The National League Central looks to be a division where two or three teams could be the teams to beat, but in the early going, the Chicago Cubs look to be the team that can run away with the division.
Chicago is playing winning baseball and taking down good teams along the way with timely hits and great pitching. After the Cubbies swept a two-game series from the Los Angeles Dodgers, they faced a slumping Philadelphia Phillies squad who were losers of four straight games entering Friday’s game.
The Phillies have been struggling to put runs on the board and on Friday it was no different, as the Cubs pitching staff threw shutout baseball against the Phils to a 4-0 victory.
Cubs starter Colin Rea, tossed five shutout innings, allowing just three hits, while striking out seven batters to earn his first win on the season in six games (three starts). The bullpen then took over and allowed just two hits over four innings of work.
As for the Cubs offense, Ian Happ stayed hot, with a 2 for 5 night, adding two doubles and an RBI. Over his last 10 games, he is batting 16 for 45 (.400 BA), four Doubles, a home run, and 6 RBIs. Seiya Suzuki also added two doubles, and has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, batting 13 for 40 (.325 BA) in the process.
At 17-10, the Cubs sit four games ahead of the second place Milwaukee Brewers, and have the third best record behind the New York Mets 18-8, and the San Diego Padres at 17-8 (at time of this posting).
