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3 things we learned about the Cubs this weekend against the Braves
The Cubs confirmed their place as contenders this weekend, taking 2 of 3 from the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs are so back, baby. Wins in 13 of their last 16 games and a 5-2 homestand that saw them take three of four of the then-first place Reds and two of three against the toast of the Senior Circuit, the Atlanta Braves.
After getting blanked mercilessly by a 7-0 margin in Friday's opener against the Braves, Chicago battled back to take the final two games of the series, pulling within 1 1/2 in the NL Central and into a possession of third and final National League Wild Card spot.
Now, it's off to the Big Apple to take on the high-rolling, yet underperforming New York Mets. But before we pack our bags for NYC, let's look back at 3 things we learned this weekend at Wrigley.
3 things we learned about the Cubs this weekend - #3: Justin Steele is the anchor of this team's starting rotation
With a sixth-straight series victory at stake on Sunday, Justin Steele was locked in early, with 5 punchouts through two. Things got a bit rocky from there, as he battled some uncharacteristic control issues, but he still gutted his way through 5 1/3 innings and gave the Cubs a chance to win.
On the year, the left-hander boasts a 2.68 ERA - second in the National League - and Sunday's victory marked his 13th on the year, tying him for the MLB lead. He set a new single season career-high in innings pitched this weekend, as well, so there will probably be the need for more gritty performances down the stretch as his workload stretches into uncharted waters.
Still, with Marcus Stroman's brutal stretch of starts, followed by his IL stint, the Cubs had to have Steele as their rotation anchor - and he's been just that and more, with the latest evidence coming on Sunday against Atlanta.
3 things we learned about the Cubs this weekend - #2: Throw a 'C' on Dansby Swanson's chest - this team belongs to him now
Everyone talked about the type of winner and person the Cubs were getting when they signed Dansby Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million pact last winter - and we're seeing that and more over the last couple of weeks, during which the All-Star has gotten white-hot at the plate while playing his usual Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop.
Swanson homered against his former club on Saturday and turned in clutch at-bats again on Sunday. He spoke to Marquee after the finale and said what was on everybody's mind after this homestand: when they're playing their best brand of baseball, this Cubs team is capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone in the league.
Winning became commonplace in Wrigleyville in the back half of the 2010s, but this decade started with a dejected fanbase watching the core that won it all in 2016 be pieced out for scrap at the trade deadline. But this year, the front office bought, not sold, and Swanson is leading a new-look Cubs team on a second half charge toward the postseason.
3 things we learned about the Cubs this weekend - #1: It's not a flash-in-the-pan; this team should be playing baseball in October
It's not that the Cubs are having a good week or two. Since early June, Chicago has been one of the top teams in all of baseball - and the deadline acquisition of Jeimer Candelario has the offense firing on all cylinders.
With the third-best run differential in the National League, trailing only Atlanta and Los Angeles, the most runs scored and stolen bases and the highest OPS in baseball since the All-Star Break and a clubhouse-wide confidence that grows by the day, it's time to acknowledge the Cubs are not only capable of winning the NL Central, but potentially making a surprise October run.
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This was a critical homestand for David Ross and his team and they responded as well as we could've possibly hoped. Now, taking the same energy on the road will be key in New York and Toronto this week - but they've put themselves in the situation we all hoped for at the start of the year: to play meaningful games down the stretch in 2023.