May 27, 2016: The Upstarts

This weekend features a series between the Cubs and Phillies at Wrigley.  The Cubs, the popular favorites to win it all, vs the Phils, the popular favorite for the basement.  One of these teams has been surprising this year.

You can argue the Cubs have surpassed their expectations so far, and that qualifies as a surprise, but I’m going with the Phillies as the bigger surprise.  This team was supposed to be in the basement.  Ryno got up and left last year.  The owner is gone.  But this team… yeah, maybe that rebuilding is coming together sooner than later.

It’s a long year, and I don’t expect to see the Phillies in the playoffs, but I like to see the upstarts… these teams that come out of nowhere to do well.  The Cubs kind of fit that bill last year, charging to the NLCS in another supposed rebuilding year.  That tag no longer applies to this team, and will not for a long, long time.  The Phillies on the other hand, yeah, that fits them.  But with the Mets and Nationals, the likelihood that they make the playoffs is small.

The key to any rebuild is pitching.  The Phillies have some good young pitching with Velazquez and Eickhoff.  Hellickson has made a nice comeback with them this year too.  With Franco and Herrera, and an old school coach from Chicago, the Phillies look on the upward swing.  Remember the last time we met this team?

I do.  It was last summer at Wrigley.. the last time Jake lost a Cubs start… the Cole Hamels no hitter.  We were swept that series, and thought that the Cubs season may be going down the dumps.  It was then, that the switch turned on, and never has been turned off.  The Cubs have been awesome since that point; Jake has been historic.  Will this series represent another important crossroads for the Cubs?
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The answer is no.  Maybe with all this upstart talk, you thought the Phillies would provide some competition for the best team in the majors.  After Friday and Saturday, the answer is NO.  The Cubs will go for the sweep today.

I’d like to wish the Phillies good luck the rest of the season, but this weekend they have been overmatched.  They do have a chance to grab one game with their ace on the mound in Velazquez.  He’ll be facing Lackey in what should be an entertaining pitching matchup.  Although if the wind is blowing out again, watch out.  The balls may be flying out of there again.

Lester rebounded nicely from his worst start of the season, while Hendricks threw a complete game.  Two great pitching performances were turned in.  At the end of the day, even with all this offense, it will come down to those guys on the mound.  We’ve mentioned 4 of the Cubs starters already, and when you look at what Hammel has done so far this year, it’s no surprise we are where we are.  The starting pitching has been THE strength of this league leading team.

The Cubs may not have a ton of pitching in route to the majors, but the guys that are here, are pretty damn good.  This is what will continue to lead us, knocking out the good teams, the upstarts, and giving us the best chance to win in the postseason.  Did I just guarantee the postseason?  No I did not.  It’s hard not to think about though.  These Cubs are no longer upstarts, they are the favorites.  The tag has fit so far… the target has been embraced.  Long way to go boys.  Keep stacking those Ws.  Go Cubs.