The Chicago Cubs are riding high after a 5-1 West Coast road trip, and it was capped off with an emphatic series sweep over the Oakland Athletics.
The Cubs have now scored 99 runs in 17 games this season, their best start to a campaign since 2019, and they sit with an 11-6 record as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in a critical seven-game homestand.
Here are three observations from the series.
Cubs’ Offense More Than Just Dansby Swanson
The Cubs’ offense has largely been driven by the exploits of Dansby Swanson this season, and although he reached base on seven occasions in this series, going 2-for-10 with five walks, the rest of the lineup did plenty to pick him up.
Nico Hoerner, now among the league leaders with nine stolen bases through 17 games, went 6-for-15 in the series, raising his batting average to .347 and his on-base percentage to nearly .400 in the sweep of the A’s.
Patrick Wisdom collected five hits, four of them for extra-bases. He is tied for the MLB lead with eight home runs, and he racked up four runs and six RBI’s over the three-game series. He also happens to be one of baseball’s most lethal two-strike hitters so far this season.
MLB
Seiya Suzuki continues to shine after coming off the injured list from an oblique injury. He did get the day off on Wednesday, but went 5-for-7 in the series with three walks and an RBI.
Finally, Cody Bellinger played a key role in Monday’s victory as he collected his first career five-hit game.
Even after a 1-for-7 finish to the series, he still has a batting average of .284 on the young campaign.
The Cubs have scored 99 runs in their first 17 games, only the 12th time in team history they’ve achieved that feat.
Pitching Continues Dominant Run
The team’s starting pitching was viewed as a strength, but after two tough starts, Hayden Wesneski may finally be hitting his stride after a strong performance on Monday night.
Wesneski struggled with his location early, but ultimately gave up one earned run in seven innings of work, with seven strikeouts and no walks as he earned the victory.
Combined, Wesneski, Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele gave the Cubs 19 innings of two-run ball, with 17 strikeouts and just four walks in 19 innings of work.
They also got a big assist from the team’s bullpen, which contributed eight innings of scoreless relief. Combined, the group registered eight strikeouts and just four walks in those innings, with Mark Leiter Jr. picking up the win Tuesday as he used his now-dominant splitter to record two more strikeouts.
Early Struggles Don’t Derail This Team
The Cubs have shown serious resilience in the early part of this season, and they have been able to find ways to win tightly-contested games.
Tuesday provided a great example of that, as Suzuki drew a walk to lead off the eighth inning in a scoreless game. He advanced to third on a double by Wisdom, and then Bellinger drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single. Yan Gomes did what he needed to do in making contact to drive in a run on an RBI groundout, and then Nick Madrigal picked up an RBI single of his own to complete the rally.
The team’s plate discipline has also improved, with seven walks on Wednesday as they pounded out 12 runs, and the team has also learned to work effectively at stealing bases, leading the National League with 22 stolen bases in 17 games.