Chicago Cubs end August with a loss
Hello, September. The Cubs say they are ready for you.
It didn't always look that way Monday night as they went back and forth with the Cincinnati Reds before falling 13-6 at Wrigley Field.
The game was the last of August for the Cubs, who now hit the serious part of the stretch drive holding the second wild-card spot and hoping for better.
True to his form since spring training, manager Joe Maddon says to bring it on.
"September provides its own energy, I really believe that," Maddon said. "I'm telling you, the weather is going to be starting to cool off. You look in the paper, you see where you sit in the standings. You're playing pretty good baseball. 'I got a shot to go to the dance' and all that kind of good stuff.
"You come to the ballpark and any kind of bruises, bumps and fatigue is lessened. I've always felt that way. I think our young guys are going to find that out for the first time. Obviously, last night's win really carried us home well. I'm looking forward to it."
Maddon was talking about Sunday night's no-hitter by ace pitcher Jake Arrieta at Dodger Stadium.
The concept of momentum in baseball always has been tough to judge. Most managers will tell you that momentum goes as far as the next starting pitcher will carry you.
"You feel it at that moment, but now you've got to see if you actually are going to ride the wave," Maddon said. "That's the kind of a moment that can propel you mentally. And then we're talking about the energy that follows."
Monday night's starting pitcher for the Cubs, Kyle Hendricks, was just OK. He worked 5 innings and gave up 3 runs. He was down 3-1 when Maddon pinch hit for him in the fifth but was briefly in line for a victory after the Cubs rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the inning.
It was a rough night for Cubs reliever Justin Grimm, who gave up 4 runs in the top of the sixth on a pair of 2-run homers, one by Eugenio Suarez and the other by pinch hitter Adam Duvall. The game got completely out of hand in the top of the ninth, when the Reds scored 6 unearned runs, with the help of 2 errors by second baseman Starlin Castro, who had 3 errors on the night.
The back of the Cubs' rotation will play a big part in determining how far this team goes in September and October, as will a bullpen that has been taxed as the result of some short starts.
Their no-hit ace, Arrieta, had some thoughts on what the mindset is.
"Same mindset we've had during the stretch we had when we 21 out of 24 or 25 games, which is really not setting a mindset," he said. "It's just a focus of coming to the park with one game on our plate and expecting to win that game. We would have liked to have had a little better trip on the West Coast, but we played two really good teams in two tough stadiums. Moving forward, we know the light is pretty close.
"We can see it. Now it's time to stay focused."