Luzardo (1-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits and one walk while striking out four over 5.1 innings.
Luzardo was prone to big innings once again, as after two scoreless frames to begin the game in which Chicago managed only one hit, the Cubs posted a three-spot in the third and then chased the the left-hander from the contest with four runs in the sixth. Luzardo's performance Wednesday continued a troubling early-season trend, as he has now allowed five or more earned runs in three of his first four starts, ballooning his ERA to 7.94 through 22.2 innings despite a 30:5 K:BB. While there's still plenty of time for Luzardo to turn things around, it's been a concerning start after Philadelphia committed to him long term with a five-year, $135 million extension this spring.