(670 The Score) As the Cubs took a nine-game losing streak into Thursday and their season outlook was its bleakest yet, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer praised manager David Ross' leadership amid the struggles.
"He's been great," Hoyer said Thursday, a day after the Cubs lost 19-5 to the Padres at Wrigley Field. "I don't know what's been written about that. I think he's done a great job. He's the same person every day. I think every conversation we have is about how to make guys better. So I don't see any issues with him whatsoever. It's difficult. We've had some of the matchup we planned out or some of the platoons or some of the things that we had hoped for, they haven't materialized. So there are probably times he's not getting the matchups he wants or things haven't lined up probably the way we had planned. We've been playing with a short bench a lot of times because of injuries. Or our bullpen has been tired, so he's had to stay away from guys. I just think those are the things that, understandably, fans don't always know who's down, who's injured, who's available, who's not. And so I know those things, and so I know the various constraints he's had to work under because of our injuries and things like that. I think all things considered, I think he's done a great job. He's frustrated. I'm frustrated. We sit there at midnight and talk through it. All the conversations are really productive."
The Cubs were 23-39 and 12.5 games back of the NL Central-leading Cardinals entering Thursday. Hoyer admitted there's been frustration, including in his conversations with owner Tom Ricketts, president of business operations Crane Kenny and Ross.
"Everyone has questions," Hoyer said. "I have questions. Rossy has questions. You'd be sort of not paying attention or not doing your job if you're not asking questions about why we're struggling in certain areas.
Some of it is obvious, and some of it is more nuanced. But I think everybody is asking questions, and they should be asking questions."
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