Chicago Cubs: Series sweep leaves bad taste in fans’ mouths

Coming off a homestand in which the club won seven of nine, things looked promising for the Chicago Cubs. That stretch represented, perhaps, one of the strongest runs of the year for the team, which took over first place in the process, as well.

So, for obvious reasons, expectations were high amongst fans entering this weekend’s showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A rematch from last year’s National League Championship Series, the set had a lot of hype on both sides.

Instead of three days of quality baseball, though, the Cubs’ offense fell flat on its face for the most part.

Sure, it was nice to see the team get to Kershaw (4 ER, 11 H in 4 1/3 IP). But, as Mooney noted above, apart from the Dodgers’ lefty, the Cubs were clueless at the dish all weekend. And, right on-cue, Chicago baseball fans are back in full-blown panic mode as the team enters Memorial Day at 25-24.

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Make no mistake. The club, and its manager, are well-aware of the struggles.

"“Oh, please, let them freak out,” Maddon told Mooney after his team’s loss Sunday. “If you want to freak out, freak out.”"

Unlike last year’s club, the offense is yet to find its stride. Apart from Kris Bryant, most of the Chicago hitters have been hit-or-miss over the first two months of the 2017 season.

"“The best explanation I can offer is that we’re hitting young,” Maddon said. “You look at the end of last season and how well a lot of the guys that are struggling right now performed under those circumstances. I believe we’re going to come back and do that."

More Cubs News

‘Cubs drop Sunday slugfest to Los Angeles’ – MLB.com

‘Looking back on moving past Shark in Chicago’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Gonzalez takes no-no into seventh inning’ – Southside Showdown

‘Memorial Day has special meaning for Cubs’ Edwards Jr.’ – CSN Chicago

‘Cubs’ Bryant will win another MVP award in 2017′ – Cubbies Crib

Next: Cubs' Rizzo better than his average looks so far

What’s Next

Chicago (25-24) heads south down to San Diego (19-33) with a big opportunity at-hand. The Padres represent a very beatable club that may give the Cubs a chance to get back on-track after a disappointing weekend against the Dodgers.