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  "path": "/cubs/2026/06/02/cubs-losing-streak-may-june-colin-rea-pete-crow-armstrong-leadoff-craig-counsell-lineup",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-03T01:13:13.823Z",
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  "textContent": "<p>The <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> might have put their recent 10-game losing streak and a somewhat miserable end to May behind them. But the sting is still there.</p><p>It’s been a bizarre first two months for the Cubs, who rattled off a pair of 10-game win streaks before plummeting out of first place with 10 straight defeats.</p><p>“It’s been a weird season for us so far, up and down,” starting pitcher <b>Colin Rea</b> told the Sun-Times on Tuesday. “Guys have been playing this game a long time in this locker room. And you could probably go around the room and say that no one’s [experienced] the start to the season that we’ve had.”</p><p>There was a monkey-off-the-back moment when the Cubs stopped their slide with a couple wins last week in Pittsburgh.</p><p>But a sour weekend series in St. Louis followed, and the Cubs finished the month of May in a 5-16 rut. They’ve gone seven consecutive series without a series win.</p><p>While a helpful June schedule started Tuesday against the sub-.500 Athletics — the first of 22 straight games against teams that started the month below water — the Cubs have yet to exorcise what ailed them during that nasty losing streak.</p><p>“When you’re winning all those games, you walk in the clubhouse and you expect to win that day,” Rea said. “It was rough there when we were losing. Guys were going through some rough patches, and some guys still are.</p><p>“After we won in Pittsburgh, my thoughts were: ‘Let’s see what happens the next couple weeks.’ Because it was just two games. ‘Yeah, it feels nice to put the losing streak behind us, but what are we going to do moving forward after we win a couple?’</p><p>“It was tough. That’s why you try not to ride the wave, as best as possible. … I hope this home stand kind of gets us back on track.”</p><h3><b>PCA thriving at the top</b></h3><p><b>Pete Crow-Armstrong</b>: All Star, 30-30 guy, Gold Glover. And now, Cubs leadoff man.</p><p><b>Craig Counsell</b>, looking for a shake-up during that 10-game skid, rearranged his batting order and put Crow-Armstrong at the top.</p><p>The move has paid off, with Crow-Armstrong batting .286/.395/.457 in the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in the lineup, spanning nine games entering Tuesday. His .852 OPS during the stretch is wildly better than the .686 mark he owned before the switch was made.</p><p>“I put him up there because, obviously, we were struggling offensively, and we were doing something different, frankly,” Counsell said. “His at-bats were trending in a really good direction. He’s continued that in the leadoff spot.”</p><p>Though he cooled off after the All-Star break last season, Crow-Armstrong entered this year as good a candidate as any to be the team’s best offensive player. And considering the leadoff man is the player who gets more at-bats than any other, it makes sense to put a guy there who can do the most damage.</p><p>After appearing in only 11 games in the top third of the lineup last season — and after a long stretch near the bottom of Counsell’s lineup this season — enter Crow-Armstrong.</p><p>“I told him this: ‘There’s a responsibility of hitting first in the lineup. We are choosing you to hit most,’” Counsell said. “That’s a responsibility. Hopefully that means something.”</p><p></p><bsp-listcarousel class=\"PageListE\" data-module data-column-count=3 data-hide-authors=\"true\" data-hide-categories=\"true\" data-hide-dates=\"true\" data-hide-descriptions=\"true\" data-show-loadmore=\"true\" ><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"list-c90005\" name=\"list-c90005\"></a><div class=\"PageList-header\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title-wrap\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" target=\"{borderColor=#dfdfdf, pageNumber=1, titleUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, inverseColors=false, footerBgColor=#000000, title=Latest on the Cubs, bodyFont=font-3, showListNumbers=false, imagePositionHorizontal=null, rteBodyFont=font-3, headerBottomBorderColor=#111010, subTitle=null, stickyHeader=true, listTitleColor=#000000, tableCellBorderColor=#ccd1d5, relatedListFont=font-1, hideAuthors=true, tertiaryTextColor=#6c6c6c, buttonHoverTextColor=#ffffff, tableFont=font-1, carouselAutoPlay=false, promoTitleFont=font-2, ctaButtonText=[], primaryTextColor=#2a2a2a, buttonTextColor=#ffffff, linkTextColor=#1a1a1a, hideTitles=false, footerLinkColor=#ffffff, carouselSpeed=null, buttonHoverBgColor=#a91d23, count=13970, rteHeadingFont=font-1, secondaryColor=#656565, hideCategories=true, _template=/page/list/includes/PageList-header.hbs, font3=Arial, font4=Source-serif-4, ctaUrl=null, hideImage=false, footerLinkHoverColor=#d3242c, _styledTemplate=/page/list/PageListE.hbs, hideAudioPlayback=false, pullQuoteIcon=[{image=null, narrowImage=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, alt=null}], description=[], listColumns234=null, showSecondItemMedia=false, items=[{type=Image, publishDate=June 02, 2026 06:57 PM, categoryUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, _styledTemplate=null, title=Cubs’ rotation getting healthier with imminent Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd returns, but is it deep enough?, imageAlignment=null, isFeatured=false, description=[{items=[The Cubs will get two of their better starting pitchers back soon. 