What the Chicago Cubs need from each starting pitcher in the second half

When the Cubs acquired John Lackey in the offseason, they got the tough-nosed, experienced starter they so desperately needed during last year’s playoffs.

For a good portion of the first half, he was just that. Fiery as ever, Lackey proved to be solid and efficient, posting a 7-5 record and a 3.70 ERA.  But, like most of his teammates, Lackey had his rough stretches.

Lackey’s outings started to get pretty ugly during the last month. As he said earlier in the season, he’s not here to fool anyone. From the get-go, his plan was to pound the strike zone and make hitters beat him. For a good while, he did just that.  But then things started to tail off for him.

Home runs started becoming a problem for Lackey. Lately it seemed as if he was just putting his fastballs on a tee for opposing hitters. Lackey’s big issue has been his command. If he can get it back, he should return to being the reliable veteran that he was early on this year.

Next: Mr. First Half