Nobody was more upset following Andrew Vaughn grand slam than Craig Counsell

Andrew Vaughn wasn't out of the batter's box before Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell turned around in the dugout in disgust and reached for the bullpen phone. By the time Counsell finished his call to warm up the next reliever, the Milwaukee Brewers were up 9-2 as Vaughn's 409-foot grand slam landed in the home bullpen in left-center at American Family Field.

For the second straight night the Brewers outclassed their former manager's team, beating the Cubs 9-3 and increasing their lead to two games in the NL Central. Counsell used to be part of these moments in the Brewers' dugout, but now he's being made into a meme after the latest loss to Milwaukee.

Since June 9, Counsell has watched his pitching staff give up 69 home runs, the most in MLB. His once reliable bullpen that at one point ranked No. 1 in bullpen ERA from mid-April to the All-Star break is now crumbling in July.

The first two games in this week's series against the Brewers have served as a reminder that the Cubs need to desperately add more pitching at the trade deadline. The rotation has been the major focus among the fan base, but the bullpen is in a lot tougher shape than fans might realize.

Cubs bullpen keeps melting down

After an insane slugfest between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 18, Counsell got some help in the bullpen. They weren't big-name additions, but for an extended period of time Counsell was reaping the rewards of veteran pitchers exceeding their expectations.

Drew Pomeranz was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for cash considers at the end of April. The 36-year-old had not pitched in the majors since 2021, so he was a long-shot to give the Cubs much value. Well, I'm not sure the Cubs even thought in their most optimistic projections that Pomeranz would be as good as he was.

The lefty made 26 consecutive scoreless appearances from April 25 through July 4, tossing 23.1 shutout innings with a 23/7 strikeout to walk ratio. He saved one game and recorded five holds during that impressive stretch, but that run has come to a screeching halt. Pomeranz has allowed seven earned runs in his last nine innings of work.

Chris Flexen was a surprise call up from Triple-A in early May, but the former starter began his Cubs career with 21.1 shutout innings. However, the right-handed pitcher was eventually exposed and after giving up 15 earned runs in his last 22.1 innings the Cubs designated Flexen for assignment after his outing Monday night in Milwaukee. That was the last straw for Flexen as he entered a 6-4 game in the seventh inning and after facing two batters the Cubs were down by four after he served up a two-run homer to Christian Yelich.

Yet, by far the most frustrating and disappointing reliever for the Cubs this season has been Ryan Pressly. He's the one who gave up Vaughn's grand slam on Tuesday. The former Houston Astros' closer and postseason hero was supposed to stablize the bullpen in Chicago in 2025. Instead, Pressly lost his closer role in May and might be a DFA candidate after the trade deadline.

Pressly now has a 4.35 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 44 appearances with the Cubs. He's given up six home runs in 41.1 innings and has a dreadful 15.4 K%. Not exactly the shutdown reliever Jed Hoyer thought he acquired in the offseason. The 36-year-old has now given up a run in three straight outings and four of his last five.

During the month of July, the Cubs bullpen has pitched to a 6.30 ERA, third-worst in MLB.

Andrew Vaughn is already a Cubs killer

The former Chicago White Sox bust has already reached Cubs killer status following his grand slam on Tuesday. Vaughn is putting up insane numbers since being called up by the Brewers on July 7.

The right-handed hitter now has five home runs and 21 RBI in 15 games with the Brewers after hitting five home runs with 19 RBI in 48 games with the White Sox to begin the 2025 season. Vaughn's numbers in Milwaukee can only be compared to Barry Bonds.

In two games against the Cubs, Vaughn has gone 4-for-7 at the plate with two home runs and seven RBI, while scoring four runs.

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