{"id":70341,"date":"2025-07-22T07:06:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T07:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70341"},"modified":"2025-07-22T07:06:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T07:06:23","slug":"chicago-cubs-drop-out-of-nl-central-lead-for-the-1st-time-since-april-3-with-a-12-4-loss-to-kansas-city-royals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70341","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Cubs drop out of NL Central lead for the 1st time since April 3 with a 12-4 loss to Kansas City Royals"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

For 108 straight days, the Chicago Cubs possessed a share of first place in the division.<\/p>\n

The Cubs\u2019 consistency, especially offensively, kept them in control despite injuries to the rotation while owning the best run differential in the majors. The Cubs\u2019 hold on the top of the National League Central ended, at least for one day, with Monday\u2019s 12-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals coupled with the Milwaukee Brewers\u2019 11th consecutive victory.<\/p>\n

Their run in first place, dating to April 4, took a sizzling stretch by the Brewers to dethrone the Cubs (59-41) and sets up a huge series next week in Milwaukee. But the way their loss unfolded in Monday\u2019s series opener against the Royals created a frustrating backdrop to a stretch where the Cubs have tried to focus on their play while Milwaukee mounted a charge up the standings to the best record in baseball.<\/p>\n

The hearty boos during the fifth inning from the crowd of 38,117 at Wrigley Field marked an amplification of Cubs fans\u2019 frustrations. Right-hander Ben Brown, called up from Triple-A Iowa before the game, entered in the second following opener Ryan Brasier. Carson Kelly\u2019s solo home run and Matt Shaw\u2019s three-run home run in the second gave Brown a 4-1 lead to work with.<\/p>\n

A two-out, two-run home run from Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who ambushed Brown\u2019s first-pitch fastball, cut the Cubs\u2019 lead to one run. That slim margin of error became problematic in the fifth. The Royals (49-52) tallied three consecutive hits to take the lead, scored a run on Kelly\u2019s throwing error to second base as Bobby Witt Jr. attempt to steal, and tacked on another run in that same at-bat when Brown uncorked a errant changeup for a wild pitch to create a 7-4 deficit for the Cubs.<\/p>\n

Right-hander Chris Flexen took over in the sixth and gave up five runs in his three-inning appearance to put the game out of reach.<\/p>\n

Within the fifth-inning sequence, Brown deflected Witt\u2019s one-out infield single, a ball that had a .060 expected average. Manager Craig Counsell called that the play of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we make that play, there\u2019s a chance to get out of that inning with it a tie game,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cNow that still, we\u2019ve given up four and in a four-inning stretch and probably got to do better than that to expect a win generally. So that\u2019s where we\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chicago
Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown stands in the dugout during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Wrigley Field on Monday, July 21, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Cubs need more reliability from Brown, who\u2019s shown dazzling flashes of greatness and then at-bats or innings that get away from him. Those inconsistencies become more heightened as the Cubs navigate rotation this year and try to manage workloads, such as Matthew Boyd\u2019s. Too many mistakes over the middle of the plate continue to haunt Brown. He gave up seven hits and seven runs (six earned) in four innings on Monday.<\/p>\n

Brown tried to focus on the positives from his outing, including how he handled Witt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt locked in,\u201d Brown said of the four-run fifth inning. \u201cIt\u2019s just baseball today. It\u2019s just unfortunate that baseball keeps baseballing me a lot pretty often. And I have to figure out a way for it to not do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the days keep moving closer to October, Brown wants to help the Cubs win. He understands that too often this year it hasn\u2019t been happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m kind of a non-contributor when things like (what) happened tonight and it\u2019s unfortunate,\u201d Brown said. \u201cSo whatever opportunities are ahead of me, I\u2019ve got to be better to earn that and to have that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Monday\u2019s game, Counsell didn\u2019t sound like the Cubs were inclined to give Brown a look out of the bullpen in shorter relief appearances at this point.<\/p>\n

Photos: Chicago Cubs lose to the Kansas City Royals, 12-4<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI understand the calendar\u2019s shorter, I think our available starter situation isn\u2019t completely full right now, so I would say no to that question as we sit here right now,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cObviously things can change, but right now he\u2019s going to pitch in bulk or length.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cubs\u2019 trade deadline acquisitions could alter Brown\u2019s role. As much as the Cubs have tried to make Brown as a starter work, it might end up being in both sides\u2019 best interest to turn him into a true reliever at some point this season and see if he can handle high-leverage situations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s cool to be on a team that\u2019s in a winning position, and I\u2019m just having my hands open to anything that\u2019s coming down my way,\u201d Brown said. \u201cSo whatever it is, it\u2019s just a fun time to be a Cub and fun time for Cubs fans, we\u2019re playing really good baseball. It\u2019s encouraging to be part of it and I\u2019ve got to start helping out a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Cubs\u2019 run in first place, dating to April 4, was dethroned during a sizzling stretch by the Brewers to set up a huge series next week in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":70342,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1323,2126,1828,282,76,936,80,2653,1168],"class_list":["post-70341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-ben-brown","tag-bobby-witt-jr","tag-carson-kelly","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-kansas-city-royals","tag-matt-shaw","tag-mlb-baseball","tag-salvador-perez","tag-wrigley-field"],"yoast_head":"\nChicago Cubs drop out of NL Central lead for the 1st time since April 3 with a 12-4 loss to Kansas City Royals - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70341\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chicago Cubs drop out of NL Central lead for the 1st time since April 3 with a 12-4 loss to Kansas City Royals - 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