(670 The Score) After being swept in St. Louis recently, the Cubs returned to Wrigley Field and completed a 6-1 homestand, which was capped by a sweep of the Cardinals.
Here are the latest trends with the Cubs.
THREE UP
1.) Hendricks stays hot
Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks endured a difficult start to the season as hitters teed off on his pitches in April. Then he took the mound for the first start of May and everything changed with an 81-pitch complete-game shutout of the Cardinals.
Since that start on May 3, Hendricks is 6-0 with a 1.99 ERA in 58 2/3 innings across eight starts. That success has included 7.67 strikeouts per nine innings and just 0.92 walks per nine while inducing grounders on 42.8 percent of batted balls.
2.) Leadoff spot filled
The Cubs may have finally found the right solution for their void in the leadoff spot. Without the versatile Ben Zobrist since early May -- and perhaps the remainder of the season -- manager Joe Maddon has turned to Kyle Schwarber atop the team's batting order, and the results have been positive.
Since being placed into the Cubs' leadoff spot on May 16, Schwarber has an .871 OPS in 23 games. Maddon remarked that this as good as Schwarber has been in a Cubs uniform -- ever.
3.) Cole back up
Left-hander Cole Hamels was hit hard in Houston on May 27, allowing six earned runs over four innings and seeing his ERA balloon to 4.02. Since then, he has logged a combined 15 innings across two starts without allowing an earned run, dropping his ERA to 3.24.
THREE DOWN
1.) Where does Carl fit?
With seven-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel expected to join the Cubs in a couple weeks, it's worth wondering how the bullpen will adjust for the remainder of the season. It could be Carl Edwards Jr. who's ultimately the odd man out, unless he can return to form.
Maddon gave Edwards the ball with a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning Sunday and saw him walk a pair of Cardinals hitters, forcing Maddon to go to the bullpen again for Pedro Strop. Edwards has now walked 4.8 hitters per nine innings and 13.3 percent of hitters. He also holds a 5.40 ERA.
2.) No Descalso
The struggles of infielder Daniel Descalso have been pronounced over a span of nearly two months, and it has led to questions about where he fits with the Cubs' lineup moving forward. Since April 19, Descalso is batting .111 (10-for-90) and without a multi-hit game.
Maddon has worked David Bote and Addison Russell in as the Cubs' second basemen, which has left Descalso without steady playing time and the opportunity to snap out of his skid.
3.) No place like home?
After winning six of seven games at Wrigley Field last week -- earning a victory over the Angels in a makeup game, two against the Rockies and three against the Cardinals -- the Cubs are now 24-11 at home.
Of course, the counter for a Cubs team that's now 37-27 is the lack of success on the road, where they're 13-16. They open up a three-game series against the Rockies in Colorado on Monday night and play four against the surging Dodgers starting in Los Angeles beginning Thursday.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
