For the second straight year, the Chicago Cubs will be National League Central champions. They have re-submitted their ticket to the dance that is October baseball, and seemed to cast out all talk of some silly curse. However, there are cautions to be aware of this postseason.
Unlike last year, the Cubs will be entering the playoffs with the worst record amongst their fellow NL division champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals. They have the fourth best run differential (plus 120), lagging behind the Dodgers (plus 193), Nationals (plus 148), and the wild-card Diamondbacks (plus 143). Las Vegas odds makers place them behind both L.A. and Washington, in addition to the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros. The defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs, have found themselves in an all too familiar position as the underdog. As with most things, manager Joe Maddon has decided to run with the underdog narrative and turn it into something positive. According to Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune, when asked about being far from the favorite, manager Joe Maddon said “It’s very understandable. So it’s kind of fun to go on the other side of the street. I’m good with that.” Although the Cubs win loss record doesn’t exactly jump at you the way the Dodgers or Nationals does, them riding with the underdog label may seem odd. After an abysmal first half, by defending world series champion standards, the Cubs have been rolling since the beginning of August. After the All-Star break they have led all of baseball in runs scored and OPS. Somehow flying under the radar for MVP contention, third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo have led the charge during the Cubs second half resurgence. Rizzo has belted 32 home runs, and knocked in 109 RBI, matching his career high. Bryant has followed up his MVP season nicely, arguably with better numbers. Although his HR and RBI totals are down, his OPS is an astonishing .949. Bryant also has career low strikeout numbers and a career high of base on balls. Plus, break out performers such as Wilson Contreras (21 home runs) and Ian Happ (24 home runs) have really boosted this team. On the other side of the ball, there is a little more to worry about. Despite the bullpen being rock solid as of late, the starting pitching has a few question marks. In three September appearances Jake Arrieta has a 6.10 ERA, and has been scratched from his final regular season start due to his hamstring injury flaring up. Jon Lester has had one of his worst seasons of his career. His 4.79 ERA since the All-Star break is very worrisome heading into October. Although, he has shown the ability in the past to shed his regular season skin and return to being an ace. Things could be worse though, as there are many positive signs the Cubs pitching staff has shown. Kyle Hendricks has seemingly returned to his 2016 Cy Young caliber self, and reminded fans how good he is. After a couple of rough starts, trade deadline acquisition, Jose Quintana has been very good. He’s shown the ability to keep the team in the game, and has spun the ball well in big moments that were remnant of a playoff atmosphere. Overall, the Cubs definitely have a rotation that can get it done in the postseason. The Cubs will definitely have a tough test in the NLDS vs the Nationals stellar rotation and star studded line-up. If they make it past Washington, they will most-likely rematch Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in the NLCS, who have been the best team in baseball all year. Worth what it is, the Cubs have a 2-4 record against the Nationals and are 3-4 facing the Dodgers this year. The Cubs are most certainly considered underdogs this year, but any team that treats them as that, is in for a rude awakening. They may not have the best record this year, but they do have a rare mixture of extremely talented, young, and experienced players. Simply put, they know how to rise to the occasion and turn it on; and when they do, there isn’t a team in the league that can beat them. If there is anything fans, experts, or general observers should know, it’s that the Chicago Cubs can never be counted out.
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With last night’s 5-1 victory over the Cardinals, the Cubs clinched the NL Central for the second consecutive year and are going to the playoffs for the third straight year, which hasn’t been done by the Cubs since 1906-1908. While the Cubs got off to a slow start and didn’t emerge as the best team in the Central until after the All-Star break, the opponent for the winner of the division appeared to be the same the entire season. With the Dodgers holding the best record in the National League for the majority of the season, it was almost a guarantee that whoever won the Central would be going against the winner of the NL East. Let’s take a look at the Washington Nationals, the first-round opponent for the Chicago Cubs.
