NL Central logjam helping Chicago Cubs keep pace
The one saving grace for the Chicago Cubs in the early part of the baseball season is that they play in the National League Central.
There are no Washington Nationals to contend with directly, and the Cubs found out this week the challenge posed by the NL West-leading Colorado Rockies.
After losing two of three to the Rockies at Coors Field, the Cubs found themselves in fourth place in the Central.
They begin a stretch of divisional play this weekend with three games against the Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium before coming home to play the surprising Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers.
I've always been hesitant to draw any firm conclusions about a season until Memorial Day, and we're still more than a couple weeks away from that traditional milepost.
With the Central so bunched — only the Pirates have a losing record — let's take a look at what's up and what's down with each team in the division.
Chicago Cubs:
What's up: In an early season that has felt sluggish and meandering, Kris Bryant has come on of late, going 9-for-30 with 2 homers over the past week. Bryant has a season line of .299/.401/.547 for an OPS of .949 to go with 7 homers and 18 RBI.
What's down: Cubs pitchers rank 10th in the NL with 13 quality starts. They led the NL last year with 100.
Offensively, the Cubs are down in two key categories: on-base percentage and walks. They led the NL in both stats last year, but they entered Thursday sixth in OBP and seventh in walks.
Anthony Rizzo is at .218/.342/.398 and has 3 hits in his past 28 at-bats. Kyle Schwarber leads the club with 43 strikeouts and is at .195/.322/.374.
St. Louis Cardinals:
What's up: Like the Cubs, the Cardinals enjoyed Thursday off, but they are riding a six-game win streak. They've also been the comeback kids, rallying for victories this week.
“You kind of scratch your head when you see this team continue to come back like they have,” manager Mike Matheny told reporters. “It's not ideally how you draw it up, but it's something that's special.”
The Cardinals' pitching staff entered Thursday second in the NL in ERA.
What's down: Former Cubs leadoff man Dexter Fowler has been limited to pinch-hitting duty lately because or right-shoulder soreness. Fowler is at .236/.311/.434 for the season, but he had a big 2-run triple Wednesday to help beat the Marlins.
Cincinnati Reds:
What's up: The Reds are one of the surprise teams in baseball. They entered Thursday night's game at San Francisco in second place with a record of 18-15.
Joey Votto is back in top form with 10 homers to go with a line of .289/.408/.623 heading into Thursday. Zack Cozart had a line of .350/.442/.580.
What's down: It remains to be seen how the Reds' pitching will hold up. Onetime Cub Scott Feldman leads the team's starters in ERA at 3.76. Cincinnati was 12th in quality starts.
Milwaukee Brewers:
What's up: Eric Thames, who did not start Thursday afternoon's home game against the Red Sox, has been a revelation. He took a line of .333/.439/.744 (1.182 OPS) into the day. He had 13 homers and 25 RBI. Ryan Braun, who has been battling a calf injury, was at .287/.374/.574 with 7 homers and 18 RBI. The Brewers went into Thursday tied with Washington for the league lead in home runs (55).
What's down: The Brewers are in the early stages of a rebuilding process, and most observers expect them to fall off as the season advances. They rank last in the NL in quality starts, a stat that has a way of catching up to teams.
Pittsburgh Pirates:
What's up: Onetime Cubs prospect Josh Harrison had a line of .299/.362/.479 with 5 homers and 12 RBI entering Thursday's game at Arizona.
What's down: David Freese, who got off to a hot start, has been on the 10-day DL with a strained right hamstring.
Andrew McCutchen went into Thursday at .215/.294/.397. The Pirates entered Thursday near the bottom of several key offensive categories.
Scouting report:
Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium
TV: Comcast SportsNet Friday; ABC 7 Saturday; WGN Sunday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Eddie Butler (0-0) vs. Mike Leake (4-1) Friday at 7:15 p.m.; Jon Lester (1-1) vs. Carlos Martinez (2-3) Saturday at 3:05 p.m.; Jake Arrieta (4-2) vs. Adam Wainwright (2-3) Sunday at 1:15 p.m.
At a glance: The Cubs (17-17) opened the season at St. Louis, winning two of three in a rain-delayed series. Both teams had Thursday off, and the Cardinals (19-14) hold first place in the NL Central. The Cubs will recall Butler from Class AAA Iowa to start the opener. They face a tough task in Leake, who has a 1.79 ERA and a WHIP of 0.94. Jedd Gyorko has a line of .351/.406/.639 with 6 homers and 17 RBI. Matt Carpenter is at .267/.424/.535 with 7 homers and 22 RBI. Former Cub Dexter Fowler has been bothered by a sore right shoulder, which has limited him to pinch hitting lately. Wainwright's ERA is 6.37.
Next: Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, Tuesday-Thursday
— Bruce Miles