Jordan Wicks' 16.62 ERA Is Making Cubs Fans Sweat Right Now

Holy smokes, talk about a wild ride! The Chicago Cubs, our buddies from the National League, are wrapping up May with a series against the St. Louis Cardinals, and let me tell you, their month has been an absolute rollercoaster. They kicked things off with an insane eight straight wins, which capped off their second 10-game winning streak of the season. You think they were cruising? Nah, this team then tanked, losing 14 of their next 16, including a brutal 10-game skid. Now, they've pulled it back with three wins in their last four, including a 6-1 dub on Saturday night to set up a rubber match for the series win. But amidst that chaos, their pitching situation is giving everyone serious heartburn, especially after lefty Jordan Wicks' last outing.

Wicks' Nightmare Start and bullpen Woes

Look, 10-game winning streaks are awesome, but a 16.62 ERA? That's the kind of number that makes you spill your coffee at T-Mobile Park. That's exactly where Jordan Wicks sits after his second start of the season. This dude, a former first-round pick, made his season debut last Tuesday against Pittsburgh and it was rough. He got hammered for eight runs on nine hits in just 4 1/3 innings, leading to a 12-1 shellacking. He did strike out five, but that ERA is screaming for a cleanup, and he's going back out there for his second start against the Cardinals. The good news? He's got a spotless record against St. Louis in eight innings over three appearances, including a three-inning save last September. Let's hope he can find some of that old magic, because the Cardinals are trying to climb out of their own hole, having dropped five of their last six games. They need a long start from their guy, Matthew Liberatore, on Sunday after their bullpen got torched for five runs on Saturday.

Seiya Suzuki's Bat Needs a Jolt

It's not just the pitching that's been a head-scratcher. Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki has been fighting with his bat this month, especially when it comes to power. This is a guy who smacked 31 doubles and 32 homers in 571 at-bats last season. This year? He's only got five doubles and seven homers in 168 at-bats, and his last dinger was all the way back on May 8. He finally snagged an extra-base hit, a double, on Saturday, which was his first since May 15. The dude is working through it, telling reporters through an interpreter, "There's good at-bats, and there's some bad at-bats, but I think the amount of good at-bats is increasing. Hopefully, I'm trying to figure everything out one at-bat at a time. Even if I'm not hitting well, I can focus on defense and trying to help the team there." That's the grind, right? You gotta find a way to contribute when the bat isn't popping. So, the Cubs are looking to salvage a crazy May with a series win on Sunday night against the Cardinals. It's a chance to finish the month above water after that wild swing from hot to not. For Wicks, it's about proving that last start was a fluke, and for Suzuki, it's about getting that swing back on track. We'll be watching to see if they can finally get some consistency going.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.