Levine: Tigers Put Temporary Damper On Cubs' Playoff Drive

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Their first losing streak in almost a month has put a temporary damper on the Cubs' drive toward a National League wild-card entry.

For two straight days, the Tigers outslugged the Cubs dramatically, scoring a combined 25 runs on 40 hits in the two-game demolition at Wrigley Field that concluded with Detroit's 15-8 win on Wednesday night. Cubs left-hander Jon Lester was torched for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.

After winning 15 of 16 games, the Cubs have lost three straight for the first time since getting swept by the Phillies from July 24-26. Chicago now leads San Francisco by three games for the final NL wild-card berth.

Lester saw his record drop to 8-9 on the season. He had won four of his last five starts, with one no-decision. Before Wednesday, Lester hadn't lost since July 11.

"This season is too long to let one of these (awful) starts that stand out to affect your season ," Lester said. "This is a bad time of the year to have one .Especially after what happened (Tuesday, a 10-8  loss for the Cubs). We scored a bunch of runs and Clayton (Richard in relief) did a great job after what I made of the game."

The Cubs came into the Tigers series with the lowest ERA in baseball during August. The bullpen had registered 23 1/3 innings of shutout baseball before the Detroit debacle. This was the first time in 15 years that a Cubs team had allowed 19 or more hits in successive ballgames (Sept. 2000 against Houston).

Cubs manager Joe Maddon knows how to diffuse losing and pressure on his young club. Batting practice was already canceled for Thursday, and report time is just two hours before the team begins a four-game series with Atlanta.

"I will be honest with you -- I am scratching my head about this one," Lester said. "I believe the pitches that were made were not to the result of what they were."

Translation: An honest self-evaluation type, Lester felt he had made good pitches that got hit hard. He wasn't making excuses, just telling it from his perspective, which is often spot on.

The clubs combined for 41 runs in the two shootouts.

"I had never seen it like it was the last two days," Lester said of Wrigley Field playing small because of winds that blew out. "This was a first time for me. It would be easy to point fingers at things. I don't know. I will go back and look at the pitches that were made and the results that were there. But it doesn't quite correspond to what was going on."

The Tigers hit five homers Wednesday, while the Cubs hit three. It was the first time since 2012 that the Cubs and their opponent combined for eight long balls in one game at Wrigley Field.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.