(670 The Score) Reeling from a three-game sweep at the hands of the Nationals, the Cubs are entering a pivotal stretch that will go a long way toward determining their fate in the National League playoff picture.
The Cubs are 2.5 games of the NL Central-leading Cardinals with 32 games to play and sit in the second wild-card spot, four games back of the wild card-leading Nationals. They have a 1.5-game cushion on the Phillies in the wild-card race and a two-game lead on the Mets and Brewers.
It's those Mets and Brewers that the Cubs will play three times apiece this week, starting in New York on Tuesday before returning to Wrigley Field on Friday.
"Baseball can show you a lot about what can go up and down," left-hander Cole Hamels said after a 7-5 loss in 11 innings to the Nationals on Sunday. "You have to stay strong and encourage your teammates, because we have three more games coming up against a hot team who wants to be in the same position the Nationals are. They are also chasing down a division leader. The Mets are a good team."
The Cubs have seven games apiece left against the Cardinals and Brewers -- and 23 of 32 in the division -- so they have ample opportunity to make up ground. But they know they'll have to play much sharper baseball, notably on the road, where they've an abysmal 25-39.
Heightening the challenge against the Mets is the three starting pitchers who are lined up to face the Cubs -- Marcus Stroman on Tuesday, Noah Syndergaard (1.35 ERA in his last five starts) on Wednesday and reigning NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom on Thursday.
"We face three really good starters in New York," Hamels said. "We need to plug away. Ultimately, that's all we can do. Then we get back into our division play."
The Cubs rely on the home run ball for 49.6 percent of their offense, the fourth-highest mark in MLB. Time and again, manager Joe Maddon has expressed his desire to have a more diverse offense, believing that's what it will take to beat opposing aces.
"We just have not risen to the occasion offensively," Maddon said after the Cubs scored 10 runs in the three-game series against the Nationals. " I want us to take a day off, go to New York and focus on Stroman. That is the only thing you can do. If you start using other thought processes and start weighing things, it will work against you. I guarantee that."
The Cubs' offense is struggling lately, averaging just 3.7 runs in their last 15 games. Chicago has averaged 4.9 runs per game for the season, a tad above the MLB average.
"We have to look at just one game at a time," outfielder Nick Castellanos said. "We are going to play another hot team. To take the 'woe is me' attitude would do nobody any justice. We just have to wash this one and get ready to play good baseball in New York."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
