3 up, three down: An update on the Cubs, August

The Cubs have now lost three of their last four series and are 10-11 given that the All-Star break. That’s not awful– great groups have stretches like that all the time– however it can’t take on the Brewers’ 17-4 mark over that very same span.Now we need to be concerned that the Cubs may fall behind the Padres in the wild-card race. As of Monday their lead is just 1.5 games over San Diego.Here’s who’s hot and not for the Cubs over the last week.Could Cade Horton be

the ace the Cubs are looking for?Horton’s scoreless-inning streak reached 23.2 innings with his outing against the Reds last Wednesday. Over that streak he has enabled 8 walks and 11 hits(0.761 WHIP ). His strikeout rate (18 percent)isn’t rather what it remained in the minor leagues(31.7 percent )however maybe that will come in time.Matt Shaw has totally turned his season around Shaw batted.333/

.375/ 1.067(5-for-15)over the week with a triple and three crowning achievement. Considering that the All-Star break Shaw is batting.328/.349/.770(20-for-61)with 4 doubles, a triple, 7 crowning achievement, 15 RBI, 3 stolen bases and 12 runs scored in 20 games (17 starts). He’s raised his season OPS from.556 to.683 in that span. He and Horton might yet enter into the Novice of the Year conversation.Here’s his game-tying home run in Sunday’s contest.Andrew Kittredge offseted a bad game in a magnificent way Truthfully, it was difficult to discover

a 3rd Cubs player for “3 up”today.

Most of the hitters had peaceful weeks. None of the relievers did extremely well.And Kittredge was

one of those who didn’t when he allowed four hits and 4 runs to the Reds last Tuesday.He compensated that with a spotless inning Wednesday. Here are the three strikeouts: And this was accomplished with the same pitches to all 3 hitters: Not just did Kittredge strike out Austin Hays, Gavin Lux and Tyler Stephenson, however he did it using the exact same series of pitches. “We went sinker, sinker

, slider, “catcher Carson Kelly said.” Sinker, sinker, slider. Sinker, sinker

… slider? It was quite cool to be a part of that.”Kelly paused for a 2nd recalling the idea that possibly he should

change up that last pitch– however the slider worked as all three batters set out swinging.It was the Cubs’very first immaculate inning given that Hayden Wesneski did it Sept. 22, 2022 at Pittsburgh, and the very first one at Wrigley Field given that LaTroy Hawkins had one against the Marlins Sept. 11, 2004. Where have you gone, PCA? A fanbase turns its lonely eyes to you Pete Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-21(

.095)over the 6 games with six strikeouts. He did steal one base, however then got chosen off.And that wanted going 1-for-12 against the Orioles, so in August PCA is batting.091/.118/.121(3-for-33) with one double, no strolls and 13

strikeouts.This is so far out of character with the rest of his 2025 season that you

‘d need to figure he’ll break out of it eventually. Sooner would be good.Even with the depression, PCA is still leading the NL with 31 doubles and also has actually published an NL-leading 6.1 bWAR.Kyle Tucker’s power interruption continues Tucker batted.167/.286/.167 (3-for-18) over the week with no extra-base hits.

In truth, he has homered just once since June 28 (a solo shot vs. the Red Sox July 19), a period of 113 at-bats. Let’s put to rest, incidentally, the idea that the small finger injury

Tucker suffered June 1 has anything to do with this depression. After the injury, Tucker sat out one game entirely and pinch-hit the game after that. In the 22 games after that, Tucker struck.313/.406/.578 with 7 doubles, 5 home runs, 13 RBI and 17 runs scored.It’s not the finger. It’s something else. The run-scoring slump that’s impacted practically the whole group (other than, apparently, Shaw)

is the perpetrator. The Cubs batted.256/.325/.446 and averaged 5.33 runs per game before the All-Star break. Ever since:.244/.310/.399, 4.14 runs per game. If you can figure that out, please let Craig Counsell know.The flower has actually come off Willi Castro After he went 4-for-12 in his very first three games for the Cubs, Castro is 0 for his last 13 and total is batting.160/.160/.240 as a Cub, even worse than Vidal Bruján, the guy he replaced.