Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/26/26): Pirates 12, Cubs 1 – Losing Streak Hits 10 Despite Outscoring Bucs in 2nd Inning
The Cubs’ shockingly bad play continued with their 10th consecutive loss Tuesday night at PNC Park. The Pirates jumped all over spot starter Jordan Wicks in the opening inning and cruised to victory after that.
Pittsburgh scored five runs on Wicks in the bottom of the 1st, beginning with a two-run double by Bryan Reynolds. That was followed by an RBI single from Oneil Cruz and a homer off the bat of Esmerlyn Valdez.
The visitors scored their only run of the game against hard-throwing Braxton Ashcraft on an RBI double by Ian Happ in the top of the 2nd. The Bucs removed any lingering drama with three more in the bottom of the 5th to increase their advantage to 8-1.
By the end of the game, the total damage was 12 runs for Pittsburgh as the North Siders limped off to lick their wounds. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Cubs are in a very fragile state right now, and a five-run opening inning gave them no chance.
Why the Cubs Lost
With the way this offense is going, even allowing only two runs puts them in a deep hole.
Stats That Matter
- Wicks has been completely ineffective in his major league career: 4.1 IP, 8 R, 9 H, 5 K, and 1 BB.
- Alex Bregman had a pair of hits, including a double.
- The Cubs have scored in only seven of their last 72 innings.
Bottom Line
This is the most bewildering Cubs season I have ever seen, and it’s not even June. Bad teams don’t have two 10-game winning streaks, and good teams don’t have 10-game losing streaks (unless we’re talking about the 2017 Dodgers). Well, this squad has done both with over 100 games left in the season. I don’t even know what to say at this point, but teh Cubs will have to win again at some point.
On Deck
The third matchup of the series is Wednesday night at 5:40pm CT. Jameson Taillon goes up against Bubba Chandler in a game televised on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
