The Chicago Cubs looked like the favorites to win the National League pennant, thanks in part to their offense. Pete Crow-Armstrong looked like a legitimate NL MVP candidate, and Kyle Tucker looked like the best offseason addition in the league. Oh, how things have changed, as the Cubs watched their first place lead in the NL Central slip away to the Milwaukee Brewers.
On Tuesday, the Cubs' struggles continued, as they lost 5-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Cubs offense could only muster four hits on the night, while the Blue Jays notched 12 hits. The Cubs took what turned out to be a commanding 4-0 lead in the fourth inning after a three-run homer by Ernie Clement.
After losing their sixth game in the past 10 games, Cubs manager Craig Counsell still expressed optimism in the team's offense. But, as some Cubs fans pointed out, he looked deflated after the loss.
"The optimism is we've got good hitters, and we've scored a lot of runs this year."
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 13, 2025
Craig Counsell believes in the Cubs offense. pic.twitter.com/u9lqutygnM
"There's no 'woe is me' here and like 'oh no,' this is baseball and you gotta go have a good at-bat and go have good at-bats whatever the situation is and keep grinding through them," said Counsell. "It starts with swinging at the right pitches, that's where it starts and that's the foundation of it and we are still doing that. We just got to get some to fall and we got to get the hits in the right spot."
Craig Counsell looks defeated after another Cubs loss
Cubs fans in the comments section of Counsell's demeanor in the clip, and made sure to share their thoughts.
Counsell is broken. You can see it in his eyes. He has no answers. And he’s not the kind of coach to do tough love. Team is cooked.
— As_The_News_Burns (@AsTheNewsBurns) August 13, 2025
He looks defeated
— Brian Shields (@BrianFinance) August 13, 2025
Yeah this optimistic guy looks like he “believes” 😂 pic.twitter.com/wrrMnhKoe4
— Jake Fischer (@JakeFisch24) August 13, 2025
As mentioned earlier, the Cubs looked like World Series favorites to start off the season due in part to the team producing at the plate. But they have begun to taper off as of late. Looking at the team's performance since the trade deadline, you can see the lack of production.
In the 10 games since the trade deadline, the Cubs recorded a .223 batting average, a .283 on-base percentage, a .341 slugging percentage, nine home runs, 29 RBI, 73 hits, 78 strikeouts, and 27 walks in 328 at-bats.
Top players aren't hitting as well since the trade deadline. Crow-Armstrong recorded a .081 batting average and .231 OPS with 14 strikeouts in 37 at-bats. Tucker recorded a .188 batting average, a .465 OPS, 10 strikeouts, six walks, and one RBI.
As the Cubs collapse, they can see the Brewers continue to pull away with the division title, as Chicago now trails by 7.5 games. One way the Cubs can do that is if their batting production from earlier in the year returns.