The Latest Breaking News from Nico Hoerner

Entering a weekend series against the first-place Cardinals that began Friday at Busch Stadium, the Cubs at least had some life, if not much cachet.

The 2014 season was not a particularly memorable one in Chicago Cubs history.

CHICAGO — It was another dud of a performance by the Miami Marlins offense. They had no answer for Drew Smyly or Mark Leiter Jr. in a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field, Miami’s seventh loss in the past eight games.

Smyly took a shutout into the seventh inning, and the bullpen preserved it. Smyly retired 11 batters in a row at one point and earned his first victory at Wrigley with the Cubs.

None of the four runs allowed by Cubs starter Justin Steele was earned.

Hoerner, 25, is the Cubs’ second-longest tenured infielder.

CHICAGO — All game Monday, the Chicago Cubs made silly mistakes against the Pirates. All game, the Pirates failed to take full advantage of it.

PHILADELPHIA — When the Phillies swept the Marlins in Miami just before the All-Star break, they were playing pristine baseball. They committed no errors during that series. In their first game, they gutted out a 2-1 win despite an uncharacteristically shaky performance from closer Seranthony Domínguez. That didn’t feel like…

CHICAGO — Reporters eagerly inspected the damaged Chicago Cubs bat rack Sunday morning at Wrigley Field, searching for clues like paleontologists digging for dinosaur bones.