The Cubs added a four-game sweep of the Nationals at home to their three-game sweep of the Pirates on the road. Seven straight and playing .800 ball. What can you say?
Which does bring up a problem for the inveterate baseball blogger. What, indeed, can you say? Even when they play sloppy baseball, as they did in the early stages of Sunday's game, they seem to right the ship. On Sunday, it took thirteen innings, including eight stellar innings of relief work from the bullpen, but they got it done thanks to a walk-off home run by Javier Baez.
Some people, including the Nationals players, have criticized Maddon's strategy of just walking or pitching around Bryce Harper. It is certainly not brave and maybe a bit too conservative. But look at it this way. Through the early season, the Nats have had an offense that has consisted mainly of Harper with an occasional dose of Murphy thrown in. The other strength of the team had been its pitching.
The Cubs managed to neutralize the pitching aspect by playing the waiting game, rolling up the pitch count, etc. That worked. So the only way I expect Maddon thought his team could lose is by giving Harper a chance to get hot and drive in runs. Take that away and your chances of victory are certainly enhanced. The strategy serves to expose the Nats weakness right now as a team. Give the Cubs coaches and scouts credit for this analysis and setting up the team to continue winning. And, hey, they did pitch to Murphy. He was six for fourteen, but did not drive in a single run.
So, anyway, seven straight against the two best teams in the NL makes a statement of sorts. It used to be thought that getting twenty games over .500 by the All-Star break guaranteed a playoff berth and likely a division championship. This team is eighteen games over .500 after only thirty games played.
What can you say?
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