When the Chicago Cubs hired Craig Counsell as their manager last November, the expectation was winning right away. Three months into his first season in charge, the Cubs have the third-worst record in the National League and are 11 games out of first place in the NL Central on July 2.

A fantastic start to the season gave way to a dreadful May and the Cubs did not show much improvement in June. As they continue to falter, Counsell's old club, the Milwaukee Brewers, try to tighten their grip on the NL Central lead.

The anticipation was some regression for the Brewers, but Milwaukee enters Tuesday with a six-game lead in the division as one of six MLB teams with 50 wins before July. It was fitting that the Brewers got that 50th win against Counsell and the Cubs as Milwaukee took two of three from Chicago this past weekend.

The Brewers continue to be among the most well-run organizations in the league despite losing their all-time winningest manager and the architect of those teams (David Stearns, now with the Mets) in the same offseason. Oh, they also traded away their ace Corbin Burnes and have been without All-Star closer Devin Williams all season.

“They put together a pretty well-rounded group,” Counsell said, per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. “There’s always something next coming. That supplements whatever doesn’t come back. They do a really good job of that.”

The Cubs are 4-6 against the Brewers this season, losing both series played in Milwaukee where the fans had some extra fun seeing their crew beat up on Chicago. They'll meet again one more time this season with a three-game series in Chicago later this month.

Cubs still finding identity under Counsell

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Any time a new manager comes in, teams have to undergo some sort of learning curve in terms of coaching philosophies and how different managers interact with players. The Cubs are finding it hard to grind out wins with Craig Counsell, but their first-year manager is trying to instill the same sort of mindset that helped him find consistent success with the Brewers.

“Kind of that identity of the team,” Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. “Toughness, grind and grit of what it takes going out there every single night. Going out and taking ballgames. You see that from the Brewers. They go out with aggressiveness. When everything comes together and we’re playing good, we go out there in that way with that mindset.

“Nothing is given to you in this game. (Counsell) says that a lot. You have to go out and take it. That toughness, grit and team identity is something he’s really trying to establish.”

Milwaukee has a true team culture with everyone on the roster committed to their role and what Hendricks describes as a “team-oriented feel towards winning.” That's not to say Cubs players are out there only playing for themselves, but a team that's been mostly unsuccessful for two months can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results.

At the end of the day, it comes down to players executing. Craig Counsell can push all the right buttons and be the best manager in baseball, but it will be all for naught if the Cubs can't take advantage of what the opposition gives them.

Time is running out for Chicago to find its footing and get back in the hunt this season. The Cubs probably didn’t think they would enter the All-Star break with more questions than answers, but it is trending in that direction as the second half looms.