Chicago Cubs: Three concerns heading into the All-Star break

Concern #1: The team’s continued struggles on the road

Even though the Cubs sit atop their division, one glaring inconsistency with this team is how poorly they’ve played on the road this season.  The Cubs are 29-16 at home and 18-26 away from Wrigley Field.

Those numbers say a lot, but there’s more concern in the numbers of some Cubs starting pitchers on the road. Jon Lester’s ERA at home is 2.42, while on the road it’s 5.09. He’s also given up 16 walks on the road compared to just seven at home.

The difference in Kyle Hendricks’ numbers is even more shocking: a 1.65 ERA at home and a 5.53 ERA on the road. He’s given up just nine earned runs at home versus 26 on the road.

This numbers disparity doesn’t transfer over to the Cubs offense, as the team has better numbers in almost every hitting category away from home this season compared to home games.

The cold weather in the first two months at Wrigley Field can be a nightmare for hitters, but there’s no evidence the Cubs are below average when it comes to hitting on the road. The team is fourth in all of baseball with 80 road home runs.

If this team really wants to contend for a World Series, they will need to win many more road games in the second half of the season. If their road struggles continue this mightily (especially the pitchers), it could be another heartbreaking year for Cubs fans.