Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Ace Goes On Expletive Filled Rant In Dugout

The Chicago Cubs ace did not shy away from showing emotion as his defense let him down against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Dylan Sanders

Jun 29, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
Jun 29, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Cubs have fallen to one of the worst records in the National League and at least one player is not happy with the team's recent performance.

Chicago ace Justin Steele has put together another solid season, but has yet to log a win. The lack of support has started to take his toll as he could no longer contain his emotion and went yelled at his teammates to "WAKE THE F*** UP" on his way back into the dugout after an inning against the bitter rival Milwaukee Brewers.

The 28-year-old was vocal and emotive during his entire outing on Saturday afternoon, yelling at his teammates on the field when failing to complete a double play and making his dissatisfaction with the umpire known.

His rant came after a couple of mistakes, not errors but make-able plays, allowed two runs to cross in the third inning which tied the game.

It was an up-and-down day on the mound overall as Steele gave up a seven hits (tied for the most this season), three runs while striking out five batters. His ERA did bump up to 3.20 on the season, but the defense certainly didn't do him any favors.

Cubs fans were immediately reminding on legend Jon Lester's infamous fiery personality, which is not the first time that the two have been compared.

David Ross, former Chicago manager and Lester's catcher during time with the Cubs, brought up the similarity in mentalities last season when sharing how they 'want the ball in the biggest moments.'

While some might find the yelling off-putting, it could be what the team needs to wake up from their cold streak both on defense and on offense.

Entering the day, the Chicago offense ranks in the bottom-10 for runs scored while striking out the fourth-most in the past 30 days. The poor offensive effort lead to 10-17 record in that span.

In that same span, they were also in the bottom-10 for outs above average and fielding run value.

The Cubs were able to rally around Steele and walk out of the day with a win, though he did not get credited for it. They are now just 3-9 this season when he starts, despite him pitching well outside of a rough stretch in the middle of May.

While Chicago is not yet eliminated from playoff contention, they need to turn the season around quickly. Maybe Saturday's win can be a sign of things to come.

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Dylan Sanders

DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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