Dansby Swanson tried to channel a less-is-more mentality when he stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs had just watched the Texas Rangers tie the game in the top half of the inning on a fluky triple toward the foul wall in right field. But they immediately had an opportunity to respond. Two fielding errors by the Rangers and an intentional walk to Kyle Tucker brought Swanson to the plate with the bases loaded and one out, already having homered and driven in another run with a sacrifice fly.
Swanson went the other way on the second pitch from veteran reliever Chris Martin, slashing the inside cutter to right field for a go-ahead two-run single. A double steal set up Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-out, two-run single as the four-run eighth gave the Cubs a 10-6 victory for their third straight series win.
“Simple, just trying to stay up the middle of the field,” Swanson said of his approach in the eighth. “It’s kind of one of those things, like, why don’t I just do that every time I come up to hit? But I think less is more in those situations, and I understand that we’re in the driver’s seat.”
The Cubs (9-5) have won seven of their last eight games.
Swanson’s four home runs through the first 14 games of a season match his career-high. He didn’t hit his fourth home run last year until May 5 in the Cubs’ 35th game.
“There’s no question there were times during the first half of the season last year he was not himself and he was affected,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Dansby’s been a really good player in this league and he continues to make plays offensively, defensively and on the bases. He’s affecting all parts of the game.”
A healthy Swanson is part of what has made this Cubs lineup so tough the last two weeks. His .809 OPS ranks second on the team.
Photos: Chicago Cubs beat the Texas Rangers 10-6 at Wrigley Field
“Being healthy is such a big deal, it has been a really good reminder this is what it’s supposed to feel like to be healthy and to be able to play freely, mentally, but also physically,” Swanson said. “I’m just so grateful to be in this position and to be here with these guys being able to do this.”
In two of the top-10 coldest games at first pitch in Wrigley Field history against the Rangers, the Cubs repeatedly showed how dangerous the lineup can be, even without the long ball. Only one of their 17 runs in the two wins versus Texas came on a home run.
“It’s always 75 and sunny in my mind,” Swanson said with a smile. “In Nashville, when I was playing at Vandy, it got really cold as well at times and you just do it. You just do it and go out there and embrace it. I think it’s fun to play in, it’s a big-league game and I’m very thankful to be able to do this for a living.”
Seiya Suzuki collected three hits, including a two-run single, part of reaching base safely in 12 of 14 games. A costly mistake in the bottom of the sixth nearly proved to be the difference in the game, though. As Kyle Tucker hit a ball toward the left-center field gap with two outs in the sixth, Suzuki slowed as he approached second base. By the time he resumed running to third, Suzuki was unable to score on Tucker’s double, and both were ultimately stranded.
Suzuki’s run would have been valuable in the late innings as the Rangers chipped away at the Cubs’ three-run lead. They scored two in the seventh and tied it in the eighth on Josh Jung’s two-out RBI triple on a ball carrying toward the right-field foul wall that Tucker couldn’t make a play on.
However, more often than not this season the Cubs have done the little things well offensively, defensively and on the bases. Four Cubs recorded multi-hit games while they improved to 25-for-26 in stolen base attempts after swiping four more on Tuesday. Only one other team has stolen more than 20 bases (the Pittsburgh Pirates with 21).
The Cubs aren’t going to overreact to the offensive performance they’ve witnessed to start the season, especially after a hot month in April 2024 was followed by a two-month collective stretch from their hitters that dug them a big hole in the standings. But nights like Tuesday and what the lineup has shown through 14 games are encouraging.
“You always know (Swanson’s) going to defend and play great shortstop and be a great leader, but offensively he’s obviously got juice,” said starter Jameson Taillon, who earned a no decision. “I just see him out there playing really good situational baseball too and then when people make mistakes, he’s capitalizing. … He’s in a great spot.”
Taillon delivered a second-straight quality start. He used his six-pitch repertoire to find success against the Rangers, predominantly relying on his four-seam fastball, which produced eight called strikes. As expected, Texas stacked the lineup with lefties, putting five, including two switch hitters, in against Taillon. He used his curveball and changeup exclusively against them to get an elite six whiffs on 14 swings.
Wyatt Langford’s game-tying solo home run with one out in the third was the last damage the Rangers managed with Taillon on the mound. He retired 11 of the next 12 hitters and worked around Langford’s leadoff double in the sixth. Taillon finished with three runs on five hits, one walk and six strikeouts.
“On a night like tonight you’ve got to really emphasize finishing your breaking balls,” Taillon said. “It’s possible to pitch out there in the cold. You just have to just finish everything with a little more intent so I thought after that second (inning) we regrouped.”
