Cubs Heroes and Goats: Matthew Boyd is the Superhero vs. the Diamondbacks

Matthew Boyd is set up as the pitching focal point of a Cubs story that weighs “superhero” outcomes against “goats,” while reflecting on what the season has looked like through a string of disappointments. The piece argues the Cubs likely won’t suffer long-term damage from recent results, noting they don’t have a realistic chance to catch the Brewers and that Philadelphia’s path would require passing Chicago rather than merely catching them, thanks to tiebreakers. It also revisits pitching strategy, saying injury-prone arms weren’t a new market idea, but that the Cubs endured an unusually large concentration of pitcher injuries, with some setbacks pushing returns back. In Arizona, the club benefited from its top three starters, producing 20 innings of one-run baseball across three games; the trip finished with two wins.