Chicago Cubs: Critical five-game set at Wrigley opens second half action

With their biggest lead of the year in the Central, the Chicago Cubs must avoid the pitfalls that can arise in a five-game set against a quality division rival.

The Chicago Cubs closed out the first half of the regular season on a high note. Joe Maddon‘s club won 12 of its final 15 games, taking over first place in the National League Central.

Obviously, when you play that kind of baseball, good things usually happen. But the team the Cubs spent the first few months looking up at in the standings, the Milwaukee Brewers, did themselves no favors. Milwaukee closed out the first half with a five-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road.

At first glance, it seemed like just another meeting between division foes. But the Pirates didn’t just win the series – they swept all five games, helping turn a 2 1/2 game lead in the division into a 2 1/2 game deficit in less than a week. And, while it seemed like Milwaukee was always on the fringe of the Manny Machado sweepstakes, missing out on him seems like a much bigger deal given how the team closed out the first half.

As for the Cubs, they welcome the rival St. Louis Cardinals to Wrigley to kick off the home stretch of the season. This includes a day-night doubleheader on Saturday – although Mother Nature seems likely to play a big role in this series given the forecast.

Regardless of weather, the Cubs need to avoid the same result experienced by the rival Brewers. Five game series, especially over four days, come down to execution and mental focus. Rested and recharged, here’s what they need to do this weekend to come away with a series win.

Chicago Cubs: Time for the rotation to kick it up a notch

We’ve beaten this story into the ground this season (as has everyone else). Chicago Cubs starting pitching, which was supposed to lead this team back to the Promised Land, continued to underperform during the first three months of the season.

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Chicago starters rank sixth in the NL in earned run average, 12th in WHIP and fifth in opponent batting average. The problem? Their inability to eat valuable innings. This group ranks 13th in innings pitched – ahead of just the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. When you sink north of $150 million into the staff during the offseason, suffice to say, you expect a bit more production.

With a five-game set, obviously all five members of the rotation will take the ball against the Cardinals this weekend. Kyle Hendricks opens the series on Thursday, looking to build on one of the best starts we’ve seen from him in several years – a start against the Giants in which he pitched into the ninth.

Five-time All-Star Jon Lester takes the hill on Friday afternoon, giving the Cubs a solid one-two punch to open the series. Mike Montgomery and Tyler Chatwood tackle the twin bill on Saturday and Jose Quintana closes things out on Sunday.

On paper, the Cubs have the edge in this arena. But, as we saw during the first half, that means very little if these guys don’t go out and execute like they’re capable of. The good news? The rotation is well-rested and ready to go.

Chicago Cubs: Time to reignite the fire of Team Bryzzo

Let me begin by saying this. There’s nothing wrong with the Cubs offense. If you need to read that a second time, go right ahead. Reading comments online, you’d think this is a mediocre offense – and that’s just not the case.

Chicago leads the National League in runs, hits, runs batted in, average, on-base percentage and OPS. Javier Baez is a legitimate MVP candidate and guys like Albert Almora continue to play extremely well on both sides of the ball.

The missing piece for this offense? The previously lethal combination of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. Keeping both of these guys in the lineup together on a daily basis has proved difficult for Chicago. And, when they’ve been in there, the power hasn’t been what we’ve come to expect.

Rizzo is slugging a full 100 points lower than he did last season, despite his 61 runs batted in. He’s hitting just .246, a far cry from what he’s capable of. Even his on-base percentage has taken a nosedive. Whatever the issue, getting him back to being the big bat in that lineup is key right out of the gates in the second half.

Meanwhile, Bryant continues to hit – but with almost no power. A shoulder injury that sidelined him for a bit at the end of the first half likely explains that. Still, it would be nice to see him come out swinging against St. Louis this weekend.