Ross: Rotation success 'sustainable' as Stroman returns originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Is the Cubs starting pitching better than it looked the first five weeks of the season? Are the Pirates just that bad? Is the Diamondbacks lineup one of the worst in the NL? The Padres’ lineup suffering key injuries?
Yes.
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All of it.
But wherever you want to lay most of the credit, it’s no coincidence that when the Cubs rotation stopped being among the worst in the majors, stopped pitching fewer innings than the bullpen and produced a 2.18 ERA over that eight-game stretch through Tuesday the Cubs stopped losing at a 108-loss pace for the season — and went 6-2.
And on Thursday, that group reaches full strength for the first time this season with the return of Marcus Stroman from the COVID-19-related injured list.
"We’re excited to get him back. I’m sure he’ll be great, and I know he’s anxious,” said Drew Smyly, who was tagged with Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Pirates after failing to get out of the fifth inning — snapping a four-game Cubs winning streak.
“I think we’re all pitching really well. Just couldn’t get things going today. But we start a new series tomorrow.”
Even with Smyly — the Cubs’ most consistent starter so far this season — laboring through an 89-pitch effort Wednesday, the rotation’s ERA the last nine games is 2.54 as the $71 million Stroman rejoins the group that was supposed to be the reason the Cubs might have a puncher’s chance in one of baseball’s lesser divisions.
“Just having everybody in this rotation coming back together with Stro coming back, and now Wade [Miley] back,” veteran Kyle Hendricks said, “it’s just going to hopefully create that consistency that we’ve been looking for.”
Miley, the $10 million left-hander picked up off waivers from the Reds during the offseason, returned from an elbow injury after only one rehab start last week in part because of an extreme need and by Monday twirled seven scoreless innings against the Pirates.
The 9-0 and 7-0 victories over the Pirates Monday and Tuesday gave the Cubs three consecutive series victories — after winning only the first one of the year before that.
Miley’s start was the Cubs’ third quality start in seven games — after the rotation produced three in the first 27.
“We’re going to go as far as our starting rotation goes,” catcher Yan Gomes said. “That’s said with every team. You don’t want to make the excuse of the shortened spring and everything, but you’re starting to see a lot of guys get in their rhythm and not fall apart, like, as quickly as maybe we were, just trying to figure things out.”
The big question for the next few months might whether that kind of performance is sustainable.
“Of course, it’s sustainable,” David Ross said. “We’ve got good major-league starters.”
All ready to pitch together for the first time this season.
“Hundred percent,” said Hendricks, the three-time Opening Day starter. “Obviously, it’s exciting to get [Stroman] back and having Wade, what he’s done the last two starts.”
Never mind Hendricks looking like more like Hendricks the last two starts after a rough April. Second-year lefty Justin Steele also looked especially good his last two starts.
“I don’t think we’re this dominant staff that everybody’s going to look at, but guys know how to pitch and how to compete,” Ross said. “I definitely think it’s sustainable.”
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