These 2 numbers tell a damning story about the 2024 Chicago Cubs

Once again, the Chicago Cubs came painfully close to starting to put something together, only to drop a 1-0 contest to the lowly Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday at Wrigley Field. That dropped Craig Counsell's club to 61-64 on the year, 11 1/2 games back in the division and 5 1/2 out of a wild-card spot.

For a couple of weeks now, the Cubs have toyed with the idea of clawing back over the .500 mark, then repeatedly falling short in their quest. Since June 5, the second in back-to-back walk-off wins against the White Sox, Chicago has notvv been at or above break-even. That alone tells you how much of a disappointment the 2024 campaign has been, especially given the expectations that came with hiring Counsell last fall.

There are a myriad of numbers I could point to in demonstrating how far short of expectations this group has fallen, but for the sake of time, we'll stick to just two - the first being the team's record in one-run games.

Cubs have major problems on both sides of the ball that need addressed

Despite taking a pair of one-run victories against the Blue Jays before Sunday's loss, the Cubs' record in such contests sits at a lowly 19-26. Counsell's success with the Brewers in one-run games was a big talking point last fall after Chicago lured him away, but now, we're asking whether that success was a byproduct of the manager or the powerful late-inning weapons he consistently had at his disposal in Josh Hader and Devin Williams.

Given the approach of the Cubs' front office, no such late-inning weapons exist in the Wrigley bullpen for Counsell to turn to, and, in turn, the record in one-run games has suffered. Coming away with even a handful more of those contests would have this team at or above .500 and at least within more of a striking distance in the postseason race.

But it's not just those one-run losses that have killed the Cubs. The persistent issue all season long has been an inability to hit with runners in scoring position. Chicago ranks dead last among National League teams with a .222 average in those spots. Time after time, the big hit has eluded this group and one could make the case it's been their biggest undoing.

The next two weeks offer a perfect opportunity to flip the script, with matchups against very beatable teams. But unless Counsell and the Cubs can overcome these two weaknesses in a hurry, it'll be back to the drawing board this offseason with the hope this team can contend in 2025.