The Chicago Cubs woke up Monday tied with the New York Mets for the best record in the National League.
They begin a nine-game road trip Tuesday in Washington before two extremely difficult challenges against the Detroit Tigers, who have MLB’s best record, and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Here are four takeaways from their 5-1 homestand.
Daniel Palencia has moved into the closer’s role without actually being named the closer. Manager Craig Counsell used him in that spot on May 19 in Miami, and Palencia blew his first opportunity in a 7-6 loss. But since then, he’s ripped off five straight saves, allowing one hit and no walks over five scoreless innings.
Ryan Pressly was moved out of the closer’s role after his historically bad outing against the San Francisco Giants on May 6 at Wrigley Field, when he allowed nine runs while facing only eight batters (the other was an automatic runner).
Pressly quietly has regained Counsell’s trust with nine straight scoreless outings, including three strikeouts Sunday in the 7-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Counsell didn’t say whether Pressly could regain his old role, sticking to his timeless mantra suggesting all pitchers are simply “out-getters” and don’t need to be labeled.
“Just get big outs,” Counsell said. “We’ve got to get outs in the seventh, got to get outs in the eighth. They’re all big outs. The ninth inning is more difficult because the other teams empty the tank in terms of strategy and players. I like how we’ve been pitching down there and the guys have been doing a heck of a job for each other, covering each other’s outs, and that’s an important part of this.
“Daniel is a great example. It didn’t go great for him last year, but there’s every reason to be excited about what he can provide. A lot of times, that’s how you have to look at those guys. You just want to have as many of them as you can. Our job is to get them to a place he’s in right now and keep them there as long as you can.”
Left-hander Génesis Cabrera, signed last week from the New York Mets scrap heap, also provides Counsell with another late-inning option. Cabrera feels confident he can help in those situations after being dumped by the Mets. “They haven’t given me the role that I deserve yet, but I need to wait to win that role,” he said upon arriving in the Cubs clubhouse. Cabrera struck out three of the four Reds batters he faced in his Cubs debut.
Pete Crow-Armstrong walked on four pitches in the fourth inning Saturday, the first time he had drawn a walk in 69 plate appearances. He then walked again on four pitches in his next at-bat, leading off the seventh, the first two-walk game of his major-league career.
But the Cubs don’t expect him to change his stripes, and there are many examples of bad ball hitters throughout baseball history, including Kirby Puckett and Vladimir Guerrero.
“I think that’s what makes Pete pretty fascinating right now,” Counsell said. “I do think he’s going to continue to get better at this, though. What’s rare is the damage being done outside the strike zone. It’s one thing to get hits outside the strike zone and to put the bat on the ball outside the strike zone. I think the damage outside the strike zone is pretty unique.”
Photos: Chicago Cubs take the series with a 7-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds
Ben Brown might be the first Cubs pitcher since LaTroy Hawkins to provide suggestions on how they should craft their articles, though he did so in a winking manner.
After his six-inning relief outing Saturday, Brown said of his changeup: “That’s 6 percent usage, so if you guys want to write that down. Eventually there’s going to be no more (stories saying) ‘I’m not sure about the whole two-pitch (arsenal), I don’t think that’s going to work.’ You guys are going to have to figure out something new.”
Brown was referring to the media narrative that he might be better off in the bullpen until he adds a third pitch to go along with his effective four-seam fastball and knuckle-curve. He was happy to announce that his changeup is progressing.
“There was one I just kind of pooped up there up in the zone and it wasn’t effective,” he said. “The rest were pretty good rips, so I’m really happy, with how it’s progressing, and just keep on it.”
Hawkins famously called a press conference in 2004 to announce he was not talking to the media. He later complained to the Tribune that the remark was “the only 15 seconds that was played over and over again” on TV and radio.
Dansby Swanson’s wig day giveaway Saturday was a big hit with Cubs fans. So, how did it feel to look around the stands and see fans with his “flow” on top of their heads?
“Not as good as the real thing,” Swanson said. “Nah, it was cool, and really creative as a fun giveaway.”
If the Cubs really want to be creative they’ll recreate Crow-Armstrong’s bleached blonde hair with the blue stars dyed in, which was his spring training look.
