In every week when the Cubs actually wanted to take collection, as an alternative they misplaced two of three to the Diamondbacks and Reds.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, although, had himself every week.
Here’s who was sizzling and never for the Cubs over the previous week.
It’s PCA’s world and we’re simply residing in it
I put these quantity within the recap to Sunday’s loss however they actually bear repeating. Over these six video games, PCA batted .321/.345/.893 (9-for-28) with a double, 5 house runs, eight RBI and 6 runs scored. That ought to make him a robust candidate for National League Player of the Week — and in addition he’s obtained probability to be NL Player of the Month for August, having batted .283/.372/.726 (32-for-113) this month with six doubles, a triple, 14 house runs, 28 RBI and 28 runs scored, with one recreation remaining.
Seiya Suzuki quietly put collectively a tremendous week
With all the eye being paid to PCA, it could be simple to miss the contributions from the Cubs proper fielder, who batted .346/.414/.615 (9-for-26) over the six video games with 4 doubles, a house run and 7 runs scored. And these numbers embody him going 0-for-5 on Sunday!
Suzuki has set a profession excessive for runs scored this yr (81) and his .487 SLG and .853 OPS additionally presently stand as profession bests. He’s performed good protection this yr. I hope the Cubs supply him a contract extension — he’s only a persistently good participant, presently at 4.4 bWAR, additionally a profession excessive.
Clay Holmes is strictly the man the Cubs hoped he can be
Holmes threw seven excellent shutout innings in opposition to the Diamondbacks last Tuesday, permitting simply two hits.
In 4 begins as a Cub he has a 1.96 ERA and 0.957 WHIP, and general he has a 2.26 ERA and 1.057 WHIP in 13 begins mixed between the Cubs and Mets.
I might be one hundred pc on board with Craig Counsell giving Holmes the Game 1 begin in a postseason collection.
Jacob Webb had one other blown save
Webb had been lights-out earlier than the debacle in Seattle final Saturday, after which he had one other one in Arizona on Tuesday, serving up his second walk-off homer in three days.
Counsell gave Webb just a few days off to re-set, and he did throw a scoreless inning on Sunday in opposition to the Reds. The Cubs want Webb to be good going ahead. His historical past this yr suggests he might be.
Imanaga now leads MLB with 33 house runs allowed, yet another than Aaron Nola of the Phillies.
Counsell mentioned “the Cubs need Shōta to be good” in his postgame remarks after Sunday’s recreation, however it’s an open query in my thoughts concerning whether or not the Cubs ought to bypass him for a begin or extra earlier than the tip of the season. He’ll doubtless be scheduled to start out in opposition to the Marlins in Miami on Friday, however after that his subsequent flip would come up every week from Wednesday in Milwaukee, so … possibly skip that one? Use an opener? It ought to be famous that Imanaga has been a bit higher on the highway (3.65 ERA in 11 begins) than at Wrigley Field (4.23 ERA in 16 begins).
Trent Thornton might need run out of gasoline
Thornton obtained smacked with three Reds house runs within the final two video games of the collection out of simply 12 batters confronted.
That’s too unhealthy, as a result of that got here off of a string of 11 consecutive scoreless appearances. As is the case for Webb, the Cubs want Thornton to be good. Can he get well?
