The Chicago Cubs’ recent hot streak can be credited to this surprising X-factor

Look out, the Chicago Cubs are on a heater. They’ve now won three series in a row, which included a massive five-game set against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The X-factor in the Cubs’ latest hot streak has been thier superb starting pitching, which has posted the lowest ERA in baseball (2.83) in the month of August. They are also issuing the fewest HR/9 (home runs per 9 innings) with 0.79 and the second-fewest BB/9 (walks per 9 innings) with 2.51 during that span, according to Fangraphs.

Prior to this recent hot streak, the Cubs had lost four of their previous five series and the entire offense was mired in a collective slump. In fact, since the All-Star break, the Cubs have scored more than six runs in a game just three times in 34 games. Recently, however, the offense is coming back to life. But it’s been the starting pitching that has remained the consistent anchor for the Cubs as of late.

The Cubs have won seven of their last ten games. In that stretch, Cubs starting pitchers have given up three earned runs or less in eight of those ten games. We are seeing the opposite of what we saw in the first half of the season, when it was the offense that often carried this team and the starting pitching sometimes left more to be desired.

Cade Horton has led the way with recent run of dominance

The continued emergence of rookie right-hander Cade Horton has perhaps had the most noticeable effect on the Cubs’ starting rotation. Horton had a pedestrian first half, posting a 4.45 ERA to go along with 6.83 K/9 (strikeouts per 9 innings). Since the All-Star break, however, Horton has been sensational. His second-half ERA sits at 0.49 while he’s raised his K/9 to 8.27. Horton has allowed just two earned runs in five August starts.

Horton hasn’t been the only outstanding performer in this Cubs rotation. Veteran right-hander Colin Rea has stepped up his game, posting a 2.53 ERA in August so far. Rea has very quietly allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his last ten starts, according to Baseball Savant.

Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga have also been consistently solid for the Cubs, with Boyd leading the rotation in wins (12), ERA (2.61), and strikeouts (129) on the season. Antother big development has been the return of Jameson Taillon from the injured list. Taillon has already made his presence felt, tossing six innings of one-run ball against the Brewers on August 19.

This is the kind of pitching that, paired with a productive offense, can go deep into the postseason. After Saturday night’s 12-1 thumping of the Los Angeles Angels, there is reason to believe that the offense is coming out of their slump. If the Cubs offense gets back to its first-half form and the starting rotation continues its stellar performance, there may be no place safe for the Brewers to hide in the standings.