The 2006 season was not kind to the Cubs, though on May 1 they were 14-10.
Following that, they went on a 4-21 (!) skid and overall were 16-40 in May and June combined, among the worst two-month stretches in franchise history. Their 15-41 record from May 2 through July 1 tied for the second-worst 56-game stretch in franchise history, exceeded only by the brutally bad 1999 Cubs.
And beginning in mid-August they had another horrific run, 7-21, entering a Saturday afternoon date with the Reds at Wrigley Field in mid-September.
Rich Hill had shown great potential in the Cubs’ farm system, and in 15 starts at Triple-A Iowa in 2006 had a 7-1 record, 1.