In the month of August, the Chicago Cubs posted a record of 15 wins and 14 losses. While this may not seem too bad to many, the record is a major step back for the Chicago Cubs. Before August, the Cubs were among the top three teams in the MLB and held a strong division lead, with it seeming like the Brewers had little chance to catch them. By the end of the month, however, that success had faded, leaving fans wondering what went wrong.
In the beginning of summer, the Cubs were known for being one of the best offensive teams in baseball, constantly putting up high amounts of runs game in and game out. This strong offense was led by star players Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, and Seiya Suzuki, who were known across the league as game-changing hitters.
Also, the Cubs starting pitching was overall solid and helped the team to win games and not rely on their bullpen often. Along with all this, their defense was spectacular with minimal amounts of costly errors.
August told a different story. The offense went cold, with former reliable hitters suddenly struggling to find consistency. The pitching became inconsistent with their starting pitchers failing to make it deep into games, which left the bullpen overworked. Rare defensive mistakes began creeping in at costly moments, and what had been a dominant, well-rounded team suddenly looked ordinary.
The timing could not have been worse for the Cubs. August is typically the month when playoff contenders separate themselves, but the Cubs did the opposite. The team that once led their division was now fighting for a chance to survive in the standings, leaving fans questioning if they have a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Still, baseball is a game of highs and lows. Every team encounters slumps, and the Cubs still have time to rebound. With September arriving, the key question is if the Cubs can rediscover the offensive firepower and pitching stability that made them outstanding earlier in the season. If they can, August may be remembered as just a bump in the road, however if not it could mark the moment their season slipped away.
