After a dismal May defined by injuries and a ten-game skid, the North Siders eye a resurgence through a favorable June schedule packed with struggling sub-.500 opponents.
The Chicago Cubs will want to forget about May.
They played some of their worst baseball last month and finished May with a losing record (13-16). That .448 win percentage dropped the Cubs from a ½ game back in the National League Central standings on May 1 all the way to 5 ½ games back in the division on June 2.
The only highlight to come out of this month was the fact that the North Siders completed their second 10-game winning streak of the season in early May. Other than that, there’s not much to take away from this uninspiring month.
The Cubs dealt with more injuries, as Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd both landed on the injured list, and the offense couldn’t figure it out at times. This month also featured a 10-game losing streak spanning from May 16 to May 26.
But May is now in the past, and June presents Chicago with a golden opportunity.
The Cubs have an extremely favorable schedule in June. They will play 22 straight games against teams under .500 to begin the month, and only have five games against teams above .500 (three against the Brewers and two against the Padres).
Their easiest stretch actually comes early in the month, as Chicago will play 12 consecutive games against the Giants and Rockies. The Cubs will host the Giants for a three-game series this weekend, then head out west for three games against the Rockies and three games against the Giants before hosting the Rockies in mid-June.
The Giants and Rockies currently own the two worst records in the National League. San Francisco enters June with a 23-37 record (.383 win percentage), and Colorado has a 23-38 record (.377 win percentage).
This is one of those stretches where the Cubs could rattle off nine or 10 wins. Both the Giants and Rockies have struggled early in the year, and Chicago has the luxury of facing them in four straight series.
Now, playing 22 straight games against teams under .500 to start the month of June doesn’t really mean much if the Cubs continue to play subpar baseball. This is the same team that got swept by a 21-31 Astros team last month.
However, this is a prime opportunity for the Cubs to creep back up in the National League Central standings. They have one of the easiest schedules in June.
June's Schedule:
June 2 to June 4: vs. Athletics (28-31)
June 5 to June 7: vs. Giants (23-37)
June 9 to June 11: @ Rockies (23-38)
June 12 to June 14: @ Giants (23-37)
June 15 to June 17: vs. Rockies (23-38)
June 19 to June 21: vs. Blue Jays (29-31)
June 22 to June 25: @ Mets (26-34)
June 26 to June 28: @ Brewers (36-21)
June 29 to July 1: vs. Padres (32-26)
