Good morning, Chicago.

The fissures of frustrations kept cracking during another disappointing night for the Cubs offense.

The normally stoic Kyle Tucker, hitting .200 in his last 18 games with just one home run since June 29, whipped his helmet down the dugout steps after grounding out with two runners on in the seventh inning against the Blue Jays.

Two batters later, Pete Crow-Armstrong, facing lefty Brendon Little, struck out to leave the bases loaded in a three-run game. Crow-Armstrong slammed his bat and helmet to the ground in what would be the Cubs’ final scoring chance.

Seiya Suzuki punctuated an 0-for-5 night by striking out to end the game, returning to the dugout to toss his batting gear toward his cubby as the Blue Jays celebrated handing the Cubs a 5-1 loss at the Rogers Centre.

The Cubs (67-51) managed just four hits, though they produced seven walks against starter José Berríos and the Blue Jays bullpen. They again couldn’t convert in prime opportunities, however, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 on base.

Too often the timely hitting has been absent from a Cubs lineup that, through the first three-plus months of the season, was the best offense in MLB. Now, after the Brewers’ 11th consecutive win, the Cubs sit 7.5 games back of first place and match the Padres at the top of the National League wild-card spot.

Stay connected with us all day: Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest news in your inbox. And you can follow us on social media: X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Not a Tribune subscriber? Here's our latest offer.