Well, the second half is underway, and methinks the Chicago Cubs are doing okay for now…
#Cubs since All-Star break
* 6-0 record
* +27 run differential
* 16 Home Runs
* 2.00 starter ERA
* No first inning runs allowed— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) July 19, 2017
As we’ve talked about on the Dreamcast before, there was probably going to be an adjustment period for the young Cubs core, and for the historically great pitching and defense from last year’s World Series team. We just didn’t expect the Cubs to be this mediocre, and we always had confidence that they would be able to snap out of it before too late, especially with the NL Central being equally mediocre.
Although the click-bait-y title says what it does, you have to assume that the Cubs will lose a few more games here and there. There is a mini-home stand against the Cardinals, which the Cubs obviously should try to win the series against, and the White Sox (before heading to the South Side for a pair). It would be fun to see how Yoan Moncada does as he changed Sox in the Chris Sale trade, and with how the White Sox have reloaded their farm system, you can imagine a Crosstown World Series by around 2020 as a rematch of 1906. But the big one is next weekend in Milwaukee against the current division leaders. If the Cubs can stay within two or three games of first place (because you can’t assume that the Brewers will just go on a losing streak just out of convenience), then they can match or overtake Milwaukee by the end of that series.
Enjoy the off day, and maybe just root for all NL Central teams to lose out. Except maybe for whoever plays Milwaukee.
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