Craig Counsell is losing Cubs fans after blowing lead vs. Cardinals

The Chicago Cubs are once again doing Chicago Cubs things.

Entering the eighth inning of Saturday's critical divisional matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 4-1 lead, all signs were positive for Chicago. That was until Porter Hodge took the mound and Chicago's defense forgot how to catch and throw.

I hate when that happens.

It was a truly mesmerizing meltdown, capped by a truly egregious error by Cubs wunderkind and generally very good defensive center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who called off the second baseman for what would have been a routine pop-up, then completely misjudged it while sprinting at full speed.

Also, let's check in on new Cubs All-Star Isaac Paredes, acquired at the deadline in exchange for new Tampa Bay Rays headliner Christopher Morel.

A series of errors compounded mistakes on the mound from Hodge, allowing St. Louis to to reel off three runs and tie the game.

Adding to the frustration in Chicago was Craig Counsell's inexplicable decision to pinch-hit Patrick Wisdom for Michael Busch in a critical spot. Busch has arguably been the Cubs' best hitter all season. He has an OPS of .805 against left-handed pitchers, which is notably higher than Wisdom's (.748), despite the common logic of right-handed versus left-handed. Busch was also 2-for-3 on the day with a home run.

Fair to say, it didn't work out. Wisdom went down whiffing. This is an ongoing trend late in games, and Counsell's pinch-hit success rate is startlingly low. Anyhow...

That all brought up Hector Neris in the ninth inning. After appearing in Friday's game as well, one might contend that Neris was tired. It has been a rocky season all-around for the former World Series champ. He gave up the lead and with it, another Cubs victory. This game went to St. Louis, helping the Cards avoid a series sweep.

The Cubs fanbase, meanwhile, is getting its pitchforks ready.

Cubs fans go off on Craig Counsell after another disappointing finish

It's tough to lose any game. Cubs fans care a lot. It's especially tough to give one away to the St. Louis Cardinals, of all teams. Counsell's late-game mismanagement was the focus of an internet firestorm after the game.

Several very familiar complaints were lobbed at the Cubs manager.

Counsell was famously handed the largest managerial contract in MLB history to leave Milwaukee for Chicago last winter. Famed for his ability to pull the strings in a bullpen and maximize matchups, Counsell has consistently flubbed pitching assignments, pulled his hottest bats at the worst moments, and generally left Chicago vulnerable to unforced errors.

Is it too early or extreme to call Counsell a bad manager? Sure. It's his first season with the club, so he's getting his feet wet with a new roster and new surroundings. At the same time, his former team (led by his former bench coach) is first in the division. It's a bad look, and Counsell has fallen well short of expectations at every turn.

There's still time for the Cubs to turn this season around, and Counsell will have a long leash because of that contract. If these mistakes continue to pile up, however, the fandom will quickly lose all patience with Chicago's fresh-faced manager.