Chicago baseball report: Cubs’ new late-inning options — and Jake Burger on a heater at home for the White Sox
May continues to be a drag for the Chicago Cubs.
They limp into Monday’s day off and an upcoming nine-game homestand looking for momentum before their record — 20-26 after Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Philadelphia — puts them in catch-up mode the rest of the summer.
The White Sox, meanwhile, finished their first winning homestand of the season (6-3) on the strength of starting pitching. After Sunday’s 5-2 victory in the series finale against the Kansas City Royals, Sox starters have a 2.06 ERA — allowing nine earned runs in 39⅓ innings — over the last six games.
Every Monday throughout the season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead for the Cubs and Sox.
High-leverage opportunities in Cubs bullpen
Prepare to see Cubs manager David Ross try other relief options in high-leverage spots in the near future.
With Brad Boxberger on the injured list, Keegan Thompson in Triple A and Michael Fulmer suffering inconsistency, Ross will give opportunities in key spots to other relievers. Adbert Alzolay — who allowed the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning of Sunday’s loss — Jeremiah Estrada and Julian Merryweather are in position to be called on in those moments.
Merryweather, 31, owns a 1.50 ERA over the last four weeks, allowing two runs in 12 innings (10 appearances). During that stretch, the right-hander has struck out 15 and walked four.
Merryweather admitted it was tough looking at his early results this season. He was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits in 5⅔ innings over his first five appearances. He said there was a learning curve getting on the same page with catchers Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart but believes he’s now in a good spot.
Adjusting his pitch mix has played a role in his recent success too.
“Getting away from just being fastball-slider, mixing in the changeup, mixing in the sweeper just to kind of have hitters thinking that there’s other options I could go to early or late in the count,” Merryweather told the Tribune. “Keeping a lot more opportunities open.”
Jake Burger continues to rake at home
It can sometimes take a few games for a player to find a rhythm after a stint on the injured list.
That hasn’t been the case for Jake Burger.
The Sox infielder had at least one hit in each of his first six games since returning from a strained left oblique May 14. Burger went 0-for-4 Sunday to end the streak.
“Those 10 days (out), I could kind of focus on areas I need to improve on,” Burger said after Saturday’s 5-1 win against the Royals. “It’s controlling everything and slowing the game down.”
Burger went 11-for-22 (.500) with one double, one triple, three home runs, nine RBIs and three runs in the six-game streak.
“Hitters emerge,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “They’re allowed to get better, right? And that’s what he’s doing. He’s getting better every day. That’s a reason we don’t just show up for the game. That’s the reason we practice. That’s the reason guys get here early, to continue to get better and improve. He’s showing that.
“We see him at 7:10, 1:10 (game times), but what people don’t see is the work that he puts in to improve every single day. That’s what’s impressive to me. Both on the offensive side and on the defensive side.”
Burger has been particularly effective at Guaranteed Rate Field. He’s batting .333 (22-for-66) through Sunday with three doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 21 RBIs and 12 runs at home. Through Saturday, the 21 home RBIs were tied for fourth in the majors.
“There’s nothing I can describe or explain,” Burger said of the home success. “I love playing in front of our fans. It’s always fun interacting with them. It definitely makes me feel at home. Hopefully I can transition that to the road.”
Week ahead: Cubs
The Cubs can use the day off Monday as they return from the three-city trip to regroup and give the rotation an extra day of rest.
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks is positioned to return during the homestand. The Cubs want to see how his body and shoulder respond to Saturday’s six-inning rehab start with Triple-A Iowa before making any declarations about when he might rejoin the rotation.
Ross anticipates Hendricks being with the team when the Cubs are back at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. If Hendricks continues to feel good after Saturday’s outing, he could make his season debut — and first big-league start since July 5 — this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds.
Thursday represents an important start for Jameson Taillon, who has struggled in four starts since returning from the IL. The Cubs need the veteran to get on track and pitch deeper into 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 happened for the Sox since 1987.
According to Baseball Reference/Stathead, with his one-hit effort against the Royals, the right-hander became just the third pitcher in franchise history to work at least eight innings and allow one or zero hits while striking out at least 10 and issuing no walks.
“That was so fun to watch,” Sox starter Lucas Giolito said Saturday. “That’s what he can do. I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to do that as he continues to find his consistency.”
Kopech joined Floyd Bannister, who did it Sept. 13, 1987, in Seattle, and Gary Peters, who did it July 15, 1963, against the Baltimore Orioles.
Bannister allowed one hit and struck out 10 while going the distance 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 in the 2-0 victory. The Sox faced the minimum 27 batters for the 11th time in club history. The last time was Philip Humber’s perfect game on April 21, 2012, in Seattle.
Kopech’s next 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 reading this morning
White Sox have won 5 of 6 after completing their 1st sweep of the season vs. the Royals
After another ugly start, Jameson Taillon and the Cubs must find a way to get the veteran on track
This week in Chicago baseball
May 24, 1990: Cubs’ Andre Dawson is walked intentionally five times to break a record
The extra-innings game against the Reds at Wrigley Field was a lengthy one: The first nine innings took 2 hours; the last seven, 2 hours 27 minutes. The Cubs ran out of position players when Domingo Ramos pinch-hit to end the 15th. The Reds ran out when Ken Griffey grounded out to end the 13th as a pinch hitter.
The previous intentional walk record was held by Roger Maris and Garry Templeton.
May 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 games. The right-hander faced the minimum 27 batters, threw 56 of his 78 pitches for strikes and tossed the Cubs’ first one-hitter since Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout performance on May 6, 1998.
Cubs manager Don Baylor departed from the philosophy of replacing the starting pitcher after a lengthy rain delay because Lieber had a perfect game through four innings. Lieber spent almost as much time in the clubhouse during the rain delay as he did on the mound (1:48) dispatching the Reds.
May 24, 2011: White Sox’s Carlos Quentin hits three home runs in a game delayed nearly 3 hours
It was the first three-homer game of Quentin’s career, coming in an 8-6 win over the Rangers. His most impressive homer came in the fourth inning. Despite a stiff wind, Quentin ripped a three-run shot well over the right-field fence that traveled an estimated 403 feet.
Before Quentin’s homer, the Texas winds were so fierce that fans sitting in the upper deck were asked to move to lower levels. And during the rain delay, fans moved to the lower tunnels because of the threat of a tornado.
May 25, 1982: Fergie Jenkins becomes the seventh pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters
Jenkins reached the milestone in the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Padres by striking out Garry Templeton in the third inning.
Jody Davis was behind the plate for the milestone, and that baseball is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Jenkins kept strikeout ball No. 3,001 and gave No. 3,002 to his catcher.
“It’s here in my trophy case, and I’m pretty proud of that,” Davis told the Tribune. “Catching him was almost like a day off because Fergie had such great control of all his pitches that you go out there and you call a pitch and you set up, catch the ball and throw it back. It was so much fun. Looking at his numbers is just astronomical.”
May 27, 2012: Paul Konerko hits his 400th home run with the White Sox
The tiebreaking three-run blast came in a 12-6 win over Cleveland. The offensive outburst gave the Sox nine or more runs in four consecutive games. They last accomplished that feat June 27-30, 1938.
May 28, 1995: White Sox and Tigers set a major-league record for home runs
Not only were their 12 homers in the Sox’s 14-12 victory an MLB record, but the teams also set an AL record with 21 extra-base hits.
Quotable
“I mean, you can put any adjective — really, really good adjective — in front of it. It’s crazy. When he hits the ball, it’s a homer. Wish I knew what that felt like.” — Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson after Christopher Morel homered Sunday for his eighth in his first 11 games this season
