Pitching Game Spectacular for Streaking Cubs

Chicago Cubs General Manager Theo Epstein began to polish a starting rotation club that failed to surpass top twenty in pitching since 2009. Prior to the 2015 season, the Cubs brought in pitching minded manager Joe Maddon and backed up his hiring with off-season acquisitions. Chicago acquired starters Jason Hammel and Jon Lester in order to bolster their rotation. Along with breakout candidate and 2015 National League Cy Young Winner Jake Arrieta, Hammel and Lester formed a formidable trio and helped the Cubs reach the postseason for the first time since 2008. After shocking anaylsts with the third best Earned Run Average (3.36), Epstein was poised to continue enhancing their modest staff in 2016. 

Even though right fielder Jason Heyward was the prized addition for Epstein, the former Red Sox general manager reeled in two key early season contributors in veteran John Lackey and long reliever Adam Warren. The benefit of depth quickly induced Chicago fortune in the early stages of the 2016 season. The Northsiders stormed to a 17-5 start in April and recorded an outstanding +79 run differential. Chicago' stingy pitching (2.44 ERA and 0.99 WHIP) was compensated with immense run support (6.1 runs per game). Despite having four out of five losses in the entire month against three of the top ten offenses,(St. Louis, Colorado, and Arizona), Chicago held opposing batters to a  mere .201 batting average. While Warren stunned batters with his slider and fourseam fastball, the veteran Lackey was fortunate to rely on a high scoring offense. 

Chicago' tear in the months of April and throughout May has been impressive, considering their strength in schedule. They're currently 35-14 and will host the Dodgers tomorrow at 8 PM ET. Each starting pitcher on the Cubs has endured at least fifty five innings pitched, recorded five quality starts, and own an ERA under 3.20. More importantly, they minimize opponents opportunities with runners in scoring position. Yielding a stifiling .201 batting average in 333 at-bats, Chicago has shown multitudes of confidence in challenging situations. Even though stellar pitching does not always correlate to stellar defense, the Cubs consistent pounding at the strike zone alludes the strategy of being dependant on fielders. Although Chicago has pitched signficiantly well for nearly two months, previous clubs have stymied batters for a similar duration of time. A familar foe that showcased as much dominance as this years Cubs was last years St. Louis Cardinals. 

During a two month strech, St. Louis rocked the opposition with a commanding 2.65 ERA and owned a 33-17 record. Although their offense was not top tier (2.98 runs per game), their young rotation and bullpen upended all stars at the plate. The loss of All Star righty Adam Wainwright was compensated with underrated flamethrowers such as Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez. Each team benefited from stamina, depth, and servicability from their respectable staffs. St. Louis ended the season with a 100-62 record, only to be eliminated by the Cubs in the divisional round. Chicago early season success stems from three key components: patience, composure, and confidence. Exhibiting these three traits needs to be consistent in order to keep pace with their current strategy.