Cubs Pitcher Accepts Blame After Chicago Blows Yet Another Lead

Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. spoke out about blowing the lead for the team on Thursday night.

Jun 13, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (38) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs had a massive opportunity on Thursday night to pick up a much-needed win.

Heading into the bottom of the third inning, the Cubs held a 2-0 lead and had looked great all night. Unfortunately, their late-game failures that have become all too familiar showed up once again.

Mark Leiter Jr., a reliever who has had an up-and-down season came into the game to relieve starting pitcher Justin Steele. What happened next was a thing of nightmares.

He only recorded two outs in the inning, but gave up three hits, a walk, and three earned runs. The Tampa Bay Rays took a 3-2 lead and never looked back.

Following the game, Leiter spoke out about his poor performance and took ownership for blowing the game. While it was a frustrating sight to see, a player taking accountability was a breath of fresh air for Chicago fans.

"I let the team down. I didn’t make enough pitches. That’s it. We played a good enough game to win and I put us in a bad spot."

With the loss, the Cubs dropped to 33-36 on the season. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games. While they're still in the playoff race, something needs to change soon before it's too late.

Craig Counsell has the talent on the roster capable of winning. The team showed that early in the year. For some reason, they cannot finish games and they're not showing up in others.

Fans have started growing tired of the way the team has played over the last few years. After firing David Ross and hiring Counsell, it was expected that Chicago would begin winning these tight games. It's looking more and more like it's a roster problem.

Jed Hoyer has come under heat and the front office is facing a lot of pressure. With the trade deadline coming up in a little over a month, the Cubs may need to shake things up.

Whatever the issues may be, it's gotten to a point where it's almost funny. For Chicago, it was the 15th blown lead of the season.

Add another disheartening and angering loss onto the tally for the 2024 season.