For the Chicago Cubs to get to the Promised Land, several things have to happen. But perhaps the biggest thing on that list is Carlos Zambrano stepping up and being the true ace that they have been waiting for.
Coming into this season, Zambrano has had some monkeys that he couldn't seem to get off his back. Here is his checklist thus far:
1. Finally pitched well on opening day: Check! He didn't allow a run.
2. Finally got off to a good start in April: Check! He was 4-1 with a low ERA.
3. Finally beat Aaron Harang: Check! He was winless against him prior to Tuesday night.
With all this in mind, it looks like Big Z has arrived as one of the better aces in the National League. Sure, he won 18 games last season, but he also lost 13 games and had a few slumps that really hurt the Cubs.
After throwing eight shutout innings against the Reds on Tuesday and giving the Cubs' depleted bullpen a much needed win, he is now 5-1 on the season with a very low ERA.
With him pitching like this, the Cubs have a horse they can go to every fifth day. And they can feel like they have a great chance to wave the white flag at Wrigley.
Why the big turn around? For starters, his contract situation is no longer a distraction, as it was last season.
Former teammate Michael Barrett is no longer with the club (Big Z never saw eye to eye with Barrett). Heck, I'll even say that Big Z feels better pitching in the blue jerseys. (Cubs' ownership took away the blue jerseys last season and brought them back this year.)
Whatever it is, Big Z is becoming an even bigger force than he used to be. This is exactly what the Chicago Cubs need.
In the National League, it's going to be extremely difficult to win the Cy Young when you have names like Webb, Santana, and Peavy in the mix.
But Carlos Zambrano is pitching like he wants to at least be mentioned in the same category as those guys. Thus far, he has done just that.
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5 months ago
Yes it;s nice to see that Big Z is finally living up to his potential. But unless the Cubs get another starter either in trade or someone like Hill comes back and pitches well, it won't be enough. You can't win it all with one or even two good pitchers.
5 months ago
I think you can win it all with 2 good pitchers.. Ted Lilly is more of a solid 3 starter, and I still have confidence that Hill will be lights out in the 2nd half of this season for the Cubs. But, adding another good starter is always on everyone's wish list.
Last year though, the Rockies atleast made the World Series without even one true ace, and the D-Backs only had one great starter in their rotation last year, so it is possible to win in the postseason without 2 studs.
But step one in getting the Cubs back to the playoffs and have a good chance to win when we get there is having Z be the ace we need.
5 months ago
Not a bad story on Zambrano. He's been a real workhorse this year. I agree with Bob about not being able to win with 2 good pitchers, and I'm not so sure Rich Hill can be "lights out". Also, I think the blue jersey comment is preposterous. That being said, Zambrano gives the Cubs a chance to get a W night in and night out.
5 months ago
The blue jersey comment was a joke that I guess only Cub fans would get... they actually made a big deal about it last year because Big Z prefers to wear them over the other jerseys. In Chicago, everything is a story.
The bottom line is that Big Z always gets off to slow starts, then finishes strong... and now it looks like he might just put together a full year of dominance, instead of half a year.
5 months ago
Baseball players tend to be very superstitious, don't discount the psychological effect the blue jersey has on a hot-head like Zambrano.
You're right, Tyler, the first step was to get Z pitching like an ace. As you say, "check".
But they took two steps back with the way Lilly started the season and with Rich Hill pitching in AAA.
The Rockies were an aborration, they got incredibly hot at the end of the season but you won't see something like what they did for a long time. Look at Arizona - they had good pitching then went out and got Haren. We got Lieber. That won't cut it.
5 months ago
Lilly has pitched like the Lilly of last year in his last 4 starts, so we will be fine there... he is a solid number 3 starter. Ryan Dempster has been very impressive so far, and while I don't expect he will keep up this pace, I do think he is a very solid 4 starter.
The Cubs just need Rich Hill to come back quickly and pitch like he can... his only issue is control. Batters still can't hit him, as they were hitting about .189 so far this season against him.. And he hasn't even lost a game yet. He only walked one in his first AAA start while striking out 7, so that's a good start.
People don't realize that the Cubs potentially have one of the best rotations in all of baseball, especially when hill gets back.... but because they don't have that lights out number 2 starter that people mistakenly think you have to have to win in October, they think their rotation is weak.. but it's not.
Did the Cards have a lights out number 2 starter when they won the world series? No.
Did the Rockies have a lights out number 2 starter when they won the pennant? No.
Did the D-Backs have a lights out number 2 starter when they made the NLCS? No.
And there are plenty of other examples like those... you don't have to have a great number 2 to win in October, but you do need an ace, and with Big Z, the Cubs finally have one.
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