What a strange little game this was, the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Nationals Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Matthew Boyd’s first three pitches all became hits by Washington hitters, producing a run. Then a fourth hit in the inning loaded the bases, and things did not look good early.

But Boyd got out of that inning with just the one run allowed, and he gave up just three more hits the rest of the way, eventually retiring 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. Unfortunately, one of those three remaining hits was a home run by Daylen Lile, and with the Cubs not taking advantage of tons of baserunners, that was the difference in the game.

The problem was that the Cubs did not convert seven walks into anything. They had leadoff walks in the first, sixth and seventh innings, and you know how

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