ST. LOUIS — The month of May has been important in the Cubs’ effort to find their identity as a team. No group was more in need of that identity check after the first month of the season than the team’s starting rotation.
The Cubs’ starters struggles to find their rhythm forced them to lean heavily on the bullpen and until May 4, hadn’t had a starter record an out in the seventh inning.
While the team’s relief core was highly successful, having a bullpen carrying that workload isn’t sustainable over 162 games, no matter how good they are.