Craig Counsell is just as frustrated with Adbert Alzolay as Cubs fans

The Chicago Cubs are 13-8 going into Sunday's series finale against the Miami Marlins. The Craig Counsell experience has generally been positive, with the Cubs receiving plenty of offense from their core pieces (not named Cody Bellinger) and a pleasant variety of positive contributions on the mound.

One area of weakness, however, as been Chicago's late-game pitching. Closer Adbert Alzolay has been especially rough, with the latest blunder coming in the form of a blown save against the Marlins on Saturday afternoon. Chicago entered the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead, but Alzolay gave up a one-out, two-run home run to Bryan De La Cruz to lose the ballgame.

It's the fourth home run surrendered in 10.0 innings pitched this season for Alzolay, who has three saves in seven save opportunities (10 games played). His 4.50 ERA and 1.400 WHIP stand out in a negative light for an otherwise solid Cubs bullpen.

After the game, Craig Counsell spoke bluntly about Alzolay's struggles, echoing the concerns that currently plague the Cubs fanbase.

Craig Counsell expresses concern about Adbert Alzolay's struggles

The Cubs and Marlins played a double-header on Saturday. In the second game, it was Hector Neris who notched the save and helped Chicago secure the victory. The Marlins are a bad team with very little offensive pop, which reflects poorly on Alzolay. Closing is one of the toughest jobs in baseball. It's a razor-thin tightrope the pitcher has to walk. That cannot excuse poor performances, though, and Alzolay has already fallen off the tightrope several times this season.

It's unclear how Counsell will address the issue moving forward. The Cubs could move Alzolay to a less demanding role, perhaps handing Neris full-time closing duties. Chicago runs the risk of further demolishing Alzolay's confidence with that move, however. It is early in the season, so maybe the solution — at least in the short term — is to let Alzolay work through his funk and regain command of his stuff.

Last season, Alzolay finished 38 games (in 58 appearances) for the Cubs, notching 22 saves with a 3.02 ERA. If he can settle down and return to a more standard level of production, Alzolay will be able to silence the calls for his job.

That said, in the meantime, expect more Cubs trade rumors. Jed Hoyer ultimately managed a pretty aggressive offseason by Chicago's standards. If the Cubs don't feel great about their late relief options, it would be worth placing a few calls around the league and making one more splash. Especially if Chicago continues to trend toward the NL postseason picture.