Heading into a big series in Milwaukee last week — the wheels not yet off for the Cubs — manager David Ross said he wasn’t paying much attention to the team’s record. But he did admit it was time to start eyeballing the standings on a daily basis.
Not anymore, though. Not 10 games into a hideous, likely season-defining losing streak after a 13-3 loss against the Phillies to open a seven-game homestand that will drag the lifeless Cubs into the All-Star break. Not at a whopping 8½ games behind the first-place Brewers in the National League Central.