The Washington Nationals are currently 95-63 and dominated the NL east, earning their fourth playoff berth since 2012. The Nationals are built around excellent pitching and are complimented by dangerous bats. The face of this team is Bryce Harper, the 24-year-old right fielder who won the NL MVP in 2015. Harper is a stud and his biggest concern is staying healthy, as he is just now coming back from a knee injury that sidelined him for the last six weeks. It’s unclear how he will come back for the NLDS and if he’ll be the same person that had a .418 OBP and 1.025 OPS to go along with the 29 homeruns he hit through August 13, but he will definitely be the cause of great anxiety every time he steps up to the plate. Speaking of anxiety, I’m not looking forward to seeing second baseman Daniel Murphy in October. In the 2015 NLCS, Murphy hit four homeruns in the four-game sweep for the Mets and was truly an unstoppable force at the plate. While I doubt his productivity will be to that level, he had a great season in Washington, where he posted a .380 OBP and .923 OPS to go along with his 23 homeruns. He is a threat to reach base or score runs every time he’s at bat, and since he typically bats close to Bryce Harper in the lineup, it will be crucial to get these two out as much as possible to eliminate any offensive threats. The threats don’t end there, as third baseman Anthony Rendon is another MVP candidate. Rendon is a machine at getting on base, as he’s posted a .400 OBP and .299 AVG in 2017. He’s also a threat to go deep, as he’s hit 24 home runs this season. He’s worth 6.7 WAR, which is tied with Kris Bryant and Joey Votto for the NL lead. None of the players I mentioned above are even the home run or RBI leaders for this team, as both of those titles belong to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman with 34 and 103. Zimmerman has spent all 13 years of his career playing for the Nationals and is currently enjoying one of his best seasons. He’s the healthiest he’s been since 2013, his AVG is .296 to go along with his .350 OBP, and he’s posting his best WAR (2.8) since his 2012 campaign. There are some other solid hitters on this team, such as Adam Lind, Wilmer Difo and Trea Turner that all possess threats to create something offensively and will surely earn the respect of the Cubs. As threatening as the bats are for the Nationals, their arms make me more nervous than anything else. Their three-man starting rotation of Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg is terrifying for any offense, as they have posted ERAs of 2.55, 2.75 and 2.63. These three pitchers have combined for 45 wins over 561.2 innings pitched. While posting a much higher ERA at 4.59, Tanner Roark is a reliable fourth starter that has been able to pitch more innings (180.1) than anyone on the Cubs. These four all give up less home runs than Lackey and Lester, as their team leader for home runs given up is Roark with 23, which is tied with Arrieta. Scherzer (263), Gonzalez (186) and Strasburg (196) are all great at making batters look foolish, as they have more strike-outs than the leader for the Cubs, Lester (173). What was once considered the Achilles heel of the Nationals, their relief pitching, has improved drastically over the season. Sean Doolittle is a great closer as he has converted 21 saves, has a 1.86 ERA, a 9.31 K/9 and is worth 1.2 WAR. Ryan Madson is also great out of the pen as he is pitching the best he ever has for the Nationals, as he’s posted a 1.45 ERA with the team and hasn’t given up a home run in 18.2 innings pitched. Brandon Kintzler and Matt Albers are also solid men in relief that can cause some trouble for the Cubs. On paper, the Nationals are every bit as dangerous, if not more, than the Cubs. They are solid in all areas and are built to make a deep run in October, but they are yet to do that. I mentioned that this is the fourth time making the playoffs since 2012. In the three previous trips, they are yet to make it out of the NLDS. While the 2017 Nationals may be the best one out of the bunch, those three squads did win 98, 96 and 95 regular season games. The Cubs have proven they can win in October and bring back the majority of the core from the 2016 World Series team and honestly may be deeper on the bench with players like Tommy La Stella, Albert Almora Jr, Ian Happ and Jon Jay all experiencing big years. While those four won’t all be on the bench every game, I can assure you they won’t all be starting at the same time, and having guys