Cubs lose 2-1, but Maddon's happy with his team so far
For whatever reason, Memorial Day has always been looked at as one of baseball's traditional mileposts.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon wasn't buying it, but after Monday's 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field, he did make one proclamation.
“My take-away is that we're as good as anybody we've played so far,” said Maddon, whose team fell to 24-20.
This one was hard to figure. At game time, the temperature was 72 degrees, and a hitter-friendly wind of 12 mph was blowing straight out.
The Nationals hit 2 home runs to 1 for the Cubs. Denard Span led off the game for the Nats by crushing a pitch from Tsuyoshi Wada off the new videoboard in right field. Kris Bryant hit a line-drive homer in the bottom of the first, and Wilson Ramos closed out the scoring in the sixth with a drive to right off reliever Justin Grimm.
But that was it.
“You make good pitches, that's what happens,” Maddon said. “Both sides pitched really, really well today. I know the wind is a factor. But it's hard to hit homers when you're making good pitches. Both sides pitched really well. It was a great baseball game.”
Now about the state of the Cubs after Memorial Day.
The young Cubs have endured some growing pains, but they've pretty much held their own, and now they're on a homestand during which they play first-place teams in Washington and Kansas City.
“I just like the idea that we're a good team and that we're playing good teams, teams that are in first place,” Maddon said. “I'm used to that kind of stuff. I like that kind of stuff. I want our players to really dig it also. I think that's where you grow up.
“I'm happy, absolutely. I know we always utilize holidays as a bench mark. I don't do that. I'm sorry. I just can't get involved in that. I'm just happy with where we're at right now. I think it could have been a little bit better, but I think the way we're going about our business, I'm really pleased with it.”
The other side story Monday was that each team had a much-talked-about young star in the game — Bryant for the Cubs and Bryce Harper for the Nats.
(Each side will say it also has some other pretty fair young players.)
Bryant's home run was his sixth. Harper has 16. Both players are from Las Vegas.
“When we were younger, we used to call him 'Silk' because he was so smooth with everything he did,” Harper said of Bryant. “He played third. He played short. He played a little outfield, pitched. He always hit very well. He's a great talent. I'm excited for him. I always cheer for guys who are from my area.”
Harper hit a fourth-inning double and looked like he might go for three before he pulled up at second base. He also made a nice catch on Anthony Rizzo's drive to the wall in the third.
“It's cool to see a friend like that on the other side of the field,” Bryant said. “He's obviously having a really good year. I think it's good for baseball to have two young guys on the same field. He's doing his thing. I'm doing my thing, just trying to help the team win. It was pretty cool seeing him out there today.”