After what felt like a never ending–drought, the bats appear to be working once again in North Chicago. Just as they have game in and game out this May, the Cubs again flexed their muscles last night, putting on an offensive fireworks display, highlighted by home runs from Addison Russell, Jason Heyward and Albert Almora Jr. The long ball’s reappearance has sparked the the Cubs, whose offensive felt stuck in the mud not too long ago. Players such as Almora Jr., who rocked his first career grand slam against the Phillies Wednesday, continue to hit well seemingly out of nowhere, as last year Almora Jr. only hit five home runs, a number he has already tied this season due to his impressive play.
As expected, household names such as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Wilson Contreras continue to contribute to Chicago’s success among new hitters such as Almora Jr. Rizzo currently leads the team with 14 home runs, adding 40 RBI’s. As more and more balls continue to fly out of Wrigley Field, a picture depicting the Cubs recapturing the NL central becomes more clear, as Chicago currently sits atop the division. Meanwhile players seeing their OBP grow such as Contreras, Bryant, and Javier Baez add another piece to the puzzle, as the each Cubs home run nearly always occurs with ducks on the pond, scoring monumental runs during each contest.
Riding this home run wave, Chicago now tallies the third most home runs in the National League. As expected, the Cubs have no plans to settle down, hoping to avoid a collapse reminiscent of last year’s campaign. Chicago will look to punish more baseballs as they continue their series this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds.
