What to Make of the Cubs Dominate Weekend Sweep of the White Sox
The Crosstown Series had yet another iteration this weekend at Wrigley Field, and this weekend was dominated by the team from the North Side of town. The Cubs dominated the White Sox in every aspect of the game over all three games, resulting in a three-game sweep for the first-place team in the National League Central. This weekend’s sweep made it a franchise-record eight consecutive wins for the Cubs over the White Sox dating back to 2023. This weekend had a chance to be a bit of a trap for the Cubs, given the rivalry with the White Sox, but the Cubs handled business like they were expected to. As a result, this could create some momentum for the Cubs for the foreseeable future. Let’s go over a few of the main takeaways from the Cubs’ dominant series.
Impressive Starting Pitching
The starting pitching is going to be a major factor in determining the fate of this Cubs season, especially with the injuries already piling up for guys like Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. The depth of this rotation is going to be asked to do a lot for the next few weeks, and if the Cubs can continue to get the production that they got this weekend from Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, and Colin Rea, the Cubs will be in a great spot for the rest of the regular season. All three starters went at least five innings pitched while allowing no more than three earned runs. All of those starts gave the Cubs and their elite offense a chance to win the game, and that is all that manager Craig Counsell can ask out of these guys. It will be a collective effort to hold down the fort in the starting pitching department until Imanaga can return from injury, but this weekend was a great step in the right direction.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Makes This Team a Serious Contender
Almost everyone who follows baseball has heard about Pete Crow-Armstrong’s hot start to the season, but what we caught a glimpse of this weekend was special, even for him. Crow-Armstrong recorded at least two hits in each game of the series, which was good for a batting average of well above .500 for the weekend. He also tallied three extra-base hits, and he drove in eight runs. In the absence of Ian Happ due to an oblique injury, Crow-Armstrong has been slotted into the lead-off spot for the time being, and his electricity has ignited this Cubs offense. If he can produce at this level, not only does he present one of the more intimidating at-bats for an opposing pitcher to face, but he also lengthens out this lineup to an elite level. There is an argument to be made for him to remain at the top of the lineup even when Happ returns, and if that is the case, the sky could be the limit in terms of match ups that Craig Counsell can utilize to give his offense the best chance no matter who the opposing pitcher is. Crow-Armstrong, showing his ability to be versatile, could have a major impact on the overall production of the whole Cubs’ lineup as the season progresses.
