MILWAUKEE (670 The Score) -- Despite a 2-6 start marked by a bullpen that's been a debacle, the Cubs remain calm inside their clubhouse.
"A little adversity early on will probably make us better in the long run," left-hander Jon Lester said. "I don't think anyone in that room has panicked by any means. We just have to string some good games together. The offense has been picking us up for pretty much the whole road trip. It is our turn now to make sure a little less runs scored."
After a disappointing end to the 2018 season, the Cubs front office preached a need for renewed urgency and a strong start. The early returns were poor. The Cubs' pitching has struggled mightily, issuing an MLB-worst 49 walks in the first eight games and posting an MLB-worst 7.87 ERA. Twice the Cubs have lost games in which they scored double-digit runs.
Given the attitude and work of the team as it left spring training, the start was a shock.
"We needed to make sure we did the little things the right way, to get us in position to have our best season," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said on March 27. "I am proud of the work our players put in, and we are well-positioned with the makeup and talent we have. I am eager to see that play out this year."
The silver lining for the Cubs early has been a strong offense, as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game, second-best in MLB. With that in mind, Epstein kept an optimistic big-picture outlook in comments to reporters Saturday, when he also took the blame for the bad start and any roster weakness that has reared its head.
That has been most evident in the bullpen, which was a strength in 2018 but has a 9.51 ERA through eight games this season. That ranks 29th out of 30 teams.
"For us in the bullpen, it has been business as usual," veteran reliever Steve Cishek said. "We are trying not to panic. We are only eight games into the season. You are going to have stretches like this in a 162-game schedule. The unfortunate thing for us is this is the beginning of the year. That is why it looks so bad. If it was June, we would still hear about it but would not be as alarming as it is right now."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
