MILWAUKEE -- Ian Happ began to feel light-headed as he tried to wait out the sting from the foul ball he just sent off his left shin in the eighth inning on Tuesday night. The Cubs outfielder opted against trying to stay in, knowing that a retreat to the tunnel was in his best interest.
“I didn’t want to pass out on the field,” Happ said. “That was as bad as I’ve had it.”
At this important point in the Cubs’ season, Happ’s exit added a late scare in an already frustrating night for the ballclub. The North Siders were dealt a 9-3 loss by the red-hot rival Brewers (64-43) -- a defeat that sent Chicago (62-45) two games back of first place in the race for the National League Central crown.
The only good news in the aftermath of the loss -- the second in a row in Milwaukee -- was that X-rays on Happ’s leg came back negative for any structural damage. A stint on the injured list may still be coming, but a more serious setback would have added another wrinkle to the equation with Thursday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline looming.
The Cubs’ players have done well all season with maintaining the mantra of focusing on the game at hand and not getting caught up by potential distractions. There is no getting around the fact, however, that this is a crucial period within the 162-game calendar.
“The group has handled every part of this year pretty maturely,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said, “and done it with the big picture [in mind], but also staying day-by-day. Of course this series means a lot -- playing the other top team in our division.
“And the Deadline does sometimes carry some weight. I don’t think that’s affecting anything on the field right now, but it is a unique time in the season. Fortunately, we play these guys again.”
The Cubs have spent the majority of this season in first place in the division, but have slipped more than 1 1/2 games back of the lead now for the first time since March 30. On June 17, following a win at home over the Brewers, the North Siders had built a 6 1/2-game lead atop the Central.
Following a rainout on June 18, the Brewers then pulled off an 8-7 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field one day later. Since that win on June 19, Milwaukee has rattled off a Major League-leading 25-8 record. In that same span, Chicago has gone 17-17. After this series, the rivals will have five games in a four-day span at Wrigley on Aug. 18-21.
“There’s a lot of baseball games left, but that’s a good team,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We know they're going to win a lot of games and it’s going to challenge us to win a lot of games. Usually, things of that nature go down to the last week of the season.”
Tuesday’s loss was out of character for this Cubs team.
Chicago has been one of the top defensive units in the Majors this year, heading into the game ranked second in the NL in defensive runs saved (57) and third in outs above average (19). The Cubs made three errors, including missed catches by Hoerner and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
“I don’t think you’re going to have another game this year where Pete and I both drop balls,” Hoerner said. “You just move on. On to the next. It doesn’t make it any easier today, but we’ll be ready to go.”
Cubs righty Colin Rea -- who has helped stabilize the rotation through a barrage of injury setbacks to other arms -- lasted only four innings. The lineup, which has been one of the top groups in MLB this season, ended the night 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Veteran reliever Ryan Pressly surrendered a grand slam to Andrew Vaughn in the sixth, allowing the Brewers to pull away.
The goal for the Cubs now on the field will be to return to the formula that helped them hold down the top spot in the division for so much of this season. The goal for the front office will be to use Thursday’s Deadline to fortify the group for the two months ahead.
“It’s fun to have games that mean a lot and have high stakes,” Hoerner said. “You play in great atmospheres and play against another strong team in your division and go head-to-head. We haven’t played well in the last two days. But those are opportunities we all look forward to, and we plan on turning it around here soon.”