A Welcome Respite Before a Tough Stretch

There can be a very fine line between winning a losing. On Saturday, it was a reliever unable to get a hitter out on a swinging bunt. And popping up on a ball with a runner on 3rd and less than two outs.

But on Sunday we saw a slip by an infielder while catching a popup that allows an observant baserunner to score. And then a bad throw by an outfielder getting a single back into the infield allowing that same observant baserunner to score. Finally, getting a fly ball into the outfield with a runner on 3rd and less than two outs, instead of popping it up. The small things that doomed the Cubs to failure on Saturday got turned around on Sunday.

There were several heroes in Sunday’s victory over the Pirates:

• Dansby Swanson, the aforementioned baserunner, who also homered in the game
• Michael Busch, who was benched on an 0-30 slump, had the pinch hit that tied the game (with some help from an errant throw)
• Carson Kelly did what so many Cubs had failed to do early this season, getting the winning run in from 3rd with fewer than 2 outs
• Riley Martin, Ethan Roberts and Daniel Palencia allowing no runs over 3 innings
• Jameson Taillon, who despite giving up 6 runs, including 3 homers, was still able to give the Cubs 6 innings to save a tired bullpen

With the entire rest of the NL Central losing on Sunday, that puts the Cubs only 2 games out of first, despite the rough start we’ve all witnessed.

It was an important win, partially because for the rest of April, the Cubs schedule is brutal.

• 3 games at the Phillies
• 3 games home to the Mets
• 4 games home to the Phillies
• 3 games at the Dodgers
• 3 games at the Padres

Similar to the Cubs, the Phillies and Mets have gotten off to slow starts, at 7-8 and 7-9 respectively. But they are both teams who are expecting to make the playoffs this season. Meanwhile, the Dodgers and Padres are a combined 21-10 with a +49 run differential.

It’s still very early in the season, but If the Cubs had been going into this stretch at 6-9, and 4 games behind the Pirates, the players might start pressing a bit, which is never good. Maybe this comeback victory can help break a few players: especially PCA, Suzuki and Busch, out of their early season struggles.