Theo Epstein says to put the blame on him -- and no one else -- for the Cubs' tough start to the season.

After winning their opening game last week, the Cubs have dropped six straight, failing both on the mound and in the field. The slide prompted Epstein, the team's president of baseball operations, to issue an apology to fans while shouldering the blame.

"There is always a search for scapegoats when you get off to a tough start," Epstein said in the Cubs' dugout before Saturday's game against the Brewers. "[Pitching coach] Tommy Hottovy is not the problem. He's a big part of the solution. [Owner] Tom Ricketts is not the problem. It's not a resource issue. I know he's another one that's been taking a lot of heat. It's not a resource problem. If people have a problem with the allocation of resources, then that's on me. And it has been ever since I got here, with a lot of good and some bad."