September beckons for Chicago Cubs
One of Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon's favorite sayings is that “September brings its own energy.”
September is just a few days away, and the Cubs could use a jolt of something to get them right for the stretch drive.
They looked sharp enough Monday night at Wrigley Field during a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Starting pitcher Mike Montgomery worked 7-plus innings, giving up 6 hits and 1 run, an eighth-inning leadoff homer to Jordy Mercer.
Whether it's energy or something else, Maddon knows it's time for his team to get it going.
“Yes, I'm looking for us just to play consistently well,” he said. “It's very simple, but it's true. What does that mean? Continue to get consistent starts, just maybe a more of a consistent approach offensively, maybe not so much up and down runs scored, that kind of a thing. Just be a little bit more consistently.
“Defensively, when we get Addison (shortstop Russell) back, I think you're going to see an uptick all over the place because that permits us to move Javy (Baez) around also. With everybody being well and (ace pitcher) Jonny Lester being back in the mix, it just make sense that you believe a lot of this stuff should get even a little bit better than it has been.”
General manager Jed Hoyer has his own view of September baseball, and it's not an entirely positive one because of how the game changes after Sept. 1, when teams may expand their rosters upward from 25 players.
“Personally, I don't like September baseball,” Hoyer said. “I think it's a shame that we play under different sets of rules. We only have a few more days of normal, 25-man roster rules. Now we have to enter this different world with matchups like crazy and long games. I don't love that aspect of it, but pennant races are fun. We're going to have to play well for the next five weeks.”
After a lackluster weekend in Philadelphia, where the Cubs lost two of three to the last-place Phillies, they looked more like a championship-caliber team against the Pirates.
Two years ago, they won 97 games but had to battle to win a wild-card spot. They eventually advanced to the National League championship series. Last year they won 103 games on the way to a World Series title.
“I love it,” Maddon said of September. “It's so much fun. That's why we do this. We've had a couple different paths the last couple years. The first year was kind of like that. Even though you're winning a lot of games, you had to still qualify. Last year it was the different path.
“Now this year we're back to like more normal methods.”
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