Series 3 Cubs at Pirates

    Game 1

    Finally some offense. Bryant started early with a homer in the first. The Brewers took the lead with 2 runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Cubs continued to get baserunners but couldn't convert until Baez scooped a low ball for a 2 run shot to give the Cubs the lead again in the top of the sixth. Rizzo added an insurance run in the top of the eighth with a solo blast. The Pirates loaded the bases with 3 walks in the bottom of the eighth. Then Kimbrel came on and got 5 outs in a row to shut that down and close the game.

    Game 2

    The Cubs got a run in the first but it was all downhill from there. Davies had a rough go in this one. The Pirates pounced on him for 7 runs in the second as he didn't finish the inning. The Bullpen held down the Pirates for the rest of the game but the damage was done. The Cubs got a late run but couldn't muster up enough to climb back into the game.

    Game 3

    Baez hit a homer in the second to take a brief 1-0 lead. Again it went downhill after that. Williams struggled through 3 and 1/3 innings giving up 5 earned runs. The Cubs' offense blew early chances with multiple runners on in the 3rd and 4th but didn't threaten after that. Again the bullpen did a good job keeping it in range until Tepera gave up a 2 run shot in the 7th to seal the game for the Pirates.

    The good

    The offense didn't produce enough runs but it started to move in the right direction. 24 hits in a series is solid and hopefully, they can improve on this initial performance. The long balls were flying as well with 4 in the series along with a couple of other extra-base hits. The bullpen continues to excel with 3 runs in 14 innings including a masterful 5 out save from Kimbrel. He got out of a bases-loaded jam and looks to be back at his best early this year. Arrieta was also a bright spot. He gave up some hits but held the Pirates to 2 runs in 6 innings to help the Cubs to their only win in the series.

    The bad

    Again the offense is nowhere to be found. There were times it seemed it was going to turn it around but overall it is not producing runs. They blew too many scoring chances with runners on base in this series. Also, the offense only drew 4 walks in the series and that cannot continue. The starting pitching was also disappointing in this series. Only Arrieta lasted at least 4 innings and by the time the others were out of the game, it was almost as good as done. This rotation will need to be more consistent to get the results this team wants.

    Looking Ahead

    The Cubs head to Milwaukee for their second series against the Brew Crew. They got a series win against St. Louis and are starting to roll. Taking 2 of 3 would be big and hopefully, the Cubs hit a little better against them this time. The next month is vitally important for the Cubs as they have 2 series against both the Brewers and Braves along with series against the Mets, Reds, and Dodgers. Keeping the record close to .500 or better will go a long way to competing in the division as the schedule lets up.