Chicago Cubs Can't Complete Sweep of Rangers as Bats Fall Silent

The Chicago Cubs dropped their series finale to the Texas Rangers on Easter Sunday as their offense fell silent.
Chicago Cubs Can't Complete Sweep of Rangers as Bats Fall Silent
Chicago Cubs Can't Complete Sweep of Rangers as Bats Fall Silent /
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The Chicago Cubs (4-4) fell to the Texas Rangers (5-4) on Easter Sunday in 8-2 fashion. It was not what the team was hoping for in their series finale. Chicago had outscored Texas 12-3 over the first two games and were hoping for more of the same Sunday.

Instead, the Rangers lineup got to Jameson Taillon early when they put up four runs in the second inning. The second inning was a whacky, odd affair, that saw Texas center fielder Bubba Thompson reach first on a fielder's choice.

That sequence occurred after Thompson hit the ball to third baseman Nick Madrigal who missed the tag on Travis Jankowski then made an errant throw to first base. 

Jonah Heim was able to score on the errant throw and after some confusion as to whether the ball was dead or not (it eventually was) Jankowski remained at third. 

Marcus Semien then recorded an RBI-double that scored both Jankowski and Thompson. 

The latter continued to be the storyline of the day after recording an RBI-double in the fourth and an RBI-triple in the sixth. 

The only highlight for the Cubs was a second inning two-run home run from Edwin Rios, his first of the year. That accounted for the only offense for Chicago on the afternoon. 

Taillon once again struggled after turning in a 5.0 inning performance in which he allowed five runs, three earned. 

Javier Assad also had another rough outing when he allowed three earned runs in 3.0 innings pitched. 

Still, it's been an overall encouraging start for the North Siders to start the season. Their rotation has been relatively solid and their bullpen has turned in more "good" outings than "bad."

Shortstop Dansby Swanson has also been one of the most impressive players in the National League in the early goings. 

They will host the Seattle Mariners for a three-game set at Wrigley Field beginning on Monday. First pitch is slated for 6:40 p.m. CT. 

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.