(670 The Score) Five games into the season, the Cubs have managed just 18 total hits and are batting an MLB-worst .132.
Their offensive woes continued in a 4-0 loss to the Brewers at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, when the Cubs recorded just one hit. It continued a trend from 2020, when the Cubs were 20th in runs per game (4.42), 27th in batting average (.220) and 21st in OPS (.705). The struggles have certainly caught the eye of manager David Ross.
"What is the quality of the at-bat?" Ross said of what he and his staff are looking at. "Are they hitting in the zone or chasing outside of the zone? We look at more the quality of the at-bat or the pitch. Are they late? Is there a timing issue? Do they look overmatched? These are things we look at."
Many Cubs are off to poor starts. Outfielder Joc Pederson is 0-of-13 after a torrid spring, while catcher Willson Contreras is 1-of-14 and outfielder Ian Happ is 1-for-11.
"That is the beauty of the 162-game season," Happ said. "If this happened in the middle of the season, you wouldn't blink. But when it happens at the beginning of the season, it magnifies it. That is part of the sticking-with-it process.
"So you just have to be patient."
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The Cubs were particularly frustrated in not driving the ball Tuesday, when the wind was blowing out on a warm evening. They'll get another chance to turn it around when they host the Brewers in the series finale Wednesday afternoon.
"When things start rough and in particular on a 70-degree day, you want so badly to have a good start," Happ said. "When you don't, you want to remind yourself that it's a long haul and there are plenty at-bats left."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
