May continues to be a drag for the Chicago Cubs.
They limp into Monday’s break day and an upcoming nine-game homestand on the lookout for momentum earlier than their file — 20-26 after Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Philadelphia — places them in catch-up mode the remainder of the summer season.
The White Sox, in the meantime, completed their first profitable homestand of the season (6-3) on the energy of beginning pitching. After Sunday’s 5-2 victory within the sequence finale towards the Kansas City Royals, Sox starters have a 2.06 ERA — permitting 9 earned runs in 39⅓ innings — during the last six video games.
Every Monday all through the season, Tribune baseball writers will present an replace on what occurred — and what’s forward for the Cubs and Sox.
High-leverage alternatives in Cubs bullpen
Prepare to see Cubs supervisor David Ross strive different reduction choices in high-leverage spots within the close to future.
With Brad Boxberger on the injured record, Keegan Thompson in Triple A and Michael Fulmer struggling inconsistency, Ross will give alternatives in key spots to different relievers. Adbert Alzolay — who allowed the go-ahead dwelling run within the seventh inning of Sunday’s loss — Jeremiah Estrada and Julian Merryweather are in place to be referred to as on in these moments.
Merryweather, 31, owns a 1.50 ERA during the last 4 weeks, permitting two runs in 12 innings (10 appearances). During that stretch, the right-hander has struck out 15 and walked 4.
Merryweather admitted it was powerful his early outcomes this season. He was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits in 5⅔ innings over his first 5 appearances. He stated there was a studying curve getting on the identical web page with catchers Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart however believes he’s now in a great spot.
Adjusting his pitch combine has performed a task in his latest success too.
“Getting away from just being fastball-slider, mixing in the changeup, mixing in the sweeper just to kind of have hitters thinking that there’s other options I could go to early or late in the count,” Merryweather informed the Tribune. “Keeping a lot more opportunities open.”
Jake Burger continues to rake at dwelling
It can generally take a number of video games for a participant to discover a rhythm after a stint on the injured record.
That hasn’t been the case for Jake Burger.
The Sox infielder had a minimum of one hit in every of his first six video games since getting back from a strained left indirect May 14. Burger went 0-for-4 Sunday to finish the streak.
“Those 10 days (out), I could kind of focus on areas I need to improve on,” Burger stated after Saturday’s 5-1 win towards the Royals. “It’s controlling everything and slowing the game down.”
Burger went 11-for-22 (.500) with one double, one triple, three dwelling runs, 9 RBIs and three runs within the six-game streak.
“Hitters emerge,” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol stated. “They’re allowed to get higher, proper? And that’s what he’s doing. He’s getting higher day by day. That’s a motive we don’t simply present up for the sport. That’s the explanation we observe. That’s the explanation guys get right here early, to proceed to get higher and enhance. He’s displaying that.
“We see him at 7:10, 1:10 (game times), but what people don’t see is the work that he puts in to improve every single day. That’s what’s impressive to me. Both on the offensive side and on the defensive side.”
Burger has been significantly efficient at Guaranteed Rate Field. He’s batting .333 (22-for-66) by Sunday with three doubles, one triple, 9 dwelling runs, 21 RBIs and 12 runs at dwelling. Through Saturday, the 21 dwelling RBIs had been tied for fourth within the majors.
“There’s nothing I can describe or explain,” Burger stated of the house success. “I love playing in front of our fans. It’s always fun interacting with them. It definitely makes me feel at home. Hopefully I can transition that to the road.”
Week forward: Cubs
The Cubs can use the break day Monday as they return from the three-city journey to regroup and provides the rotation an additional day of relaxation.
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks is positioned to return through the homestand. The Cubs wish to see how his physique and shoulder reply to Saturday’s six-inning rehab begin with Triple-A Iowa earlier than making any declarations about when he may rejoin the rotation.
Ross anticipates Hendricks being with the workforce when the Cubs are again at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. If Hendricks continues to really feel good after Saturday’s outing, he may make his season debut — and first big-league begin since July 5 — this weekend towards the Cincinnati Reds.
Thursday represents an vital begin for Jameson Taillon, who has struggled in 4 begins since getting back from the IL. The Cubs want the veteran to get on monitor and pitch deeper into video games.
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: vs. Mets, 6:40 p.m., Marquee
- Wednesday: vs. Mets, 6:40 p.m., Marquee
- Thursday: vs. Mets, 6:40 p.m., Marquee
- Friday: vs. Reds, 1:20 p.m., Marquee
- Saturday: vs. Reds, 6:15 p.m., Fox-32
- Sunday: vs. Reds, 1:20 p.m., Marquee
Week forward: White Sox
Michael Kopech completed a feat Friday that hadn’t occurred for the Sox since 1987.
