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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell is receiving heat for how he is handling the team’s recent losing streak. As of May 8, the North Siders had the best record in Major League Baseball at 27-12. At the time, Chicago collected 10 consecutive victories and led the National League Central by 3.5 games. Nevertheless, the Cubs have since dropped nine of their last 11 games to fall out of first place.

During the rough patch, Chicago has suffered two separate losing streaks. The most recent disappointing run includes suffering defeats in five straight games and a three-game sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs managed to score just five runs in the entire series against the bitter rivals.

Following a shutout loss on May 20, in which the Cubs committed three errors, Counsell became the focal point of frustration on the Mully & Haugh Show. Chicago radio host David Haugh ripped Counsell and questioned whether or not his personality can handle the dire situation. “This is where I think Craig Counsell opens himself up for some criticism,” stated Haugh.

“Is his even-keeled approach the right one for a situation like this? Nine out of 11 losses for a team that is clearly underachieving. At some point in time, you’re a manager… It’s okay to hold people accountable publicly. It’s okay to be fiery, in your face, and it’s okay to be challenging and confrontational. This is professional sports. And we’re not going to see any of that from Craig Counsell.”

Craig Counsell has a .545 Win Rate With the Chicago Cubs

GettyCraig Counsell recently led the Cubs to the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Haugh later claimed that while he respects how Counsell leads, the Chicago Cubs need an aggressive manager. The radio host even suggested that the coach should be knocking over tables inside the clubhouse to get his players going. Cubs fans, however, mostly met the comments with dissent. One supporter even questioned whether hitters would make “better swing decisions” if they were more fired up.

Counsell previously led the N.L. in manager ejections two different times while with the Brewers. Nevertheless, he has seemingly been a bit more subdued in recent years. Counsell has yet to be tossed from a game during the 2026 season and had just three ejections in each of his first two campaigns with the Cubs.

The former infielder is widely regarded as one of the better coaches in all of baseball. In fact, he has received N.L. Manager of the Year votes in seven of the last nine seasons. He most recently finished fourth in the voting following the 2025 campaign. Chicago won 92 games last year, but ultimately faltered in the postseason.

Chicago Next Set to Host the Houston Astros

The Chicago Cubs will now be looking to end their losing streak against the Houston Astros on May 22. Houston is also struggling at the moment and has the second-worst record in the American League. Chicago will host the 2022 World Series champions for a three-game set before heading back on the road.

The recently struggling Cubs offense will hope to break out against a subpar Astros pitching staff. Houston has allowed an average of 5.37 runs per game in 2026. Only two other MLB teams have a higher average. The Astros are also one of just four teams with a combined starting pitcher ERA above five.