Despite struggles, Chicago Cubs' Heyward still confident
Near the end of a five-minute chat with reporters Sunday, Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward was told: "You're hitting seventh tonight. Do you care where you hit?"
Heyward offered a wry grin and responded: "I've hit ninth. It doesn't really matter. I've hit in every spot in the lineup in seven years."
True.
But Sunday's game against St. Louis at Wrigley Field was only the third time Heyward batted seventh this season in 99 starts. Heyward has struggled all season, hitting just .227 with a .308 on-base percentage. His slugging percentage is a ghastly .315.
The Cubs' right fielder, who signed an eight-year, $184 million contract last December, certainly hasn't lost his confidence, though.
"I feel like I can turn it on tonight," Heyward said. "That's the way I'm going into every day.
"Working hard to try and get comfortable and put something together each night. That's what it's got to be for me. … It can't be looking ahead, it can't be looking back. It's got to be for each day, and that's the bottom line."
Heyward has hit second in the lineup 66 times this season, going 65-for-271 (.240) and sixth 26 times, going 22-for-102 (.216).
He is 5-for-28 (.179) with just 1 RBI in his last eight games. One of those hits came Saturday on a weakly hit ball that deflected off the glove of Cardinals pitcher Seth Maness. Another came Sunday when Heyward beat out a dribbler to third base.
Rough return:
Hector Rondon, who had been out with a triceps injury, returned to action Sunday night but probably wished he'd waited at least one more game.
Rondon came in with the Cubs nursing a 3-1 lead over St. Louis, and the reliever promptly allowed 4 runs in one-third of an inning. The big blow was a 3-run blast by Stephen Piscotty. It was Rondon's first appearance since Aug. 2.
Before the game, manager Joe Maddon said the Cubs will be careful with the 28-year-old setup man.
"You wouldn't push him too hard early on," Maddon said. "The guy is so important to us. There's no reason to put the pedal down on him right now."
Around the horn:
Joe Maddon said Trevor Cahill will start Tuesday's first game of a day-night doubleheader against Milwaukee. "We'll try to fill it in after that; ride him as long as we can," Maddon said of Cahill. … Chris Coghlan, who came into Sunday's game 10-for-16 with 2 home runs against Cardinals starter Mike Leake, batted sixth. …
Heading into Sunday, Addison Russell had 52 of his 71 RBI at Wrigley Field, good for third in the National League. … Ben Zobrist is hitting .328 (21-for-64) in his last 18 games with 10 RBI and 12 walks. In the previous 14 games, Zobrist was mired in a 5-for-53 slump. …
St. Louis' Greg Garcia ended an 0-for-31 slump with a basehit in the third inning.