Cubs Week In Review: Persistent Adversity Will Serve As a Lesson, Not a Death Knell

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In sports, either in anticipation of October baseball or locked in the midst of another exhilarating "March Madness" tournament, the critical moments always seem to come down to a vital call or two; whether the calls fall under reasonable or malpractice is another matter entirely. Sifting through how to classify such matters stymied Craig Counsell's Cubs club and took the focus off baseball at a time when it genuinely ought to be the only focus. Concurrently with the follies taking place on the diamond in the squad's defeats, the same type of elite play from Chicago's brightest stars kept the fires burning with visions of postseason glory on the North Side.

Fresh off the heels of a dismaying series loss in Seattle, the Cubbies continued their westward swing, kicking off a three-game set in Arizona with the Diamondbacks. Corbin Carroll's squad is one defined by unfulfilled expectations and is currently fighting for their playoff lives with sights set on the third Wild Card spot.

Fortunately, starter Kevin Gausman and the visiting North Siders made sure the Snakes would make up no ground on the good in this tilt. The 35-year-old righty sparkled for this side, dealing seven innings of three-hit ball, striking out six, and issuing just one free pass. He's locating his pitches with more accuracy and allowing the typically prolific offense the chance to get going. That came in the form of back-to-back blasts from Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly in the sixth inning. Their emphatic swings gave the Cubbies the momentum necessary to close the door on the Snakes in a 7-0 triumph to open the series.

And that's about where the North Siders' fun in the desert ended. Bullpen struggles are nothing new for this Cubs team, but when they falter as they did in this contest, all it can do is linger like the worst desert sunburn imaginable. The visitor's new de facto ace, Clay Holmes, was brilliant, spinning a scoreless seven innings and situating his already impressive ERA at a stingy 2.26.

Chicago took a four-run lead into the eighth inning, which marked an unthinkable statistic: the Cubs scored 30 unanswered runs against their opponents dating back to their 19-2 victory over the Mariners. Palencia's gut-wrenching implosion in the eighth inning left the Cubs headed to the home half of the ninth, and the sterling reliever Jacob Webb entering the game to record the final three outs. He came two strikes away from delivering, but in a most jarring fashion, did not. The Cubs' dugout instead was forced to watch a cascading, two-run home run off the bat of the D-Backs' Ryan Waldschmidt sail into the seats in left field at Chase Field in a 5-4 comeback win for Arizona.

A supposed and perceived balk from Los Serpientes ace Eduardo Rodriguez in the sixth inning of this series' finale opened up a line of discussion for Chicago sports radio that will continue for months. Should Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs fall short of seizing the Fall Classic, the umpire's failure to properly call the balk on Rodriguez, which would have plated the go-ahead run for Chicago, will firmly be etched as an example of this franchise's mythical plight.

Let's not take the focus off of the brilliant performance by Rodriguez. As he has been all season long, he was magnificent, punching out nine Cubs in seven innings of work. From the pitch clock to ABS, baseball has gotten a lot right with its rule changes, but with a looming lockout and new CBA, the efficacy and accuracy of big-league umpires will continue to stay under the microscope of justified scrutiny. The Diamondbacks won the contest 2-0.

The North Siders returned home for a much-anticipated three-game weekend tilt with division foe Cincinnati. Taking center stage in this matchup was the reunion of several of the franchise's most legendary players, such as Jon Lester, Sammy Sosa, and Kyle Hendricks. Despite scoring eight runs and matching the Reds' hit tally, the Cubs failed to get the weekend started right.

Recently maligned reliever Trent Thornton unraveled in the sixth inning, surrendering five runs to the visitors, a Reds team a full eight games back of the third and final Wild Card slot. A late, modest rally made things interesting for the home team, though it was not enough on this Friday afternoon, falling 10-8.

It will be easier said than done, but regardless of how far this team goes the rest of this season, we must find a way to cherish, recognize, and appreciate the brilliance of Pete Crow-Armstrong. Capturing the hearts of baseball fans across the country, Crow-Armstrong's legacy as a Cub is just getting started, but his three-home-run performance in the Cubs' 17-5 rout of Cincinnati is evidence of a legend in the making. Like any generation-defining player, it's not just his performances that inspire; it's his spirit, competitive fire, and love for the game that make him a fixture in MLB.