Add another loss to the list
Rizzo injures neck, shoulder but is OK after ugly collision
HOUSTON — With 20 games left, the objectives are pretty simple, even if they don’t always look particularly easy for the Cubs:
Keep the kids healthy during the last three weeks of their onthe-job training.
Win 40 percent games.
The way things went Tuesday in an ugly 1-0 loss to the Houston Astros, the Cubs might want to consider lowering their standards again, although they did manage to escape intact on the first goal after building-block first-baseman Anthony Rizzo left the game in the third inning following a scary collision at first and a scarier crashlanding.
‘‘I was really stunned and dazed at first,’’ said Rizzo, who hit the ground shoulder-first. ‘‘ Now I’m just more sore than anything.’’
Rizzo checked out OK with the Astros’ doctor, but he isn’t expected to play until at least this weekend because of the sore neck and upper back.
The Cubs have played without high-hopes outfield prospect Brett Jackson since Friday. Jackson, who badly bruised his knee making a wall-crashing catch in Pittsburgh, still was sore Tuesday but was expected to return to the lineup Friday.
As for that other objective, it obviously doesn’t get any easier with young starters out and pitcher Jeff Samardzija shut down.
But manager Dale Sveum said he hears the clubhouse buzz and sees the signs of the one goal left for this young bunch: Avoid a 100loss season, which would be the Cubs’ first since 1966.
of those
‘‘Unfortunately, that’s not something you go into the season wanting to do, but that’s our goal right now,’’ Sveum said after the Cubs followed their modest four-game winning streak with a shutout loss, despite four errors by the Astros. ‘‘The guys have pride.’’
Alfonso Soriano said he already has started doing the math with the team and knows eight is the magic number for avoiding 100.
‘‘I think it’s important for the organization,’’ Soriano said. ‘‘And I’ve never been on a team that lost 100 games. When I retire, I don’t want to look back and think that I’ve been on a team that lost 100 games. It’s tough to win 100, so it has to be tough to lose 100 games.’’
Not when you’re already in fifth place when the front office trades the team’s top two starting pitchers, the starting catcher and two of the last few veteran leaders among the position players.
Not when your young All-Star shortstop fails to score on a wouldbe sacrifice fly to center in the sixth as your rookie outfield prospect risks making the third out at third base — and gets nailed.
Starlin Castro appeared to ease up as he neared the plate on the fly to Justin Maxwell, but Sveum deflected the blame from Castro onto Sappelt, who misread the play and was thrown out at third before Castro touched home plate. No run.
‘‘Not the brightest thing in the world,’’ Sveum said.
The Cubs have one more game on this 10-game trip, followed by 10 at home against contenders.
About those eight big wins they need: ‘‘It looks easy, but … ,’’ Soriano said, ‘‘I know that we go home to play [10 games starting Friday], and we always play better at home.’’
In all, the Cubs have 13 home games left.
‘‘At home we can be 8-5,’’ Soriano said. ‘‘That’s how we do it.’’