The NL Central has produced some ugly performances this season. After the Milwaukee Brewers jumped out to a big lead early in the season there has not been a great deal of drama or interest in the only division in baseball to feature five teams with losing records. That should change in the coming months however as the Chicago Cubs are poised to make a charge up the standings. The Cubs lineup is starting to produce and the starting rotation is as good as it gets in the National League. The schedule also sets up nicely for a great first-half finish and a strong month of July.

Chicago sits 7.5 games out of first place, which is a substantial margin. This weekend the Cubs host first-place Milwaukee for three games and the teams only have one more series the rest of the season, also in Chicago. So far the Cubs have won both series in Milwaukee but lost two of three in Chicago, leading the season series 5-4. The Cubs have outscored opponents 340-314 on the season but close losses have led to just a 36-39 record.

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The schedule over the next few weeks and into July after the All-Star break plays out favorably for Chicago. After facing Colorado and Milwaukee at home the Cubs face a seven-game road trip to close the first half. Fortunately the Cubs have done well on the road this season with a winning record and the opponents are both losing teams, Washington and Pittsburgh. The first ten games after the All-Star break all come at home, facing Houston, San Francisco, and Arizona and if the Cubs start playing better at home they could start to close the gap with the Brewers. Milwaukee also has a manageable schedule after the break but the Brewers face a brutal schedule in August and that could be when the race in the Central gets exciting. Milwaukee has 15 road games in August including three series out West. Milwaukee also must host New York and Philadelphia as well as meeting the Cubs in Chicago at the end of the month in what could be a very critical series.

Chicago has the offense to be one of the elite teams in the NL and currently the Cubs rank #2 in the league with a .270 batting average. With third baseman Aramis Ramirez back from injury the lineup has a bit more power and young players Felix Pie, Mike Fontenot, and Ryan Theriot provide nice speed in a balanced lineup. Having to cut ties with Catcher Michael Barrett weakens the lineup a bit but it likely was a necessary decision that will help the team in the long run. Alfonso Soriano has heated up and provides a dangerous threat at the top of the lineup and although Derrek Lee and Cliff Floyd have not provided great power numbers, both are hitting above .300. Jacque Jones has been a disappointment this season but he has been streaky in the past and could provide a spark at some point in the season. The lineup has started to heat up, hitting .284 over the last ten games as Chicago has won 14 of the last 22 contests and is climbing towards .500.

Pitching has been an unexpected strength for the Cubs. Chicago has the strongest team ERA in the NL Central at 3.88 and the Cubs have the second most strikeouts in all of baseball with 564. There have been few injuries in the pitching staff and with Sean Marshall moving into the rotation the Cubs starting rotation is arguably the best in all of baseball. The rotation features three left-handers and has a nice balance with three veterans and two young arms.

Carlos Zambrano: 8-6, 4.27 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .246 BA against
Zambrano has the most wins but actually has the worst numbers of the group after a poor start to the season. The Cubs volatile ace has delivered of late however, with four consecutive strong outings, allowing a total of five runs in nearly 32 innings, while posting 35 strikeouts.

Rich Hill: 5-5 3.13 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .209 BA against
Hill emerged with some success last season but has delivered great results this season despite an even win/loss record. The Cubs are just 6-9 in his starts even though he has allowed two or fewer runs in eight starts this season. Look for the wins to start coming for Hill now that the lineup is producing more as the Cubs have scored three or fewer runs in 12 of his 15 starts.

Sean Marshall: 4-2, 2.44 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .226 BA against
Marshall made 24 starts for the Cubs last season but did not get back to the big leagues until late May in 2007. Chicago has won his last five starts and in six of seven outings this season Marshall allowed two or fewer earned runs. The tall lefty is an intimidating presence and he has been highly effective this season after an up-and-down campaign in 2006.

Jason Marquis: 5-4, 3.46 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, .226 BA against
Marquis was cast aside by the Cardinals last season and he watched them win the World Series without him on the active roster. He had a 6.02 ERA in 2006 despite strong seasons in 2004 and 2005. He has resurrected his career with the Cubs posting very strong numbers and leading Chicago to ten wins in his 16 starts this season. His numbers have slipped a bit after an impressive start to the season but he remains a solid option at the back of the rotation.

Ted Lilly: 5-4, 3.90 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, .231 BA against
Lilly has been a bit erratic in the last month after an extremely strong April and early May but overall the team has to be pleased with the investment. Chicago is just 6-9 in his starts this season but Lilly can only be blamed for a few of those losses. He is the one Cubs starter who has pitched substantially better at home this season with an ERA over two full points lower at Wrigley.

The Cubs bullpen has been a bit of a problem with a 9-17 record on the season. The numbers are not terrible with a 4.10 ERA and just a .249 batting average against but the unit has not delivered in several key situations this season. Closer Ryan Dempster is 16/18 in save situations but no one in the bullpen has posted lights out numbers with the exception of Carlos Marmol, but his sample size is fairly small with just 16 appearances. The possible return of injured Kerry Wood to the bullpen is an intriguing hope but in reality the Cubs likely need to make a move for a solid reliever to really make a charge at catching Milwaukee and being a threat in the post-season.

The Cubs have the team that many expected them to, with strong projections early in the season. The lineup is as good as any in the NL and the starting pitching should carry Chicago to a strong record the rest of the way. Milwaukee has a great young team and a huge head start but the Cubs appear to have the stronger staff over the long haul as well as significant scheduling advantages over the next two months. The Cubs can be a dangerous team to wager on, as their popularity can limit the potential value. Hill and Marshall have been modestly priced in recent starts and could be solid plays against teams that struggle against left-handers. Zambrano has been highly priced all season despite his struggles and his recent dominance will not help that cause. Lilly and Marquis have struggled lately and caution should be used until more consistency can be found. The first half of the season has not provided much of a race in the NL Central but a great finish can be expected with the Cubs on the rise.