​Let this stand as a monument to perhaps the worst Cubs defeat of the entire 2026 season:I could just end the tale of the Cubs’ 8-2 loss to the Marlins Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field right there, because that’s basically the entire story. Runners all over the place, RISP left in the third, fifth, sixth (bases loaded, one out!), seventh, ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th innings.Had enough? I sure did after four hours, 10 minutes of that.Oh, and then there was Edward Cabrera getting pounded all over the place. If the Cubs could have had just one more key hit in several different situations, they win and Cabrera’s never even in the game.Sigh. Let’s recap anyway.The game went scoreless into the fourth, starters Shōta Imanaga and Janson Junk keeping most trouble off the basepaths, helped by a 12 mile per hour wind blowing in. Imanaga also helped himself by picking off Heriberto Hernandez in the third [VIDEO]. Your browser does not support the video tag. The play was close, ruled safe on the field, overturned on review.The other thing worth noting in the first three innings was Pete Crow-Armstrong drawing a two-out walk and stealing second, his 39th, bringing him within one of a 40/40 season [VIDEO]. Your browser does not support the video tag. The Marlins took the lead in the fourth. Kyle Stowers doubled off Imanaga with one out and two singles brought him in to make it 1-0. But Imanaga ran up a high pitch count in that inning and so was done after five, having thrown 91 pitches. More on Imanaga’s night from BCB’s JohnW53:Shōta Imanaga’s start was the sixth by a Cub this season of exactly five innings with at least 91 pitches.It was the third by Imanaga. Edward Cabrera has two and Kevin Gausman, one.Imanaga gave up only one run in each of his starts. The first was 92 pitches at Cleveland on April 5 and the second was 102 pitches at Cincinnati on July 10.Aaron Civale, who’s been so good in relief this year, wasn’t on this night. Stowers, the second batter he faced, hit a towering home run to left that sliced through the wind, making it 2-0.The Cubs could do little with Janson Junk through five innings, but tied things up in the sixth. PCA hit a ground ball up the middle that went for a hit after review. A single by Seiya Suzuki moved PCA to third.Then this happened [VIDEO]. Your browser does not support the video tag. A poor throw to the plate allowed PCA to score and Suzuki to take third. Junk was removed (that’s a baseball move, not commentary) and reliever Cade Gibson struck out pinch-hitter Matt Shaw. (This is where the Cubs really miss Alex Bregman.)Ian Happ was next, and he singled in Suzuki to tie the game at 2 [VIDEO]. Your browser does not support the video tag. Busch took third on the hit. Nico Hoerner was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.This is where the Cubs offense should have broken this game open. But they did not. Pedro Ramirez hit a line drive to first and Carson Kelly struck out, leaving the gam