No Sunshine for Band of Cubs in KC

The Cubs have won the series opener in each of the last five sets, but they have come away with the series win once, that being against the Brewers. Randy Wells was not able to help change that Sunday afternoon. In fact, the Cubs have only won on a Sunday once all season long.

Wells put the Cubs in the hole early, giving up give straight hits to start the game. He issued a walk on top of that for good measure and the Royals ended up scoring four in the first frame. Geo Soto got the scoring started with a solo homer to left field in the top of the third, giving him homers in back to back games. Hopefully it is a sign that Soto is getting back on track, as he looked clueless with four strikeouts in his two games against the White Sox last week.

Soto followed up with a RBI double an inning later, and that came after Blake DeWitt singled to drive in Reed Johnson. This two out rally was started by a Johnson double. Both DeWitt and Johnson continue to keep their decent trade value afloat, even though Johnson struck out three times yesterday. But Wells was not able to hold off the Royals from answering right back, giving those two runs right back to the home team in the bottom of the fourth.

Despite giving up six runs, Wells was able to gut it out through six innings before being lifted after giving up a lead off single in the seventh inning. James Russell shut down the Royals in his inning of work, and Chris Carpenter also had a scoreless frame despite giving up three hits and a walk in his inning of work. Unfortunately for the Cubs, the Royals pitching staff kept them off the scoreboard from the fifth inning on, and the Cubs lost again.

Chicago has already matched the 16 monthly loss total that they achieved in May with four games left in the month of June. Jim Hendry’s recent public comments that the Cubs can turn it around in the second half are looking more like a public relations attempt to keep some fans coming to Wrigley or to try to send a signal to buying teams at the trade deadline that Hendry will not be conducting a fire sale for low level prospects.