Pirates 7, Cubs 1: Déjà vu

The line above is from Monty Python’s “Déjà vu” sketch, which I’ve posted here before and which seems appropriate today [VIDEO].

Lack of offense? Check. Early runs allowed? Check. The feeling that, once behind, the game is over? Check. The feeling that we’ve seen all this before? Well, you know the answer to that one.

I thought about it again, seriously, coming here and just writing “The Cubs lost to the Pirates 7-1,” giving the details of the next game, and nothing more. Would you like that on occasions like this?

Matt Swarmer got hit hard, not quite as hard as he was by the Yankees, but then the Yankees hit most pitchers harder than other teams do. It was still more than enough for the Pirates to win the game, even if it had ended when Swarmer left the game after the fourth inning having allowed five runs. Four were earned thanks to a couple of errors, one of them charged to Willson Contreras on an attempted steal, and that one wasn’t Willson’s fault, it’s just that the Cubs don’t have guys who can make tags the way Javy Báez used to. (NOTE: I am not lamenting Báez not being a Cub anymore, just noting that his defense was better than they have now.) Here, look [VIDEO].

Here is your lone Cubs highlight for the day, Patrick Wisdom’s monster home run [VIDEO].

That was the longest home run hit by a Chicago Cub so far this year:

But that just made the score 5-1, a little less awful. The rest of the game, the Cubs continued their failure to hit with RISP: 0-for-6.

Mark Leiter Jr. threw three innings and allowed only one run. So, yay?

I’m sorry that this recap is a bit disjointed, but the Cubs seem pretty disjointed these days. They have scored two runs since Saturday and allowed 25. Since May 24 they are 7-19, the worst record in the National League. (The A’s, at 5-19, and Angels, at 6-21, are worse, if you’d like a little consolation.)

I remain unable to understand why Nelson Velázquez is on this roster and not starting every day. Is he a great prospect? Maybe, or maybe not. But we won’t know if he doesn’t play! If he’s in the big leagues, put him in the lineup every day. David Ross finally inserted him in this game in the sixth inning, with the score 6-1, to bat for Rafael Ortega. Velázquez struck out in that plate appearance, then popped to second in the eighth. Give the guy playing time! What could it possibly hurt?

That’s all I’ve got, really. The Cubs will try it again Wednesday evening. Keegan Thompson will start for the Cubs and per this tweet from Pirates beat writer Justice delos Santos, Jerad Eickhoff will start for Pittsburgh. Game time, once again, is 6:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.