ANAHEIM, Calif. – It was a swing greater than a month within the making, a catalyst for a dramatic turnaround and probably the antidote to an prolonged offensive affliction nobody on Chicago’s North Aspect may have seen coming.
However Kyle Tucker’s first house run in 34 days – within the Cubs’ 3-2 win on Friday over the Angels – wasn’t precisely cathartic.
Whereas his teammates gleefully slapped fingers and smacked the visiting dugout railing after he pulled a fastball from Tyler Anderson 405 ft into the seats in proper area, it was not till the even-keeled outfielder rounded third on his stoic jaunt that Tucker lastly cracked a smile.
“We’ll see how tomorrow goes,” he deadpanned within the aftermath, cautious to not make an excessive amount of of a single efficiency.
The following day was even higher.
On Saturday, Tucker added two extra house runs and a double in a 12-1 outburst as a part of a weekend sweep that may have given each Tucker and the slumbering Cubs offense the wake-up they wanted.
In a single auspicious weekend, Tucker totaled two extra house runs and as many extra-base hits as he had in his earlier 39 video games mixed.
“I believe this was coming,” mentioned Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell. “That is the character of the sport. We don’t need slumps. We hate slumps. They’re mentally sort of exhausting to undergo, however they occur. Kyle will likely be higher transferring ahead due to this, however it’s a part of the sport that occurs, and also you’ve obtained to get via it.”
If Tucker and the Cubs’ offense can rediscover their dynamism, they’re going to look again at this weekend in Anaheim because the breakthrough.
From a story perspective, it couldn’t have began extra promisingly, with Tucker delivering the preliminary blow and Pete Crow-Armstrong ending the collection opener with a game-winning, ninth-inning blast that ended a 25-game homerless skid for the 23-year-old All-Star who’s attempting to interrupt out of his personal second-half funk.
“With out sounding too bitter about something, it’s about time I stepped up in a scenario like that,” Crow-Armstrong mentioned. “I’m simply processing, and it felt nice, however it’s time to start out placing up extra runs and being part of that.”
If the Cubs have any hopes of catching the Brewers or happening a deep October run, they should see extra of that from every of their All-Star sluggers.
For months, the Cubs overwhelmed opponents with a particular mixture of velocity and slug. Their deep lineup may hit for each common and energy whereas creating havoc on the basepaths. By the tip of July, the Cubs ranked within the prime three in MLB in batting common, house runs and steals.
Embodying these traits had been Tucker and Crow-Armstrong, a celebrity rental and a rising sensation who’re the primary pair of Cubs teammates ever to document at the least 20 homers and 25 stolen bases in the identical season. Most of that manufacturing, nonetheless, got here within the season’s first few months, when every regarded like an MVP contender for a Cubs staff that led the Nationwide League Central from April 4 via the All-Star break.
Now, with FanGraphs giving the Cubs only a 12.9% probability to win the division, they must be a part of the turnaround.
By the tip of the primary half, Crow-Armstrong had already compiled a 25-25 season whereas hitting 32% above league common in an All-Star marketing campaign. Tucker, in the meantime, hit 45% above league common within the first half regardless of enjoying via what we now know was a fracture in his proper hand that he suffered on a slide on June 1.
The severity of the harm, which was initially described as a jammed finger, was saved underneath wraps till final week. For some time, it was straightforward to miss. Tucker tallied a .982 OPS in June — his greatest month of the season — and was decided to play via the ache, which he figured would finally subside.
“I don’t know the way a lot it actually affected my setup and swing,” Tucker claimed.
Quickly, although, fissures began to type in his sport. He was nonetheless getting on base at a excessive clip in July, however he stopped driving the baseball together with his regular drive. His bat velocity and hard-hit charge plummeted whereas his groundball charge soared. He may not punish errors. The harm might need been therapeutic, however his efficiency was struggling.
“What he desires to really feel, it’s not taking place when he will get within the field,” Counsell mentioned.
After the All-Star break, the whole lot began to crater for a Cubs’ lineup that now ranks final in each slash line class within the Nationwide League in August. On the coronary heart of their struggles had been their two most electrifying skills.
By his first 19 video games of the month, Crow-Armstrong was hitting simply .154 with no house runs, a droop he attributed principally to points with timing and pitch choice. It was a stark distinction from the .265/.302/.544 slash line he had in an electrical first half.
“I really feel like I earned the proper, principally for myself, to proceed to anticipate that sort of manufacturing from myself, as a result of that’s what I assumed I may do,” Crow-Armstrong mentioned. “I positively have been attempting to satisfy these expectations, however once more, that’s the stability, and realizing your job isn’t to do this on a regular basis. It’s about outlasting your individual troubles and fatigue and all that comes with the season. It’s nearly pushing via that daily.”
Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong had the Cubs buzzing earlier than the All-Star Break. (Picture by Erick W. Rasco/Sports activities Illustrated through Getty Photos)
Had Crow-Armstrong been the one struggling expertise, it may not have been an issue. However all of the regulars the Cubs depend on appear to be mired in a funk directly. Apart from rookie Matt Shaw, who has saved the ship afloat with a .978 OPS in August, each different Cubs batter with at the least 30 plate appearances this month is hitting beneath league common.
However probably the most impactful struggles these days belong to Tucker and Crow-Armstrong, which made this weekend’s efficiency (from the previous particularly) so encouraging.
Earlier than Tucker’s barrage in Anaheim, he had endured the worst 40-game stretch of his profession and watched his OPS drop greater than 100 factors within the course of. Weeks of frustration, poor efficiency and disguised ache started effervescent to the floor. He slammed his helmet, did not run out a grounder and on Aug. 17 obtained booed at house.
That spawned a dialog with Counsell, who determined it was time for Tucker to take a psychological reset. In a vital collection final week in opposition to the first-place Brewers, Tucker sat out each video games of a Tuesday doubleheader and one other sport the following day earlier than returning for the finale.
“I believe it was what the individual wanted,” Counsell mentioned. “You make these choices, and clearly we’re enjoying a division rival and large video games, and that’s what makes you second-guess your self from my perspective. However the participant wanted it, and that’s what you’ve obtained to go together with.”
Kyle Tucker sat out of couple video games final week in opposition to the first-place Brewers in hopes of a reset. (Picture by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos)
The hiatus would quickly reap a reward.
Tucker, who’s attempting to focus extra on stepping into his legs on the plate, completed an auspicious weekend in Anaheim 5-for-12 with 4 extra-base hits and 7 RBIs whereas serving to the Cubs, who’ve now received six of their final seven video games as they head to San Francisco, lower the division deficit down to 5 video games.
The efficiency of their pitching workers, which has the bottom ERA in MLB this month, has helped preserve them in competition. Their rookies, from Cade Horton on the mound to Shaw and Owen Caissie on the plate, have given them an important enhance.
However for the Cubs to perform what they hope, they know they’re going to want their most trusted skills to seek out their approach.
Perhaps this weekend was the turning level.
“The sport doesn’t grant you any favors,” Counsell mentioned. “You’ve obtained to do it.”
Rowan Kavner is an MLB author for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand lined the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved again to the West Coast in 2014. Observe him on X at @RowanKavner.
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