Red-hot Chicago Cubs keep rolling on

Every winning ballclub needs a pick-me-up now and then.

It also needs heroics from someone other than the usual suspects.

The Cubs are a winning ballclub these days, to the tune of 8 victories in a row and 14 of 15.

Their 6-5 win Friday over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field brought their record to 66-48. They had to come from behind twice to do it.

The pick-me-up came from relief pitcher Clayton Richard, who relieved struggling starter Kyle Hendricks in the fourth inning.

The heroics came from do-it-all guy Chris Coghlan, who hit a 3-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the fifth. One of the "usual suspects," Anthony Rizzo followed Coghlan's second homer with one of his own to put the Cubs ahead.

Coghlan has been a second baseman of late, but he was back in left field Friday. He also was in the third spot of the batting order, and when he's there the Cubs are 12-0.

"I think right now we feel like we're going to win every game," he said. "And I think that's the reason why we're winning a lot of them. You can say, 'I hope we win the game,' but to actually believe it and be (convinced of it) is totally different than just saying, 'Yeah, I hope we go win today.'

"We just have a really good group. We've got a great mesh of guys. We've got, obviously, a lot of young guys, position-player wise, but we also have older guys who are able to balance it out where you make the young guys understand they don't have to carry you. It's not about one guy carrying the team.

"Especially offensively, we call it passing the baton. It's not like we're trying to go up there and everybody's trying to win the game themselves. That's what makes our offense flow right now."

On the mound, Hendricks admitted to being out of whack.

"Mechanically right now I'm terrible," he said.

Manager Joe Maddon went and got Hendricks during a 3-run Sox fourth, an inning when Adam Eaton took Hendricks over the center-field wall for a 2-run homer. After Tyler Saladino singled, Maddon went to Richard, who shut things down by pitching 2 scoreless innings to get the win and improve to 3-0.

Richard was acquired from the Pirates July 3 and subsequently designated for assignment twice. Hendricks made sure to thank him.

"Unbelievable," Hendricks said. "I told him when we came off the field that was huge."

The Cubs got good relief work from the rest of the pen: Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon, who earned his 20th save.

Strop showed some big-time emotion after striking out Eaton and Saladino to end the eighth. Alexei Ramirez singled to start the inning and was bunted to second before Geovany Soto walked. Strop was keeping a close eye on Ramirez at second, and that seemed to bother Ramirez.

After Strop struck out Saladino, he punched the air not once, but twice.

"Yeah, I was a little pumped after that third out," he said. "He (Ramirez) kind of stole my attention a little bit, and when he gave me that, 'No, no, no,' I felt it was kind of showing me up because I'm aware of the situation.

"I told him, 'I don't have to get you out. I can get out the guy at the plate.' That's why I did a little punchout, but nothing personal.

"I don't think something's wrong with showing how much I care."