This Chicago Cubs roller-coaster journey has been one for the books.
Whether it turns right into a basic or will get thrown into the used-books bin stays to be seen.
The commerce deadline is rapidly approaching, the warmth index is rising and the Cubs out of the blue have carried out just like the group they have been in the beginning of the season, making believers out of longtime skeptics and forcing the entrance workplace to both decide to this group or fast-forward to the longer term.
Does President Jed Hoyer consider on this group sufficient to face pat and even add on? Or will his enterprise sensibilities override his penchant for dreaming huge?
Like the “Save Ferris” marketing campaign in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Cubs gamers have engaged in a kind of guerilla marketing campaign to “Save Belli” and “Save Stro,” hoping to maintain Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman within the combine for a playoff push. If it really works and so they’re each nonetheless right here Wednesday, the strain will probably be on the gamers to keep away from backsliding, as they’ve accomplished earlier than this season after extended stretches of enjoying nicely.
Hoyer should select between his head and his coronary heart. You need to consider he would need to hold each in an ideal world and roll the cube down the stretch. But he can’t dismiss what has occurred within the first 4 months, even when it’s onerous to make heads or tails of this group.
When the Cubs went on a 10-3 run in early April, culminating with a three-game sweep of the A’s in Oakland, you may need thought they clinched the pennant, at the very least when you have been listening to Marquee Sports Network analyst Rick Sutcliffe.
But it turned out to be one other case of somebody with a giant microphone sporting Cubs-colored glasses. After slumping in late April, all of May and into early June, the Cubs discovered themselves 10 video games underneath .500 following a sweep by the Los Angeles Angels on June 8.
Just when it appeared secure to rely them out and look towards 2024, the Cubs gained 11 of 13 to get again inside one sport of .500, solely to lose six of seven, together with a devastating defeat July 3 in Milwaukee. Dansby Swanson mentioned afterward it was time to “man up,” and the Cubs did simply that the following night time in a comeback win towards the Brewers to remain on the sting of rivalry.
They gained 13 of their subsequent 19 and a season-high six straight getting into Friday’s sport towards the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, turning into the third group in franchise historical past to get again to the .500 mark after being 10 video games underneath.
They prolonged their streak to seven straight wins with a 3-2 win Friday night time after outfielder Mike Tauchman robbed a house run to finish the sport and moved the Cubs above .500 for 1st time since May 6.
So who’re these guys? With two months left, are the Cubs again to being a contender or simply teasing their followers once more?
“On this day, whatever today is, I don’t think .500 matters a whole lot to us,” supervisor David Ross mentioned Friday. “We’re playing really good baseball . Part of your record is what you’ve done in the past. We’ve had a really rough May and some high moments and some low moments. It has gotten us to this point. However we got here, we’re here, and we’re playing good baseball. That’s my main concern.”
The Cubs’ 26-15 file since June 9 was tied for third greatest within the majors. They are 3 1/24 4 video games out of a wild-card spot and 4 1/2 behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
It’s maybe their greatest stretch since early April, and as Ross identified, they’ve been doing it in a a lot completely different method.
“I thought our pitching really stood out early on,” he mentioned. “I feel like the offense is standing out right now, and different players are doing it. Timely hitting. We’re still getting guys on and able to bust games open a little bit. Hopefully this transitions into a back half of everybody kind of clicking on all cylinders.”
Being .500 is nothing to shout about. But it has been some time since considered one of Chicago’s 5 oldest skilled sports activities groups had a successful file within the second half of their season. That group could be the 2021-22 Bulls, who completed 10 video games over.
Normally a group with a .500 file at this level could be unapologetic sellers able to play out the string. But these are unusual occasions, and if Bellinger can proceed to hold them the ultimate two months, something may occur.
In late May, when the Cubs have been solely 4 1/2 out regardless of being 5 video games under .500, Ross cracked: “Thank goodness for the (crappy) play of everybody in the division I guess, right?”
The National League Central isn’t fairly as crummy because it appeared again then, although the Cubs are nonetheless the one group with a constructive run differential. The Reds on Friday have been 27-14 since June 9, and the Brewers have historically hung in down the stretch, even after dumping gamers on the commerce deadline, akin to nearer Josh Hader final yr.
With a lot uncertainty earlier than Tuesday’s commerce deadline, it’s nearly unattainable to invest about the place the Cubs will probably be a little bit a couple of month from now when the races warmth up in September.
We’ve seen them at their greatest and their worst, typically in the identical week.
Maybe it’d be much less disturbing to only let it play out with none expectations. Stop worrying about tomorrow and simply benefit from the journey.
But what enjoyable would that be?
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Source: www.bostonherald.com