The Cubs’ Starting Pitching Is Rolling, but the Wins Aren’t Following
Over the Cubs’ last fourteen games, their starting pitchers have a 3.00 ERA, which is the third-lowest in MLB over that span. Usually that leads to good results, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case.
The Cubs have won only seven of those games, and a main cause has been the offense slowing down lately.
This stretch of starting pitching reflects strong contributions from multiple starters. Shota Imanaga, David Peterson, Matthew Boyd, and Kevin Gausman each have an ERA under 3.20. The outlier is Clay Holmes, arguably the Cubs’ best starter, with an ERA of 5.87. The Cubs, as a group, having such a low ERA from their starters highlights how great their pitching has been amidst Holmes’ struggles.
The best starter in the group has been David Peterson; his 1.06 ERA is the fourth-lowest in MLB among qualified starting pitchers at this point in the season.
These recent performances from the Cubs pitching staff will likely affect how Craig Counsell lines them up for the first playoff series in San Diego. With Shota Imanaga throwing in the regular-season finale, it is unlikely he will start against San Diego. However, if the series goes to a full three games, every pitcher will almost certainly be available. Given how effective Imanaga has been lately, he could still appear when the Cubs are in San Diego.
For a team that has had a relatively up-and-down season, it’s an encouraging sign that these outings are happening as the Cubs prepare for the postseason.
On the other side of the ball, the offense has the league’s thirteenth-highest OPS in this window, slashing .251/.334/.413. What has made this Cubs team so great, and this season so special, is how great the offense has been. They lead MLB in several offensive metrics and are widely regarded as the league’s best offense. While the offense’s production is a big factor in the Cubs not winning most of these games, this is a small sample size and could be affected by the weather in the games they played at Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.
This presents an interesting opportunity for the offense because the Cubs’ first-round postseason matchup is set, and they will be playing indoors. A high-scoring day could give them the momentum they need heading into the playoffs.
The Cubs’ starting pitching group has endured a lot of injuries this season and sits in the middle of the league in ERA.
These performances from the solidified group the Cubs have as they end the regular season are cause for optimism.
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Categorized:Cubs