Cubs Week In Review: Expected Changes Are Welcome and Needed

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Any frustrations pertaining to the Chicago Cubs at this moment in time stem from they're status as a good team that very well could be great. Coupled with a surprising offensive slump, the squad's tepid starting pitching has the North Siders and all involved with this organization eager to usher in a change for the better. Entering the phase of the season that can unequivocally be deemed as the home stretch, much has been made of how the Cubbies’ schedule and its proximity to Wrigley aligns perfectly for their clubhouse. Well, their opponents this week reminded us all that familiarity breeds contempt. 

The sub-.500 Kansas City Royals play in a division that only recently got interesting, but they roared into Wrigley like a tiger in Game 1 of their three-game set with the Cubs. On another nauseating bullpen day kicked off by Ryan Brasier, Ben Brown got drilled in perhaps with the worst outing of the season. Lasting four innings, Brown has throngs of Cubs fans shouting from the rooftops on Sheffield for a shakeup in the starting rotation. In a silver lining play, a suddenly emerging Matt Shaw belted a three-run homer to the left-field bleachers. That moment accounted for all of the joy supporters of the North Siders would enjoy on this day in a 12-4 route for the Royals. 

The Cubs are capable of being a phenomenal baseball team, and they looked the part in the middle game of this series. After giving up a barrage of runs to one of the lowest-scoring clubs in the game a day prior, the Cubs blanked 45-year-old Rich Hill and the Kansas City Royals. The dark horse Cy Young candidate, Matthew Boyd, was exquisite in seven innings of four-hit shutout baseball. His dominance on the mound elevates his squad to a more elite tier of teams competing for the postseason. More encouraging still was one of the cleanest bullpen showings in days with Caleb Thielbar and Daniel Palencia slamming the door on the Royals in a 6-0 win for the home team. 

When one door closes, another one opens, but not the one Craig Counsell and his squad had hoped for as they dropped the rubber match to Kansas City. Former Brewer Colin Rea has shown signs of perking up lately. Still, his confidence quickly evaporated in the face of surrendering three early long balls to the below-average Royals lineup. The Cubbies hung around in the early innings, but could not manage any offense of consequence, especially with Kyle Tucker sitting out the final game of this three-game tilt. Garbage time home runs from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw gave CTA commuters something to talk about on the ride home, but not much else. Beyond dropping the series with the 8-4 loss, the North Siders also had to reckon with the unfamiliar feeling of second place in the NL Central yet again after starting the day tied for first with the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Another blisteringly hot summer weekend arrived in Chicago to kick off part two of the Crosstown Classic. Taking the field off the Sox/35th Red Line stop at "The Rate", the White Sox had little else to do in this series but play spoiler to their North Side rivals. That's exactly what they did in Game 1 of this series. The resounding success the Cubbies have enjoyed in this civil war in recent contests came to a screeching halt at a very inopportune moment for Shota Imanaga's team. The Cubbies' ace suffered his worst start and worst loss as a big leaguer. The Pitching Philosopher surrendered seven earned runs and three homers to the Sox batters. The stakes being what they are for playoff positioning, it felt much worse than it probably was, though it was pretty bad even as a one-off. Like a passenger sleeping on your shoulder during a Metra ride, the Cubbies' offense refused to wake up in a 12-5 thumping for the Sox. 

Despite suffering a rather humiliating loss in game one of this series, the North Siders proved why they run this town, and maybe even more, in the middle contest of this matchup. Cade Horton spun the best game of his young career, which could have signaled more prosperity to come in a dazzling 6 1/3 inning performance. Clutch homers from Ian Happ and Matt Shaw sparked a late-game rally for the Cubbies on their way to a 6-1 triumph. More than just comforting in a therapeutic sense, how the North Siders took this game bodes well for their chances in the postseason, a space in which 27-out nailbiters are the norm. 

Headed into their rubber match with the White Sox, the Cubbies found themselves tied for first place in the NL Central and at the precipice of the biggest series of the season to date up in Milwaukee. Taking the mound in this series-deciding contest, the young Ben Brown needed an outing that resembled competence, and boy, did he get it. In his five innings of work, he surrendered just one run, a solo shot off the bat of Andrew Benintendi in the first inning. The start probably didn't do much to make a case for Brown as a starter (if there is one), but he came up big when his club needed it. The Cubbies had Lakshore Drive volumes of traffic on the bases pretty much the whole game. Crow-Armstrong aided in making the drive a bit easier, delivering a two-run double. He's been seeing the ball well all season long, and wouldn't you know it, so is his teammate Matt Shaw, who continues to hit with consistency and poise. An offensively proficient Shaw drastically alters the complexion of this club and certainly the upcoming trades to be executed by Jed Hoyer and his staff. Staving off a late-inning rally from the Sox, marked by a three-run bomb by Benintendi, the Cubbies took the game 5-4. What a catharsis to feel as they head into the critical tilt with their division rivals. 

While the days that lie ahead loom large in deciding where this team goes in the immediate and long-term future, there's no reason for any parties involved to get too worked up about how these next couple of series play out. The way this club is playing suggests that even if they fall, they have what it takes to get back on their feet. The stage is set for the Cubs to take control of their destiny and create some serious fireworks once Summer fades. 

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