Well, that was a pretty crummy loss, piled on top of a really disappointing week of baseball.
Jake Arrieta was decent on a tough day to pitch, when you really look at it. Yes, he gave up some fly balls, which is a bad idea when the wind is howling out, but the Royals have a legitimately strong lineup. I just didn’t feel bad about his outing.
I did, however, feel bad about Pedro Strop’s outing, and, although he didn’t single-handedly lose the game and wasn’t helped by a Dexter Fowler drop in center field after he departed, he seemed to have almost no command of his pitches today. In a tight game against a good team, that can be enough to sink you late. Boy, this Cubs bullpen, eh? It’s a pretty serious problem.
Offensively, I’m trying to tell myself to be more heartened by their nice comeback than the late implosion. It was good to see Jorge Soler finally unload on a ball, and Addison Russell continues to impress.
But, yeah, there’s no salvaging this one. Have yourself a beer or 20.