The Cubs are now in a tough stretch of the schedule where they’ll play only four games against a team under .500 (the Pirates, this weekend) between now and the All-Star break.

Thus it’s important for them to at least split the games against the good teams, and hopefully take three of four from Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field. The Pirates are 9-22 on the road this year.

Here’s who’s hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.

Three up
The bullpen continues to be outstanding

Over the team’s last 22 games since May 14, the Cubs bullpen has posted an ERA of 0.80 (seven earned runs in 79 innings), the lowest mark in the majors in that span.

It’s ben even better on this road trip: two runs (one earned) in 19⅓ innings, for an ERA of 0.47. (That includes Colin Rea’s 5⅓-inning scoreless outing after Caleb Thielbar opened for him last Wednesday in Washington, as it goes into the books as a relief appearance.)

The offense resumed hitting home runs

The Cubs hit eight home runs in the six-game trip — and that includes none on Sunday and none last Wednesday, when they didn’t score any runs at all.

That’s after a six-game homestand in which the team hit… two.

I don’t get it either. Although some of it is “wind blowing in at Wrigley,” the difference is huge. For the season, the Cubs have hit 26 home runs in 31 home games and 62 home runs in 33 road games. Overall, the team’s 88 homers rank fifth in MLB. The 26 home runs in home games ranks 24th. The 62 road homers are first… by five over the Angels and 12 overt the third-ranked Diamondbacks.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Seiya Suzuki had just five hits on the week, but two of those were home runs Saturday in Detroit, and I know you’d like to look at those again [VIDEO].

Jameson Taillon has become, for now, the staff ace

In Shōta Imanaga’s absence, someone had to step up to lead the rotation and Taillon has done exactly that. He had a stellar outing Saturday in Detroit and over his last four starts, covering 26⅔ innings, he has a 1.69 ERA and issued just five walks of 98 batters faced. Also, his home run count has dropped — only three long balls total over those four starts.

Here are Jamo’s five K’s on Saturday [VIDEO].

Hat tip to Ben Brown for his excellent outing Friday night in Detroit.

Three down
The shine has worn off Carson Kelly

Kelly played four games on the trip and went 2-for-16 (.125) with a walk. His OPS is still good at .872 and he plays good defense. But maybe it’s time to give Reese McGuire a bit more playing time, as McGuire is also hitting and playing good defense.

Dansby Swanson has also cooled off

Swanson’s two-hit game Sunday sort of redeemed the rest of the week, where he went 3-for-20 (.150) with seven strikeouts over the other five games.

Swanson seems a streaky hitter — he started the year slow, then had a 27-game stretch where he batted .343/.411/.606 (34-for-99) with seven home runs. Since then, though: .167/.190/.222 (9-for-54) with 18 strikeouts.

Perhaps Philadelphia will be the place he turns things around.

Ian Happ had a weird week

Thursday in Washington, Happ went 3-for-6 with four RBI, including a double and a two-run homer.

So how does he wind up in the “down” column?

In the other five games, Happ went 3-for-18 (.167, all singles) with seven strikeouts.

As you surely know, Ian Happ is a very streaky hitter. He can go into long slumps, then breaks out of them with long hot streaks. One of the latter would be quite welcome right about now.

Poll
How many games will the Cubs win against the Phillies and Pirates?