Miles: Schwarber powers Cubs to win
It looks like Kyle Schwarber may be here to stay for a while.
Even though his catching is a work in progress, the Cubs are going to find it hard to keep his bat out of the lineup.
Schwarber put on another offensive show Tuesday night at the Great American Ball Park.
The rookie singled in the third inning and hit an RBI double in the fifth but saved his best for last.
Schwarber hit a tying 2-run homer in the ninth inning, then completed yet another big night with a solo shot in the 13th, rallying the Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
"It was a great feeling all-around," he said, with shaving cream from the team's clubhouse celebration in his left ear.
Schwarber grew up in nearby Middletown, Ohio, and was called up for six games last month. He hit his first homer in Cleveland. He finally got to play at Great American in the All-Star Futures game nine days ago and won the MVP award with a 2-run triple.
Schwarber tied Tuesday's game with his 424-foot homer in the ninth off J.J. Hoover, who was filling in as the closer while Aroldis Chapman got a day of rest. It was the first homer Hoover had allowed all season. Schwarber fouled off four two-strike pitches to keep the at-bat going.
"He never appears to be in trouble," manager Joe Maddon said. If he keeps hitting like that, he won't have to worry about getting sent back to the minors anytime soon.
"Now that it's here, it's just an awesome feeling to get to play in a ballpark in the major leagues," Schwarber said. "Now I have to do my job and earn my way on this team."
The Cubs brought him up for a week last month to serve primarily as the designated hitter during games at American League parks. He was impressive enough to get a recall this week after No. 1 catcher Miguel Montero jammed his left thumb before the all-star break.
Tests showed Montero sprained the thumb. He will have to rest it for two weeks and then the Cubs will take it from there.
Already on the roster are veteran catchers David Ross and Taylor Teagarden. Both have carved out careers as backups who bring more in the way of defense and pitch-calling than they do with the bat.
Schwarber, drafted by the Cubs in the first round last year, already looks to be a solid professional hitter with his quick bat, which makes hard contact.
The flip side is that Schwarber, determined as he is to catch, still is in the learning stages behind the plate.
For this week, the plan is for Schwarber to start the first three games of the Cincinnati series, including Wednesday's day portion of the day-night doubleheader. He will catch Kyle Hendricks in that game, with one of the other two backstops catching call-up Dallas Beeler in the night game.
Schwarber caught Clayton Richard in Monday's series opener and then worked with Jason Hammel, who was coming off a hamstring injury to start Tuesday's game.
Hammel worked 5 innings, throwing 96 pitches and giving up 5 hits and 2 runs (1 earned). The Reds scored single runs against Hammel in each of the first two innings.
Schwarber's double and a home run by Chris Coghlan in the sixth combined to tie the game at 2-2. Coghlan needed a replay review of nearly four minutes to finally get the homer.
The ball appeared to hit above the yellow line in left field, but complicating matters was that a fan got in the way. Replay officials ruled in favor of the Cubs.
The Reds went ahead 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh. Cubs reliever Travis Wood allowed one-out singles to Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto, who stole second base. Maddon turned to the bullpen and Pedro Strop, but Todd Frazier ruined that move with a 2-run single to left-center.