The Chicago Cubs knew they would have to scratch and claw to get something going against Paul Skenes in the series finale against Pittsburgh on Thursday. After dropping the second game of the series late on Wednesday, a rubber match against one of the best pitchers on the planet wasn’t ideal for Chicago, especially with it being their first divisional series of the campaign.
Playoff aspirations are more alive early in a season than they have been in the past few seasons for Cub fans. They haven’t won the NL Central or even made the playoffs since 2020 and they haven’t clinched a playoff berth in a standard 162-game season since 2017. It’s safe to say that people are getting antsy about the possibility of the organization playing meaningful baseball down the stretch again the for first time in a little while.
Even though it’s the beginning of May, every series weighs the same for a team with a vision like Chicago and everyone recognizes that. This getaway day showdown with Skenes was a significant one, and the offense rose to the occasion thanks to one big inning.
The Chicago Cubs hit three home runs off Paul Skenes
Skenes was cruising along through the first four innings of his start against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday before he ran into a wall in the fifth frame. The offense clubbed out three home runs against the right-hander in that fifth inning alone, with Dansby Swanson, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki all leaving the yard. This erased the Pirates 2-0 lead, as the three solo shots gave Chicago the lead for good.
This is the first time in Skenes’ career that he allowed three home runs in a start, and they all came in the same inning. An even wilder stat is that the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year gave up more home runs (three) than strikeouts (two) that he recorded on Thursday.
The Cubs offense showing out in a big way once again proves that they might be different this year compared to previous seasons. They have fought back in games in various ways already and we haven’t even hit the dog days of summer yet. Seeing guys like Dansby Swanson make adjustments after being bumped down in the order is a great sign as well. The veteran shortstop homered in the opener and finale of the series and had a three-hit outing in the second contest against Pirate pitching.
Seiya Suzuki is on a hot streak right now for the Chicago Cubs
Suzuki left the yard twice on Thursday and appears to be getting into a nice groove entering May. He currently leads the Cubs with nine home runs to go with his .295/.365/.625 slashline. The designated hitter has a .990 OPS and has progressed well in each season against big league pitching so far in his career.
If Suzuki can become an elite aspect of this Chicago lineup on a consistent basis this year, it would add another dominant element to a potential playoff push. Tucker has done a great job at making everyone better around him in the order, and the hope is that he can stick around Wrigleyville for the next decade.
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