What The Chicago Cubs Need To Do To Make The Playoffs

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1. Starting Pitching Must Continue To Be Effective

Part of the reason for the Cubs’ recent struggles has been the rotation’s inconsistencies.

With Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester at the top of the rotation, the Cubs are fine. After that, though, it has been a crap-shoot lately.

Kyle Hendricks has been making changes to his mechanics trying to recapture the effectiveness he had last season. He has been troubled with having one bad outing following one good outing. You don’t know which Hendricks will be on the mound.

Hendricks is turning out to be the Cubs’ version of former Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. There was good Rex and bad Rex. Now there is good Kyle and bad Kyle.

Jason Hammel has been bipolar this season. In the first half of the season, he had a 5-4 record, but a great 2.86 ERA and a sparkling 0.94 WHIP. The Cubs’ poor offense hurt him.

In the second half so far, with an offense that has found life, he has a 2-2 record, but he has a bloated 5.19 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP.

Since coming over from Miami at the trade deadline, Dan Haren has struggled. In six games, he has a 5.87 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.

Being known as a pitcher who throws a lot of innings, Haren has averaged just about five innings per outing. He was brought in not to be lights out, but to gobble up some innings on the back-end of the rotation. The Cubs have not gotten that with Haren so far.

If one or two of these pitchers (or someone else, like Tsuyoshi Wada, for example) can be consistent and give the Cubs a chance at winning or help the bullpen from getting overworked, the team will get enough wins to get into the postseason.