The Cubs are throwing away a historic month. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit 5 of his 14 August home runs in the last two games and now sits in 2nd place in MLB with 38 home runs. Meanwhile, the Cubs bullpen is in ruins, quality starts are being wasted, and my confidence in their playoff seeding has wavered.
Cubs’ starters, including newcomers Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, combined for 1 earned run allowed in 20 innings pitched in Arizona. Thanks to a bullpen disaster in Game 2 and a weak 2-hit offensive performance in Game 3, the Diamondbacks won the series. The lineup came alive at home against the Reds, but the recently successful pitching staff gave up 10 home runs in a series loss against their division foe. A 17-run fireworks show for the Cubs mirrored last week’s 19-run showing in Seattle, but this time the offense actually showed up in the other games of the series.
Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to put the entire organization on his back. After going 1-for-13 (.077 AVG) in Arizona, he went 8-for-16 (.500) with 5 HR, 8 RBI, and 6 R against the Reds. On Saturday, he had 4 hits, 3 HR, and 6 RBI, and he hit a leadoff HR in both weekend games. Not to mention he should have scored the go-ahead run in the 2-0 loss to the Diamondbacks when he scared Eduardo Rodriguez on the basepaths and the umpires refused to call an obvious balk. He changes every single game.
Add this to the recurring theme of middling weeks of baseball that could have been much better or worse. They finished a franchise record streak of scoring 30 runs without giving up a run. They scored 30 runs in a 3-game series at home. Their starters gave up 1 run in a 3-game series on the road. And they somehow went 2-4.
Even though the Cubs are mostly weathering the storm of their current slump, they can’t keep this up much longer. They now sit 8 full games behind the Brewers in the division and are tied with the Phillies for the top Wild Card spot. How have the other teams in the playoff hunt fared during this 3 week stretch?
August 10 - August 30
Cubs: 8-10
Brewers: 11-8
Phillies: 14-4
Diamondbacks: 10-9
Padres: 10-8
The sky hasn’t caved in on them, but continuing to post the worst record in the race will catch up to them soon. The bullpen appears to be broken once again, and I’m not sure who can save them until one of the injured starters pokes their head out of the ivy with a vengeance. Even so, it still holds true from earlier in the season: the Cubs will live and die with their lineup. The big games are padding their stats (highest wRC+ in MLB since August 10th), but they HAVE to start hitting the ball again with consistency.
Big Brother is here, and they’re bringing an abundance of confidence. The 85-52 Milwaukee Brewers are at Wrigley Field for a 4-game set with the chance to put the nail in the coffin in the NL Central race. The Cubs beat the Brewers in June in the middle of a hot streak and got swept by the Brewers in May when they forgot how to play baseball. Unfortunately, this series could get ugly.
DT Gervon Dexter was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for CB Clark Phillips and a 5th round draft pick. Not only was this the first Ryan Poles and Ian Cunningham interorganizational trade as best friends, but it was an impressive deal by Poles to get solid value for a player falling out of favor. Dexter had a lot of potential when he was drafted in 2023, but his transition from a read-and-react college scheme to an attacking defense in the NFL never panned out. As an upcoming free agent after this season, he found himself behind other recent acquisitions on the depth chart. The Bears knew they wouldn’t re-sign him, but with winning aspirations, they must think others give them the best chance to win this year.
Tyson Bagent starred in the preseason finale as the Bears beat the Titans 24-15. It began with a first-play 97-yard TD pass to rookie Zavion Thomas! Bagent only had 1 incompletion (16/17, 208 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) as he marched the offense down for 2 touchdowns in the 1st half.
The initial 53-man roster was announced! See who made the cut here. This roster will be in flux over the next couple weeks with more injury transactions, practice squad additions, and waiver wire pickups. With that in mind, here are some initial takeaways:
1) I expected a defensive line shuffle this offseason and believed they mostly stood pat. I was wrong. 5 of the 10 linemen who made the team did not record a regular season snap with the Bears last season.
2) With the release of Jedrick Wills, Theo Benedet is left on an island as the only backup tackle until Ozzy Trapilo returns.
3) 11 rookies made the roster as the Ben Johnson era turnover continues.
4) The secondary was obviously thin throughout training camp, and it’ll be fascinating to monitor. Between UDFA Skyler Thomas, new trade acquisition Clark Phillips, and other rookies, the Bears are hoping for a spark from an unexpected contributor.
5) More recent draft picks were shown the door (with the potential to return in some capacity): Ruben Hyppolite, Kiran Amegadjie, and Terell Smith
Signed D Kevin Korchinski to a 2-year contract extension ($1.325M cap hit). Many fans have given up on the 2022 1st round pick, but I’m glad the Hawks are keeping him in the organization. Defensemen often have long development journeys, and Korchinski’s was shaken even more due to family tragedy and difficult call-ups. This buys him more time to learn and reach his potential.
First preseason game is October 7th!
Frank Nazar will be the Blackhawks’ best player while Connor Bedard is out.
Nazar is the forgotten star on the Blackhawks, and he will answer the bell with greater responsibilities on his plate. He’s working on his speed and finishing this offseason and is learning everything he can from Patrick Kane. As a two-way center with a high motor, he has and will continue to take over games.
He and Anton Frondell will man the center position in the Top 6 without Bedard, so their time on the ice will be inflated. It’s unknown who will play with which linemates, but Nazar has the experience and chemistry edge with his teammates. Even though his point production has been subpar for most of his young career, his numbers will skyrocket once his goal scoring touch gets worked out. The talent, the drive, and the hockey IQ are all there. He plays the way the Blackhawks want to play.
Hopefully Kane is really good in his return to Chicago. Hopefully Bowen Byram immediately makes a huge impact as their top defenseman. Hopefully Spencer Knight is a brick wall in net. Nazar will still be the best player on the ice.
Jaylon Johnson
During Tuesday’s practice, the Pro Bowl cornerback (read last week’s Wind Chill!) brought all the players together and told them they weren’t practicing up to the team’s standards. He also helped teammates get back across the field after a taxing long drive drill! Ben Johnson creates the winning culture; the players enforce it.
