With their sights set on profitable a division title, the Chicago Cubs weren’t specializing in the National League wild-card chase.
Next week’s three-game collection at Wrigley Field in opposition to the first-place Milwaukee Brewers must be an opportunity to slender the three 1/2-game margin between the NL Central rivals, and the Cubs have Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele and Kyle Hendricks set as much as begin.
But beggars can’t be choosers, and if the wild card is the Cubs’ solely path to the postseason, they’ll take it.
“I probably check (the wild-card standings) this year more than in the past,” supervisor David Ross stated with a smile Wednesday morning.
Of course, there was no have to test them in 2021 and ‘22, when the Cubs had been out of competition by this level.
“This is what’s so much fun to me about baseball — getting into this time of the year and rooting against the teams around you,” Ross stated. “It’s funny, with all candidness, I can’t wait to get to my phone when we win. And I don’t want to check it when we lose.”
If Ross checked his telephone on the flight to Pittsburgh after Wednesday’s 6-4 win over the Detroit Tigers, he would’ve discovered the Cubs in second within the chase for 3 wild-card spots, 2 1/2 video games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and a half-game forward of the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds.
The Brewers’ 8-7, 10-inning comeback win over the Minnesota Twins in 100-degree warmth in Milwaukee prevented them from shedding floor to the Cubs.
Cubs starter Jameson Taillon threw 5 no-hit innings in Detroit earlier than falling aside within the sixth, however Yan Gomes’ two-out, RBI single within the eighth snapped a 4-4 tie and Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay closed it out.
The Cubs’ final wild-card look got here in 2018, after they blew a divisional tiebreaker recreation to the Brewers at Wrigley Field after which misplaced to the Colorado Rockies the subsequent day at residence to finish their season.
Are the gamers being attentive to what the opposite wild-card contenders are doing? Do they even know which groups are at the moment out and in?
“Everyone has always got an idea of (who they are), but I don’t think anyone is losing any sleep over it,” shortstop Dansby Swanson stated. “That’s the way our heads are at anyway. We have bigger things than that, and that’s what we’re obviously striving for.”
In addition to the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Giants and Reds, the Cubs additionally should preserve tabs on the Miami Marlins, who’re two video games behind the Cubs.
The San Diego Padres, who could have the most effective lineup of any contender, are six video games behind the Cubs and fading.
Here are three different takeaways from the collection in Detroit, wherein the Cubs took two of three.
1. The Cubs want extra offense out of Dansby Swanson.
After an 0-for-4 efficiency in Wednesday’s win, Swanson is hitting .174 over his final 26 video games since July 26. But seven of his 16 hits had been residence runs and he drove in 22 runs in that stretch, together with 4 Tuesday night time.
“It’s just the ebbs and flows of the season,” Swanson stated. “Sometimes you feel like all you can do is hit singles. Sometimes it’s the other way around. We put in a lot of really good work and had a lot of good conversations, and I feel like I’m starting to find a little bit of my rhythm again, so definitely some positive steps moving forward.”
Also struggling on the plate in August is Christopher Morel, hitting .136 within the month and forcing Ross to depart the slugger on the bench Wednesday. Patrick Wisdom was deployed because the designated hitter and went 0-for-2, falling to .197 for the season.
Morel has three residence runs in August, together with the walk-off, three-run shot in opposition to the White Sox on Aug. 16 at Wrigley. But Ross wants extra out of each him and Swanson.
2. Marcus Stroman is gone from the crew, and when he’ll return is unknown.
“He headed home to Tampa to rest up,” Ross stated.
Stroman, who inexplicably suffered fractured proper rib cartilage, stated final week he can’t do something and didn’t need to be across the crew whereas injured and turn into a distraction. Ross stated he’s leaving it as much as crew docs and trainers to replace him on Stroman, as he does with all injured gamers.
“That’s not my forte,” he stated. “I text (players), ‘Hey, I hope you’re good, buddy, see you when you get back.’ No real information. It’s a tricky thing with players. Do they give you real information? Like, ‘Hey how you feeling?’ They’re like, ‘Great, skip.’ Then they’re in the training room like, ‘I can barely walk.’”
Kyle Hendricks stated gamers are “all checking in on” Stroman to supply help.
“He’s doing everything he can, getting work,” Hendricks stated. “It’s type of up within the air. It’s a really weird harm that you simply don’t see numerous. He’s attempting to navigate his manner via it. He’s so conscious of his physique and he works so exhausting to be proper and be the man we’ve wanted him to be. He’s been unbelievable for us.
“Hopefully there is some silver lining here. Find something and get back this year. If not, you just hope in the long run his health returns and he can be who he is.”
3. Drew Smyly stays within the rotation — for now — regardless of his poor outing Tuesday.
Smyly, who allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in an 8-6 loss to the Tigers, is scheduled to face the Pirates on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
Ross stated Smyly “wasn’t as aggressive as he wanted to (be), was fatigued at the back end” of his begin after a latest stint within the bullpen.
“That comes along with the layoff and a new routine,” Ross stated. “Hopefully he can be better with his next start, and we’ll go from there.”
Would Ross attempt an opener once more, with Smyly coming in as the primary reliever, as he did earlier?
Ross wouldn’t go there, however he stated Hayden Wesneski is constructed up sufficient now to piggyback with Smyly. And prospect Jordan Wicks was scratched from his begin for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, resulting in hypothesis he may substitute Smyly within the rotation.
It gave the impression of Smyly would get a faster hook if he struggled in his subsequent begin, which could possibly be his final if he doesn’t present enchancment.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com