LOS ANGELES — Like the rest of the baseball industry, the Chicago Cubs are chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers, trying to dethrone the dynasty that dominates the sport. Although the 162-game marathon trains you not to look too far ahead, the early signals are not meaningless. Already, these Cubs appear to be more of a worthy adversary than a cuddly team from the Midwest with lots of transplanted celebrity fans working in Hollywood.
Nothing will be decided in April, but you could hear it in the thunderous boos for Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong this weekend at Dodger Stadium. You could see it with the national TV crews on site and a pregame media scrum around Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who had recently criticized Major League Baseball’s Shohei Ohtani rule out of the blue.
Between the lines, the Cubs compiled a 10-game winning streak that ended Saturday night with a thud. But even that 12-4 loss was quickly discarded with the Cubs knowing that resurgent Shota Imanaga would be lined up to start Sunday afternoon in front of another anticipated sellout crowd of over 53,000.
“It’s a great environment,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “They say, ‘Back-to-back World Series Champions’ about 90 times a game, which they should. They absolutely should. It reminds you that this is the standard.
“If you’re going to do anything, you’re going to have to go through this team that is fantastic. It has Hall of Fame talent after Hall of Fame talent coming up to the plate or going out to the mound.
“This is the place you have to win games.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong cooled off, striking out in all four of his at-bats Saturday as the Cubs’ winning streak ended at 10. (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)
So much will happen between now and October. But the Cubs just banked 10 consecutive wins against the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Dodgers — the three clubs with the highest Opening Day payrolls in the National League — to surge their playoff odds and create a cushion for the occasional downturn.
At a time their pitching staff was beset with injuries, the Cubs won 10 games in 11 days, showing determination and resourcefulness. A spectacular defense accentuates a sound game-planning system, allowing pitchers to fill up the strike zone with confidence and trust that they are getting the right matchups.
“It’s just been remarkable efforts from a lot of different places on the roster,” Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “Tough times in seasons also create opportunity. We’re seeing guys really seize that.”
During the streak, potential ace Cade Horton underwent major surgery on his right elbow while Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd accounted for 4 2/3 innings after his recovery from a strained left biceps. Corbin Martin, who signed a minor-league deal in January, had more saves (one) than Daniel Palencia (zero) in that stretch.
With Palencia, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton and Caleb Thielbar on the injured list, the Cubs would be down to their fifth-string closer, if Counsell defined that role. Instead, a collaborative approach helped piece together Friday’s 6-4 comeback victory over the Dodgers.
Lefty reliever Ryan Rolison — who had not pitched in a game since the Cubs’ win streak began on April 14 — threw three scoreless innings Friday to earn his second career major-league win. Rolison, a 2018 first-round pick of the Colorado Rockies, had been claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox in January and optioned to Triple-A Iowa to start the season.
“We have a next-man-up mentality,” Rolison said. “Life comes at you quick. It’s a testament to the guys being ready when their name’s called and going in and competing.”
The organization’s pitching depth certainly isn’t unlimited. Even Counsell acknowledged “injuries add up at some point.” The timing worked out with the Cubs facing the Phillies and Mets while both clubs were in free fall. The arrangement of the Dodgers’ rotation also meant the Cubs would not have to face Ohtani the pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Tyler Glasnow this weekend.
Still, the biggest takeaway here is the Cubs showing they can win in so many different ways.
During the 10-game run, they posted a plus-41 run differential (72-31) and a 2.64 staff ERA that was the lowest in the majors. In that time, their offense led the majors in batting average (.327), on-base percentage (.403), slugging percentage (.540) and OPS (.944).
“Everybody in the room has stepped up,” Bregman said.
Remember, this is supposed to be entertainment, a drama with heroes and villains. The sellout crowds at Dodger Stadium have not forgiven Bregman for his role in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, or forgotten about Crow-Armstrong’s comments in a Chicago magazine story that called out Dodgers fans as inauthentic and there only for the scene.
Counsell rarely stirs it up like he did when he noted the so-called “Ohtani Rule,” but he did by calling the Dodgers’ ability to carry an extra pitcher on their active roster as an accommodation for Ohtani, the two-way superstar who has added to Dodger Stadium’s magnificence, “a bad rule.”.
With sweeping views of downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains, an ear-splitting sound system, jam-packed concourses and parking lots, and stars all over the field, this place becomes sensory overload.
Last October, the Cubs were one win away from advancing facing the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, but the Milwaukee Brewers emptied the tank to eliminate them before getting swept out of the playoffs by L.A. They don’t raise banners for 10-game winning streaks, but the snapshot hinted at the possibilities.
“This is the big stage,” Hoyer said. “Being able to perform and come in here and enjoy the challenge is really important for our guys.”