On June 20, a little over a month ago, Chicago Cubs star pitcher Marcus Stroman had a 2.28 ERA.
He had looked like one of the most efficient pitchers in the National League and gave the Cubs some hope for the future.
Fast forward to August 1, and his ERA is now up to 3.85.
How did it happen?
Well, a series of really bad starts, that’s how.
Cubs insider Jesse Rogers illustrated Stroman’s recent funk with numbers.
Warning: it’s ugly.
“Marcus Stroman lasted only 3 innings tonight giving up 6 runs. It was his 3rd consecutive game allowing at least 5. That’s the longest streak of giving up 5 or more runs in his career. Over his last 7 starts, he’s given up a total of 30 ER in 30 innings,” he tweeted.
Marcus Stroman lasted only 3 innings tonight giving up 6 runs. It was his 3rd consecutive game allowing at least 5. That's the longest streak of giving up 5 or more runs in his career. Over his last 7 starts, he's given up a total of 30 ER in 30 innings.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 1, 2023
The really revealing fact is not that he allowed six runs in three innings in his most recent start on Monday, but instead, that he has conceded 30 earned runs in his last 30 frames.
That’s a 9.00 ERA.
Stroman is an incredibly talented pitcher, so there is a chance he is hiding an injury or going through some major mechanical issues.
In any case, with the Cubs now in the thick of a postseason race, they sure hope he can right the ship on time to go back to where he was.
At the top of his game, he can headline a rotation.
Chicago won eight straight games before dropping their last two.
The NL Central is a real possibility at this point: they are five games behind the Cincinnati Reds.
If Stroman can return to form, they can make a run.
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