Best of the Cubs: Amazing run continues
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What recent achievements have the Cubs accomplished?
as there is Bruce Levine on the hotline. Bruce, how are you this afternoon, my man? Good, Rami. Another exciting day here at Wrigley Field. Another exciting series. I can't remember two sweeps of seven-game series in a row, but nonetheless, that's what's happened at Wrigley, nine in a row. It's just, you know, it's an amazing streak that they're on, and it's all predicated, as you pointed out, by... The hitting has come along. There's been games where they had to catch up, but it's all predicated on really good starting pitching all the way through. The Cubs deserve an awful lot of credit for that.
How has Shota Imanaga exceeded expectations this season?
So with that said, where would you like to go?
Is what Shota is doing, is that surpassing any expectation that you had for him after the way that his season ended last year?
Well, I don't know about that. I mean, you know, if you think back to 2024, he was 15-4. He finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting. He was an All-Star that year. This is pretty much the same pitcher that we saw then. I don't think it's a revelation of who he is rather than getting back to what he was before he injured his hamstring last year. And that version of Shota certainly was not helpful for him to be able to go out there and compete and for the Cubs to be able to win. You remember the very last game of the season for the Cubs in 2025, he was rested and
What factors have contributed to the success of the Cubs' pitching staff?
They were going to an elimination game, and they had a pass because they had lost the confidence in his ability to get out. So he has come a long way back to being the pitcher he was in 2024, and he's on his way to another All-Star game at this point.
So with that being said, what has been the most surprising or impressive part, specifically with the pitching staff, whether it's in the rotation or the bullpen? What has raised the eyebrow of Bruce Levine most from this pitching staff over this stretch?
Well, Remy, I think in a day of velocity, other than Cabrera, who throws the ball 97, this pitching staff gets it done with pitchability. They have outstanding breaking pitches. They have outstanding command and control. The difference in command and control is control is being able to throw in the zone. Command is pinpointing where you want to throw it. This is a different type of pitching staff than we know in Major League Baseball right now.
What impact has Ian Happ had on the Cubs' performance this season?
None of these guys are seeking velocity or 97 or 100. They're seeking getting outs, and it's really a throwback-type rotation for the Chicago Cubs. We exclude Cabrera, who's 97 with a changeup that's 95. The front office went out and did a great job of picking him up for – Casey in the offseason. But the reality is that each guy, and Boyd's going to be out for anywhere from four, most likely six weeks with this meniscus repair that he had today. But you look at all of them and you go, they just... They just give you six innings every time, sometimes seven, and they're at 100 pitches, and the team's in a position to win the game. So the bullpen load, even though there's been injuries to the bullpen, hasn't been as severe because of the fact that these guys have gone deep into games, deep being the 2026 version of deep, six innings, sometimes seven.
And as I said to start the show, and I'm not breaking any news, nine-game win streak now on the heels of a 10-game win streak.
How has Craig Council managed the team through injuries?
They've won 15 in a row at Wrigley Field. And as you pointed out in a tweet earlier today, the last time they had two streaks of 10 or more in a season was in 1935. And you thanked Cubs Media Relations for that little tidbit. I heard Ron Coomer on the call today said that he can't remember a run or a stretch this impressive. And Ron's been around this team for a long time, including the 2016 World Series. Bruce, you've been around this team for a long time. Can you remember a stretch in your run covering this team as impressive as what we've seen here in the last 22 where they won 19 of those games?
No, I don't think so. I mean, the 2008 team was superior, and they had a couple of streaks that were long. But as you mentioned about the earlier tweet, it's been since 1935 that they won 11 in a row and then 18 in a row in that season.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What recent achievements have the Cubs accomplished?
0:00–0:39
2
How has Shota Imanaga exceeded expectations this season?
0:39–1:30
3
What factors have contributed to the success of the Cubs' pitching staff?
1:30–2:34
4
What impact has Ian Happ had on the Cubs' performance this season?
2:34–3:47
5
How has Craig Council managed the team through injuries?
3:47–4:45
6
What strategies are in place to address the Cubs' pitching injuries?
4:45–5:32
7
What is the significance of the Cubs' upcoming World Series anniversary celebration?
5:32–6:21
8
How is the Cubs' management planning for the trade deadline?
6:21–33:45
Speakers
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