Are walks becoming a problem for the Cubs?

12:04 AM ET

CHICAGO — Walks are kind of like missed free throws in basketball. You might have team with an upper-tier percentage but since it’s such a fundamental aspect of the game, the misses tend to occupy a prominent place in your short-term memory.

On the whole, the Chicago Cubs haven’t been a wild pitching staff this season. But during July, a month in which they’ve gone 8-13 with the 27th-ranked staff ERA in the majors, the Cubs have gotten a little loose with the free passes.

It’s hard to be rough on the pitching staff based on Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to the White Sox. The pitchers mostly threw well while literally getting zero run support. Yet the walks issue played a big part of the game: Starter Kyle Hendricks, normally a hurler with well-above-average control, walked White Sox leadoff hitter Adam Eaton to start the game.

“Walking the leadoff man,” Hendricks said. “You can’t do that.”

Travis Wood was looking for answers after walking three batters in the sixth inning on Tuesday. Jon Durr/Getty Images

Eaton eventually came around to score the game’s first run. After Hendricks departed with two outs and a man on in the sixth, reliever Travis Wood walked three straight hitters to force in the last run of the game. Eaton accounted for the second run with …

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