Chicago Cubs: Team carries momentum after finishing sweep

Heading into the second series of their homestand, the Chicago Cubs carry serious momentum after sweeping the arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals.

As we noted yesterday, these Chicago Cubs love playing at Wrigley Field.

That fact was dually noted by the St. Louis Cardinals all three games over the weekend, especially in Sunday’s finale, when rookie outfielder Ian Happ cranked a pair of clutch home runs and Anthony Rizzo added a trio of knocks in a big win.

With the win, Chicago pushed St. Louis two games under .500 while pulling themselves above the breakeven point in the standings. Still chasing the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs have a legitimate chance to make some noise over the next week at home.

Kyle Schwarber didn’t have any more long-balls Sunday, but he certainly worked a pair of important walks in the ballgame. One of our writers delved into his performance to-date and why it’s still too early to write him off and hide him at Triple-A Iowa.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

Of course, earlier in the weekend, the big story connected Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper to the Cubs. Peter Gammons talked about how Harper reportedly prefers to join Chicago if he hits the open market. To say that story was controversial amongst Cubs fans is putting it fairly mildly.

Here’s more from around the league:

‘Yankees’ Judge has to regress, right?’ – Call to the Pen

‘Astros win again, boast two players of the month’ – Climbing Tals Hill

‘For Cubs, difference is in home cooking at Wrigley’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Don’t count out Cubs’ Schwarber just yet’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Upton blasts walk-off, sends White Sox to loss’ – MLB.com

What’s Next

Chicago welcomes the Miami Marlins to Wrigley Field Monday night.

Eddie Butler (2-1, 4.42) squares off against Dan Straily (4-3, 3.56) in the opener. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. CT.