The Cubs find themselves in first place in the National League Central after three weeks of the season, but they’re still not sure how good they really are.
They might be about to find out as they step outside the comfort of what some consider baseball’s weakest division to host the East-leading Mets and then go to surging World Series loser Colorado.
“The Mets are a good team, and they’ve been playing good baseball,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “We’ll get a good test here.”
Certainly a better test than the Pirates gave them Sunday in a 13-6 rout. Combined with Saturday’s 13-1 victory, it was first time the Cubs have scored that many runs in consecutive games since 2003.
The facts are that half the Cubs’ 12 wins have come against their personal pin-cushion Pirates, and 11 of the 12 against the Central. They’re 1-2 against East contender Philadelphia.
The Cardinals, who just relinquished the Central’s top spot to the Cubs, are already 8-5 outside the division. Milwaukee is 5-1.
So the next five games become very important for the Cubs.
“I didn’t realize we were in first place, but early in the year you just want to win baseball games and win series,” Piniella said. “I don’t really look at the standings early. As long as we’re playing good baseball and we’re winning our share of games, good things happen.”
The Cubs are winning for sure, as in four of the last five series. And they are 9-1 in series against the Central dating to last September.
They have swept the Pirates twice already. Sunday’s game was over early and decided by the top two hitters in the lineup, Reed Johnson and Ryan Theriot.
“You always see when guys get a few hits, especially early on in the game, everybody follows suit,” Theriot said.
– – –
CUBS HITS
It is becoming a disturbing trend for Cubs starters — they have averaged less than six innings per start in their last 10, and that includes one seven-inning performance by Carlos Zambrano.
– – –
NEXT SERIES
vs. N.Y. Mets
Monday 6:05 p.m., WCIU/ESPN. RH John Maine (1-1, 3.78) vs. RH Carlos Zambrano (2-1, 3.04)
TUESday 1:20 p.m., CSN. RH Nelson Figueroa (1-0, 3.60) vs. LH Ted Lilly (0-3, 9.16)
