The Chicago Cubs came into Wednesday afternoon looking for their second sweep of the season. They didn't even come close, losing 17-1 to the New York Mets in an absolute beatdown at Citi Field on Wednesday. While the Cubs still won the series, they didn't do their run differential any favors in a brutal pitching performance.
Jeff Samardzija, who looked so good early in the season, has seen the wheels come off lately. He allowed nine runs over 4.1 innings on Wednesday, with the Cubs losing for the seventh time in his past eight starts. On June 5, Samardzija's ERA sat at a sparkling 3.13, but it's risen all the way to 5.06 after four consecutive subpar performances.
The Cubs' offense didn't help much, with Jon Niese and Ramon Ramirez combining to allow just one run over the course of the game. Darwin Barney had a pair of hits and Anthony Rizzo hit his second career double, but that about sums up the team's production for the day.
New York exploded offensively, meanwhile, with four different players contributing all of the team's 17 RBI. Daniel Murphy led the way with a double, two homers and four RBI, with David Wright, Ike Davis and Scott Hairston knocking in the remainder of the team's runs.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago, and for more from around Major League Baseball, head over to Baseball Nation. For the latest on trade rumors and transactions, visit MLB Daily Dish.