Cubs Struggles Against NL Central Foes Loom Large
While one series doesn’t define your season or even potentially two weeks of play doesn’t either, it isn’t good to be dropping games to your division rivals at every turn.
The Chicago Cubs and their fans have learned this the hard way in more ways than just one.
After a 20-3 stretch, some regression was expected, but instead the Cubs suffered more pitching injuries, bad performances, and a knockdown from the lead in the NL Central.
Struggles vs. The NL Central
It started early in April with a 3-game set at Wrigley—a good chance for the Cubs to build some good momentum. Instead, the Pirates shut the door, winning 2 of 3, and the Cubs nearly got swept. But again, nothing sets your season up more if you continue to repeat it against your biggest rivals.
After the Cubs lost the series to the Rangers, the team went on to lose the next 4 series, with the Braves, White Sox, Brewers, and Astros taking their turns at the Cubs’ expense. The Brewers, in particular, here sting as the defending champions of the NL Central, the Cubs needed to try to keep pace. Instead, they fell further and further behind.
The scores also don’t look pretty (9-3, 5-2, 5-0), and the Cubs were unable to muster much against the Brewers’ starters, and when they did have runners in scoring position, they failed to capitalize. Cubs this year are 8-8 against the NL Central. That doesn’t seem that bad, but the only series the Cubs have won against the NL Central was against the Reds, which had 3 straight walk-offs in that series.
What’s Ahead
Cubs schedule lightens up as the calendar turns to June. Those series are against the Blue Jays, A’s, Giants, Rockies, and Mets.
If there is any time to turn it around, it would be this month.
You can’t lose anything with a couple of weeks of bad play. You can if it continues to linger.
Let’s hope the Northsiders find a way to turn the tide and play good baseball going forward.
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