Cubs Week In Review: Staying in the Fight

[RavenCub30]

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images

On occasion, a very good friend friend of mine takes to the ring to go multiple rounds of amateur boxing. Expanding my knowledge of the sport beyond what had only previously been informed by Sly Stalone and Michael B. Jordan, my pal taught me that to win a fight, you must outlast your opponent through some trying adversity. With the most important contests of the season to date, that's exactly what the Cubbies did as they went toe-to-toe with their chief rivals up and along the grand stretch of Lake Michigan.

We spoke at length earlier in the week about the importance and the spoils of the Cubs' tilt with the divisional rival Milwaukee Brewers. Outside of apparent differences in styles, culture, and attitude, the Crew separates themselves through self-perception and playing loose like a team that has nothing to lose. Reason being: No matter what the standings might actually say, the Brewers reamain perpetually the underdog when compared to their bigger, fancier, more well-heeled Chicago cousins. Much had been made of the new family member, Milwaukee's new ace Jacob Misiorowski; the youngster has impressive stuff and had yet to put forth a pedestrian performance, until the Cubs made him have one. Even though Chicago jumped out to a 3-0 lead, chasing "Miz" after only four innings, the North Sider's ace Matthew Boyd had perhaps his worst and most unwieldy performance of the season. The Brewers slugged their way to an 8-4 victory that felt like as bad a tone setter as Craig Counsell's squad could as for. 

"Wrigley North" is a safe haven for Cubs fans when the proceedings sway in favor of the Cubbies, but if not, as the case was in the middle game of this contest, it's ground zero for heartache. When the Beer Makers are mashing like they did in this match, it only exacerbates this notion. The Cubs dropped the game 9-3 and despite leading early, it never felt like they were in it. Colin Rea is a serviceable hurler, but he crumbled under the lights of his former home field, surrendering four earned runs over four shaky innings. Standing tall on the canvas, Milwaukee delivered a knockout blow, or so it appeared.

In a triumphant return to the place where his 2025 campaign took an unexpected detour, Shota Imanaga lifted his club off the mat. Backed by a capable offense, the squad's star southpaw got through five critical innings. After two games of squandering multitudes of scoring opportunities, the Cubbies connected on several clutch hits from the middle of their order. The 10-3 victory salvaged one of the more desperate-feeling series of the season. 

Sifting through the aftermath of crushing series loss to their rivals, the second-place Chicago Cubs made their way back to Wrigley Field, playing host for three games against the middle-of-the-road Baltimore Orioles. In a pitching masterclass from the club's whole staff, the hurlers, led by a stunning Cade Horton, willed the squad to a 1-0 win versus the O's. The game served as quite the antidote, and turned back on several lights, while we waited for a couple more to flicker back on. 

Heading into their rubber match with Baltimore, the Cubs needed a series victory in the worst way, and got one in perhaps the best way: a walk-off home run. Taking the bump just a handful of days after his painfully ordinary start in Milwaukee, Colin Rea put forth one of his more gutsy performances of the year. Working with confidence and efficiency, the right-hander bounced back from his previous struggles. The ninth-inning blown save by stalwart closer Daniel Palencia poured gasoline on the fire for his squad and the 39,000+ in attendance, enough to charge electricity through 1060 West Addison that could put ComEd out of business. After reaching first base on a high throw that brought first baseman Coby Mayo's foot off the bag, Justin Turner, a rather unlikely source of Cubs' happiness, needed just one pitch to blast a line-drive bomb several rows deep into the bleachers in left-center. The North Siders emerged with a theatrical, heart-wrenching 5-3 victory that did more than just breathe the life back into the ball club—it reminded them of how good they truly are. 

Pound for pound, the Cubbies are one of the most skilled fighters in the tournament. The adjustments they have made in the ring, their fighter's IQ, and their ability to take a punch, suggest the one standing in the other corner (Milwaukee) may eventually wear down. Games such as we witnessed this past week revealed that this is a fight with many rounds, and the last one standing may not be who you expect.

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[Papa Cub]

I apologize ahead of time for the “negativity.” 
However, is it negativity if there’s a lot of truth to it? As a fan, I can clearly see this team falling apart at the seams. I understand that the game of baseball goes in streaks - a little ebb and flow if you will. With that said, their bats are nonexistent at this point to say the least, we have a manager that seems to base ALL his decisions on righty/lefty “matchups.” Hows that going for ya?

So not only are their bats not getting the job done, their bullpen is suspect and starting rotation didn’t really change either. They traded for a guy in Michael Soroka, who clearly had issues with his health for last few seasons. Now he’s on the 15-day IL, which could turn into the season or a large part of it.

Oh yeah, then there’s Milwaukee! A team that addressed their needs as they needed them - they didn’t wait and try to be fancy. They just went out and got the pieces they needed. They find ways to win games - Cubs are finding ways to lose them. People can argue that their record is toward the top of the NL. Personally, I think the division is an after thought, and playoffs may be in question if they don’t get their act together between all phases of the game, as well as their management decisions. 
 

Those are my thoughts as I watch this team over the last 3-4 weeks. The chasm is growing bigger with each passing day. 

Edited August 6, 2025 by Papa Cub