Following a tough series loss against the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher Cole Hamels spoke with Fanatics View media regarding the clubs early-season pitching struggles.

Although winning the first game of the series, the Cubs lost the remaining two, allowing a total of 23 runs while scoring an impressive 28 runs against the Rangers.

In the interview, Hamels stresses the importance of the Cub’s pitching staff on hitting their spots against the Rangers power-hitting lineup, which is something the club failed to do throughout the series. In reflecting on his outing, Hamels explained the frustration of walking batters, which according to him was the main contributor to lack of shut-down innings. “It’s something I’m truly trying to focus more on”, Hamels told Fanatics View and the media after starting against the Rangers, allowing 5 runs and 3 walks through 5 innings of work. According to Hamels, those 3 free passes gave the Rangers the momentum to ultimately take advantage and win the series finale.

After the series loss, Hamels’ focus for future series will be towards limiting the amount of walks and managing the strike zone, preventing hitters from zoning in on crucial pitches in the ballgame. While the Cubs’ pitching in the early-season has experienced some control issues, Hamels was optimistic, saying the walks are less worrying for the club, as there is ample time to improve the team’s strike zone command. There are still plenty of games left in the season for the club to focus and improve on its pitching command, but the 2016 World Series champs will need to limit the walks and prevent big-innings if they are to re-capture first place in their NL Central division. What do you guys think of the Cubs’ struggles so far?

Make sure to check out our YouTube channel for updates:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy31smm3GNCgbSgYm9hb41Q?view_as=subscriber