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On their current road trip, the Chicago Cubs have lost four games by one run with the latest loss being a 2-1 defeat against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.
The Cubs have struggled with runners in scoring position during their road trip against the Miami Marlins and Nationals and the ninth inning of Wednesday's loss added more fuel to fire for fans calling for veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer to be replaced on the roster by either Christopher Morel or Matt Mervis.
After the first two hitters of the ninth inning reached base successfully for the Cubs, Hosmer, who was serving as the team's designated hitter, decided to lay down a bunt in a misguided attempt to move the runners over. The issue, besides having a designated hitter bunt in a situation where the tying run is on second base, is that Hosmer put too much effort into the bunt and created an easy force out at second base while the veteran first baseman was safe by inches at first base. Patrick Wisdom, the Cubs' leading home run hitter who was inexplicably hitting eighth on Wednesday, proceeded to ground into a double play to end the game.
Chicago Cubs fans immediately took to Twitter to air out their continued frustrations with Eric Hosmer.
Me, to the Cubs front office right now pic.twitter.com/9lUsPFsRbi
— Brett Taylor (@Brett_A_Taylor) May 4, 2023
Open up a 40 man spot by DFAing Hosmer. There, problem solved.
— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) May 4, 2023
Two on, nobody out in the 9th inning, down one, and the DESIGNATED HITTER IS SAC BUNTING.
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) May 4, 2023
DOESN'T THAT TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR ROSTER AND LINEUP DECISIONS?!
— CHGO Cubs (@CHGO_Cubs) May 4, 2023
It appears that the Cubs' strategy of fielding half a competitive lineup is starting to cost them chances at wins. There's no planet where Patrick Wisdom should be hitting behind Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer and ahead of Tucker Barnhart. An island in a sea of meh.
— James Neveau (@JamesNeveau) May 4, 2023
Cubs manager David Ross had such little confidence in Hosmer in that situation that he called for bunt and the result was the very thing that he was trying to avoid. The Cubs and their preference of having Hosmer in the clubhouse despite the negative values he has on the field for the team are costing them games. Valuing a clubhouse presence while not fielding the best 26-man roster you possibly can is what losing teams do.
After their hot start to the season, the Cubs have fallen back down to .500 and this team is in desperate need of a boost.