like that ready to contribute off the bench is huge in the postseason. It’s going to be a very fun and competitive series against the Nationals, but if we can break into their bullpen early, I like our chances. Our pitchers are proven prime-time performers in October and we all know how clutch our hitters can be. The road in 2016 wasn’t easy by any means and 2017 will likely be harder, but I’m ready to Fly the W 11 more times. By Christian Otteman It’s no secret that playing at home gives a team a distinct advantage over the visiting club. Fan support, familiarity, and batting second are all small contributors to the home-field advantage, but there’s another piece to the puzzle that makes playing at home all the more fun: the walk-up song. Ranging from classic rock to stadium country to rap of schools both old and new, walk-up songs allow the home team to customize their at-bats so that they might add a little personality to every trip to the plate. With hundreds of selections around the league to look at, let’s take a look at some of the elements that make a walk-up (or warm-up—pitchers get some love here too) song perfect. First off, a walk-up song should give the player some sort of advantage over their opponent. On one hand, the advantage can be obtained by means of intimidation tactics. Especially in the case of many of the game’s greatest closers, some of the best warm-up songs are remembered for their ability to instill fear in the hearts of all that hear it. Without question, the best example of this is Mariano Rivera’s use of “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. If you played in either variation of Yankee Stadium in the 2000s, there was no surer sign of your team’s demise than the first few bars of the Metallica classic. Kenley Jansen’s entry to California Love is probably the closest thing to a modern-day equivalent, but you also have to love Wade Davis’ use of Dr. Dre’s “Ackrite.” Calm and collected yet confident, it’s the perfect approach for a closer with the caliber of the machine that is Davis. A song can also create an advantage by finding a way to involve the fans in the action. The vast majority of songs that fit into this category involve some sort of festive clapping from the grandstands, like in Anthony Rizzo’s first trip to the plate each game in which he uses Martin Solveig’s “Intoxicated.” Invigorating the fans is an important part of swaying the at-bat to your advantage, so if a song choice helps the home crowd make some noise, it makes rattling the pitcher all the more simple. Second, the perfect walk-up song holds some sort of meaning to the player. This one’s a little tricky, as since the players get to choose their music, each song is probably important in some way to that player—even if it’s something as simple as that song hyping them up. However, bonus points for this category can be awarded for songs that go above and beyond personal preference. The simplest example of this is the name game—Kris Bryant’s choice of “Warm It Up” by Kris Kross is a great example, as is the now-infamous “Bennie and the Jets” rendition by Ben Zobrist’s wife Julianna that is used at every single one of his plate appearances. It goes deeper for some players, though. Anthony Rizzo’s third trip to the plate features a banger from the late Old Taylor Swift in the form of the chart-topping pop hit “Bad Blood.” Perhaps Rizzo is just a big T-Swift fan, but as a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma—a cancer beginning in the body’s white blood cells—it may also serve as a reminder to the odds Rizzo has had to overcome to get where he is today. Last but certainly not least, the walk-up song has to fit the player. The very best walk-up songs are the ones that embody a player completely, from their approach at the plate to their demeanor on and off the field. Think Kyle Schwarber’s use of “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” or John Lackey’s “Friends in Low Places.” Outside of the Cubs, who could possibly forget Josh Reddick’s hysterical bout with “Careless Whisper” a couple seasons back? There’s just something about these selections that fit the player to a T. It’s hard to put in words, but that’s what’s so perfect about these song selections—they just work, man. So which walk-up song holds the honor of being the “best?” As is the case with all kinds of music, it all comes down to personal preference, but if you ask me, there is no walkup song more perfect than Starlin Castro’s choice during his time