Cubs' Contreras hitting hot in win over Nationals
Cubs manager Joe Maddon's hunch that catcher Willson Contreras was too hot to sit proved to be accurate in Saturday's 7-4 victory over Washington at Wrigley Field.
Maddon was faced with the need to play newly acquired backup catcher Alex Avila in the middle game of the weekend series against the Nationals. That's because Contreras will likely catch the next few games with Jon Lester pitching Sunday and San Francisco left-handers Matt Moore and Ty Blach in line to face them Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Thus, Maddon penciled both catchers into his lineup to great effect.
Contreras - who entered the game 6-for-14 on the homestand with 2 home runs and 8 RBI - started in left field for the third time this season and the 28th time in two years. He went 2-for-4 with a 2-home run and 3 RBI.
Contreras' first-inning dribbler up the third-base line drove in Kris Bryant and gave the NL Central leaders a 2-1 lead. His sixth-inning, 424-foot blast to the left-center field bleachers gave the Cubs a 6-3 lead.
"I've been locked in throughout my career in the minor leagues, but not this league," said Contreras, who is hitting .279 with 19 doubles, 19 home runs and 68 RBI. "Just simplifying things, doing just simple things, I think that's the key."
As for Avila? The left-handed batter went 1-for-4 with a 2-run homer that capped the Cubs' 4-run first inning and staked them to a 4-1 lead over the NL East leaders.
"It felt good to get it out of the way for sure," Avila said of his first Cubs home run. "I've had some pretty decent at-bats the last couple of games that I've played and I've hit a couple of balls hard, but it was nice to get through that one and get that out of the way. We had a nice day offensively, I thought."
Maddon said Contreras, who crept within 2 RBI of Anthony Rizzo's team-leading 70, gave him no choice but to keep him in the lineup based on his recent production at the plate.
"Had to, I mean he's swinging the bat so well," Maddon said. "And how about Alex? Alex did a nice job. That home run really got us going.
"I like Alex behind the plate, too. Again, he's a very calm presence. He followed the game plan really well. He's just been on board a couple of days but he's very bright and he follows it well."
Avila helped Cubs starting pitcher John Lackey navigate a dangerous Nationals lineup and even his record at 9-9. Though Lackey allowed a first-inning home run off the right-field video board to Bryce Harper, he limited them to 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits. He struck out 3 and walked 1 in 5 innings.
"I feel pretty good about it," said Lackey, who allowed less than 3 earned runs for a fifth straight start. "I felt like I was locating the ball pretty good."
The Cubs added a seventh-inning insurance run on a single by Jon Jay, who went 2-for-4 with a double. Closer Wade Davis closed put two men on in the ninth, but he struck out Harper for the final out to record his 23rd save.
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