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The Chicago Cubs have been the biggest story in baseball so far this season and rightfully so. 100 years since the last World Series title with many disappointments in between the Cubs are off to a great start to the season, currently holding the best record in baseball as we approach the halfway point of the season. Chicago appears to have a team that could stay in the postseason mix and loyal fans will say that this year feels different but fortunately Chicago fans have the stomach for more potential disappointment.
The Cubs have enjoyed a favorable early season schedule with significantly more games at home where they own a dominant 32-9 record at Wrigley Field. Chicago is just 16-20 on the road this season and the July travel schedule looks very threatening. From June 27th to July 31st the Cubs will play 20 of 30 games away from home which might tighten up the race in the very competitive NL Central.
Chicago will face challenging travel as well. Following the in-town road series at U.S. Cellular Field the Cubs head to San Francisco without a travel day and then go directly back to the Midwest to play at St. Louis for three games to make nine consecutive road games in three different cities. A six-game home stand precedes the All-Star Break but several Cubs will likely be making the trip to New York adding to the hectic month.
Chicago then closes the month with ten of the last 14 games away from home, playing tough opponents, going to Houston and Arizona, then playing a home series against the Marlins before a huge four-game set in Milwaukee to
close the month. So far this season the Cubs have played just three road series against teams that currently have winning records, going just 2-7 at Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay. The next five weeks feature 13 games on the road against teams with winning records including seven games against the divisional rivals that are chasing them.
It is too early to look ahead to the September schedule but should the NL Central be a tight race in the final month the Cubs will not be in a good position to finish strong as they play 16 of the final 22 games away from Wrigley Field. It could end up being a very exciting race as the Cubs play St. Louis and Milwaukee six times each in September.
Some more bad news for the Cubs is how well the key division opponents have played against them. Milwaukee is a team that appears to be surging with solid play in the last several weeks and the Brewers account for four of the nine home losses for the Cubs, winning two series in Chicago and yet to host the Cubs this season. St. Louis also won the only series between those teams so far this season. Chicago is just 18-15 on the season versus the NL Central, as both the Cardinals and Brewers own superior division records.
The Brewers also own a great home field edge with a 25-13 record so Milwaukee should remain a playoff threat. The Cardinals have been an excellent road team with a 22-16 record away from home so the Cardinals could very well stay in the mix even despite battling key injuries. Pittsburgh, Houston, and Cincinnati do not appear to have the consistency to stay in the race but all three teams have been more competitive than in past seasons. The good news for the Central contenders is that all three teams, the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers own superior records to every other team in the NL, meaning there is a good chance the Wild Card will come from this division.
Given the recent injuries to Carlos Zambrano and Alfonso Soriano coupled with the tough schedule ahead it could be a long second half of the season for Cubs fans that appear a little too presumptive of the team’s destiny this season. The Brewers and Cardinals are currently available around 5-1 to win the NL Central, either might be an attractive wager considering how quickly the division lead could shrink in the coming weeks and considering that right now both teams are within five games despite how well the Cubs have played.
