The Chicago Cubs were presumably hoping that ace Matt Garza would be able to stop the bleeding, but the losing streak continues with a 10-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon. Garza's issues with throwing the ball to first base continued in the first inning and he never looked especially sharp in taking his third loss of the season.
The pitching struggled badly on Sunday, with Garza lasting just five innings in his first start since being knocked out in the third inning by the Houston Astros on May 21. Rafael Dolis and Michael Bowden didn't fare much better, combining to allow four runs in the sixth inning.
The Pirates wouldn't score again after opening up a 10-0 lead after six innings, but that advantage was more than enough with Erik Bedard dealing on the mound. The lefty pitched six shutout innings for Pittsburgh on Sunday to give the bullpen some breathing room.
The Cubs managed to string together some hits in the final two innings, but it was too little too late. Starlin Castro hit his third homer of the season in the eighth inning. The Cubs have now lost 12 straight games, their longest losing streak in over 15 years.
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