Cubs Sweep

I noted in my last post that the Giants series would tell us a lot.  So it really did.  The Cubs played great baseball throughout, winning all four games and putting 3 1/2 games between themselves and the nearest rival for the second wild card slot.

There are really good signs all around that indicate the team is a legitimate contender.  One of the more interesting signs they are for real or are all-in or whatever you want to call it is the way Maddon is managing, which is more or less like you are playing playoff games in August.  I'm not sure how long one can maintain that intensity, but it is kind of refreshing.

One sign some commentators see is that Maddon is pretty quick to pull pitchers who are not getting it done or are showing weakness.  I'm not sure that is entirely new.  He has had a pretty quick hook for starters all year and sometimes that has come back to hurt him, but it is the case with the bullpen, especially when he is using secondary assets.

One of the biggest signs is benching Castro, which I think is something that had to be done.  Castro had become an almost automatic out and was becoming increasingly erratic in the field.  Similarly playing Schwarber somewhere every day is a good move.  I'm not sure Coghlan is the answer at second, and in this respect I can see why they might want to kick the tires on Utley.  I still think Utley is a longshot and not necessarily a smart move.

The Cubs are encountering something of a logjam in the next week with players coming off the DL and other leave status.  My guess is that when Ross returns, probably on Thursday to catch Lester, they will send Sczcur down and when LaStella is ready, Herrera will go.  Herrera is versatile and has done OK for stretches of time, but he is a utility guy, whereas LaStella can play second base more or less on a regular basis or at least every day against righties.