with the 2015 Cubs. Omega’s “Ando En La Versace” encapsulates everything that a perfect walk-up song should be. For starters, its contagious beat infects the entire stadium within seconds, the side effects of which can be seen below: The song became such a hit with Cubs fans during Castro’s final year with the club that the song became synonymous with Castro himself. Not only did Anthony Rizzo begin his season at Wrigley in 2016 by playing the song as a musical tribute to his former teammate in his first home at-bat, but Castro was also welcomed back to Wrigley with a standing ovation accompanied by the song in his first at-bat. Indisputably Starlin, the song still holds a place in this Cubs fan’s heart (and music library) due to its unparalleled nostalgic value, firmly cementing its place at the top of the pack in the timeless art that is the walk-up song. By: Sierra Toman
-------- In his return to the mound Thursday night facing the Brewers, Jake Arrieta didn’t stray far from the dominance he showed in the month of August. After experiencing a right hamstring strain during a game against the Pirates, Arrieta has been out since the early days of September. Before exiting that game, he had posted a 1.69 ERA in the past 11 starts. While his time in the game only lasted 5 innings on Thursdays, this was more than enough to reassure Joe Maddon that Arrieta is feeling good after taking some time off. After struggling to find the command that Cubs fans have grown to know in Arrieta, both his form and his stats have progressed to the mastery that he showed in late 2015. Since the All-Star break Jake has dominated the mound with a 0.75 ERA, good enough to win Pitcher of the month in August, an accomplishment he boasted in back to back months of August and September in 2015. Jake’s various pitches have recently returned to the velocity that they had in the end of the 2016 Championship run and most of the 2015 season. One of his most lethal pitches being his slider. Jake has been known to rely on his sinker, however it is his slider that is more remarkable. While Arrieta, himself, describes it at as a blend of a slider and cutter, it’s this variation in throws that has led to two no-hitters with the Cubs and a Cy Young award. For the months of June and July he used his slider less than 10% of the time, the lowest in his time with the Cubs, before jumping back up to 15%. Since then Arrieta has thrown his slider around 20% of the time and his sinker around 50%, a combination like his 2015 season. At this rate Jake should be nearing the 30% usage he had of his slider when he threw both of his no-hitters. Let’s not forget, Jake Arrieta’s contract expires at the end of this season, meaning that he has to prove he still has the “stuff” if he’s planning on bringing home the big bucks. While he suffered some control issues mid 2016 and early 2017, bringing home another championship would be just another gold star in is folders of accomplishments. Arrieta has proved that he is a significant factor in the Cubs run for this post season, but this is nothing new for him. The pitcher has posted a 3.66, 2.53, 1.77, and 3.10 ERA since 2013 leading into the post season. While the rise in ERAs over consecutive years might seem menacing to some, Arrieta’s 4-2 post season record over the past two years is one that has put the Cubs above all other teams. As a pitcher who typically heats up the farther into the season he gets, fans have enjoyed a second half of the season from Arrieta that is all too like his phenomenal 2015 season. With at more seasoned team of hitters behind him this time around, the Cubs are looking for another long haul into October. Jake Arrieta has the opportunity to deliver the Cubs another National League Central title by beating the Cardinals tomorrow night. Post season vibes have grown, the media continues to countdown towards another division title, and fans are thrilled to get back to saying “fear the beard.” The talk all year has been about how the Cubs could be suffering from a “World Series hangover”. After an extremely slow start, the Cubs have been able to finally distance themselves from the Brewers and Cardinals as they look to clinch the division in the next couple of games. The Cubs are playing their best baseball at the right time and are on pace to finish the season with around 90 wins. It doesn’t look like the Cubs are having too much of a hangover, so I decided to look into it to see how they have performed compared to past World Series champions.
