With each day, the Cubs sink deeper into the quicksand.
They’re up to their shoulders in muck and appear to have little chance of staying alive.
“It tickles you,” manager Don Baylor said of his team’s inability to thrive. “But I’m not laughing. When you run into a team like the Braves, you have to be a little better than what you are.”
The Cubs were no better Thursday than they’ve been all season. Despite pounding out 14 hits, they lost 6-4 to Atlanta, dropping the series two games to one.
Since falling to 15-26 on May 16, the Cubs have stared mediocrity right between the eyes. They’re 15-15 since then, never winning more than three straight or losing more than two in a row.
The Cubs had a chance Thursday to take a big lead on the Braves in the second inning. With the bases loaded and the game tied 2-2, Mark Grace hit a two-out liner to left-center.
Andruw Jones, who plays perhaps the shallowest center field in baseball, intercepted the ball’s path and made a diving grab.
“I thought I had him beat, but he’s wearing gold for a reason,” Grace said of the two-time Gold Glover. “In Chicago we beat him a few times with balls over his head that he would have gotten to if he played deeper. But that’s why I admire him. He takes chances.”
The Cubs recorded 13 hits against former teammate Terry Mulholland, but the savvy left-hander overcame a 33-minute rain delay to earn the victory.
“He’s a warrior,” Grace said. “With Terry you know you’ll get nothing fancy, but he’ll come at you whether you’re Sammy Sosa or Rafael Belliard. That’s why I loved playing behind him and it’s why I’m a big fan of his.”
