CHICAGO — A two-hour, 10-minute rain delay was about the only thing that can slow down the Chicago Cubs at the moment.

And after that rain delay, they continued their winning ways, shutting out the Phillies 4-0 at Wrigley Field on Friday. The Cubs (17-10) have won three games in a row.

Here are three takeaways from the win over the Phillies (13-13):

gREAt again

Just a couple of weeks ago, the prevailing question amongst fans was: What will the Cubs do with Justin Steele out for the year?

“Trade for a starter!”

“Call up top prospect Cade Horton!”

Well, the Cubs have not skipped a beat thanks to veteran Colin Rea. The righty tossed five scoreless innings against a stout Phillies lineup Friday, striking out seven and allowing just three hits and a pair of walks.

Rea has a 1.35 ERA in three starts (13.1 innings) this season since joining the rotation following Steele’s injury. He has a 0.96 ERA in 18.2 innings overall, proving to be a valuable addition to the pitching staff after signing a one-year, $5 million contract in the offseason.

[Why Craig Counsell, Cubs won’t move Pete Crow-Armstrong up in lineup]

The Cubs preached all offseason and spring training that Rea didn’t have a defined role, but that he would make starts for them at some point this season. They might not have anticipated him making starts in mid-April after beginning the year in the bullpen, but it has not mattered to Rea. Facing a Phillies lineup that features hitters like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos, Rea kept them quiet.

Will he pitch to that miniscule ERA all season? Probably not, but that’s OK. These performances are so valuable to Craig Counsell and the Cubs because it’s helping them win ballgames right now.

Will they add pitching help at the deadline? Almost certainly. But teams won’t trade now and someone like Rea becomes vital to a staff. And when they add, the Cubs will do so knowing they have a potential X-factor in Rea.

Berti good

For as hot as the Cubs offense has been, there hasn’t been a ton of production coming from the hot corner this season.

The Cubs have had a .466 OPS from third basemen this season, the second-worst mark in baseball. Matt Shaw’s struggles contributed to that before the top prospect was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs have had so much success offensively (they entered Friday leading baseball in OPS and runs scored) but they can’t – and don’t want – bottom-two offensive production from a single position.

The bats will hit a slump at some point — that’s the natural progression of a baseball season — so they must find someone who can provide more offensive production. That could still be Shaw, who is working on adjustments in Iowa and will likely return at some point this summer.

Counsell has used a rotating cast at the hot corner since Shaw’s demotion and Friday, he went with Jon Berti. The veteran, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason, was 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the second inning and a run in the third. He’s an intriguing option overall for the Cubs, as he has defensive versatility and some speed – he has seven stolen bases this season and led the majors in that department in 2022. 

One outing doesn’t anoint Berti the everyday third baseman, but continued performances are worth keeping an eye on.

Second debut

Drew Pomeranz has appeared in 289 major-league games.

Friday’s appearance might be one of the sweetest.

Pomeranz pitched a scoreless eighth inning, his first time in a game since Aug. 10, 2021 – or 1,354 days ago. He battled injuries and admitted he “didn’t think I was going to play anymore – I was just trying to make it back from injury.”

[Pomeranz relishes emotional MLB return]

He was in the majors in May 2024, spent four days with the San Francisco Giants and was warming up in the bullpen with his team down. Patrick Bailey hit a grand slam, the Giants opted to use higher leverage arms, and he was let go a few days later.

The Cubs acquired Pomeranz in a minor league trade on Monday, activated him on Wednesday and Friday, he was back in the majors. He struck out Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, then worked around a hit batter and walk to pitch a scoreless frame.

He’s more than just a feel-good story, though. The Cubs know relief help can come from anywhere and are especially in search of left-handed relievers. Pomeranz was a pretty darn good reliever before the injuries.

He had a 2.39 ERA in 25 appearances under Counsell with the Brewers then had a 1.62 ERA across 47 appearances with the Padres in 2020 and 2021. There’s no guarantee he’ll return to that form, but no one thought Jorge López or Tyson Miller would be key leverage options for Counsell last season when they were initially acquired.

Relief help can come from anywhere – even a guy who hasn’t appeared in the majors in almost four years.