MILWAUKEE, Wis. (670 The Score) -- David Ross cracked a wry smile Wednesday morning inside the visitors' dugout of American Family Field. With the Cubs mired in an arduous stretch, all their manager can do is control is attitude.
"Positive vibes," Ross said with a grin before what would be an unfathomably difficult game against the rival Brewers.
The Cubs dropped their sixth straight contest and fell six games behind the NL Central-leading Brewers, blowing a 7-0 lead after a half-inning of play to lose 15-7. The Cubs became the second team in MLB's modern era to lose by more than seven runs after scoring seven or more in the first inning, according to ESPN Stats & Info. It was the latest setback for a Cubs team that was in first place one week ago.
Veteran right-hander Jake Arrieta, who was brought back to Chicago with the hope of bringing consistency to the rotation, allowed six runs (three earned) in 1 2/3 innings and saw his ERA soar to 5.57. Slugger Patrick Wisdom, the Cubs' breakout player in June, became the latest to go down with an injury. The bullpen blew up while allowing the red-hot Brewers to earn the series sweep.
Staying positive is becoming increasingly difficult for the Cubs, who went 12-16 in June and now head into a pivotal July with even greater uncertainty.
"Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for us lately," Arrieta said.
Before the series finale Wednesday, Ross said he recognized the importance of what a win would mean. The Cubs had the chance to cap off a challenging month with a win over the division leaders, cool off the Brewers for at least one day and set a positive tone for what's ahead.
But Ross had to once again fill out a lineup card without stars Kris Bryant (right side soreness) and Anthony Rizzo (lower back). After Arrieta struggled again, the Cubs' bullpen was then forced to cover 6 1/3 innings, including infielder Eric Sogard working one late in the blowout. And Ross had to insert backup catcher Taylor Gushue at first base to replace the injured Wisdom, who was filling in for Bryant and Rizzo.
"I don't stew on things that I can't control," Ross said. "It is what it is. These guys all have given a great effort every single day. We have a professional group that understands it's a long season. There are going to be these moments. The potential to be a great team is there, right around the corner."
Shortstop Javier Baez thought the Cubs' clubhouse felt "fine" after the loss, while Arrieta expressed his optimism that the struggles will end soon.
"As difficult as this may seem," Arrieta said, "it's going to be short-lived because the group in that clubhouse is just too good to let this sustain for too much longer.
"Rally as a group and support each other."
Whether the Cubs' roster remains intact is out of the clubhouse's control and in the hands of the front office as the trade deadline looms July 30.
The Cubs might not be the disjointed team they were in Milwaukee, but they also don't seem to be the group that went 19-8 in May. Success in July could be fool's gold too, leaving Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer in a precarious position to decide whether it's even worth chasing the Brewers or if it's better for the organization to sell key players with an eye on the future.
There's no defined direction just yet, because the Cubs have yet to prove exactly who they are.
The Cubs are in desperate need of trade additions, namely in their rotation. But they could stand to benefit in the long term by dealing any one of Bryant, Rizzo or Baez, who are all set to become a free agents at season's end.
Bryant and Rizzo are expected to return to the lineup when the Cubs play a series against the Reds this weekend. Second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring) is also nearing a return as he finishes a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa. In July, the Cubs face just one team -- the Nationals (39-38) -- that entered Wednesday with a winning record.
As they head toward the brink, the Cubs know being positive only gets them so far.
"At the end of the day, we got to win baseball games," Ross said. "All the theories, seeing the positives, focusing on the negatives, we can take any of those paths. But at the end of the day, we got to win baseball games.
"Weathering the storm and try to keep going. We're not where we want to be as far as the standings. But we're still in position to do really good things this season if we play up to our capability.
"I think we're a good team."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.