THE STREAK KEEPS ON
Rotation goes full turn without an earned run as Cubs win 5th in row
The Cubs pitched well and won again Monday at Wrigley Field.
‘‘ You guys believe me now?’’ starter Jon Lester said.
Huh? What? What were we supposed to believe?
‘‘ That we’d get on a roll playing every day,’’ Lester said after a 3- 2 victory against the Rockies in the opener of a three- game series moved the Cubs into sole possession of first place in the National League Central for the first time this season. ‘‘ Not having eight days between every start. I feel like we’re going in the right direction.’’
His infielders didn’t help much on this night, especially second baseman Javy Baez, who dropped a perfect throw covering first on a one- out bunt in the fifth inning, enabling the Rockies to score two unearned runs. He also misplayed a line drive in and out of his glove with one out in the ninth to give Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado shots to tie the score against Steve Cishek.
But even after another error — this one by third baseman Kris Bryant in the sixth — cost Lester a chance to get out of that inning, the pitching numbers five games into the homestand are staggering, especially by the starters.
The five- man crew hasn’t allowed an earned run during that full turn through the rotation. Going back an inning into the last road trip, the starters’ streak of 33‰ innings without yielding an earned run is the longest for the franchise since at least 1974, according to STATS Inc.
It’s the longest such stretch in the majors since the Nationals’ starters went 47„ innings without allowing an earned run in 2015.
‘‘ I hate tomake excuses for guys,’’ Cubs president Theo Epstein said. ‘‘ But there was so much rest with rainouts and the weather was so brutal that we’ve been telling ourselves, ‘ Just wait until we get on a regular routine and get some warm weather.’’’
We know. That’s what Lester said.
‘‘ It’s more like what we expect to see,’’ Epstein said. ‘‘ Not all the time, but on a pretty consistent basis through the year.”
More than the rotation, the pitching staff overall has allowed only one earned run during the Cubs’ 5- 0 start to the homestand. Consequently, they’ve needed only 12 runs total to win all those games.
In fact, it’s the first time in franchise history the Cubs have scored three or fewer runs in five consecutive games and won them all. The last team in the majors to do it was the 2011 Brewers.
‘‘ We’ve just seen nothing but good pitching the last five games here,’’ manager Joe Maddon said.
The Cubs had five weatherrelated postponements through April 18. They’ve had none since, coinciding with a 9- 2 run.
The Cubs have won so many low- scoring games lately, they’re in danger of overworking their lateinning aces. On this night, setup man Carl Edwards Jr. and closer Brandon Morrow were unavailable. That gave the ninth inning to Brian Duensing and Cishek.
And Lester’s defense- shortened outing enabled rookie Luke Farrell to earn the first victory of his career. He retired all four batters he faced to earn it.
‘‘ It’s cool, I won’t try to downplay it,’’ said Farrell, the son of former Red Sox manager John Farrell. ‘‘ To get your first win in the big leagues is an achievement.’’
He said his phone was blowing up with texts and calls afterward, including from his dad.
‘‘ He was pumped,’’ Farrell said.