Craig Counsell speaks a hard truth when it comes to Daniel Palencia, struggling Cubs bullpen

Every Chicago Cubs reliever who came into Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers allowed at least one run in the type of performance we've seen far too often of late. The Cubs squandered an early 3-0 advantage, dropping the game by a 9-4 final and falling out of the top wild-card spot in the process.

The wheels started coming off in the sixth when, after a leadoff single, William Contreras hit a ball hard to Matt Shaw, who closed his glove early, allowing the ball to richochet into shallow right field, giving Milwaukee two men on with nobody out. After Matthew Boyd retired Jake Bauers, Craig Counsell turned to Daniel Palencia in a big spot.

Before he even threw a pitch, Palencia allowed a run - courtesy of a balk. Andrew Vaughn then dug back in, hitting a fly ball down the right-field line that Seiya Suzuki failed to make a play on near the foul line and wall that was scored a double, tying the game 3-3. The next man up, Christian Yelich, then took Palencia deep for his tenth home run of the year, flipping the script and silencing a raucous Wrigley Field crowd.

Milwaukee added two more in the seventh and another pair in the eighth, taking advantage of a Cubs bullpen that has suddenly looked like a liability of late. Since Aug. 19, the Chicago bullpen has a 5.88 ERA - which ranks 26th in baseball during that two-week span. (Coincidentally, that just about perfectly aligns with when Dansby Swanson hit the IL). That has to change - and soon - if they want to be playing baseball in October.

Cubs fans desperately waiting for a bullpen savior could be waiting awhile

The truth staring Cubs fans in the face? The very same one Counsell laid out after the game: it's this group that has to deliver because there's nobody coming to save them.

“We’ve got to pitch better,” Counsell said. “There’s no question – we’ve got to pitch better. But, these are the guys, man. This is them, so we’ve got to help them get better and we’ve got to get outs."

Now, I know, you're probably thinking of Justin Steele, Shelby Miller and Jaxon Wiggins. But all three of those guys come with questions and can't be viewed as sure things. Edward Cabrera? Well, we all know how the season has gone for the right-hander, who made his first rehab appearance Tuesday at Triple-A Iowa.

Counsell and the Cubs need Palencia to be a key out-getter, regardless of when he's brought into a game. But they also need the guys that carried them all season to dial it in down the stretch and deliver some quality appearances in the home stretch.

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