Chicago Cubs Clicking into Gear in National League
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 13: at Wrigley Field on May 13, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Pirates 9-4. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
.@DavidHaugh: Joe Maddon’s methods have helped the Cubs rebound into 1st place. Isn’t it time to look at giving him an extension?https://t.co/fpgDtVlrkd pic.twitter.com/GcfXd7bhzs
— Chicago Sports (@ChicagoSports) May 6, 2019
The Chicago Cubs are one of the few teams in the MLB that have enjoyed an impressive start to the season, operating above 0.500 after the opening fifth of the campaign. The Cubs are striving to make their way back to the top of the sport, having endured disappointing outcomes to the past two seasons following their triumph in 2016.
Joe Maddon’s men suffered a crushing 4-1 defeat in the NL Championship at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. Last season, the club were knocked out in the NL Wild Card, putting forward a meek performance at Wrigley Field in a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Chicago were made to rue a poor run of form in the final month of the 2018 season, pitting Maddon’s side into a decider for the top seed in the National League as well as the Central Division crown. The Cubs lost the showdown on home soil, which resulted in their term ending prematurely at the hands of the Rockies one day later.
The pressure is on Maddon and his team to ensure that they do not endure another disappointing end to the campaign. Chicago are backed in the latest MLB odds on bet365 at +620 to win the National League, but there is plenty of work ahead of them after recovering from a poor start to take a healthy lead in the Central Division.
Maddon’s side were off the pace to start the campaign, winning just one of their opening seven games. However, the response has been emphatic, charging to the top of the standings at the time of writing. The Cubs have found their form, reeling off seven wins on the bounce in a run between April 27 and May 5, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners and St Louis Cardinals.
The form of Javier Baez has been key to their success. The 2018 All-Star has notched 11 home runs in the early stages of the campaign, making serious inroads to his total of 34 last term. He has been a model of consistency at the plate with a batting average of 0.316. Chicago have needed Baez to rise to the occasion once again due to the struggles of Kris Bryant.
The 27-year-old has not been able to find a rhythm, which has extremely notable with his statistics that are all remarkably down on last year. Bryant was battling a shoulder injury during the off-season and therefore it may take time for him to rediscover his touch. Baez, Jason Heyward and Wilson Contreras have been there for the Cubs to pick up the slack and it’s encouraging that they’ve been able to accumulate impressive wins even without the 2016 NL MVP playing anywhere near his best.
Yu Darvish relying more on two-seam sinker https://t.co/dC2RMPI63W pic.twitter.com/fdeDRxn9Yr
— Chicago Cubs Fans (@ChicagoCubsNews) May 6, 2019
The pitching rotation has been inconsistent. Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks have been off form, suffering three and four defeats respectively from their starts. Darvish’s ERA of 5.79 will be a concern for Maddon going forward, allowing the most home runs and walks on the side. Brad Bach has offered a solid option from the bullpen and it will be a storyline worth monitoring over the term.
Hendricks’ statistics are not terrible, but runs have been an issue in losses when he has started. He was part of a shutout against the Cardinals in his last outing and that could be the sign that the 29-year-old has turned the corner. The Cubs will need him and Darvish to continue to ensure they’re not playing in the NL Wild Card again come October.
