Cubs offense making opposing starters work hard for outs
It's no secret the Chicago Cubs' suddenly charged-up offense is a major reason for their charge up the standings. The Cubs are producing and a big part of that is making the opposing starting pitcher work.
In Tuesday's win at Milwaukee, Chicago's 11th in 12 games, the Cubs chased Brewers starter Taylor Jungmann before the third inning was over. He threw 81 pitches.
The Cubs are seeing 3.98 pitches per plate appearance, according to ESPN, referencing Baseball Reference, the most in the National League. The league average is 3.78.
"We worked good at-bats," Maddon told reporters. "I love the tenacity of the at-bat. It continues to get better."
While the Cubs' pitch-per-plate appearance is a season-long stat, their at-bats in the last 12 games are telling of their success. In the last 12 games, according to ESPN, opposing starting pitchers have thrown an average of 92.9 pitches in 4.8 innings. The starter didn’t get out of the fifth inning in six of those games and only one pitcher reached the seventh inning.
(h/t ESPN)