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url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/06/02/mlb-marks-lou-gehrig-day-but-jon-boog-sciambi-has-become-an-advocate-for-those-with-als, _template=/page/promo/PagePromo.hbs, title=MLB marks Lou Gehrig Day, but Jon 'Boog' Sciambi has become an advocate for those with ALS}, {type=Image, categoryUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, anchorId=promo-800002, _styledTemplate=null, imageAlignment=null, isFeatured=false, url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/06/01/tarps-off-fad-cubs-cardinals-al-hrabosky-mad-hungarian, description=[{items=[Trend continues its spread to MLB parks, with the young and at least one of the old joining the fun]}], target=null, primaryMediaType=null, category=[{items=[Cubs]}], wordCount=1104, ampLink=null, media=[{narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/12/1d/47f0ac21468d9f7d655913677afe/tarps-rate-field.jpg, width=3531, height=2354}, alt=\"Tarps Off\" participants make noise in the left-field stands during a game between the White Sox and Tigers at Rate Field on Saturday, May 30, 2026., image={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/12/1d/47f0ac21468d9f7d655913677afe/tarps-rate-field.jpg, width=3531, height=2354}, ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs}], publishDate=June 01, 2026 05:58 PM, timestamp=1780354686000, audio=[], audioDuration=null, title='Tarps Off' fad adds to ex-Cardinal pitcher Al Hrabosky's madness, _template=/page/promo/PagePromo.hbs, authors=[{jobTitle=[{items=[Sports contributor]}], ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/author/byline/AuthorByline.hbs, name=[{items=[Gordon Edes]}], authorPageUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes, bio=[{items=[Gordon Edes is a sports contributor at the Chicago Sun-Times.]}], media=[{ampLink=null, _styledTemplate=null, _template=/image/Image.hbs, narrowImage={src=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/8c/3b/a9e4df4442f181af5f9e4e9e5510/image0.jpeg, width=1001, height=1331}, 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defaultArticleLeadStyle=standard, _parentFiles=[/page/list/includes/PageList-header.hbs]}\">Latest on the Cubs</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items\"> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Cubs’ rotation getting healthier with imminent Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd returns, but is it deep enough?\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/06/02/cubs-rotation-depth-injuries-matthew-boyd-edward-cabrera-craig-counsell-jordan-wicks-trade-deadline\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e167318/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3182x2130+13+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd7%2F4f%2Fed4b65234b5897d4d2c1468600c7%2Fap26141002758640.jpg\"/> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" 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Do they have enough depth?</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1780444639000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/vinnie-duber\" >Vinnie Duber </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"700\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"MLB marks Lou Gehrig Day, but Jon 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PM.png\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d2eae4b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/397x266+0+1/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F26%2F50%2Fc3e7134e498b85b9a644da425eab%2Fscreenshot-2026-06-02-at-5-53-02-pm.png\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/06/02/mlb-marks-lou-gehrig-day-but-jon-boog-sciambi-has-become-an-advocate-for-those-with-als\" >MLB marks Lou Gehrig Day, but Jon 'Boog' Sciambi has become an advocate for those with ALS</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">The Cubs broadcaster adopted ALS care as a personal mission when a childhood friend was stricken with the disease in 2005.</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div 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width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2828f0b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3517x2354+0+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F12%2F1d%2F47f0ac21468d9f7d655913677afe%2Ftarps-rate-field.jpg\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/06/01/tarps-off-fad-cubs-cardinals-al-hrabosky-mad-hungarian\" >'Tarps Off' fad adds to ex-Cardinal pitcher Al Hrabosky's madness</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">Trend continues its spread to MLB parks, with the young and at least one of the old joining the fun</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1780354686000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/gordon-edes\" >Gordon Edes </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"1104\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </bsp-listcarousel><p></p>",
  "title": "Cubs wary of May malaise ending with calendar flipped to June: ‘What are we going to do moving forward?’",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-03T01:24:58.916Z"
}