Frustrated Chicago Cubs Veterans Reveal Thoughts On Brutal Slump

Jameson Taillon and Dansby Swanson addressed the Chicago Cubs' horrific slump.

Jun 15, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (27). / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs lost again on Sunday as their season continues to go from bad to worse.

The Cubs dropped Sunday's series finale to the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field in a frustrating 2-1 defeat. Jameson Taillon delivered six strong innings, but it wasn't enough as Chicago's offense continued to sputter. The Cubs managed just one run on five hits, going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and leaving eight men on base.

Chicago is now four games below .500 and has lost seven of its last 10 games, falling all the way to last place in the NL Central. The Cubs are 17-29 since April 27 -- the third-worst record in baseball during that time behind only the Chicago White Sox and Oakland A's.

After the game, Taillon and Dansby Swanson opened up to reporters about the team's recent tailspin.

Some words from Jameson Taillon and Dansby Swanson on the Cubs’ struggles continuing ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/2TnpPIyq95

— Ryan Herrera (@ryan_a_herrera) June 16, 2024

"It's been a tough go," said Taillon, who took the loss on Sunday despite yielding just two runs over six innings. "It feels like we just haven't been able to turn the page off of this tough streak...We're just not winning games."

Swanson also sounded demoralized when speaking to the media. "I mean, it's not fun, obviously," he said during his postgame interview. "At the end of the day, winning baseball games is the most important thing, and we haven't been able to do that recently."

Both players remain optimistic that Chicago can turn things around, citing the team's talent level and large number of remaining games on the schedule.

For that to happen, however, the Cubs need to start hitting. After averaging 4.97 runs per game through the end of April, Chicago has averaged just 3.55 runs per game since then. For reference, only two teams -- the White Sox and the Miami Marlins -- are scoring fewer runs per game this season.

The Cubs rank near the bottom of the NL in numerous categories and have struggled to get timely hits in key situations, batting just .212/.317/.361 with runners in scoring position and .175/.326/.313 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Chicago also needs to start playing better against its division. The Cubs have a losing record against every team in the NL Central and are just 9-17 with a minus-13 run differential versus the division.

Chicago will try to right the ship at home this week with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets -- both of whom have losing records -- coming to town.