The last defending World Series champion to make the playoffs was the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. They won 88 games as a wildcard team and made it all the way to the NLCS where they were defeated in 7 games to the San Francisco Giants. The last defending champion to win more games than the Cubs are projected to would be the 2010 Yankees, who won 95 games. The playoffs are yet to start, but it appears that the Cubs are having the best regular season of the last five World Series champions. Like the 2017 Cubs, the 2012 Cardinals also had a better second half than their first, as their winning percentage was .18 higher than their first half. That doesn’t compare to the .163 increase the 2017 Cubs are experiencing from the first to second half. In fact, a defending World Series champion has never done what the Cubs are about to do. Dating back to the beginning of the MLB, there has never been a defending World Series champion that was below .500 at the All-Star break that made the postseason. With a 5.5 game lead in the division with a week left in the season, the 2017 Chicago Cubs can create history once again simply by making the playoffs. The way the second half has gone, they’re looking to do more than just make it; they’re more interested in being in company with the 2000 Yankees. By Mike McFarland ---------- When the Cubs signed outfielder Jon Jay for $8 million, the organization was dealing with the stress of possibly waving goodbye to catalyst Dexter Fowler. Fowler eventually signed with the rival Cardinals for five years and $82.5 million, including a no-trade clause. The stress continued when Joe Maddon announced that he would slot Kyle Schwarber into the leadoff spot to open the season. Schwarber scuffled in the unfamiliar spot, hitting well below .200 and getting on base at just a .296 clip. Maddon tried other options, including Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and Anthony Rizzo. Maddon's wacky tactics seemed like they might come through for him when Rizzo excelled leading off games. But Maddon continued to mix and match with this lineup, and finally seems to have found his leadoff man in Jay. In Jay, the ever-unorthodox Maddon has given in to a more traditional plug in the one hole. Jay isn't, by any means, an especially flashy player. However, he's batting .290 this season with with an excellent .375 OBP through Sept. 21. His power numbers don't reflect the game's direction of the long ball (he only has two home runs) but these numbers are unimportant with a player like Jay. Most importantly, Jay can be the spark plug that ignites that rest of the lineup at the top. His ability to extend at bats and play all-out style baseball in the field should be a key component to the success of the team in the remainder of the season. Jay's incredible 15 pitch at bat Friday night showed us exactly how a hitter sets the table for hitters that follow. He fowled off 10 straight pitches with a 2-2 count and 11 total, culminating in a line drive single to right field. The at bat drove Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff's pitch count up and Jay came around to score on Ben Zobrist's base hit to put the Cubs in front 4-3. All in all, Jon Jay is an absolute steal for this organization, especially compared with the contract the Cardinals are now committed to with Fowler. If the Cubs indeed make the playoffs, Jay can hopefully ignite the Cubs offense, who will need a fire set under them to compete with the likes of the Washington Nationals or Los Angeles Dodgers. But for now, Jay is proving to be a vital ingredient in the Cubs' part in the division race. Ian Happ has been a blessing for the Cubs all year. Drafted 9th overall in the 2015 MLB draft, Happ was known for his ability to create contact as he batted .369 in his final season with the Cincinnati Bearcats, which was the highest in the American Athletic Conference. He also lead the conference in OBP and slugging percentage. Happ was ranked as the 20th best prospect in the draft, but a position player with the ability to play multiple positions made him an attractive target for Theo Epstein to snag at 9th. Happ was often compared to Ben Zobrist, a switch hitting Swiss Army Knife kind of player that you can put basically anywhere on the field and he’ll get the job done. While his 25 career home runs in college aren’t as impressive as Kris Bryant’s (54) or Kyle Schwarber’s (40), the previous first round picks from 2013 and 2014, he has been able to improve his power throughout every level of the minor leagues and has continued to impress as a rookie in the majors.
