Cubs remain mighty despite hitting snag

There are no sure things with three-fourths of the baseball season remaining. But when it comes to the Chicago Cubs, there are few uncertainties.

The Cubs have had some recent difficulties, dropping two out of three to the Milwaukee Brewers and losing five of their past eight.

But this comes under the heading of “you can’t win them all.” The Cubs are still north of .700. Their run differential is the stuff of dreams. Chicago’s starting pitching is exceptional. Its offense is talented, versatile and, more than anything, deep, deep, deep.

So when manager Joe Maddon was asked Thursday what, if anything, he still needed to find out about his club, his response came down to getting a return to form from three relievers in the middle of the bullpen. That’s a remarkably thin list of questions at this early juncture in the season, but it is not an unreasonable view of the Cubs.

Maddon loves his club’s intangibles, and there isn’t any reason to doubt his sincerity. He doesn’t have much to find out in this area, either.

“Honestly, when you ask that question, I think about work ethic, preparation, guys who are able to play with a little bit of a bump or a bruise, guys in the bullpen who can really bounce back. That’s what I think about when you ask that question,” Maddon said. “At this point, I’m feeling pretty good about what I know about our group.”

As to the relievers, the questions they …

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