Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/22/26): Astros 4, Cubs 2 – Numerous Missed Chances in Sixth Straight L
The Cubs’ tailspin continued with a sixth consecutive loss, this one coming to the Astros on Friday afternoon. Once again, the story was missed opportunities with runners in scoring position. As futility reigned supreme, the fans at Wrigley booed the home team multiple times.
Catcher Christian Vázquez gave Houston the lead with a solo home run off Jameson Taillon in the top of the 3rd inning. Chicago loaded the bases against Spencer Arrighetti with nobody out in the bottom of the frame, but could not score. The way things are going, it would have been more surprising had they cashed in at all.
The Astros extended their advantage with a pair of runs in the top of the 4th as Zach Cole had an RBI groundout and Vázquez singled home another to bring the score to 3-0. They would add one more on a run-scoring single by Brice Matthews in the 5th.
The North Siders cut the deficit in half when Pete Crow-Armstrong blasted a two-run homer off of left-handed reliever Steven Okert in the bottom of the 6th. The home squad had a couple more chances but did not do anything as they lost by the same 4-2 margin. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Cubs had the bases loaded two separate times and did not score a single run in either situation. They walked five times, had two batters hit by pitches, and reached via an error, yet every one of those runners ended up stranded on the bases.
Why the Cubs Lost
They went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.
Stats That Matter
- Taillon was better than his effort against the White Sox but not great: 4.2 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 5 K, and 1 BB.
- PCA also had two walks to go with his home run.
Bottom Line
The Cubs are in a very dangerous position right now, and they desperately need a win to stop the bleeding. They are quickly eating away at the victories they piled up during their two 10-game winning streaks. Chicago’s biggest problem at the moment is the fact that the hitters in the middle of the lineup just aren’t producing like they need to be. Until that changes, things probably won’t improve much.
“I think we have to do something different,” Counsell said after the game. “It feels like…confidence is shaken. Maybe a different look in the lineup, or a day off is needed. I think we are at that point, absolutely.“
On Deck
Game two of the series is Saturday afternoon at 1:20pm CT. Colin Rea is on the mound against Kai-Wei Teng in a matchup available on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
