Cubs’ rotation – Shota Imanaga struggled for the second straight start, helping the Astros beat the Cubs 8-5 at Wrigley Field and extending Chicago’s losing streak to eight. Even with a late spark from the lineup, the rotation’s ERA ballooned and Cubs starters surrendered the
For the first time in this homestand, the Cubs finally managed to jump in front.
It was 3-1 in the second inning, and the moment felt like a chance to build something—clean, simple, controlled. Then Shota Imanaga ran out of runway again.
Sunday’s game at Wrigley Field ended with an 8-5 loss to the Astros. the same way the recent stretch has been going for Chicago: runs allowed. momentum slipping. and the scoreboard doing the talking. The left-hander surrendered seven runs as Houston completed a three-game sweep, handing the Cubs an eighth consecutive defeat.
“My teammates made really nice plays,” Imanaga said via his interpreter, Edwin Stanberry. “However, I wasn’t able to help win the game. Next time, my teammates are going to continue making fantastic plays and I hope that I can help the team win.”
The loss landed after another brief flicker from the lineup. Coming in after scoring seven runs total in the previous five games. Chicago managed to look like itself again—just not long enough to fix what has been breaking elsewhere. Rookie Pedro Ramírez. in the lineup for the first time as a Major Leaguer. helped ignite a three-run second with an RBI double that marked his first hit. Michael Busch then launched a two-run homer in the seventh.
It was the kind of offensive day the Cubs had been searching for during this homestand.
Instead, the rest of the story belonged to the starting staff.
Chicago is now 2-12 over its past 14 games. and eight straight losses are the first time the streak has reached that length since a nine-game skid from July 7-16. 2022. when the team was in the middle of a two-year rebuild. The Cubs also just went 0-6 at home this week against the Brewers and Astros. marking the first winless homestand of at least six games since Sept. 21-26, 2021.
“We’re just not playing good baseball,” Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman said. “The last seven or eight games — I don’t know how long it’s been — but we’re not playing good baseball in all phases. We need to get better and we need to prepare and execute better.”
Imanaga’s numbers show how quickly the comfort has disappeared. After holding a 2.32 ERA after his outing on May 13. he has seen that figure climb to 4.04 in the span of two starts. He gave up eight runs last time out against the rival Brewers. then allowed seven in Sunday’s six-inning effort against the Astros.
Houston’s damage was spread in a familiar pattern: Jake Meyers hit a solo shot in the second, Nick Allen added a solo homer in the third, and Christian Walker delivered a three-run homer in the fifth.
Imanaga didn’t sound surprised by what hitters were doing. He pointed directly to how they were attacking.
“Right now,” Imanaga said, “they’re getting into hitter’s counts and they’re putting good swings on locations that they can hit the ball well. I need to improve upon that. Next outing, even if they do put a good swing on it, try to induce ground balls.”
Over the same stretch, the rotation has struggled in a bigger way than any single start can explain. In the 14 games since Chicago had the second of two 10-game winning streaks. the rotation has turned in a 6.94 ERA with an 0-11 ledger. The 19 home runs surrendered by the Cubs’ starters in that span are the most in the Majors.
That drop-off is sharp when compared to the prior stretch. Over the previous 25 games before this downturn, the starters went 11-3 with a 4.24 ERA and helped drive a 21-4 run.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell didn’t try to soften the message when asked about what needs to change.
“Look, on the pitching side, we’ve got to prevent homers better,” Counsell said. “If you give up the number of homers we’re giving up, that’s a problem. … It’s tough to win games when we’re giving up the number of homers we’re giving up.”
Some of what’s happening isn’t just about execution—it’s also about the season running into itself. Matthew Boyd landed on the injured list earlier this month due to a left knee injury. which required surgery on May 7. Edward Cabrera, trying to pitch through a blister on his right middle finger, ended up on the IL on Sunday.
Those setbacks have coincided with inconsistent stretches from Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, and Imanaga.
Counsell framed it as a reality the Cubs have to manage while the rotation rights itself.
“Look, the injuries to the pitching side, it’s going to be part of the season,” Counsell said. “We’ve got to withstand that. We have withstood some other stretches, but we’re certainly in a stretch now that we’ve got to withstand. We’ve got two guys coming back in probably two-ish weeks, three-ish weeks.
“And certainly some guys are going to have opportunities in the meantime. We’re going to have to do a good job in those opportunities.”
For now, the Cubs are left with what Sunday delivered: a lineup that finally produced when it mattered, a lead that didn’t last, and a rotation that couldn’t keep the game within reach—leaving the losing streak at eight and the urgency rising with every next inning.
Chicago Cubs Shota Imanaga Houston Astros Wrigley Field losing streak rotation issues homestand Pedro Ramírez Alex Bregman Craig Counsell