The Cubs lost twice on Monday night, first to the Pirates and then when it was announced that Justin Steele was being scratched from Tuesday’s start due to elbow soreness. Making matters worse, at least in terms of perception, Kyle Hendricks is taking the turn coming off one of the worst outings of his career. That might have been a good thing a few years ago because it would indicate The Professor was due for a gem. Now, not so much.
With a 3-0 lead through seven innings, the Cubs were on the verge of pushing their win streak to seven and moving to within 2.