Summer in Chicago is fleeting, and each second must be savored.
That’s precisely what a crowd of 39,525 did Saturday on a wonderful August afternoon at Wrigley Field throughout the Air and Water and Bellinger Show.
With the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds offering the backdrop within the Chicago Cubs’ 6-4 win towards the Kansas City Royals, first baseman Cody Bellinger poked a pair of opposite-field house runs and drove in 4 runs on a day the group celebrated the lifetime of legendary WXRT-FM 93.1 DJ Lin Brehmer.
Justin Steele pitched six sturdy innings, permitting two runs whereas putting out seven to tie for the major-league lead together with his 14th win. Adbert Alzolay transformed his thirteenth straight save alternative, and the Cubs evened the sequence at a recreation apiece with Kyle Hendricks taking the mound Sunday within the rubber recreation.
But the day belonged to Bellinger, who as soon as once more carried the Cubs on his shoulders.
“Putting the lineup on his back is kind of what he does,” supervisor David Ross mentioned. “The Belli story is like our offense kind of goes as he goes.”
Bellinger labored on going to left area earlier than the sport, Ross mentioned of a pregame batting observe session, and the work paid off.
“I didn’t like how I felt yesterday,” Bellinger defined. “I just wanted to come early and get some extra reps and feel what I wanted to feel.”
Whatever he felt, the Cubs hope it’s contagious. They have eight extra video games towards sub-500 groups earlier than a sequence towards the first-place Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 28-30 at Wrigley Field.
Bellinger’s exceptional comeback season has helped the Cubs morph from pretenders to contenders over the past two-plus months, bringing Wrigley again to life for what’s shaping up as a wild end to the season.
Cubs followers of all ages have seen higher groups than the one which improved to 63-59, however few of current classic have been as enjoyable to observe as this one has been since late June, with Bellinger, Steele, Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson main the best way.
Whether Bellinger will return in 2024 is the query all Cubs followers need answered, particularly season ticket holders being requested to pay for postseason tickets earlier than Sept. 15. Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Eric Karros mentioned throughout the memorable 2003 season that “every player should be a Cub for one year,” and if that is Bellinger’s solely season on the North Side, he’s taking advantage of it.
His two-homer recreation Saturday gave him 20 for the season, tying Patrick Wisdom for the group lead. Since July 16, Bellinger has hit .374 (43-for-115) with eight house runs and 27 RBIs, main the Cubs’ resurgence.
There’s an excellent likelihood some free-spending group will outbid the Cubs, who little question have the cash to compete with some other rival and have already got introduced a mean ticket improve of round 3% for 2024. But they could be reluctant to exceed the posh tax, based mostly on historical past and Chairman Tom Ricketts’ aversion to spending greater than he completely has to with a view to win a second championship.
“We’ll manage (the competitive balance tax) year to year,” Ricketts mentioned in spring coaching. “I’m not going to promise top five or anything like that, but we will definitely put the resources we have on the field.”
Other than the unicorn, Shohei Ohtani, no different free-agent hitter figures to command the type of deal Bellinger ought to get this offseason. He was a former MVP non-tendered final fall by the Dodgers after two subpar years, so there could be questions on whether or not this season is an anomaly.
Bellinger admitted Saturday that he tried to return too quickly from shoulder surgical procedure in 2021 after dislocating it whereas celebrating throughout the 2020 posteason.
“Definitely looking back I would’ve taken a little more time as opposed to trying to get ready for opening day,” he mentioned. “But my first-ever surgery, and I really had no idea. It is what it is. It was a long time ago, and I’m looking forward.”
Bellinger won’t be in search of to interrupt the financial institution so long as he’s blissful and has an opportunity to win. So far, so good.
“It’s been a fun year,” he mentioned. “It was fun when I started in January. Got off on the right foot. Love Wrigley. It’s a great organization.”
But that’s not on his thoughts proper now. The story of this loopy Cubs season has a couple of chapters left, and Bellinger is aware of he can’t begin considering together with his pockets.
“We have 40-something games left and we’re in a playoff race,” he mentioned. “And for me that’s the only thing I’m focusing on.”
Cubs followers have carried out their half in making an attempt to maintain Bellinger round, showering him with love and making it arduous for him to depart.
And if the Cubs could make the postseason, he may have an opportunity to actually expertise what October baseball is like at Wrigley. He performed right here one October as a Dodgers rookie throughout the National League Championship Series in 2017, however the buzz was muted shortly. The Cubs misplaced Game 3 at house to go down 3-0 and finally fell 4-1.
“I wasn’t right here in ‘16 when they beat us, and I heard it was really crazy,” he said. “Obviously we came in in ‘17 and beat them. It’s all the time an awesome environment.”
The Cubs are assured of enjoying house video games in October provided that they win the division or end with the most effective NL wild-card report. Otherwise they must make it to the NL Division Series. They path the first-place Brewers by three video games and had been a half-game out of the ultimate wild-card spot getting into Saturday night time’s motion.
Summer’s finish is creeping in, and the Cubs have made it fascinating once more.
As Brehmer favored to say, it’s nice to be alive.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com