ANAHEIM — It’s something that’s become a little familiar to Cubs’ fans over the last few years, and the feeling it could happen again might have crept in the last three games.

“June Swoon” was a term used for teams on the north side decades ago when early hope would fade as summer begins. But lately, it’s come back, and there are hints of it early in 2023.

After losing the series finale to the Padres 5-0 on Monday, they watched as the Angels pulled away for a 7-4 victory on Tuesday then a 6-2 triumph on Wednesday.

It drops the Cubs to 26-35, a season-high nine games under. 500, as they’ve gotten off to a 2-4 start in the month of June, which hasn’t been kind to the Cubs over the last two seasons.

Last season, any hope to make something of the season tumbled in the third full month of the season as the Cubs went 10-17, adding to what had already been a difficult first half. Back in 2021, the Cubs entered June in first place in the National League Central division, but the season collapsed over the course of 30 days.

They finished the month with a 4-12 record, including losses in their last six games, essentially knocking them out of playoff contention. Instead of holding onto their core for one more try at the postseason, the Cubs dealt a number of key players away just a month later.

David Ross’ club certainly has plenty of time to make the most of this month, with ten home games, seven road games, and a trip to London to face the Cardinals on Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25.

They’ll finish up their ten-game west coast road trip this week with the series finale on Thursday in Anaheim then three games against the Giants in San Francisco starting on Friday.

One priority for the club in this time will be trying to find a rhythm with their bullpen, which has struggled as the team’s record has slipped well below .500. At the moment, they have a 4.62 ERA, which is the sixth-highest in Major League Baseball.

The Cubs’ bats have steadily slipped after a decent start, with their 263 total runs ranking 21st in the league while their .264 average ranked 19th.