SAN FRANCISCO — Achieving the bare minimum at Coors Field against the worst team in the majors by avoiding a sweep isn’t how the Chicago Cubs wanted to start their trip.
They must hope Thursday’s win sparks much-needed momentum into their three-game series against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. The Cubs entered the series clinging to one game above .500 and tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for third place in the National League Central, 7½ games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
During this challenging stretch — the Cubs have lost 22 of 30 after winning 20 of 23 — they have seen highs and lows.
1. Pete Crow-Armstrong is locked in at the plate
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Giants on June 6, 2026, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
A slow start hasn’t deterred the center fielder.
Crow-Armstrong entered Friday riding a 15-game on-base streak, part of a hot stretch as one of the few Cubs hitters who have been locked in lately. In his last 31 games, Crow-Armstrong owns a .267/.363/.509 slash line and 145 wRC+ with seven home runs, five doubles and 16 RBIs. His 1.8 fWAR is tied with Shohei Ohtani for best in the National League in the last month.
Crow-Armstrong’s performance earned him his first NL player of the week honor Monday.
“Knowing exactly what I want to do each at-bat,” Crow-Armstrong said. “You see people take good pitches, and they get more good pitches to hit, so just executing on those good pitches that I’m getting.”
One of the most encouraging elements for Crow-Armstrong is his respectable walk rate (9.6%) and strikeout rate (23.7%).
2. Ben Brown pitching like an All-Star for struggling rotation
Cubs starter Ben Brown pitches against the Giants on June 6, 2026, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Who could have predicted as mid June approaches that the right-hander would be the Cubs’ best starter this season?
Forced into the rotation May 8 when Matthew Boyd underwent left knee surgery to repair the meniscus, Brown has been dominant.
Ahead of his start Saturday against the Giants, Brown has a 1.44 ERA in six starts with 34 strikeouts, eight walks and no home runs allowed in 31 1/3 innings. His ERA is the fifth-lowest in the majors in that span, trailing the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski (0.23 ERA), Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez (0.60), Mariners’ Bryce Miller (0.82) and Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (1.17).
“This is kind of what you talk about with injuries and opportunities,” Counsell said. “This is often how it happens. And that’s why you preach like, you get bad news, you get sent down or you’re not maybe in the spot you want to be, but are you ready when the next moment, what you want, when that moment arrives? … He’s done a good job. He didn’t get deterred and made himself better.”
It’s a scary thought that for as rough as this past month has been for the Cubs where they would be without Brown’s performance. Even with Brown, the rotation in the last four weeks owns a 6.29 ERA, second-worst in MLB. Brown is building a case to represent the Cubs in next month’s All-Star Game.
3. Not enough slug from the lineup
Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson walks to the dugout after striking out in the ninth inning against the Brewers on May 19, 2026, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The best offenses can hit for power regularly.
That doesn’t always mean home runs; doubles are valuable too. But the Cubs haven’t been getting much in general. Their three-homer game Thursday was the team’s first since April 25.
Dating to May 16, the start of their 10-game losing streak, the Cubs rank 28th in slugging percentage (.364) ahead of only the Kansas City Royals (.361) and San Diego Padres (.354) while their .141 Isolate Power (ISO) puts them 27th.
It’s not just one hitter hurting them either. During this stretch, Dansby Swanson owns a 46 wRC+ and .242 SLG, Nico Hoerner sits at a 64 wRC+ and .247 SLG with Seiya Suzuki not much better at a 64 wRC+ and .330 SLG despite his grand slam Thursday.
“Hitting, it’s really simple: when you get pitches to hit, those are the ones you’ve got to hit hard, and there’s been some hard-hit balls, but for the most part, we haven’t done that enough, and those are the pitches you’ve got to hit,” Counsell said. “You’ve got to hit the pitches you get, and we’re having trouble, and when you’re not going well, that’s what it feels like, you miss the pitch you get to hit.
“So, from an offensive perspective, that’s the best way I can explain it. I don’t think it’s a big chase thing. It’s damage on those pitches that you get that are the ones you want.”