38

Hey hey! The Cubs hung on to beat the Nats 7-6 on Friday behind a quality start from Shota Imanaga (6 IP, 3 ER, 8 K), a seven-run 2nd inning, and a clutch strikeout from Keegan Thompson in a one-batter appearance to close out the game.

The North Siders have now won four straight and seven of their last eight games. They are 17-8 in August after a 13-12 July.

18 of their remaining 27 games are against teams below .500, which presents the Men in Blue with a nice opportunity. On the other hand, their other nine remaining games will be more challenging, as they are against the division-leading Dodgers, Phillies, and Yankees.

While an NL Central division title is a longshot, a wild card berth still isn't out of the question.

135 games down, 27 to go.

Go Cubs go!

Image Credit:  Chicago Cubs

44

Holy mackerel! The Cubs fried the Fish 14-2 on Saturday behind a dominant start from Shota Imanaga (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER), two home runs from from Seiya Suzuki, and two-run homers from both Pete Crow-Armstrong and Patrick Wisdom.

The win brought the Men in Blue back to .500 on the season, and they have won 14 of their last 21 games.

While Imanaga continues his dominance, other players are stepping up. PCA has an .893 OPS in August, and Miguel Amaya has an .848 OPS in August after posting an .872 OPS in July. The North Siders' bullpen has a 3.39 ERA since the All-Star break, second-best in the NL and fourth-best in MLB. Dansby Swanson has also stepped it up a bit of late, batting .281 with a .749 OPS in August.

May and June were rough for the Cubs, but they've been playing winning baseball in July and August. It could be too little, too late, but their remaining schedule is favorable, as 23 of their remaining 32 games are against teams below .500. A wild card berth is not out of the question.

The series versus the Marlins wraps up Sunday. 130 games down, 32 to go.

Go Cubs go!

Image Credit:  Chicago Cubs

58

Holy mackerel! The Cubs beat the Twins 7-3 on Tuesday behind a dominant start from Shota Imanaga (7 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 10 K), two hits from Nico Hoerner, three from Dansby Swanson, and four RBI from new Cub Isaac Paredes!

There's plenty of good news to go around, as

• the North Siders have now won four of their last six and seven of their last eleven games,
• Dansby Swanson is hitting .353 with an .855 OPS over his last 15 games, 
• Seiya Suzuki is batting .316 with a .987 OPS over his last 15 games,
  
• the Cubs' pitching staff had the second-lowest ERA in the NL in July (3.14), and
• their team ERA is at 3.17 through six games in August.

There's still work to be done, as the offense continues to be inconsistent. However, the Men in Blue have a golden opportunity this month, with 11 of their next 15 games coming against teams below .500 (Chicago, Toronto, Detroit, and Miami).

116 games down, 46 to go.

Go Cubs go!

Photo Credit:  RFBleachers

59

Hey hey! The Cubs downed the Cardinals 6-2 on Sunday night to take the series three games to one. Justin Steele tossed another quality start (6.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 K) and the bullpen added 2.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball to seal the victory.

Mike Tauchman and Miguel Amaya each had two hits including solo homers, and PCA also had a two-hit night.

The homestand continues Monday as the Twins come to town to kick off a three-game set.

114 games down, 48 to go.

Go Cubs go!

Image Credit:  Chicago Cubs

62

Holy mackerel! The Cubs beat the Cardinals 6-3 at Wrigley on Friday behind a nice start from Javy Assad (4 IP, 1 ER, 3 K) and home runs from Bethancourt and Busch.

Pete Crow-Armstrong stole another base, putting him at 21-for-21 in stolen base attempts this season. 

The North Siders have now won five of their last seven games. The series continues Saturday in Chicago.

112 games down, 50 to go.

Go Cubs go!

Image Credit:  RFBleachers

63

Holy cow! The Cubs scored three runs in the bottom of the 9th to come back and beat the Cards 5-4 on Thursday night. Prior to Thursday, they'd lost the previous 53 games in which they trailed by multiple runs entering the 9th.

Down 4-2 entering the bottom of the 9th, Cody Bellinger homered with one out to put the North Siders within a run. With two outs, Nico Hoerner singled and stole second. A Dansby Swanson double scored Hoerner, tying the game. Mike Tauchman then pinch-hit for Pete Crow-Armstrong, and walked it off, doubling down the left field line to score Swanson and seal the victory.

The series continues Friday at the Friendly Confines.

111 games down, 51 to go.

Go Cubs go!

Image Credit:  Chicago Cubs