The Chicago Cubs have had a good month of August where they posted a 18-9 record. This is the first August in a while where the Cubs played competitive games after becoming buyers at the trade deadline. There were several memorable moments, but here is my top 5 to recap a very successful month where the team put themselves in a good position to make the playoffs.
5. Cubs take 2/3 from the Atlanta Braves
One of the most important series of the year came at Wrigley Field from August 4th-6th, and the Cubs came to play. The Atlanta Braves, for all intents and purposes, are the best team in baseball. They have the best win/loss record (86-45 at the time of this writing), a group of several elite hitters, and a capable pitching staff to lean on. But the Cubs took care of business against them and showed that they can compete with good teams. Although Chicago dropped game 1 by a score of 8-0 after Kyle Hendricks surrendered 7 earned runs, the Cubs were able to score 14 runs over the next two games. They handed losses to Atlanta starters Bryce Elder and Charlie Morton, who are two of the best pitchers in the National League this year.
Taking this series was a big statement for the Cubs and it continued the dominant stretch that solidified the Cubs as buyers at the deadline. And they kept that momentum going in August since they only dropped one series in the month to the New York Mets.