The Cubs have had an uneven season, starting near or below .500 before a 20-3 run with multiple long winning streaks. They are now close to dropping a fourth straight series, including consecutive matchups against the White Sox and Brewers. Key setbacks include losing Cade Horton for the remainder of the year and most of next, with Matthew Boyd already on a second IL stint, while Justin Steele’s return is uncertain and may be delayed until around the All-Star break. Despite these issues, the Cubs are 10 games over .500 and lead the NL Central, with a record similar to the Padres and Dodgers. Their next month includes several matchups that could provide a window to improve, especially after a road stretch against weaker opponents.
"You can decide for yourself if the 7 straight road games against the Pirates (24-23) and Cardinals (27-19) make you optimistic or not, but that's not the stretch I'm talking about. Plus, those games are capped by the Athletics (... first place, but below .500 as of today) and the underperforming Astros (19-30). So overall, that simply cannot be considered a tough stretch."
Read at Bleacher Nation
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