I would say that the Cubs’ bats had an off night, but that would be untrue, or at least incomplete, in a few ways.
For one thing, the Cubs did manage to have several scoring opportunities in this game, but failed to come through in any of them. So, that’s technically a mixed bag.
For another thing, having a no-offense night right now isn’t entirely “off” for the Cubs lately, as a few guys are slumping, a few guys are consistently soft spots in the lineup, and a couple guys are hurt.
For still another thing, the Brewers threw out their best pitching at the Cubs tonight, so I suppose they deserve a little credit.
But none of that makes you feel better about the Cubs playing a reasonably meaningful game in mid-September and putting up a goose egg.
At least on the bright side, John Lackey was really good again, allowing only a meatball homer to Ryan Braun in the first inning. That was it for the scoring in the entire game, which breezed by in annoying fashion.
On to tomorrow, where the mantra of the series continues to be: just don’t get swept.