Five Cubs things to watch in series with White Sox
The Chicago Cubs should be looking forward to spending most of this week with the Chicago White Sox.
So far the Cubs are 6-1 over their last seven interleague games, including their final two games last year against American League clubs.
Chicago's National Leaguers also are in a favorable part of their schedule. They're in the middle of a stretch of 19 games in either Chicago or Milwaukee.
Here are five things to watch over the next four days for the Cubs:
Building on success:
Ace pitcher Jake Arrieta shut up his critics for at least 1 start Tuesday, when he tossed 7 strong innings but got a no-decision against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.
Arrieta is 3-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 6 career starts against the White Sox.
Designated doings:
It would have been fun if the Cubs had kept slugging prospect Dan Vogelbach long enough to call him up to be the designated hitter in the two games at the Cell. Alas, the Cubs traded the next Kyle Schwarber (to hear some tell it) to the Seattle Mariners in the deal that brought reliever Mike Montgomery to the Cubs.
The Cubs opened the season at Anaheim, and their DH in that short series was Jorge Soler, who, like Schwarber, is on the disabled list.
If the Cubs want to take it easy on Dexter Fowler's hamstring, they could DH him at least once.
MVP showcase?
It's easy to make the case that Anthony Rizzo is the Most Valuable Player in the National League. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that he and teammate Kris Bryant are 1-2.
"They've been playing on that level all year," manager Joe Maddon said. "Those two guys primarily have played at that level. With what they've doing, the at-bats they've been working, I'm really digging the 2-3-hole (in the batting order)."
Rizzo entered Saturday with a line of .289/.398/.589 with 24 homers and 72 RBI. Bryant was at .284/.377/.557 with 25 homers and 65 RBI. Those two give the Cubs perhaps the most explosive duo in the game.
The new-look pen:
If the weather stays hot, baseballs could fly out of both the Cell and Wrigley Field, especially if the wind is blowing out on the North Side.
Short outings by Cubs starting pitchers will test the revamped Cubs bullpen. Mike Montgomery joined the Cubs Friday after his trade from Seattle on Wednesday.
Rookie Carl Edwards Jr. has been dazzling and cool under pressure. Maddon has talked about a "middle-innings closer," and Edwards has fit that bill. He also looks like he's here to stay.
"My goal this year was to get back up here and stay up here," said Edwards, a September call-up last year. "I can honestly say that I have come out and have been seeing success, but I'm not near as to where I want to be in this game."
He goes, they go:
Center fielder Dexter Fowler came back from the disabled list with a bang Friday night in Milwaukee: home run, double, walk and single.
Maddon's watchword every day with Fowler is, "You go, we go."
Fowler was slumping when he went on the DL, but the Cubs are 44-18 when Fowler leads off. He is an important constant at the top of the lineup and in center field, and Maddon has many more lineup advantages when Fowler is playing.