Cubs Takeaways: What we learned as Cubs pick up seventh straight series win
The Cubs continue to rack up series wins.
They beat the Washington Nationals 7-1 on Thursday night to take the three-game set. The Cubs (39-23) claimed their seventh straight series with the win. The offense bounced back from a dominant performance by Washington’s MacKenzie Gore on Wednesday in a big way against the Nationals (29-33).
Here are three takeaways from the win:
You get a hit, you get a hit …
Everyone gets a hiiiiiiiit.
No, literally. Every starter for the Cubs recorded a knock in Thursday’s win, the fourth time all nine hitters in the lineup have done that. The Cubs finished with 15 as a group.
You know how good the Cubs offense is by now. They’ve scored the second-most runs in baseball and have the best run differential in the majors. And, while Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong draw the headlines, it hasn’t been a two-man show shouldering the entire load even though two names stood out on Thursday. Ian Happ finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in four runs. Crow-Armstrong had a two-run home run.
[MORE: Cubs’ Ian Happ records milestone 500th RBI in game against Nationals]
This lineup is deep, as the Nationals saw on Thursday. There isn’t a pocket in the lineup where an opposing starter can steal some outs. The Cubs are receiving production from the catching position and third base – something that wasn’t the case for much of the season last year.
When the whole lineup is clicking like it was on Thursday, it extends innings, racks up pitch counts and forces starting pitchers out of the game sooner. The Cubs did not have a three-up, three-down inning on Thursday. That’s a good thing.
Opening Act II
Cubs manager Craig Counsell opted to go with an opener for the second time in five days.
The decision paid off again.
Left-hander Drew Pomeranz took the ball to start the game again and pitched a scoreless first inning. That paved the way for Colin Rea, who threw 5.1 scoreless innings in the win.
The Cubs opted to start Pomeranz against the Reds on May 31 because of Ben Brown’s first inning woes. They did it Thursday because of the Nationals’ left-handed heavy lineup. Rea has struggled against that side of the plate this season, to the tune of an .897 OPS against.
Starting Pomeranz allowed a platoon advantage against two of the Nationals best hitters – leadoff man CJ Abrams and No. 3 hitter James Wood – and allowed for a softer landing for a starter the Cubs want to get back on track.
He started the season so well but had allowed 12 runs on 17 hits in his last two starts, both against the Reds. The Cubs simply don’t have the starting depth to move anyone out of their rotation. Rea started the season in the bullpen, so they must find ways to get their starters back on track.
Outfield defense
The decision to use an opener was certainly close to starting a bit dicey.
Washington’s CJ Abrams led off the first with a hit to right field and rounded first looking to stretch it into a double. But Tucker fired a strike to second base and Dansby Swanson tagged Abrams for the first out. Pomeranz induced a pair of flyouts to end the frame.
Two innings later, Robert Hassell III roped a one-out hit to left field and attempted to stretch it, too. Ian Happ rifled a perfected throw to second base. This time Nico Hoerner applied the tag for the out. That one was even more crucial than Tucker’s outfield assist.
Abrams followed that with a double and Ahmed Rosario singled before Wood flied out to end the frame. If the throw isn’t on target, that’s probably a run and it’s a 3-1 game with runners in scoring position and one out. Then it’s a different game.
Defense matters and the Cubs have shown that all season. Happ and Tucker have Gold Gloves in their trophy cabinet. Crow-Armstrong will be in the conversation for one this season. They’re nabbing extra outs and that’s leading to more wins.
