Might continues to be a drag for the Chicago Cubs.
They limp into Monday’s time without work and an upcoming nine-game homestand looking out for momentum sooner than their file — 20-26 after Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Philadelphia — locations them in catch-up mode the rest of the summer time season.
The White Sox, within the meantime, accomplished their first worthwhile homestand of the season (6-3) on the power of starting pitching. After Sunday’s 5-2 victory throughout the sequence finale in direction of the Kansas Metropolis Royals, Sox starters have a 2.06 ERA — allowing 9 earned runs in 39⅓ innings — over the last six video video games.
Each Monday all via the season, Tribune baseball writers will current an change on what occurred — and what’s ahead for the Cubs and Sox.
Excessive-leverage options in Cubs bullpen
Put together to see Cubs supervisor David Ross attempt totally different discount selections in high-leverage spots throughout the near future.
With Brad Boxberger on the injured document, Keegan Thompson in Triple A and Michael Fulmer struggling inconsistency, Ross will give options in key spots to totally different relievers. Adbert Alzolay — who allowed the go-ahead dwelling run throughout the seventh inning of Sunday’s loss — Jeremiah Estrada and Julian Merryweather are in place to be known as on in these moments.
Merryweather, 31, owns a 1.50 ERA over the last 4 weeks, allowing two runs in 12 innings (10 appearances). Throughout that stretch, the right-hander has struck out 15 and walked 4.
Merryweather admitted it was highly effective his early outcomes this season. He was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits in 5⅔ innings over his first 5 appearances. He said there was a finding out curve getting on the equivalent net web page with catchers Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart nonetheless believes he’s now in an excellent spot.
Adjusting his pitch mix has carried out a process in his newest success too.
“Getting away from simply being fastball-slider, mixing within the changeup, mixing within the sweeper simply to form of have hitters pondering that there’s different choices I might go to early or late within the depend,” Merryweather knowledgeable the Tribune. “Maintaining much more alternatives open.”
Jake Burger continues to rake at dwelling
It could actually usually take various video video games for a participant to find a rhythm after a stint on the injured document.
That hasn’t been the case for Jake Burger.
The Sox infielder had a minimal of 1 hit in each of his first six video video games since returning from a strained left oblique Might 14. Burger went 0-for-4 Sunday to complete the streak.
“These 10 days (out), I might form of concentrate on areas I want to enhance on,” Burger said after Saturday’s 5-1 win in direction of the Royals. “It’s controlling every thing and slowing the sport down.”
Burger went 11-for-22 (.500) with one double, one triple, three dwelling runs, 9 RBIs and three runs throughout the six-game streak.
“Hitters emerge,” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol said. “They’re allowed to get greater, correct? And that’s what he’s doing. He’s getting greater day-to-day. That’s a motive we don’t merely current up for the game. That’s the reason we observe. That’s the reason guys get proper right here early, to proceed to get greater and improve. He’s displaying that.
“We see him at 7:10, 1:10 (recreation instances), however what individuals don’t see is the work that he places in to enhance each single day. That’s what’s spectacular to me. Each on the offensive aspect and on the defensive aspect.”
Burger has been considerably environment friendly at Assured Price Subject. He’s batting .333 (22-for-66) by Sunday with three doubles, one triple, 9 dwelling runs, 21 RBIs and 12 runs at dwelling. Via Saturday, the 21 dwelling RBIs had been tied for fourth throughout the majors.
“There’s nothing I can describe or clarify,” Burger said of the home success. “I really like enjoying in entrance of our followers. It’s all the time enjoyable interacting with them. It positively makes me really feel at dwelling. Hopefully I can transition that to the highway.”
Week ahead: Cubs
The Cubs can use the time without work Monday as they return from the three-city journey to regroup and offers the rotation a further day of rest.
Proper-hander Kyle Hendricks is positioned to return via the homestand. The Cubs want to see how his physique and shoulder reply to Saturday’s six-inning rehab start with Triple-A Iowa sooner than making any declarations about when he could rejoin the rotation.
Ross anticipates Hendricks being with the workforce when the Cubs are once more at Wrigley Subject on Tuesday. If Hendricks continues to essentially really feel good after Saturday’s outing, he could make his season debut — and first big-league start since July 5 — this weekend in direction of the Cincinnati Reds.
Thursday represents an important start for Jameson Taillon, who has struggled in 4 begins since returning from the IL. The Cubs need the veteran to get on monitor and pitch deeper into video 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 ahead: White Sox
Michael Kopech accomplished a feat Friday that hadn’t occurred for the Sox since 1987.
