CHICAGO- They’ve lost in slugfests.
They’ve lost in one-run contests.
They’ve scored seven runs in the first inning of a game, only to lose by eight.
They’ve been one run away from tying the game with a runner in scoring position, only to go ice cold at the plate.
On the days the bats are in rhythm, the pitching seems out of sync. On the days the pitching staff is playing like the NL’s best, the bats simply can’t get the timing right.
That is the way the last several weeks have gone for the Chicago Cubs, who finished May with the best record for the month in the MLB (19-8), holding a half-game lead in the NL Central, but find themselves sitting seven and a half games back from Milwaukee as the All-Star break nears.
And being on a nine-game losing streak while the Brewers look unbeatable is the least of Cubs fans worries. So often, a team’s performance in the first half of the season, before the All-Star game, determines the way the front office prepares for the second half.
In other words, we may have less than a month left with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jason Heyward, Wilson Contreras and Javier Baez all donning the blue and red. The All-Star game is on July 13, and the trade deadline is July 31.
Losing that "core five", or even just losing one or two of those veterans, would be in many ways more devastating than finishing several games back in the division.
The only position players left on the roster who started in the historic 2016 World Series Game 7 victory, they are the face of the team. Baez’s aggressiveness, Rizzo’s power, Bryant’s versatility, Contreras' consistency, Heyward’s leadership. Each has a quality that has helped keep the Cubs competitive for the last several seasons.
Granted, second baseman Nico Hoerner and third baseman Patrick Wisdom are the future of the franchise, and not one of those "core five" is hitting above .265 at this point. But it is what the numbers do not tell that says more.
In what will go down as one of the MLB’s craziest and most unique plays of the year, Baez managed to get into a pickle running to first base, racing back in the direction of home plate after a hard-hit grounder to third base against the Pirates on May 27. The Pittsburgh infield became confused, as a run scored, and Baez managed to leg out the extremely rare version of the infield single.
Three weeks ago against the Cardinals, Rizzo worked a 14-pitch at-bat, showing great plate discipline after starting the at-bat 0-2. The lengthy at-bat culminated when the first baseman drove a 2-2 pitch down the right field line for a solo home run.
This season alone, Bryant has posted a .982 fielding percentage having started multiple times at first base, third base, and all three outfield positions.
A great defensive outfielder, perhaps Heyward’s finest moment as a Cub came during the rain delay in game seven of the 2016 World Series when he called a team meeting, the score tied at six.
“We’re the best team in baseball, and we’re the best team in baseball for a reason,” Heyward said. “Now we’re going to show it. We play like the score is nothing-nothing. We’ve got to stay positive and fight for your brothers. Stick together and we’re going to win this game.”
And the Cubs did go on to earn a 8-7 win, capturing the World Series title.
Do not forget about Contreras' steady nature behind the plate. The catcher has a caught stealing percentage of 37 percent, 10 points higher than the league average.
Though the front office has kept these five veterans up to this point, we have already seen a few of the team’s key contributors leave the team. Kyle Schwarber has been gone since January, now starring for the Washington Nationals. Yu Darvish too, now pitching for the San Diego Padres. “Who’s next?” seems to be the question now surrounding the franchise.
But Rizzo would rather not think about that.
"Just got to continue to work,” the first baseman said in a press conference, “and put your head down, and look up, and the next thing you know it's going to be September. And hopefully we're right there in the fight.”
As for the Cubs’ performance as a whole, it may resemble a roller coaster for the remainder of this season. They had a bad April, starting the year with a 11-15 record, before a great May. Now the Cubs are in a downward trajectory once again. If history repeats itself, a strong July should be in the cards, though you never can tell, especially if trades begin to happen towards the end of this month.
While the Cubs have cooled off majorly from their showing in May, posting in June the lowest team batting average (.188) in a month in franchise history since 1900, I do not believe they are out of playoff contention. Division winners are made in August and September, not June. Of course, keeping Rizzo, Bryant, Baez and Heyward on the roster would help tremendously in the Northsiders’ chances to overtake Milwaukee for the NL Central lead.
But at this point, putting consecutive wins together would be a victory in itself.
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