The Chicago Cubs have hit a rough patch in their season, losing five straight games to drop to 19-24. The latest defeat came at the hands of the Houston Astros.

The Cubs had a 6-1 lead in the eighth inning, but the Astros scored six runs in the last two innings, winning on the final at-bat and stunning the Cubs. Chicago manager David Ross said his team needed the victory.

“We’ve gotta win that game,” Ross said. “We gotta pitch better on the back end. Offense did enough tonight. Played good defense. I thought overall, really nice plays. We’ve gotta cash that one in.”

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The culprits for the Cubs in this loss were relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Keegan Thompson, who combined allowed five runs. Thompson allowed three runs without recording an out, marking another dismal finish in a game for Cubs pitching. Chicago pitching has allowed 22 runs in the final three innings of games during this five-game skid.

The Cubs entered the season as a popular pick to sneak into the playoffs, or at least be in the playoff race for much of the summer. This latest losing streak sets them back a bit, but there are still over 100 games left in the season. We could be having a much different conversation about the Cubs two months from now.

The Cubs are talented enough to withstand a losing streak like this. David Ross is correct though. The pitching needs to improve if Chicago wants to stay in the playoff hunt for the long haul.