BOX SCORE

CHICAGO — The Cubs had another opportunity to pick up a series sweep Wednesday. But they again failed to do so, falling to the Texas Rangers 6-2.

The Cubs (9-6) finish their six-game homestand 4-2 with two series wins over the San Diego Padres and the Rangers (9-4).

Here are three takeaways from the contest at Wrigley Field:

Silent bats

The Cubs’ red-hot bats were ice cold.

They mustered just two hits against Rangers starter Tyler Mahle, who mowed through what has been one of the game’s best offenses. The Cubs had scored 34 runs in the first five games of the homestand and showed the ability to produce runs in a multitude of ways.

They could only do that once against Mahle, though, when Michael Busch singled down the right field line to plate Seiya Suzuki, who had tripled one batter earlier. That tied the score at 1 in the fourth inning.

Mahle retired 11 in a row and struck out three after that, keeping the Cubs’ bats at bay.

The Cubs weren’t going to score seven runs every game this season and, despite leading the league in runs scored, will have days like this. They will want to make sure those bats heat back up on their flight to Los Angeles. They’ll need them against the defending World Series champion Dodgers.

Sho struggles

Shota Imanaga is the Cubs’ undisputed ace, especially after Justin Steele was placed on the IL before the game.

But it wasn’t a day conducive to Imanaga’s tendencies — and it showed. The wind was blowing out to left field, and the Rangers pounced on that.

Corey Seager hit the first of his two home runs with one out in the first inning, a 100.1-mph fly ball that just reached the first row of the left field bleachers. The ball was a home run in only one of 30 ballparks — Wrigley Field — per Statcast.

Imanaga also allowed a two-run, fifth-inning shot to Jonah Heim — a 102.2-mph, 398-foot blast to left-center field.

Giving up long balls was a struggle for Imanaga in 2024, as his 1.40 home runs per nine innings was seventh-most among qualified pitchers. He had allowed only one home run this season in 18.1 innings entering this game.

There will be more days like this at Wrigley — it’s just the nature of the park. It will be about limiting traffic for Imanaga when that does happen.

Homestand success

Yes, losing the final game of a homestand and missing another opportunity to sweep will sting, but the Cubs gladly will take a 4-2 homestand.

The Padres arrived in Chicago with a perfect 7-0 record, and the Cubs took two of three from them. The Rangers were 8-2 and walked away doubling their losses.

This April schedule is a gauntlet — there’s no secret about that — and it doesn’t get easier, either.

The Cubs will play the Padres in San Diego after their three-game set with the Dodgers. Then they will return home for an eight-game homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.

No rest for the weary, as the saying goes.

There will be more days during this month where the Cubs might rue a missed opportunity, but if they have nights like Tuesday, where they battle through adversity to win, it’ll make up for it.

Stacking wins during this month will be nothing to scoff at. Had you offered a 4-2 start to their home schedule, the Cubs gladly would have signed up for it.