Shota Kinoshita reached a season-high of 9 strikeouts but still suffered a loss, as his teammates combined for only 3 runs in two consecutive quality starts.

On the 11th, the Cubs sent Shota Kinoshita to the mound against the Cardinals. Despite pitching 6.2 innings and allowing 3 runs while achieving a season-high of 9 strikeouts, the Cubs ultimately lost 2-3. This marked Kinoshita's 5th loss of the year. Following this series loss, the Cubs have fallen further behind the Brewers, the NL Central leaders and the best team in the league, now trailing by as much as 6 games.

Kinoshita made his 17th start of the season on the 11th. He pitched a flawless "six up, six down" in the first two innings, but in the third inning, he gave up a two-run homer, allowing the Cardinals to take an early lead. However, in the fifth inning, his teammates responded with a home run, tying the game at 2-2. After throwing less than 80 pitches through the first six innings, the team allowed him to pitch the seventh. Unfortunately, after getting two quick outs, he gave up back-to-back hits, resulting in the third run of the game. The Cubs then made a pitching change, and Kinoshita ended with 6.2 innings pitched, 4 hits allowed, 0 walks, 3 runs given up, and a season-high of 9 strikeouts.

Although the Cubs had scoring opportunities in the last two innings, they lacked the crucial hit and ultimately lost 2-3 to the Cardinals. In Kinoshita's last appearance, his teammates also managed to score only 1 run for him, which means he has now thrown two quality starts in a row without earning a win. The Cubs have not achieved back-to-back victories since entering August, while their division rivals, the Brewers, have swept their opponents in three consecutive series, achieving a recent nine-game winning streak. Currently, they lead with a record of 73 wins and 44 losses, 5 games ahead of the second-place Phillies and 6 games ahead of the Cubs, who are second in their division.