3 Takeaways As Cubs Hit Longest Losing Streak Since 2022

It may be time for the entire Chicago Cubs roster to shower in full uniform.

The slump that the offense has found itself in is serious, and it continued on Saturday as the Cubs (29-23) lost their seventh straight in a 3-0 defeat to the Houston Astros (22-31). It's their longest losing streak since 2022, and Cubs hitters are just 7-for-59 (.182) in the first two games of a series against an Astros pitching staff whose ERA is the highest in MLB.

The Cubs will now have to use Sunday's finale to avoid a second consecutive sweep. Here are three takeaways from another difficult loss:

The great shakeup (that didn't work)

After the Cubs lost their sixth straight on Friday, manager Craig Counsell vowed he would try something new. Counsell stuck to his word on Saturday and trotted out a new-look batting order for his slumping squad, complete with Pete Crow-Armstrong in the leadoff spot and Ian Happ notably absent.

Neither of those moves was much of a surprise — Crow-Armstrong saw success from the leadoff spot last season, slashing .342/.350/.711 (1.061 OPS) with three home runs and 11 RBI in 38 at-bats. He saw the ball well in Friday's loss, hitting a two-run shot and taking two walks.

Happ, on the other hand, entered Saturday just 1 for his last 24 (.041). A day off was much needed for the 31-year-old.

The change did pay some dividends for Crow-Armstrong, whose single in the 3rd was one of just three hits the Cubs could muster against Astros pitching. That set up a runners-on-the-corners situation with two outs for Alex Bregman, but Crow-Armstrong was caught stealing before Bregman ever had much of a chance to drive in a run.

Is it time for Seiya to sit?

Over the course of a seven-game losing streak, it's natural for hitters to struggle across the order. Seiya Suzuki certainly has, but his struggles have extended beyond the Cubs' skid this month.

Suzuki is slashing just .189/.282/.311 since May 1, with just two home runs to go along with 23 strikeouts. It's a stark contrast from his April showing, in which he slashed .328/.430/.567 (.997 OPS) upon his return from the IL.

The 31-year-old was bumped down to 6th in the order from his usual cleanup position on Saturday, but that did not jumpstart any production either, as he went 0-for-3 with a groundout, a strikeout, and a flyout.

Though Suzuki's slump hasn't been as extreme as Happ's, staggering days off for struggling hitters may be the kind of last resort move that Counsell is looking to make.

Rea's strong showing spoiled

May 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Colin Rea (53) throws the ball against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Colin Rea has found a way to stabilize an ailing Cubs rotation in two consecutive seasons.

Much like he did last year, Rea has entered the starting rotation on short notice and provided quality outings for a team that currently has seven pitchers on the IL. Two of those pitchers are last year's standouts: Cade Horton (out for the season) and Matthew Boyd.

And while Rea struggled in his previous two outings (9 IP, 9 ER), he came out to Wrigley on Saturday and delivered seven innings of four-hit ball. Astros first baseman Christian Walker hit two home runs and was responsible for all three runs tagged to Rea's scorecard, but Rea settled in after Walker's second homer in the 4th inning and turned in his longest start of the season.

The only issue? Rea didn't get any run support. Allowing first-inning runs is never ideal for a starter, but great teams should be able to dig them out of it. The Cubs have not been able to live up to that expectation across the last seven games, but Rea did have faith in his clubhouse.

"I think we're fine," Rea told reporters following the game on Saturday. "It just takes that one game to get us back there."

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