The weird thing is that the first eight games of May were part of the 10-game win streak, and they scored 59 runs in those 10 wins. In the 10-game losing streak that followed, they scored 25 runs and were held to one or no runs on four occasions.<\/p>\n
The Cubs\u2019 offense the last month<\/a> has been as unpredictable as the Chicago weather, and no one has been streakier than Ian Happ. The Cubs left fielder went 7-for-15 with three home runs and 10 RBI in the last three games, after hitting .172 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI in his previous 27 games, striking out 42 times.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the confounding part about baseball, you know, why do we go on streaks like this?\u201d Counsell said. \u201cWe just have to accept these streaks are going to happen. This is how it works. Sometimes home runs come in bunches. You take them when you can get them. Obviously, he\u2019s had a big last three days.\u201d<\/p>\n Should we expect the Cubs to continue this soft parade of severe ups and downs this season?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cThat\u2019s what you learn from this.\u201d<\/p>\n Is this team streakier than most teams he\u2019s managed?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what about a team would say they\u2019re streaky,\u201d said the manager in his 12th season. \u201cI think our hitters are normal from that perspective. The nature of the way the season has been from a hitting perspective, we\u2019ve had seven or eight guys really on, or seven or eight guys really not on it. It\u2019s largely the same group that wasn\u2019t that way a year ago.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of the nature of a baseball season, and why we love the game. It surprises us and challenges us.\u201d<\/p>\n Happ has no explanation for his hot streak, except that he\u2019s seeing the ball well. He thought Friday\u2019s 6-5 loss to the Cardinals<\/a> would pay dividends because the Cubs had more scoring opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cYou put up five runs in a game, you feel good about it,\u201d Happ said. \u201cWhen we keep giving ourselves opportunities, just keep doing that and doing that, and we\u2019ll have a couple here where we put up seven or eight.\u201d<\/p>\n Brown watch Ben Brown<\/a>, who started Saturday night\u2019s game, has been the Cubs\u2019 most effective starter with a 1.89 ERA in his previous four starts.<\/p>\n Does that mean he\u2019s got a spot in the rotation when everyone else is healthy?<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got an opportunity and he has absolutely made a lot of his opportunity,\u201d Counsell said, declining to make a definitive statement to no one\u2019s surprise.<\/p>\n Brown added two pitches<\/a> \u2014 a sinker and changeup \u2014 to his four-seam fastball and knuckle-curve, which have been instrumental in his improvement. The added confidence is another factor, but part of that is because of the two pitches.<\/p>\n \u201cThe two pitches and the struggles of last year are all pieces that get you to the present,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cThey all matter. They\u2019re all relevant. We tell ourselves stories in our own heads.\u201d<\/p>\n Being put on the postseason roster last year was also a factor.<\/p>\n \u201cBen was like \u2018I don\u2019t just want to be on the playoff roster, I want to be part of this thing,’\u201d Counsell said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s part of what he put on himself going into the offseason.\u201d<\/p>\n American Tarp Story
\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-z-Cubs-Pirates-Baseball_262976145.jpg\")
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ben Brown delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo\/David Dermer)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Fans](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ctc-z-2276924592_262854697.jpg\")
Fans known as the “Tarps Off” crew cheer during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium on May 21, 2026, in St Louis. (Dilip Vishwanat\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n