Why Cubs just proved they’re total frauds vs. Brewers despite getting to Jacob Misiorowski

It was a wild night at Wrigley Field, as the Chicago Cubs battered Jacob Misiorowski for five runs. Despite this, Chicago still lost 9-5. The Cubs gave those runs back, as David Peterson struggled, allowing six earned runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Ultimately, the loss dropped them nine games back of the Brewers, and their World Series hopes are not the best.

Chicago has +1600 odds to win the World Series this season, according to DraftKings. Despite having the eighth-best odds to win the title, things look off with the Cubs. Here are the three main reasons why they look like total frauds, especially after this loss.

Starting Pitching is a Huge Problem

The starting pitching has been largely mediocre. So far, they are 18th in team ERA. When the Cubs traded for David Peterson, they thought he might help. Instead, he has gone 4-2 with a 4.58 ERA in 12 starts. Matthew Boyd, who struggled the day before, is 8-3 with a 4.05 ERA. The Cubs acquired Kevin Gausman at the trade deadline. Yet, he has gone 3-1 with a 5.14 ERA in five starts.

Shota Imanaga is just 8-10 with a 4.01 ERA, taking another step back this season. While Clay Holmes dominated earlier this week, Chicago needs others to come through to survive the playoffs.

The Bullpen Trickle Effect

Because the starting rotation has struggled, the bullpen has had to work more. Notably, the bullpen ERA is 4.63 since August 3. Before that, the Chicago bullpen ERA was 3.65. That indicates a tired bullpen. While they currently rank 13th in bullpen ERA, the number has dropped.

What This Means

The Cubs need good pitching to win the World Series. However, if they don’t have reliable starters or a good bullpen, it will all unravel in October. The offense is still near the top in most categories. Yet, lineups can go cold. If the playoffs were to start today, they would be facing the Philadelphia Phillies. Do they have enough to beat them in a Best-of-3? Assuming they get past the Phillies, they would likely face the Brewers again. As we have seen, overcoming the Brewers is no easy task. Unless the Cubs can pitch better down the stretch, they might be going home earlier than they hope.

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