What to make of the Cubs' recently cold bats at Wrigley Field

The Cubs lost a frustrating game Friday, 2-1 in 10 innings to the Pirates after going 0-10 with runners in scoring position. Normally, a close loss to phenom Paul Skenes would not seem like much more than an "Oh well," kind of game, but they had many chances to score after Skenes only went five innings and could not cash in. It was another lower-scoring game for the Cubs.

Over their last eight home games, they have scored 24 runs, averaging three runs and seven hits per game while hitting four total home runs and going 15-68 with RISP (.221 average). The power has not been as prominent, and the situational hitting has hit some rough patches. Pete Crow-Armstrong accounts for half of those four homers, with Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki having the others.

The good news? The Cubs are 6-2 at home over those eight games. While the offense has slowed down a bit, the pitching and defense stepped up to help win a majority of those low-scoring games. However, it still begs the question as to why the Cubs bats have struggled at home recently after they started so hot.

Cubs' offense stuck in slump, though concern should be minimal

With how relentless the offense was the first month or so of the season, any slumps or strings of games where runs are tough to come by stick out that much more.

The ebbs and flows of baseball are a big factor here. We have seen guys like Kyle Tucker and Busch go in and out of slumps, Ian Happ and Tucker dealing with injuries, and Miguel Amaya (.462 RISP hitter) sidelined.

It's also no secret that Dansby Swanson, a notorious streaky hitter, has cooled off since his hot stretch in May. The same can be said for post-April Carson "Linsanity" Kelly. Their scoring double-digit runs every time out was never realistic, and there was going to be a time things would slow down a bit, especially given the absurd run of Cy Young-caliber pitchers they've had to face recently.

While it might seem agitating to bring up, as it is seen as an excuse, it is worth noting that the Cubs saw a few longballs die in the wind during the Rockies series. A series which, while a sweep in the end, was expected to be a bit more lopsided. People who watched the team last year saw what the elements made Wrigley into.

Not that long ago, the Cubs offense was scoring like crazy at home against a wide range of teams, from the White Sox to the Diamondbacks and even the mighty Dodgers, when everyone was hot and healthy.

In the grand scheme of things, this stretch is a pretty small sample over a long 162-game season. It's frustrating at times, and this offense will want to find that spark again, but right now, it seems like just one of those tough stretches against elite competition. The alarm bells don't need to be sounded just yet, especially if the defense and pitching staff continue to shoulder the load.