Is the Chicago Cubs' Three Game Losing Streak Cause For Concern?

The Cubs on Monday lost their third consecutive game, losing 3-0 to the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field.

Not only were they shut out at home, but they also failed to get a single extra base hit against the 'Stros. After consecutive losses to the Phillies and today's shutout, should Cubs fans be concerned, or is this a minor bump in the road against good starting pitching?

Cubs fans need to calm down. I'm hearing too many fans who claim to be faithful to the blue-clad Northsiders complaining of inadequate starting pitching, not enough run support, and a general lack of effort.

Seriously. People complaining that the Cubs aren't trying. Call me crazy, but a team that went 20-8 in the month of August, has a 4 1/2 game lead in the division, and has a run differential north of 180 is NOT a team that you should be concerned about effort with.

One cause for concern in recent days has been the starting pitching. Lou Piniella was planning on skipping Rich Harden's next start in order to preserve his arm, and Carlos Zambrano was skipped for the same reason.

Now, I am the first to admit that I am not very confident with an injury prone pitcher and a pitcher who was on the DL earlier this year skipping starts in August due to exhaustion, but in Lou Piniella's defense, the team has a big enough lead that they can afford to take some risks.

In addition, they have capable backup starters in Sean Marshall, Jon Lieber, and even Kevin Hart, so if the big guys need a rest, the Cubs are more than capable of temporarily replacing them.

As if the backup angle isn't solid enough, look at the performance in recent weeks of Jason Marquis. He had won his previous three starts before today, and today he even had a quality start, giving up only two runs through six innings. These are not bad numbers for a fifth starter.

Another cause for concern has been the performance of the offense. They have not exactly been scoring runs in bunches lately, and they have trailed in five consecutive games and six of their last seven.

Granted, they won three of those six, but, nonetheless, they are not providing their starting pitching with a cushion to start with. The important number to keep in mind here is 39. That's how many come from behind wins the Cubs have this season.

This number tells you two things: One, their offense never gives up, no matter the score. The eight-run deficit they overcame against the Rockies is evidence of this. In addition, their pitching staff doesn't mind pitching from behind, because they have the confidence in their offense to back them up, eventually.

The Cubs also have 24 innings this season in which they have scored five or more runs, which leads the Major Leagues. The team has a propensity to take advantage of all mistakes and then some, which is the mark of a good team. Once the door is cracked open, the Cubs take the initiative and inflict major damage on opponents.

So, for all of my Cub fan brethren, please keep one thing in mind: this team could lose nine straight games and STILL be in the playoffs, no matter how many games the Brewers or Phillies win.

With 24 games to go in the season, this is no time to panic. Lou Piniella and this team know what they are capable of, and they will continue to do what they should be doing: take the rest of the season one game at a time.