At the end of August, it’s hard to believe that the have won 84 games already. It is almost certain that they will surpass the 100 win mark in September, and Joe Maddon is playoff ready.
Chicago Cubs’ Pitching Continues to Excel
The main reason for the success is not only the stellar bats, but it’s also the incredible pitching.
The Chicago Cubs pitching has been outstanding this season. Not only have the starters been great, but the bullpen has, too. Sure, they’ve had their ups and downs, but overall, they have pitched tremendously.
Jake Arrieta– As the reigning Cy Young Award winner, Arrieta continues to impress his fans, his teammates, coaches, and his opponents. With a 16-5 record and a 2.84 ERA, there is no argument that he will be a candidate for the Cy Young Award for a second year in a row.
Jon Lester– As another potential Cy Young candidate, Lester also impresses everyone he pitches around with his 14-4 record, and a 2.70 ERA.
John Lackey– Lackey continues to be Lackey. With the occasional mishap on the mound, he always seems to find a way out of it, after all, he didn’t come to Chicago for a haircut.
Jason Hammel– Maddon has a tendency to take Hammel out earlier than Jason wants. Hammel has expressed his emotions on the field while walking out. Maddon said yesterday that, “everything is fine” between him and Hammel. Hammel has a 13-7 record with a 3.21 ERA.
Kyle Hendricks– Hendricks is the underdog this season. While everyone was focused on Arrieta, nobody paid attention to Hendricks who is the best pitcher the Cubs have at the moment. Hendricks has a record of 13-7, with an outstanding ERA of 2.09.
In order to maintain their success into September and October, the pitching must continue to be solid.
Last week, Maddon began to limit the pitch count to no more than 100 pitches in an outing, which is completely acceptable as he preserving them for the playoffs.
Another Cubs Note: Tommy La Stella, who has been the target for criticism for the past month for not reporting to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, has rejoined the team. He is expected to speak with the media shortly.
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