The Chicago Cubs a team dubbed “The Loveable Losers,” have had their fair amount of success in recent years. However, over my years as a Chicago Cubs fan, I have witnessed my fair share of disappointing Cubs losses. Born in 2001, I have only been a real baseball fan for about 8 years. The 2012 World Series was the first time I really got into baseball. With that being said let’s go over the five most disappointing Cubs losses that I have witnessed.
1: 2015 NLCS Game Four
This was it, this was supposed to be the year. The Cubs won 97 regular season games followed by shutting out the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card game and eliminating the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series. The Cubs were red hot going into the Championship Series against the New York Mets. New York completely outplayed the Cubs, outscoring them 21-8 in the four-game series. The 2015 season was my first true taste of successful Chicago Cubs baseball as well as my first taste of the famous Cubbies disappointment. Watching Jeurys Familia strikeout Dexter Fowler to eliminate the Cubs was a terrible feeling. The fans’ excitement towards a potential World Series appearance died with one pitch.
2: 2016 World Series Game One
The 2016 Cubs were invincible with the best record in the Major Leagues with 103 wins. They had it all beating the San Francisco Giants in the Division Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Championship Series. There was only one team in the way of the Chicago Cubs and a World Series title that had evaded them for 108 years. That team was the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe boasted a potent offense with an even better pitching staff. The Indians had a trio of brilliant starters headed by ace of the staff Corey Kluber. Next up was Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer. You were in trouble against the Indians if you could not score early as their bullpen was excellent. Once the starter was pulled the Indians had Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen, and the nearly untouchable Andrew Miller, among others.
Kluber started game one, pitching six innings of four-hit baseball. The ball was then turned over to Andrew Miller in the seventh for two innings. Miller allowed only two hits. Cody Allen finished the Cubs off with a scoreless ninth.
3: 2017 NLCS Game Five
The Cubs were supposed to be back to back champions and dynasty and a team for the ages. Instead, they were a team that suffered greatly from the World Series hangover and ended up getting demolished by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 Championship Series. I chose game five because it is the game where the Cubs got eliminated. However, the whole series was disappointing.
The Cubs were absolutely trounced in Game Five, losing 11-0. This loss has left a sour taste in my mouth to this day. This loss was the day the Cubs’ chance for a dynasty died.
4: 2018 Game 163
The Cubs started the month of September with the lead in the Central Division and the best record in the National League. The Cubs had a ridiculous schedule in September. They would go on to play 30 games in the month having to make a total of eight road trips. The combination of a brutal September schedule and an epic month from the Milwaukee Brewers ended the division in a tie. That’s right, the Brewers and the Cubs had an identical record after 162 regular-season games. A win? Rewarded with the number one overall seed in the National League. A loss? End up hosting the National League Wild Card Game.
The Cubs started Jose Quintana who over his career has had great success against the Brewers. Quintana pitched five innings allowing only one run. I was at the game and Wrigley Field was electric from before the first pitch. As soon as the Brewers took the lead the stadium lost all its energy. As a result, the fans knew that the Cubs would be playing in the Wild Card game.
5: 2018 NL Wildcard game
After a disappointing end to the regular season, the Cubs would host the Colorado Rockies in a win or go home game. Jon Lester would face Rockies ace Kyle Freeland. Lester would only allow one run over six innings. The Cubs pitching was not the problem the hitting was. The Cubs only scored one run in the 13 inning affair ending a futile offensive streak for the team.
A 95 win 2018 campaign ended with a 2-1 NL Wild Card game defeat. There is not a more disappointing way to end a 95 win season than with a loss in the Wild Card game. This team was wildly talented but when things got tight in September they just could not score. Even the addition of Daniel Murphy, a high On-Base Percentage second baseman could not help the Cubs offense.
In the end, all teams have highs and lows and every fan experiences times of excellence and times of mediocrity. The true fans are there for it all.
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