If it seems like the Cubs aren't playing that well lately, it's because they aren't

The Cubs will head to sweaty St. Louis for four games to start the week as they continue their very "meh" play in June. The Cubs own a four game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central, because nobody in the NL Central is all that good, and since June 1 that includes the Cubs.

They are 10-9 this month, have won consecutive games three times (a two game winning "streak" to start the month, and a three game stretch of wins from June 14-17. When you factor in days off the Cubs have strung together wins on consecutive days just once in June, when they beat the mighty Pirates in back to back games on June 14 and 15.

The biggest reasons for the mediocre results are that they have mostly stopped scoring runs. They scored 10 runs on Saturday and six more on Sunday when the wind was blowing straight out 1,000 miles an hour. Without such meteorological extremes they have averaged just 3.8 runs per game. That's not horrible, but in April and May they averaged 5.8 runs per game, so averaging two runs less per game is a big deal, especially when you are relying on a slapped together starting rotation with both Shōta and Justin Steele out.

Colin Rea did a nice job in his first seven starts filling in for Steele. He was 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA and the Cubs were 6-1 in those starts.

But his last six starts have been more Colin Rea-esque than you'd like. Even before yesterday's drubbing by the wind-aided Seattke offense, Rea had been 1-2 with a 6.15 ERA in his previous five starts. Add in yesterday's seven earned runs in 5.1 and it's now 1-3 with a 6.80 ERA.

Shōta will be back in this Cardinals series, so either Rea or Ben Brown will move to the bullpen...unless Matt Boyd's left shoulder bruise keeps him out. The Cubs medical staff says he's day-to-day and won't miss a start, but we've been through this with those dolts 1,000 times.