Behind Samardzija Cubs fall to Brewers 4-3 after split series at Wrigley Field

Photo by Mike McGinnis- Getty Images

  Through just over 2 weeks the Cubs continue to show why they're still rebuilding at a 5-10 record.  Friday night to start up another road trip the subpar exhibition was no different.  With Jeff Samardzija going for his 4th start a turnaround looked to be in order.  That wasn't the case as he pitched 7 innings to give up 4 earned runs on 6 hits and a walk.  The two homeruns yielded hurt his chances of getting a win so he drops to 1-3 on the season.  There has to be a balance at a point where the Cubs can hang on long enough with effective starting pitching or decisive offense.  Last night the club hit 3 homeruns (DeJesus 2, Vilbuena 2, and Rizzo 5).  Still the efforts weren't enough to seal a victory. 

  For the past week Chicago has lost 4 games by only a run.  They split the series back at home against the Rangers after a postponed rainout before leaving for Milwaukee.  The offense is showing life again, but what a lousy waste of leads thrown away by the bullpen.  With Shawn Camp, Fukijawa (15-DL), or Marmol it's hard to tell what's going to be problematic with the game on the line.  Already the pen has came out shaky with no good reliablity.  Carlos Villanueva so far has the best ERA at 1.29.  The team needs to be moves made to get rid of some relievers and bench players in order for some darn good results. 

  The only main offensive attack guy now is Nate Schierholtz who is maintaining a surprise .988 OPS and a .326 batting average.  To not build on this is a mistake.  With limited run production the road schedule will only get more tough for the Cubs.  At best to utilize speed on the bases with several hit-and-runs can be the answer for a short while.  Since there is such little power in the lineup Chicago must play at smart, not have 10 or more LOB per game by being persistent with runners in scoring position when they manage such.  Coming up on the schedule as the Cubs try to avoid major letdowns and mediocrity are the Reds and the Marlins on the road.  The bats have to produce or else it's time to ship players away after they hit the showers.