Cub Tracks keeps it going

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we have news for you. Bad news. The losing streak has gone to ten and the skid shows no signs of stopping.

Highlights:

Sad. When Gregorius hit that homer and tied the game, it felt like a loss. We’re getting to 2012 (if not 1975) dimensions, when I assumed the box score was going to have an L next to ‘Chicago Cubs’.

Maybe today. Maybe. If the string runs out to eleven, Bolingbrook promises to spontaneously combust, like a Spinal Tap drummer or a Chicago Cubs catcher. Is that a bizarre gardening accident or an Eric Sogard at-bat?

Let’s win one today, boys. This team is so bad now that there’s not even any coverage to cover. All there is this Paths of the Dead march toward the end of this month and an uncertain future for the sport.

As always, * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. (In the comments section, use @ before and after your remarks @ to produce sarcasm font. In the text body. It doesn’t work in the headlines.)

• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs flirting with wrong kind of franchise history. “...no Cubs team ever has had a losing streak longer than seven games and made the postseason.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): As the Chicago Cubs’ playoff hopes fade and a trade deadline sell-off looms, it seems like old times. “The Cubs are still the Cubs.” Sahadev Sharma boards this train {$}: Steve Greenberg waves the white flag.
• Matt Johnson (Sportsnaut*): 3 Chicago Cubs trades if team decides to be sellers before MLB deadline. “...the Cubs now look like sellers with the MLB trade deadline approaching.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Jed Hoyer speaks: When to pull the trigger on buy-sell, lack of walks, returns from injury, pitching, more. “Not that he’s going to tell the public he’s in sell mode just yet.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ best options to fix rotation, now and in the future, may just be in-house. “Could Keegan Thompson or Justin Steele get starts for this team?”
• MLB.com*: Bryant, Kimbrel to represent Cubs at ASG. “It’s always special, each and every one,” Bryant said.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Can Nico Hoerner fix the Chicago Cubs’ offensive woes? ‘He just needs to be himself,’ says manager David Ross. “I know he’s wanted to help out,” Ross said.

Tell us your feelings about Joe West, but keep it clean challenge!

Food for thought:

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