Chicago Cubs sweep Cardinals, go worst to first in just a month

The season opened with a Chicago Cubs win. After that, not many followed. There was both panic and patience in Cubs’ fans. One month later, a sweep of the Cardinals has left them in first place in the Central.

After the start the Chicago Cubs got off to in the first two weeks, you would have thought they couldn’t come back from that. Should’ve signed a more prominent name. The Cubs didn’t do enough to improve the bullpen. Kris Bryant‘s done. Yes. People were really saying that. It’s been a month, and most are singing a different tune. And some critics simply went into hiding. The Chicago Cubs have turned it around and gone from worst to first in a month, thanks to a sweep of the previous first-place St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cubs’ Jose Quintana pitched another quality start, going six innings allowing just two runs on eight hits. It could have been his first straight, but he was pulled after 5 2/3 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Quintana didn’t get a decision in the effort.

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The defense behind him continues to shine. Last night, it was Ben Zobrist that answered the call. First, when Matt Carpenter attempted to go first to third on a single, Zobrist made a perfect throw to Bryant to nab Carpenter.

In the fourth, Zobrist made a diving grab on a Yadier Molina tailing liner with a runner at first. If he misses, the Cardinals are on the board. But he didn’t, and the Cards stayed scoreless until the sixth.

After allowing a solo home run to Willson Contreras in the second, Adam Wainwright looked to be settling in. His career at Wrigley Field has not treated him well, and some were hoping it was just a matter of time.

That time turned out to be the fifth and sixth innings. After a diving attempt on a Jason Heyward fly ball that he missed, Heyward ended up at third and Contreras scored. No error was given to either Fowler or Jose Martinez that was backing him up, but Martinez juggled the ball, which likely allowed Heyward to get to third.

David Bote would drive him in with a sacrifice fly, putting the Cubs up 3-0. Anthony Rizzo would rope a double in the sixth to score both Bryant and Zobrist. Wainwright was forced from the game with six runs in just five innings pitched. Needless to say, he might not mind his next start being skipped against the Cubs.

The Cubs posted seven runs through seven, then broke it wide open in the eighth. After David Bote tallied run number eight with an RBI double, the Cards would load the bases for Bryant. If you happened to be watching the ESPN broadcast, Bryant’s shoulder last season was the topic during that at-bat. He had hit eight home runs before the injury. After he returned up to that point? He had only matched that total. The final comment from Alex Rodriguez was when or if Bryant’s power would return.

On cue, it seemed, Bryant launched one into the night sky for a grand slam. This wasn’t a high-leverage at-bat or anything of that sort. But for a player that had been scuffling, especially with slugging? This couldn’t have felt any better.

With first place in hand, the Cubs will now welcome in the Miami Marlins, the worst team in MLB with a 9-24 record. After the four-game series, they’ll welcome in the Milwaukee Brewers. These four games will be important, in more ways than one. But this team has bounced back from a dreadful start and is playing the type of baseball that many of us thought they were capable of.