The Chicago Cubs notched their 50th win of the season Tuesday night with a 5-2 score over the Cleveland Guardians at Wrigley Field. Through 85 games, it’s the Cubs’ fastest season to 50 wins since, you guessed it, 2016- when they did it in 76 games. They continue to prove why they are the favorites to win the National League Central.
The Cubs, at least early on in the series, have done a good job of taking advantage of a Guardians team that all of a sudden is fading fast. Here are three things we learned in the win over Cleveland.
3 Cubs Takeaways in Series Opening Win
Matthew Boyd is Really Good
Matthew Boyd has been nothing short of excellent in his first Cubs season and his June was even better. He posted a 1.78 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. Visitors especially have felt Boyd’s wrath this season. The veteran left-hander entered Tuesday with a 6-0 record and a 2.41 ERA at Wrigley Field, as his former team, the Guardians, came to town.
Boyd wasn’t perfect, as he would allow two runs in the fourth inning, but he was incredibly efficient for the majority of the night. One element of that efficiency came when he handed Cleveland a taste of its own medicine by picking off Nolan Jones at first base in the fourth. That pickoff extended Boyd’s MLB-leading number to seven first base pickoffs this season.
After throwing seven strong innings while allowing just two earned runs on five hits and striking out five, it’s safe to say Boyd finished with another stellar night under the Wrigley lights. The lefty has a 2.65 ERA through 17 starts this season, which is a top-six mark in the National League and just outside the top 10 in all of MLB. Tuesday’s win now puts him at a solid 8-3 for the season.
The Cubs Need to Clean Up the Mistakes
After opening the bottom of the second inning with three runs on four consecutive hits, Chicago loosened up a little bit, and perhaps too much. Carson Kelly found himself on third base after ripping a two-run double and advancing on an errant throw from Cleveland second baseman Angel Martinez. Kelly tried to score on a wild pitch from Guardians starter Gavin Williams as Nico Hoerner dug in for his at-bat, but the ball took a favorable Guardians bounce, and Kelly was tagged out at home on an easy flip from catcher Bo Naylor to Williams.
Hoerner took his walk, and he was primed to steal second as Matt Shaw stepped up, but Williams was aware of his plans, and after one unsuccessful pickoff attempt, he nabbed Hoerner for the second out of the inning. Shaw took his walk as well and replaced Hoerner at first. Like Hoerner, Shaw crept too far away from first, and Williams nabbed him to end the inning.
That made all three outs for Chicago in the second inning on the basepaths, which is unusual for a team that had the most stolen bases in the National League entering Tuesday’s play.
Michael Busch is Underrated
Michael Busch is quietly having an All-Star caliber season for the Cubs, even if he didn’t receive the fan votes to move on to the next round. As of late the Cubs’ 27-year-old first baseman is putting up very productive numbers.
He hit .309 in June with a 1.002 OPS, with 19 RBI and seven home runs. A three-hit night Tuesday means Busch is now hitting .282 with a .889 OPS. His 14 home runs are the third most among National League first basemen, and his 50 RBI are tied for sixth most in the league at his position.
Next up for Busch and the Cubs is a matchup against one of Cleveland’s best pitchers, Tanner Bibee. Opposing Bibee in Wednesday’s rematch of the two teams will be Shota Imanaga, who is scheduled to make his second start since returning from the IL.
Main Image: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
