Is there a spoon?

I mean I could write about how the Cubs got yet another quality start from their starting pitcher. Kyle Hendricks matched Jon Lester tonight. Or I could write about how once again the Cubs lineup battered an opposing starting pitcher. Tonight it wasn’t some dude pressed into starting, but a very good Carlos Carrasco that couldn’t make it five innings. The Cubs bats frequently do well in Ohio, but it seems like homecomings for Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ that highlight the night. Today it was the top of the order breaking out with both Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo crushing bombs.

Either way, the Cubs are on a roll that is positively 2016-like and the only meaningful question at this point is whether this is real or timing every team’s hot streak with the start of the year?

WPA CHART

Kyle Hendricks matched Jon Lester’s score line from last night pitching six innings of one run ball. He got there a slightly different way. The Cleveland squad was able to put a runner in every inning except the third inning, but the Professor was rarely in trouble. Cleveland only had runners in scoring position in the first and fifth inning. The lone tally Hendricks gave up occurred in the fifth inning. Tyler Naquin and Sandy Leon hit back to back singles to lead off the frame. Bradley Zimmer struck out looking before the bases were loaded on Cesar Hernandez’s single. Jose Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to put Cleveland on the board, but a Francisco Lindor ground out ended the threat.

The Cubs however had built a solid lead by that point in the game. Anthony Rizzo hit a laser beam shot to lead off the third inning. The Cubs added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez hit back to back singles to lead off that inning. Carrasco struck out Willson Contreras before being yanked for Oliver Perez. Ian Happ was walked intentionally to load the bases. Jason Heyward hit a sacrifice fly to double the Cubs lead. David Bote singled to drive in a pair but he was tossed out trying to stretch a single to end the inning.

The Cubs entered the sixth inning leading 4-1. Kris Bryant’s two out blast made it a 5-1 score. Dan Winkler was given the seventh inning. He was able to retire two Cleveland batters but also walked a pair. Rowan Wick was summoned to calm things, but Lindor singled back up the middle to cut the lead to 5-2. Wick would retire the next four Cleveland batters.

The Cubs added tallies in the eighth and ninth innings. Jason Kipnis hit a ground rule double to drive in Jason Heyward in the eighth inning. Jason Heyward hit a double to score Ian Happ as the bottom of the Cubs order continues to do damage. Jeremy Jeffress pitched a clean ninth as the Cubs stretched their NL Central leading record to 12-3. For those keeping track at home that is a better record than the 2016 version had 15 games into the season.

Random Reference

But right now I don’t really care if this is real or not because it was another game for Milos…I mean the Cubs.