Chicago Cubs hitters going through period of adjustment
LOS ANGELES - The young hitters on the Chicago Cubs are finding that the need for adjustments can strike at any time.
"I think with all the information that's disseminated these days, the league adjusts to you quickly, and it's your job to adjust back," said rookie Ian Happ, one of those young players.
Happ has cooled considerably since coming up from the minor leagues two weeks ago.
Cubs hitters, both young and veteran, have come up empty so far this weekend at Dodger Stadium.
After getting shut out 4-0 on 2 hits Friday night by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cubs went quietly again Saturday, falling 5-0 while picking up 3 hits against Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy and reliever Ross Stripling.
Cubs starting pitcher John Lackey gave up a run in the fourth inning and 4 in the fifth.
Happ has limited major-league time, and he's in the first stages of making adjustments at the plate.
Left fielder Kyle Schwarber, who opened the season as the leadoff hitter, is 10-for-70 in May. He was 0-for-3 Saturday, but manager Joe Maddon said Schwarber's at-bats were better.
Shortstop Addison Russell, who has been in the league since 2015, is 10-for-67 this month. Other hitters have endured their ups and downs as well.
"The thing is, when you struggle in the major leagues, that's the more difficult struggle to overcome," Maddon said. "But it's necessary. And it's a part of their development. What we need to do as a staff when they struggle is support.
"You talk to them and try to recognize or identify. What is the struggle? What is the problem right here? It's right here (mentally). It's not adjust my stance. No, no, no. What are you thinking right now? Hitters are normally swinging at balls and taking strikes, and they're normally fouling off their pitch when they're not going well."
After winning three straight against the San Francisco Giants, the Cubs have fallen back to 25-23. They're finding that being the defending world champions has its challenges.
"It's always tougher the second time because everybody is gunning for you, and your expectations are even higher than before," said veteran Ben Zobrist, who is day to day with a wrist injury. "But this team is definitely equal to the task.
"That's not the problem as much as we have to get back to the fundamentals and the execution of the little details of the game, and everything else kind of takes care of itself."
What has caused the Cubs not to execute?
"I think you just get in rhythms," Zobrist said. "Occasionally the rhythm gets off, and you just don't execute as well as you'd like to. It's a game of adjustments. Whatever that isn't there, which it hasn't been the last two days for our offense, you just make adjustments. We will. I have no doubt about that."
Lackey, coming off a 5-inning, 5-run performance in last Monday's loss to the Giants, worked 5 and gave up 5 against the Dodgers and saw his ERA rise from 4.82 to 5.18.
Rather than blame his own team, Maddon was inclined to credit the Dodgers.
"They've really made very few mistakes against us, and we have not taken advantage of anything," he said. "We've hit some balls well, but they've been foul balls. Otherwise, our contact has been rather weak for the last two days. Under these circumstances, my perspective is they pitched well.
"It's not always our fault sometimes. It's what they've done well. They've pitched well."
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