In accordance with Baseball Reference/Stathead, collectively together with his one-hit effort in direction of the Royals, the right-hander turned merely the third pitcher in franchise historic previous to work a minimal of eight innings and allow one or zero hits whereas hanging out a minimal of 10 and issuing no walks.
“That was so enjoyable to look at,” Sox starter Lucas Giolito said Saturday. “That’s what he can do. I’m wanting ahead to seeing him proceed to try this as he continues to seek out his consistency.”
Kopech joined Floyd Bannister, who did it Sept. 13, 1987, in Seattle, and Gary Peters, who did it July 15, 1963, in direction of the Baltimore Orioles.
Bannister allowed one hit and struck out 10 whereas going the house in a 2-0 win. Peters allowed one hit and struck out 13 in a 4-0 shutout.
Kopech and reliever Kendall Graveman combined for a one-hitter throughout the 2-0 victory. The Sox confronted the minimal 27 batters for the eleventh time in membership historic previous. The ultimate time was Philip Humber’s wonderful recreation on April 21, 2012, in Seattle.
Kopech’s subsequent scheduled start 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 finding out this morning
This week in Chicago baseball
Might 24, 1990: Cubs’ Andre Dawson is walked intentionally 5 events to interrupt a file
The additional-innings recreation in direction of the Reds at Wrigley Subject was a protracted one: The primary 9 innings took 2 hours; the ultimate seven, 2 hours 27 minutes. The Cubs ran misplaced players when Domingo Ramos pinch-hit to complete the fifteenth. The Reds ran out when Ken Griffey grounded out to complete the thirteenth as a pinch hitter.
The sooner intentional stroll file was held by Roger Maris and Garry Templeton.
Might 24, 2001: Cubs’ Jon Lieber throws a 78-pitch, one-hit shutout in a 3-0 blanking of the Reds
It was the first shutout of the Reds in an NL-record 208 video video games. The suitable-hander confronted the minimal 27 batters, threw 56 of his 78 pitches for strikes and tossed the Cubs’ first one-hitter since Kerry Wooden’s 20-strikeout effectivity on Might 6, 1998.
Cubs supervisor Don Baylor departed from the philosophy of fixing the start pitcher after a protracted rain delay on account of Lieber had an excellent recreation by 4 innings. Lieber spent nearly as so much time throughout the clubhouse via the rain delay as he did on the mound (1:48) dispatching the Reds.
Might 24, 2011: White Sox’s Carlos Quentin hits three dwelling runs in a recreation delayed virtually 3 hours
It was the first three-homer recreation of Quentin’s occupation, coming in an 8-6 win over the Rangers. His most spectacular homer acquired right here throughout the fourth inning. Regardless of a stiff wind, Quentin ripped a three-run shot properly over the right-field fence that traveled an estimated 403 ft.
Earlier than Quentin’s homer, the Texas winds had been so fierce that followers sitting throughout the greater deck had been requested to maneuver to lower ranges. And thru the rain delay, followers moved to the lower tunnels because of the specter of a tornado.
Might 25, 1982: Fergie Jenkins turns into the seventh pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters
Jenkins reached the milestone throughout the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Padres by hanging out Garry Templeton throughout the third inning.
Jody Davis was behind the plate for the milestone, and that baseball is now throughout the Baseball Corridor of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Jenkins saved strikeout ball No. 3,001 and gave No. 3,002 to his catcher.
“It’s right here in my trophy case, and I’m fairly pleased with that,” Davis knowledgeable the Tribune. “Catching him was nearly like a day without work as a result of Fergie had such nice management of all his pitches that you just go on the market and also you name a pitch and also you arrange, catch the ball and throw it again. It was a lot enjoyable. Taking a look at his numbers is simply astronomical.”
Might 27, 2012: Paul Konerko hits his four-hundredth dwelling run with the White Sox
The tiebreaking three-run blast acquired right here in a 12-6 win over Cleveland. The offensive outburst gave the Sox 9 or further runs in 4 consecutive video video games. They last accomplished that feat June 27-30, 1938.
Might 28, 1995: White Sox and Tigers set a major-league file for dwelling runs
Not solely had been their 12 homers throughout the Sox’s 14-12 victory an MLB file, nonetheless the teams moreover set an AL file with 21 extra-base hits.
Quotable
“I imply, you possibly can put any adjective — actually, actually good adjective — in entrance of it. It’s loopy. When he hits the ball, it’s a homer. Want I knew what that felt like.” — Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson after Christopher Morel homered Sunday for his eighth in his first 11 video video games this season
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Originally posted 2023-05-22 11:22:09.