Chicago Cubs: Bullpen has shouldered the load for the Cubs all season

Chicago Cubs: The starters have not had a lot of success this season

Darvish has only started eight games for the Cubs this season and did not look like himself at any point. In those games he posted a career-high 4.95 ERA and just a 0.2 WAR, by far the lowest of his career. He has been sidelined with injuries since May and it looks like he may not even make another start for the Cubs this season.

As for Chatwood, he brought nothing but trouble to the Cubs pitching staff. He leads the league in walks with 93 and would have way over 100 if he hadn’t been moved to the bullpen. Lucas Giolito has walked the second-most batters in the league and he still only has 72.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs: Adrian Sampson is forcing his way into the conversation
• Projecting the Chicago Cubs bullpen to open the 2023 season
• Cubs fans are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel
• Justin Steele has evolved into a frontline starter for the Cubs
• The future of first base is murky right now for the Cubs

Even Lester, an All-Star for his first-half exploits, has had his struggles. He carries an 8.16 ERA and surrendered nine home runs in his six second half outings. Hendricks and Quintana have both had issues of their own but their inconsistency sums it up best.

Collectively, the starters’ struggles have translated into a 4.14 ERA, which is the highest it’s been since 2012. The biggest problem has been their ability to keep runners off base. They are second in the league with 288 walks, only trailing the Chicago White Sox at 314.

All the runs and traffic on the bases has hindered their ability to pitch deep into ballgames.  They’ve mustered just 661 total innings pitched as a unit. Among teams contending for the playoffs, that’s the lowest number of innings pitched by a team’s starters.