The Cubs Are Falling Apart and Nobody in the League Is Ready For It

Yo, you guys SEEING what's happening in Chicago right now?! The Cubs are in the middle of their longest losing streak in *four years*, with ten straight L's. Get this: the Elias Sports Bureau says they've joined the 2017 Dodgers as the only teams in MLB history to have *two* 10-game winning streaks and then a 10-game losing streak in the SAME SEASON. Wild, right? Tonight, they're trying to avoid an 11-game slide, which hasn't happened since August 2021. This is a full-blown crisis, and the Pirates are looking to pile on.

Bubba Chandler's Best Start and Why It Matters

So who's on the mound for the Pirates trying to keep the Cubs' nightmare going? It's Bubba Chandler, and he's got his own battles, sitting at 1-6 with a 4.79 ERA and having lost his last four decisions. Rough, right? But last Friday against Toronto, he had what was arguably his *best* start of his young career: 11 strikeouts in just five innings! He chucked 99 pitches, walked three, and gave up three unearned runs on two hits, but his fastball touched 99.3 mph and he was attacking the zone way more effectively. Chandler said, "I think each outing has gotten better. It's learning, but I think it's my job to go out there and compose myself, and go out there and get through a lineup three, four times." That's the mindset you love, especially after he gave up five runs, four earned, in three innings against the Phillies right before that Toronto gem. If he can bottle that Friday night magic, he's a potential depth weapon for a Pirates rotation that's already got Braxton Ashcraft doing work behind ace Paul Skenes and veteran Mitch Keller.

Jameson Taillon's Major League Problem

But it ain't just the Cubs struggling. Their guy on the bump tonight, Jameson Taillon, is having a brutal stretch at 2-4 with a 5.20 ERA. Get ready for this: he leads the *majors* with 17 home runs allowed! Seventeen! In his last two starts, he's given up 12 runs and 16 hits, including six dingers, over just 9 2/3 innings. Against the Astros last Friday, he gave up four runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, saying, "We lost, and I didn't complete five innings, so not good enough. The game's a little hard right now for a lot of us. When the game punches you a little bit, you've got to punch back and find a way." He's facing his old team, and the Pirates have his number this season. Back on April 12, Taillon gave up six runs on six hits, including *three* homers, even with 10 strikeouts in six innings. The Pirates are already 4-1 against the Cubbies this season, a huge turnaround from going 3-10 against them last year. So, tonight's game isn't just a regular Wednesday night. It's a battle of guys trying to find their rhythm, and a team trying to stop a historic collapse. Can Taillon punch back? Can Chandler build on his career-best? We'll be watching to see if the Cubs extend this wild slide or finally get a W. Meanwhile, our boys in blue just handled the Athletics 4-1. Let's go M's!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.