Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester Struggles In 3rd Straight Loss

The Chicago Cubs lost 7-3, for their third-straight loss against the Cardinals. Their division lead is cut to 1.5-games, with just under a month of baseball left.

The Chicago Cubs lost their third-straight game last night, with that being their fourth loss in five games. With this past weekend being a chance for the Cubs to separate themselves from the Cardinals, they failed to do so, and just lead by 1.5-games now. Tomorrow’s game is very crucial for the Cubs, as they have a chance to leave the series up 2.5-games on the Cardinals.

This was just another game where the Cubs started fast in the early innings, but couldn’t keep their momentum going. After the first two innings, the Cubs led the game 3-1, with Jason Kipnis hitting a two-run home run. Everything would go downhill from there, with Jon Lester struggling in the third.

Lester struggled to put away batters and was a key reason for the Cubs giving up four runs on four hits in the third inning. Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run home run that gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead, which would end up being the only lead this team needed.

The Cubs put Dan Winkler in after 3 1/3 innings, where Lester gave up five runs on six hits on the night.

Besides the sixth inning, there was no scoring after the third inning. This was just another loss where the Cubs pitching had bad innings, where they gave up runs in bunches. Their other problem was their bats just weren’t connecting after the early innings.

Besides the loss, the biggest concern from the game was Jason Heyward exiting the game due to him not feeling well. Hopefully, he just wasn’t feeling well and it isn’t COVID related. This is still something to not take lightly, as it could be enough to shut the Cubs down for a few games if it is COVID and it spreads.

This team needs to get back on track and they need to do it soon. Many fans have speculated this team has the potential to be better than the 2016 Chicago Cubs, but that team had a solid bullpen – this team doesn’t. They have one last chance tomorrow to build on their 1.5-game lead on the Cardinals. Kyle Hendricks will be the team’s pitcher in that outing.