What we're hearing about the Cubs: Kyle Tucker, Shota Imanaga and another walk-off win
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs are performing at a level where this year becomes all about maximizing their chances in October. Sensing the moment, the president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, will be aggressive in adding pitching ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. The next six-plus weeks will determine whether the Cubs also need to get another hitter for a complementary role.
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The Cubs took care of business in May, padding their record during a softer stretch of the schedule that featured the Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies. If the position players stay largely healthy, Hoyer's front office can focus on bench options, since third baseman Matt Shaw has seized that job. After recent summers that were bogged down in buy-or-sell debates, the Cubs are no longer dealing with that ambiguity.
Although the offense has inevitably cooled off, the first-place Cubs gained ground in the National League Central during this more challenging portion of their schedule, when opponents lined up Cy Young Award contenders such as Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler and Paul Skenes.
'It's a really good thing for us to be able to go through facing arms like that,' Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said. 'We've done a really good job of putting at-bats on guys and making them work. It hasn't necessarily shown up in the run column as much, but I just feel like the intent and the preparation has been really good with this group.
'That will pay off for us here in the end.'
Cubs players, officials and their families enjoyed a Father's Day picnic on the Wrigley Field grass after Sunday afternoon's 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings. Before the slides and bounce house were inflated in left field — and the food and drink stations were set up in right field — Ian Happ lined a clutch hit off Pirates closer David Bednar to spark another walk-off celebration.
'The run-scoring environment at Wrigley this year just hasn't been great,' Happ said. 'You saw four or five balls hit today that are doubles or homers in other places. It pulls the outfielders in a little bit and makes the outfield really small, so you have to find ways to win that baseball game. Our bullpen and our starting staff consistently keeping us in games has been huge.'
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The Cubs took the four-game series from the Pirates with three narrow victories — 3-2, 2-1 and 3-2 — around a 2-1 loss in which Skenes used up his 95 pitches in only five innings. Being adaptable for the Friendly Confines — where the elements are so unpredictable — remains a point of emphasis.
On the road, the Cubs recently matched up well against the American League's best team, losing a three-game series in which the Detroit Tigers cumulatively outscored them 8-7 while starting Skubal and Jack Flaherty in what resembled a playoff atmosphere.
The Cubs hung in there last week against Wheeler, the Philadelphia Phillies ace, before losing an 11-inning game. The Cubs avoided the sweep, however, while going up against Mick Abel, a top pitching prospect, and Jesús Luzardo, the front-line starter they nearly acquired last offseason before spiking that deal over medical concerns.
While extending their division lead, the Cubs have also faced off against MacKenzie Gore, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Nick Martinez, and demonstrated an ability to execute in key moments.
'Great pitching usually beats good hitting,' Swanson said. 'That's just the nature of this game. That's why you fail seven times out of 10 and you're pretty darn good. But it's really good for us to be able to go through stretches where we have to really compete and find ways to win games.'
• Kyle Tucker was noticeably absent from Sunday's lineup, especially with the Cubs off on Monday and the Pirates starting Mitch Keller, another good pitcher whose career numbers against left-handed hitters are subpar. Cubs manager Craig Counsell acknowledged that Tucker's recent injury — the All-Star outfielder is dealing with a sprained right ring finger — remains a consideration: 'It's there. It's not bad. But this was a chance to try to get him two days without swinging a bat.'
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Since exiting that June 1 game as a precaution, Tucker sat out another game, subbed in as a pinch hitter twice and started as the designated hitter three times. The Pirates intentionally walked Tucker when he entered Sunday's game as a pinch hitter in the 10th inning. The Cubs will continue to monitor this issue, as they have no way to fully replace Tucker's left-handed power, alert base running, Gold Glove defense and overall aura.
• Shota Imanaga is scheduled to throw another bullpen session in Arizona before making his next rehab start on Friday with Triple-A Iowa. The All-Star pitcher, who's coming back from a strained left hamstring, threw 55 pitches between Saturday's outing in the Arizona Complex League and an extra session in the bullpen. At this point, the Cubs have not yet decided whether Imanaga will need an additional Triple-A start. If Imanaga builds his pitch count up to around 75 with Iowa and experiences no setbacks, he could return to the rotation in late June during a road series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Drew Pomeranz was unavailable for Sunday's game, though that decision had more to do with his recent workload than the lower back tightness he felt during Saturday's eighth inning. Using Pomeranz out of the bullpen on Sunday would have meant pushing him on back-to-back-to-back days. The Cubs will be particularly careful with Pomeranz, 36, who did not throw a major-league pitch in any of the last three years. Yet, since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a minor April transaction, the lefty's ERA through 20 appearances is 0.00.
(Top photo of Ian Happ celebrating his walk-off 10th-inning single: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
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