Jay has spark for Cubs
MILWAUKEE - The joy of baseball?
How about the Jay of baseball?
Outfielder Jon Jay has been a spark of life for the Cubs this season after signing a one-year free-agent deal last off-season.
In Friday night's victory over the Brewers, he doubled home a run in the third inning and worked a 15-pitch at-bat before singling and scoring in the fifth.
Even though the Cubs fell short Saturday, losing 4-3 in 10 innings, Jay did his part. He had a sacrifice and 2 singles, 1 of them driving home the go-ahead run in the 10th.
"I love this game," he said Saturday. "This is what you spend all off-season working out for and spring training. You grind through the season for moments like this. Hopefully your team is in a position to go to October and make a run. That's where we're at, so this is when baseball is a lot of fun."
Reporters were still talking about Jay's 15-pitch at-bat to manager Joe Maddon Saturday morning.
"One thing I've noticed with him, two strikes does not bother him," Maddon said. "He'll be 0-2, 1-2 a lot, and the at-bat is not over. When that happens with him, you're never really discouraged because he does that. I don't mean work a 15-pitch at-bat, but he does not cave in. He's able to move the ball. He'll use the whole field. You saw even the foul balls were everywhere. That's the throwback component of him that I really appreciate - how he works at-bats."
Just in time:
It's been a struggle for left-handed reliever Justin Wilson since he came to the Cubs in a deadline deal with the Detroit Tigers.
But on Saturday, Wilson struck out three of the four batters he faced.
"It was better," said Wilson, who is 1-0 with a 5.74 ERA with the Cubs. "Tough one for us as a team, but better for me."
Wilson gave up 3 hits and a run in Thursday's series opener, but he and the Cubs felt he threw the ball well.
"The results weren't there the other night," he said. "I pitched well. Probably went to the well too many times on (Domingo) Santana and a bad pitch to (Eric) Thames. But two pitches away from getting out of that. Today was better."
More quality from Hendricks:
Kyle Hendricks got a tough-luck no-decision Saturday. He worked 6 innings, giving up 8 hits and 1 run as his ERA fell to 3.14 for the season.
He has 8 straight quality starts, the longest streak by a Cubs pitcher this year. His ERA in those 8 quality starts is 2.25.
"Actually, I was kind of surprised - I was kind of fatigued at the beginning (of the game)," he said. "It was really hot at the beginning. Once the shadows crept in, it cooled off, and I felt a lot better at the end."