Ian Happ made his debut May 13, 2017 and hasn’t moved down since. In 107 games, Happ has a .322 OBP and an .822 OPS to go along with 22 home runs. His 22 home runs are 4th best on the Cubs while his OPS is 6th. Among rookies, he is overshadowed by the incredible season Cody Bellinger is having. Happ is still 5th among National League rookies in home runs and 7th in OPS, which is great for someone who spent 26 games in Iowa playing AAA. To put in perspective how solid Ian Happ has been this season, Kris Bryant had 28 home runs while posting a .858 OPS in 2015 and was the runaway Rookie of the Year. Kris also finished with what will likely be around an extra 35-40 games played his rookie year. I’m not saying Ian Happ is the next Kris Bryant, but the thought of him playing a full season is exciting. Happ is averaging around one home run every five games, which projects to just over 32 home runs over the course of a year. 32 home runs to go along with the offensive production of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant. Willson Contreras, Javy Baez and Kyle Schwarber is a recipe for success. Finding room for him to play next year is the hard part. I think the best plan moving forward is to have Happ take the spot of Zobrist next year and turn Zobrist into more of a Tommy La Stella kind of player. Zobrist and Happ played a similar amount of time this year, mostly due to Zobrist missing time due to injury, but I see Happ taking over as more of an everyday player next year. I don’t think Happ should consistently start over Javy or Addison Russell in the infield or Almora/Heyward or Schwarber in the outfield, so that leaves Zobrist as the odd man out. Zobrist is owed $28 million over the next two seasons from the Cubs, but he isn’t an everyday player anymore. 2016 was a phenomenal year for him on all levels. He was an all-star, he posted really solid numbers across the board and was the World Series MVP, delivering the most important RBI double in Chicago Cubs history. 2017 has been brutal for Zobrist, as he has been battling a wrist injury for a great portion of the season. His WRC+ (83), OBP (.322), OPS (.694) and AVG (.233) are the lowest they’ve been since 2007, while his BB/K% (0.80) and BB% (11.3%) are lower than his career averages. It’s probable that his wrist is the main reason why he’s struggling so much this year, but we can’t expect too much of a turnaround from a fully healthy Ben Zobrist. He’s 36 years old and his best days are behind him, while Happ’s ceiling is still rising. I think that Zobrist can still be a contributor to this team and be a great leader, but his days of being an everyday player should be over. Last night’s game had it all. Great pitching performances on both sides, as Jake Arrieta produced 5 innings of one-run baseball in his first start in two and a half weeks after injuring his hamstring, and Zach Davies showed up when it mattered most and held the Cubs to 2 runs through 7 innings. When Davies exited the game, I liked our chances with a 2-1 lead. We were able to hit off him, seven times to be exact, but continued to stall when we had opportunities to increase the lead. The Brewers exhausted their bullpen the night before in a heart-breaking loss to the Pirates so they weren’t going to have their top dogs ready to go, while the Cubs didn’t use many key pieces in their disappointing 8-1 loss to Tampa on Wednesday. Brian Deunsing and Pedro Strop combined to pitch the 7th inning and gave up a run that was earned to Deunsing. Strop did a good job of limiting the damage, however, as I was expecting a full blown collapse as he walked two of the four batters he faced. The Cubs got out of the inning tied and had a great opportunity to score in the 8th inning when their first two hitters reached safely, but they stalled again. “Simply one of those games” is what I thought to myself. Justin Wilson did not look like the pitcher we traded for once again in the bottom of the 8th as he gave up what appeared to be the game winning run. The Brewers were threatening to rip the seams right off this game, but a big performance by Justin Grimm helped limit the damage to just one run. With one inning left, the Brewers lead 3-2.
The top of the 9th inning reminded me of what playoff baseball felt like. The inning started with Ian Happ BARELY making it to first before the ball reached Jeremy Jeffress, who was moving uncharacteristically slow for a moment of this magnitude. The Cubs were initially unable to do much with Happ’s lead off single, as he was only able to get to second base with Javy Baez representing the Cubs final chance at the plate with two outs. I wasn’t sure which Javy we were going to get, the one that tries to hit the ball into Lake Michigan, or the one that is controlled and simply tries to get the job down. Last night, we had the best Javy Baez. With the game on the line and down to his last strike, Javy swung at a ball that was below the strike zone for a grounder through the infield just past the second baseman and shortstop, scoring Happ easily. The game was heading to the bottom of the 9th tied at 3. The 9th inning as a whole may have been the most exciting inning of baseball I’ve seen all season, as the drama didn’t stop in the top half. Wade Davis came in and had to pitch himself out of a bases-loaded jam with one out. Domingo Santana, who already had a home run and a double earlier in the game, was up with an opportunity to end