CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Starting pitching has been the major difference in the recent surge by the Chicago Cubs. The 2-7 start has been turned around recently as the North Siders have gone 10-3 since. Their 7-6 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday night was a nice combination of clutch pitching and timely hitting.
The main ingredient to the teams better results is pitchers going more deeply into games. The first two weeks of the season, the staff was a mess. Now, it's commonplace to see a Cubs starting pitcher still working his craft in the seventh inning.
The Cubs' hurlers had posted a 1.79 ERA in their previous 12 games before Tuesday evening, the best ERA by far in baseball over that stretch. The staff had allowed two runs or fewer in nine of the previous 12 games.
"Our success as of late begins with the starters," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "They have done a wonderful job. The bullpen has backed that all up. They have filled in the blanks pretty nicely."
Cole Hamels was effective but erratic in his 5 1/3 innings of three-run, three-hit baseball Wednesday night. He walked six Dodgers, which tied a career high, and struck out seven.
Hamels got a no-decision after the three-run homers by Javier Baez and Jason Heyward won the game late. He had not walked a batter in his three prior starts.
"I don't think I was able to establish my curveball well," Hamels said. "When I can't do that I can't get the chases from hitters. My cutter wasn't small. It was a little too big. The action was going down out of the zone."
The question if starters are really prepared to go six or seven innings at the beginning of the season was broached on Tuesday.
"In spring training, it's not difficult to get the tried-and-true guys ready," Maddon said. "It's other guys who are just breaking in or new to you that make that process difficult. You are trying to protect veterans innings so you have more available to you in the season."
There are exceptions to the rule of getting veteran pitchers ready too early.
"With a guy like [Pedro] Strop, it doesn't bother me a bit," Maddon said. "That is not a bad method at all. It is guys that you don't know what it takes to be ready. That is especially true with a relief pitcher. Spring training, I hardly put any stock into. The exception is knowing the tried-and-trues."
The numbers have been great for all of the pitchers. Cubs starters in the last 10 games before Tuesday had a 1.39 ERA. The bullpen a 1.58 ERA over 13 games.
With Jon Lester coming off the injured list on Thursday, things have a chance of staying good in the rotations.
"The the starting pitching has been impressive," said Heyward. "All of them are not shying away. They are all preparing every day. For me I am happy for these guys.its not easy to do what they have done."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
