While it is technically not impossible for a team to go 162-0 during the regular season, it’s about as nearly impossible as anything. In 1916, the New York Giants (baseball) won 26 games in a row. That’s as close as anyone has come. The Chicago Cubs came into Monday night winning six straight. But that was as far as the road would take them.
The offense cooled off, pushing just three runs across home plate and generating just six hits. Jameson Taillon pitched seven strong innings, giving up just three hits and not allowing a run. However, Jorge Lopez allowed four runs in the eighth, including two home runs, and that was all she wrote. The Cubs lost 5-3, their first loss in a week.
Not all was bad, though. Shortstop Dansby Swanson continued his hot streak by putting a ball over the left-center field wall for his 13th home run of the year. He and outfielder Ian Happ registered multi-hit nights, the only Cubs to do so, and were responsible for all three runs batted in. It should have been enough to win. Lopez just had an off night.
After giving the game to the Pirates, the loss felt sour. The momentum built from a blistering hot August left some thinking about how Monday night’s collapse of the bullpen felt eerily similar to when things fell apart earlier in the year. Nonetheless, the Cubs are still just 3.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves, who hold the final ticket to the playoffs.
But the narrative changed after the game. The Cubs made an announcement that not only impacts Tuesday night’s plans but potentially the outlook of their 2024 season.
During his postgame meeting with the media, Cubs Manager Craig Counsell revealed they are scratching Justin Steele from his start on Tuesday night. Steele is experiencing some elbow soreness. Kyle Hendricks will make a start in his place.
During last week’s winning streak, Hendricks started against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. He did not make it out of the second inning, giving up six runs on eight hits. Luckily, the Cubs were able to claw their way back and shock the Pirates in the late innings to win.
It’s been a rough season for Hendricks. He holds a 3-10 record with a 6.75 earned run average. He will be going up against the best the Pirates have to offer, Paul Skenes. This will be his fourth start against the Cubs, the most of any other opponent. He holds a 3.00 ERA and a 1-0 record.
We don’t know much about Steele other than that he has been scratched because of elbow soreness. It could just be a little sore, and he’ll be back after one skip in the rotation. Or, it could be much worse than that. If you recall, the Cubs trainers visited Steele on the mound in the fifth inning of his last start. Nothing came out of the meeting, and Steele finished his inning cleanly. Whether this is related to that is unknown.
The Cubs have not elaborated on a plan to do any further testing on Steele’s elbow. President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer said it’s an obvious concern, but there is still no information at this time. In the long term, you’d have to believe Steele represents a vital part of the Cubs’ plans to compete well beyond 2024. Expect them to take maximum caution when approaching this developing situation.