the game and move within 2.5 games of the Cubs in the NL Central. Wade Davis had other plans. Santana struck out swinging and was followed by Orlando Arcia, who hit a soft grounder to the mound that Davis handled easily. Crisis averted, and it was only natural that this game went to extra innings. The good feeling I had after getting out of that jam turned into confidence when Jon Jay started the inning with a double. Kris Bryant was up next with a chance to do something heroic, and that’s exactly what he did. I didn’t expect a home run. With nobody out and Jay already on second, I was hoping for simply a ball to the gap or a fly ball long enough to advance Jay to third. With a moonshot to center, the reigning MVP all but iced the game as the Cubs took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the 10th. Wade Davis produced a drama free ending to the game as he was able to strike out the side. The lead is now at 4.5 games, the magic number is down to 6, and Cubs fans everywhere should be feeling great this morning. The emotions I had during this game is something I haven’t felt since the playoffs last year, and the greatest comparison I could make from last night is from game 4 of the NLDS. I thought that game was all but over before a historic four-run rally in the 9th brought the Cubs a 6-5 victory and a trip to the NLCS. This game didn’t clinch anything. There are still three huge games coming up in this series follow by another big series against the Cardinals, but I like our chances moving forward. The general consensus before game one was that if the Cubs can split this series with the Brewers, they should be in a good spot to clinch the NL Central. Obviously baseball is a crazy game and very unpredictable, but I like where we’re at after the first game. I won’t be popping bottles of champagne if Lackey shows up tonight and the Cubs can take game two, but I will be feeling better about this team than I have all year. The Cubs kicked off their Thursday around dawn in Tampa Bay, by climbing onto a plane headed for Milwaukee. As they arrived they prepared for game one of a four with the Brewers. Entering play, the Cubs held a 3.5 game divisional lead over the Brewers. With the Cubs suffering an embarrassing loss the night before it was imperative they got back on the right track.
The Cubs ended up beating the Brewers in a 10 inning thriller. Scoring kicked off in the second inning, with an opposite field blast from Kyle Schwarber. However, by the eighth inning the Brewers took a 3-2 lead due to poor relief pitching, and questionable managing. Things looked bleak as Javier Baez settled into his stance with the Cubs down to their last strike. As the pitch was delivered you could see the Brewer catcher drop to his knees to block the ball, but Javy skillfully dug it out and tied the game with a base hit. On to the tenth, none other than Kris Bryant was up to bat with a man on. Bryant crushed a ball to deep center and gave the Cubs a 5-3 game. His home run proved to be a game winner and huge boost for the Cubs. Aside from Bryant’s blast, there are many positive things to go over from this game: Jake Arrieta In his first start back from injury, Arrieta had a very encouraging outing. He pitched five innings of one run baseball. Arrieta had good life on his fastball early, and only surrendered one walk. Perhaps the most notable thing from his start was his ability to work out of some minor jams. It would have been perfectly understandable if Arrieta looked shaky his first start back, but he showed poise and persevered through some tough moments. This start should be reassuring to Cubs fans, especially with playoffs on the horizon. Wade Davis Wade Davis has gotten lot of attention lately, and well deserved. Tonight, Davis yet again proved his value, but more importantly showed he can pitch in post-season like games. He worked one and two thirds innings, struck out four, and left with the win. Kyle Schwarber Much controversy has surround Kyle Schwarber this year, but the guy keeps grinding. His second inning home run was his fifth in nine games (25 at-bats). Although his numbers still aren’t where fans had hoped, he has faired much better in the second half of the season. If he can keep up his recent power surge and carry it into October, things will only improve for the team. The Cubs needed this win more than many may realize. It was important for them to kick off this crucial series with the Brewers by adding one to the win column. That’s exactly what they did, and overall it wasn’t their best game, but it was a very good game. In addition, they successfully reduced their magic number to six. Hopefully the Cubs can keep up the good play, and take a commanding division lead by the time the series concludes on Sunday. By this time last year, the champagne had already been popped in the home clubhouse at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were celebrating the fruits of their labor in a dominant regular season made possible by a productive offense and historically great pitching staff. Starters were getting some well-deserved rest while the organization gave some other players time to showcase their talents before the 25-man playoff roster was finalized. While other teams across the league were still battling for playoff spots, it was smooth sailing for the Cubs, who were coasting towards the playoffs with nothing but World Series aspirations on their mind.
