The initial reaction to Tuesday's National League Wild-Card Game could be marveling - or scoffing - at the epic nature of a win-or-go-home game lasting into the 13th inning.
It was, after all, the longest postseason game in Wrigley Field history by both innings and game time.
But as the dust settles on the Cubs' 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies, it will come down to the Cubs' lack of offense - a fitting way to end a season where that narrative was a major talking point (especially in the second half).
For the second straight day, the Cubs managed to score just one run in a high-stakes October game - though this one was of the win-or-go-home variety.
That one run came with two outs in the eighth inning when Anthony Rizzo singled, Terrance Gore pinch-ran, stole second and came around to score on Javy Baez's two-strike double.
The Cubs did not pick up another hit after that Baez knock and managed just six hits in 13 innings of play.
Meanwhile, the Rockies' first batter of the game scored when Jon Lester (that's right, this game was actually started by Jon Lester, but nobody will blame you if you can't remember that far back) walked Charlie Blackmon, gave up a double to D.J. LeMahieu and then a sacrifice fly to Nolan Arenado.
But the Rockies failed to score again for the next 48 batters until light-hitting catcher Tony Wolters knocked a groundball through the Cubs' infield with two outs off Kyle Hendricks.
It was Wolters' first hit since Sept. 10 and he finished the 2018 regular season hitting .170.
The Cubs were in first place for the entire second half of the season and it took until Game 163 for them to lose that position, yet they managed to play just one postseason game.
They will now have to spend the rest of the offseason trying to find answers to a Jekyll and Hyde offense that scored 1 or 0 runs in 40 games (including playoffs) this season. The 115-loss Baltimore Orioles also scored 1 or 0 runs in 40 games in the 2018 regular season to lead the majors.
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