over seven innings.
Jump, making his second big league start, retired the final 14 batters he faced.
“There’s still a lot of time left,” Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said of the team’s struggles. “But, again, you don’t want to fall into a trap of getting too comfortable. And when stuff isn’t going very well, there comes a time where you do want to turn it around. And it kind of has to.”
A homer by Nick Kurtz and a run-scoring single by Zack Gelof gave the Athletics the runs they needed. Kurtz’s homered was the 20th allowed this season by Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon, who gave up two runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings.
“That’s a good start,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “You get in a 2-1 game and every play feels like it matters. Of course you want something back, but Jamo pitched well. He got us to the seventh inning with two runs on the board. I think that’s a start we need to produce more runs to win that game.”
Chicago’s lone run scored on Alex Bregman’s first-inning groundout.
The Athletics also have been slumping, and Monday’s victory was just their third in the past 10 games.
Kurtz homered for the third time in four games and is 7-for-14 with five RBIs and five runs during the stretch. His solo blast Monday went the opposite way to left-center despite the wind blowing in.
“I thought I hit it further out than it went,” Kurtz said. “I guess I hit it low enough where the win didn’t affect it too much.”
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay was impressed with Kurtz’s strength.
“I don’t think the wind matters to Nick when he hits it,” Kotsay said. “It’s pretty impressive that he can hit a ball the opposite field and you know when it leaves the bat that it’s a homer.”
Kurtz is coming off a stellar May in which he batted .333 with a 1.025 OPS. He hit five homers and led the majors with 26 RBIs.
Right-hander Colin Rea (5-3, 4.70 ERA) starts for the Cubs on Wednesday.
Rea, 35, defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates last Thursday when he gave up two runs and four hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Rea is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in two appearances (one start) against the Athletics. Brent Rooker is 3-for-5 with a homer off Rea.
The A’s will start left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.07), who has dropped four straight starts and is 0-6 over his last eight outings.
Springs, 33, lost to the Seattle Mariners on May 27 when he allowed five runs (two earned) and six hits over five innings.
Springs is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in four appearances (one start) against the Cubs.
Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki (1-for-1) hit a three-run homer off Springs last season. Ian Happ is 3-for-4 and Michael Conforto is 3-for-5 with three doubles.
–Field Level Media
