Brett and Michael are back for the sixty-second episode of the Bleacher Nation Cubs Podcast (Presented by Ankin Law)! The Cubs finally lost a Wednesday game before a Thursday morning recording, but the guys aren’t exactly panicking.

They discuss the challenge of trying to avoid a sweep against the Braves—especially with Chris Sale looming—and why the recent offensive slowdown feels far more fluky than alarming. After all, the Cubs have run into some excellent pitching lately, and a four-game stretch isn’t enough to suddenly rewrite what this offense has been all season.

On the pitching side, the conversation turns once again to the rotation and potential trade targets, but there’s also optimism around Ben Brown’s continued growth. His increased groundball rate and evolving profile suggest he may be turning into a much more complete pitcher than many expected heading into the year.

The guys also preview the upcoming Crosstown Series against the Chicago White Sox, who have surprisingly hovered around .500 and become one of the more intriguing stories in baseball early this season. Much of that has been driven by Munetaka Murakami, whose arrival on the South Side has immediately made him one of the most entertaining players in Chicago baseball.

A special thank you to Ankin Law for sponsoring this podcast!

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