3 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ 9-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, including a lot of swings-and-misses

MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Cubs misplaced for the ninth time in 11 video games and have been outscored 20-2 by the Milwaukee Brewers within the first two video games of the sequence.

Marcus Stroman takes the mound Sunday in the hunt for his first Cubs win.

Listed here are three takeaways from Saturday’s sport.

Starter Justin Steele shrugged off the first-inning lapses that put the Cubs in a 3-0 gap.

“It was form of humorous, wasn’t it?” he mentioned after the sport. “It’s simply baseball. You’re going to have these sorts of days. Generally you’re fortunate. Generally they’re hitting line drives proper at individuals and also you go 1-2-3 with not plenty of pitches. … You’ve simply bought to grind by means of it.”

It began with an error by third baseman Patrick Knowledge on an Andrew McCutchen grounder to guide off the inning and was exacerbated when heart fielder Michael Hermosillo booted a straightforward pick-up of Christian Yelich’s single up the center. Steele fielded Hunter Renfroe’s dribbler down the first-base line however couldn’t make the play, permitting a run to attain.

Steele thought he was out of the inning trailing 2-0, however a replay problem reversed the decision on an inning-ending double play.

After a protracted delay earlier than and throughout the problem, Steele returned from the dugout, took some warm-ups and served up an RBI single to Rowdy Tellez.

“Form of a delay there as soon as we have been within the dugout,” he mentioned. “However I felt like I refocused , went on the market and began throwing pitches once more.”

Manger David Ross spoke with crew chief Jerry Layne after the delay however declined to say what the dialogue was about.

“We had a dialog about plenty of issues,” he mentioned. “We’ll maintain that in home. Thanks for asking.”

Steele did not get into the fourth inning for the third straight begin, however mentioned it was “one of many higher instances I’ve felt his 12 months” so far as his stuff.

He’s 1-3 with a 5.50 ERA and allowed 23 hits over 18 innings in 5 begins.

“There are occasions if you see electrical stuff,” Ross mentioned. “One factor we’ve bought to do, we’ve bought to play some higher protection behind him. … We will’t beat ourselves.”

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Ross mentioned he didn’t assume Steele was affected by the errors.

“I don’t assume issues went his means after,” he mentioned. “It’s positively irritating if you’re on the market and make pitches and performs aren’t made. However there are going to be instances when he doesn’t make pitches they usually make nice performs behind him. … We’re all going to make errors. You’ve simply bought to execute pitches.”

5 Cubs hitter struck out not less than twice, together with Madrigal and Michael Hermosillo, who have been fanned 3 times apiece. Brewers starter Eric Lauer struck out the primary 4 hitters and 11 over seven innings. The Cubs struck out 15 instances general.

Madrigal, who’s hitting .203, had by no means struck out 3 times earlier than in a major-league sport. Ross mentioned it was a matter of timing.

“Very uncharacteristic of him,” Ross mentioned. “Had a pair days off. Possibly simply getting again into that timing for him. That’s what I see — just a bit bit late.”

Madrigal had solely seven strikeouts in 103 at-bats as a rookie with the White Sox in 2020. Final 12 months he struck out 17 instances in 200 at-bats earlier than a season-ending hamstring damage, which preceded his commerce to the Cubs.

Madrigal completed April with 9 strikeouts in 59 at-bats.