Chicago Cubs are ready to battle against postseason aces in October

Chicago Cubs: Putting it all together

What do all these numbers, decimals, records, and names mean? Maybe nothing because it’s a very small sample size and I hand-picked the parameters. (Although, I picked those parameters because I was noticing we were still beating a plethora of really good pitchers in the midst of an offensive funk, but we didn’t have a garish winning percentage) But, then again, maybe it does mean something.

Maybe the Cubs are more focused and engaged against great pitchers. Maybe players find a way to scrap, fight, and claw their way to a victory against those stud pitchers, maybe Joe Maddon manages differently, or maybe different combinations of players are used to win in those specific games.

Whether these numbers and records mean something tangible or not, it’s clear that down the stretch, the Cubs know how to win tight ball games against good pitching. They are very good at running up pitch counts early, chasing starters, and then coming back or adding on against relievers. Does this sound like a recipe for success?

Honestly, it sounds a lot like the 2016 version of the Cubs minus some offense. And maybe, just maybe, we started to see a little of that missing offense starting to click out in the desert this week.