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Chicago Cubs: Weekend sweep of Cardinals a turnaround moment of 2017?

By Dan Schmelzer

Jun 4, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Ian Happ (8) celebrates his three run home run with Chicago Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. (5) and Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 4, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Ian Happ (8) celebrates his three run home run with Chicago Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. (5) and Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Cubs swept the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. Will this be the moment that the Cubs will finally turn around their 2017 season?

All they needed was a little bit of home cooking. The Chicago Cubs entered the weekend losing six games in a row to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres on the road. They came back to Wrigley Field for a three-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals which felt extremely important for an early-season series.

With three-straight come from behind victories, the Cubs were able to sweep the series. All of the games were close (3-2 on Friday, 5-3 on Saturday and a 7-6 thriller on Sunday) but this truly felt like a season-changing series.

The Cubs have not started this season off great. After winning the World Series last year and having a bulk of their young team back, the North Siders entered 2017 as major favorites. However, they have hovered around .500 for the majority of the early part of the season.

Inconsistent starting pitching, the lack of a true leadoff hitter and unexpected offensive struggles have hurt the Cubs so far. However, nobody else in the National League Central has been able to capitalize on their struggles. After the three-game sweep of the Cardinals, the Cubs are 28-27 and in second-place in their division, trailing the first-place Milwaukee Brewers by only one game.

I think that there is a chance that we look back to this early-June series against the Cardinals as a turning point in the season. The Cubs were reeling as they headed back home and easily could have laid an egg against their division rivals. However, they fought back from deficits in all three games and took home victories. The game-winning grand slam by Kyle Schwarber on Saturday could particularly stand out as a season-changing moment.

The Cubs will now play six more games at home (three against the Miami Marlins and three against the Colorado Rockies) before heading back on the road. If they can continue their winning ways over the next week at home, the Cubs should be able to build a lead in the division. Based on how the rest of the NL Central is performing, if the Cubs can get any sort of lead, they could be able to carry it until the end.

Next: Will Bryce Harper end up in Cubbie Blue?

The Chicago Cubs are clearly the best team in the NL Central and one of the best teams in baseball. Their early season struggles have not been ideal, but it is a long season and the Cubs have plenty of time to right the ship. It is just one series, but this big three-game sweep over the Cardinals feels like a legitimate turning point for the 2017 season.

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