Cubs Come Away with Impressive Weekend Series Win Over Dodgers
The Chicago Cubs stayed hot this weekend as they took two out of three games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Chicago came into the weekend against the defending champions as winners of their last three consecutive series, and they were able to keep that momentum going thanks in large part to their continued offensive success. The only bad news of the weekend for the Cubs was the loss of their star pitcher Justin Steele for the season with an arm ligament injury. With that said, here are the two main takeaways from the Cubs’ impressive series win to start their road trip.
This Offense is Legit
The highlight of this series win for the Cubs was the 16-0 rout on Saturday night in which the Cubs hit four home runs. Catcher Carson Kelly continued his hot start to the season with two more home runs and three more RBI. Of course, the lineup is headlined by Kyle Tucker who is on an MVP pace through the first three weeks of the season, but the production from the bottom of the lineup is what has made this lineup so lethal. Guys like Kelly, Miguel Amaya, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, who hit two home runs in Sunday’s victory, have all been effective hitting in the eight and nine spots in the order. They also work quality at-bats early and often forcing the starting pitcher to work hard for every out. If this kind of production continues throughout the lineup, this is shaping to be an offense that will be a tough assignment for any starting rotation.
Bullpen Finding Its Footing
It has been well-documented that the bullpen has been the main sore spot for the Cubs this season. However, the bullpen was forced into multiple high-leverage situations over the weekend, and they answered the bell both times against one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. On Friday, the bullpen had to keep the game within striking distance after Matthew Boyd allowed three runs in the sixth inning, and Ethan Roberts and Eli Morgan combined for two shutout innings to give the team a chance. Then on Sunday, Colin Rea was only able to get through three and two-thirds innings due to a pitch count, so the rest of the game was left to the bullpen to protect a slim lead. Julian Merryweather, Porter Hodge, and Ryan Pressly each threw a lockdown inning in the seventh, eighth, and ninth to hold down a tight win. The back end of the bullpen has been a bit rocky, to say the least, but this was a very encouraging sign given the success against this kind of opponent. There will undoubtedly be some moves that will have to be made to make up for the loss of Steele, but this was definitely a series that can kick start some momentum for a struggling bullpen group.
