The Cubs continue to play inconsistent baseball in 2017, as good play comes in brief spurts and then seems to recede back just as quickly. Batting Anthony Rizzo leadoff Tuesday and Wednesday seemed to provide a temporary spark, only to see a bullpen collapse late in the latter contest.
One of manager Joe Maddon’s favorite sayings is “do simple better.” Basically, if you execute simple plays better than your opponents you should win more often than not. Chicago executed better than anyone in 2016, especially on defense, and sloppy games like Wednesday against the Mets were rare. The Cubs need to start doing simple better soon.