It is easy and obvious to say that today’s game was the perfect conclusion to an atrocious first half for the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs.
Is it accurate?
Well, the Cubs haven’t been *this* bad the whole first half … but, relative to expectations, they’ve been abysmal. In that way, today felt just about right.
Jon Lester allowed 10 runs – with some defensive assists behind him – before he’d departed the game without finishing the first inning, capped off by back-to-back homers by Francisco Cervelli and Andrew McCutchen, the first of which was a grand slam.
There was no miracle comeback in the cards from there, and the Cubs will sleepwalk into the break two games under .500 in a season for which the predictions would have had them some 10 to 15 games better than that.
The Cubs clearly wanted and needed a break, and now they’ve got it. Will it matter?