For the 2017 Cubs, the seas have been anything but calm. 151 games into a tumultuous season riddled with injuries, a first-half relationship with the .500 line, and maybe even a slight case of World Series Hangover, these young Cubs find themselves in unfamiliar territory: an actual battle for a playoff spot. Even in 2015, when the Cubs finished third in the NL Central, they held a cozy 13 game lead over the Giants for the second Wild Card spot at season’s end. This year, with eleven games left to play in the season, the Cubs’ magic number sits at 8 as they head into what is arguably their most important regular season series of the past decade: a four-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sitting at 3.5 games behind the Cubs, the Brewers have enjoyed a surprising season reminiscent of the Cubs of yesteryear, quickly developing from a bottom-of-the-pack team to a serious playoff contender in the span of a single season. Despite boasting below-average hitting and fielding metrics, the Brewers have had the Cubs’ number in 2017 and currently hold an 8-7 advantage on the season, holding the Cubs to 4.4 runs per game, well below their season average of 5.1. Conversely, the Brewers have averaged 5.1 runs versus the Cubs against their season average of 4.6. While “score more runs and pitch better” sounds like a pretty simple game plan, there are several reasons why the Cubs could—and should—be able to dominate their series against the Brewers this weekend and close the door on the NL central race, if not shut it completely. And, as has been the story all year, those reasons begin and end with what has been the Cubs’ greatest weakness this season: pitching. Despite having far fewer wins than their 2016 counterparts, this year’s Cubs have actually had a more productive offense thus far, averaging 5.07 runs per game as opposed to 4.93 in 2016. On the other hand, the Cubs’ pitching staff as a whole has struggled in comparison, with their 2017 ERA of 4.07 nearly a full run higher than 2016’s mark of 3.15. Even amongst the historically great year for offense in baseball (home runs in particular), there’s no denying that pitching has been a major issue for the Cubs this year. Enter Jake Arrieta, 2015 Cy Young winner and the target of many a Cubs naysayer, a “once-elite” starter who many thought to be past his prime, washed up, a shadow of his former self, or any other variation of the phrase one could think of. A free agent after 2017, Arrieta has had nothing but everything to play for this season, but his efforts seemed to come up short nearly every time he took the mound. Then, just like everything else with these Cubs, everything seemed to click right around the All-Star break. Winning National League Pitcher of the Month honors in August, Arrieta boasts a 1.69 ERA and 7-2 record in July and August, once again looking like the imposing starter that blanked the Pirates in 2015’s Wild Card game. Gone were many of the concerns that came with the first half, and just like that, Jake Day was born once again. After missing a few starts to a right hamstring strain, Arrieta takes the mound in game one of this weekend’s four game series against the Brewers. Arrieta faces Zach Davies, the Brewers’ best active pitcher (due to the season-ending injury to Jimmy Nelson), and suddenly, there’s a playoff-esque atmosphere brewing in Miller Park—pun absolutely intended. Though he may be limited in innings or pitch count to ease him back into the rotation, Arrieta has every opportunity to be able to make a huge impact in this game and set the stage for the revamped and rehabbed offense that has welcomed the return of key players such as Willson Contreras and Addison Russell in the past couple weeks. Whether or not you’re a believer of momentum in baseball, the tone of this whole series rests on Arrieta’s shoulders. If Jake can lock in and shut down the less-than-stellar Milwaukee offense, this series—and the playoff race—could very well be over before the first game goes final. Besides the pitching turnaround from starters and relievers alike, the Cubs have plenty of other reasons to be excited for and optimistic about this series: they have a complete and healthy roster for the first time in months. They own one of the game’s best closers in Wade Davis. They, despite coming off a loss, are also coming fresh off their longest winning streak of the season. Things are finally clicking on all cylinders for this team. The World Series Hangover is gone and these Cubs are finally ready to party again. Besides, the champagne tastes a little better when you really have to work for it, doesn’t it? |
Kyle MalzhanFounder who is an aspiring journalist who covers the Chicago Cubs daily. Archives
April 2020
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