A comeback win on the highway to seize a sequence is the kind of consequence the Chicago Cubs wanted to take into the All-Star break.
Cubs gamers and supervisor David Ross have mentioned all the precise issues about conserving their give attention to the current with the Aug. 1 commerce deadline looming, understanding they should make a transfer quickly to erase a seven-game deficit behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds and a sub-.500 report (42-47).
Sunday’s 7-4 win over the New York Yankees on the power of six runs within the remaining three innings — highlighted by Yan Gomes’ pinch-hit, game-tying, two-run single within the seventh and Seiya Suzuki’s go-ahead sacrifice fly within the eighth — offered good vibes heading into the four-day break.
“You only can control what you can control, and that’s how we play,” catcher Tucker Barnhart mentioned. “You can scoreboard watch all you want, but at the end of the day, if we don’t win, it doesn’t matter. So the best thing we can do is continue to win series and if we (do), we’ll be in a spot where we’ve got a chance.”
The Cubs want extra of the raise they received off Suzuki’s bat Sunday for the offense to boast extra of an influence risk within the second half, which begins with a weekend sequence towards the Boston Red Sox to start a 10-game homestand.
Suzuki’s solo residence run within the fifth received the Cubs on the board and tied the sport. It was his first homer since May 23. His sacrifice fly within the eighth additionally was the kind of plate look the Cubs haven’t persistently gotten sufficient of from their proper fielder.
Suzuki completed the primary half with a .259/.342/.405 slash line, seven residence runs, 13 doubles and 28 RBIs in 71 video games, with a 0.7 fWAR and 104 weighted runs created plus. When assessing his first-half efficiency, Suzuki mentioned, “I feel like I could do a lot better.”
“First half I feel like I was too worried about my swing, and … all my thoughts were being displayed out there,” Suzuki mentioned by way of interpreter Toy Matsushita. “But this past week, I kind of changed it up and I just wanted to have a competitive at-bat, and the results followed. So I want to make sure I have the same mindset going into the second half.”
If the Cubs are going to chip away at their National League Central deficit and persuade the entrance workplace so as to add to the roster, it seemingly would proceed to relaxation on the backs of the rotation’s collective efficiency.
The group’s general steadiness has benefited from Kyle Hendricks pitching extra just like the pre-injury model. He allowed 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings Sunday, with many of the harm approaching back-to-back two-out residence runs from Anthony Volpe (two-run) and Kyle Higashioka (solo).
Hendricks understands what’s at stake for the Cubs after they begin the second half subsequent weekend after watching the entrance workplace go into promote mode the earlier two years.
“We’re always going to be urgent with our game and going out and playing good baseball and trying to win every day — that’s where our urgency is,” he mentioned. “As far as all the skin stuff and the deadline, I imply, we’re actually excited with the place we’re at and the chance we’ve on this division, in order that’s the place our focus is, simply to maintain successful.
“We have all the pieces in right here we want. Whatever they determine, that’s what they do up prime. They’re the perfect for a purpose at what they do. They’ll make the precise strikes and do all the pieces that we want, however we’ve all the pieces in right here that’s required to go on the market and win.
“We know everybody talks about our division. We’re still close enough where we have a chance. We can’t wait to get a few days off and just mentally take a break, but we’re already excited to get back at it. This was a good way to end it, and it’ll roll right into the second half hopefully.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com