After a disappointing loss in the series finale with San Diego, the Cubs have won four of their last six games to move back above the .500 mark. Now Chicago embarks on an 11-game marathon road trip to Miami, Washington, and Cincinnati.
This swing could define the Cubs’ season. A winning trip could be launchpad for a second-half run, while another disaster like the 0-6 West Coast swing could do significant damage to the Northsiders’ playoff hopes.
There’s cause for optimism in the recent improvement in Chicago’s starting pitching. John Lackey, Jon Lester and Mike Montgomery made consecutive quality starts for the first time in 2017 and the whole unit could be due for an upswing.