Chicago Cubs: Is there a reason to panic?
The Chicago Cubs haven’t necessarily set the world on fire during the first month and a half of the Major League Baseball season but is there any real reason for concern?
After their doubleheader split with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night, the Chicago Cubs have a record of 17-16 on the season.
For the Cubs, a record of 17-16 is good enough for third place in the National League Central division. The Cubs currently sit 1.5 games behind the first place Cincinnati Reds, and 1 game behind the second place St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s a tad difficult to assesse why the Cubs have struggled this season. On the surface, the Cubs are in almost every game that they have played this season and have rarely been blown out. In the case of their weekend series where they were swept against the New York Yankees, the Cubs were one strike away on Friday from winning the game. Not to mention, Sunday’s game went into extra innings and the outcome of a game is often a coin flip at that stage.
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The biggest issue that has plagued the Cubs is that the team is often playing catch-up. Cubs’ starting pitchers are struggling in the first innings of games before eventually settling into their own form. While Jake Arrieta pitched a scoreless first two innings in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon, he was tagged for 6 runs in the third inning.
If the Cubs are going to breakout of their World Series hangover, then their starting pitchers will need to avoid struggling in the beginning portions of their games. There is no doubt that the Cubs have the offense where any deficit is insurmountable but it’s impossible for that to happen game after game.
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There is no real reason for concern just yet for the Chicago Cubs. However, if the Cubs’ starting pitchers don’t correct their struggles at the beginning of games, then there may be a need for some reinforcements if the team is going to have any hope of repeating as World Series champions.