According to Baseball Reference/Stathead, together with his one-hit effort towards the Royals, the right-hander turned simply the third pitcher in franchise historical past to work a minimum of eight innings and permit one or zero hits whereas hanging out a minimum of 10 and issuing no walks.
“That was so fun to watch,” Sox starter Lucas Giolito stated Saturday. “That’s what he can do. I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to do that as he continues to find his consistency.”
Kopech joined Floyd Bannister, who did it Sept. 13, 1987, in Seattle, and Gary Peters, who did it July 15, 1963, towards the Baltimore Orioles.
Bannister allowed one hit and struck out 10 whereas going the space in a 2-0 win. Peters allowed one hit and struck out 13 in a 4-0 shutout.
Kopech and reliever Kendall Graveman mixed for a one-hitter within the 2-0 victory. The Sox confronted the minimal 27 batters for the eleventh time in membership historical past. The final time was Philip Humber’s excellent recreation on April 21, 2012, in Seattle.
Kopech’s subsequent scheduled begin is Wednesday.
- Monday: at Guardians, 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Tuesday: at Guardians, 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Wednesday: at Guardians, 12:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Thursday: at Tigers, 5:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Friday: at Tigers, 5:40 p.m., Apple TV+
- Saturday: at Tigers, 12:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Sunday: at Tigers, 12:40 p.m., NBCSCH
What we’re studying this morning
This week in Chicago baseball
May 24, 1990: Cubs’ Andre Dawson is walked deliberately 5 occasions to interrupt a file
The extra-innings recreation towards the Reds at Wrigley Field was a prolonged one: The first 9 innings took 2 hours; the final seven, 2 hours 27 minutes. The Cubs ran out of place gamers when Domingo Ramos pinch-hit to finish the fifteenth. The Reds ran out when Ken Griffey grounded out to finish the thirteenth as a pinch hitter.
The earlier intentional stroll file was held by Roger Maris and Garry Templeton.
May 24, 2001: Cubs’ Jon Lieber throws a 78-pitch, one-hit shutout in a 3-0 blanking of the Reds
It was the primary shutout of the Reds in an NL-record 208 video games. The right-hander confronted the minimal 27 batters, threw 56 of his 78 pitches for strikes and tossed the Cubs’ first one-hitter since Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout efficiency on May 6, 1998.
Cubs supervisor Don Baylor departed from the philosophy of changing the beginning pitcher after a prolonged rain delay as a result of Lieber had an ideal recreation by 4 innings. Lieber spent virtually as a lot time within the clubhouse through the rain delay as he did on the mound (1:48) dispatching the Reds.
May 24, 2011: White Sox’s Carlos Quentin hits three dwelling runs in a recreation delayed practically 3 hours
It was the primary three-homer recreation of Quentin’s profession, coming in an 8-6 win over the Rangers. His most spectacular homer got here within the fourth inning. Despite a stiff wind, Quentin ripped a three-run shot nicely over the right-field fence that traveled an estimated 403 ft.
Before Quentin’s homer, the Texas winds had been so fierce that followers sitting within the higher deck had been requested to maneuver to decrease ranges. And through the rain delay, followers moved to the decrease tunnels due to the specter of a twister.
May 25, 1982: Fergie Jenkins turns into the seventh pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters
Jenkins reached the milestone within the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Padres by hanging out Garry Templeton within the third inning.
Jody Davis was behind the plate for the milestone, and that baseball is now within the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Jenkins stored strikeout ball No. 3,001 and gave No. 3,002 to his catcher.
“It’s here in my trophy case, and I’m pretty proud of that,” Davis informed the Tribune. “Catching him was almost like a day off because Fergie had such great control of all his pitches that you go out there and you call a pitch and you set up, catch the ball and throw it back. It was so much fun. Looking at his numbers is just astronomical.”
May 27, 2012: Paul Konerko hits his four-hundredth dwelling run with the White Sox
The tiebreaking three-run blast got here in a 12-6 win over Cleveland. The offensive outburst gave the Sox 9 or extra runs in 4 consecutive video games. They final completed that feat June 27-30, 1938.
May 28, 1995: White Sox and Tigers set a major-league file for dwelling runs
Not solely had been their 12 homers within the Sox’s 14-12 victory an MLB file, however the groups additionally set an AL file with 21 extra-base hits.
Quotable
“I mean, you can put any adjective — really, really good adjective — in front of it. It’s crazy. When he hits the ball, it’s a homer. Wish I knew what that felt like.” — Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson after Christopher Morel homered Sunday for his eighth in his first 11 video games this season
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Source: www.bostonherald.com