Contreras starts at first, Cubs' losing skid hits 4 games
If there's one thing we've learned about Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, it's that he's not afraid to move players around.
Maddon moves them around to maximize lineups or to make the best of injury situations.
It was the latter Thursday night in Miami, where rookie catcher Willson Contreras found himself playing first base as Anthony Rizzo sat out with tightness in his lower back.
Contreras went 1-for-4 as the Cubs fell 4-2 to the Marlins and extended their losing streak to a season-high four games. Reliever Pedro Strop gave up 2 runs in the eighth inning as the Marlins broke a 2-2 tie.
Rizzo came up hobbling in Wednesday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, and Maddon said Thursday's game might be one to rest him, with the Marlins throwing lefty Wei-Yin Chen at the Cubs.
Javier Baez could have played first base, as could Kris Bryant. Maddon got both into the lineup along with Contreras, with Baez playing third base and Bryant left field.
So it was Contreras at first, on the heels of going 4-for-9 with 2 homers and 5 RBI in his first five major-league games. He also made a leaping catch of Baez's throw in the fifth and tagged out Chris Johnson for the putout.
"With the injuries we've had, you've got a young guy coming up, swinging the bat well and trying to fit him in and making sure the other guys catch, too - if we could get (Contreras) at another position, it would free a lot of things up and help us," Maddon told reporters, likening the situation to that of injured catcher Kyle Schwarber, who came up last year and played left field in addition to catching. It possible Contreras could see some time in the outfield as well.
Contreras told the media he was ready to go at first.
"I have no problems playing first base," he said. "Once they told me, 'You're playing first base,' I said, 'OK, I'm ready to play first base. No problem with that.' I want to play every day, I want to do the little things to win the game, to make the playoffs, to make the World Series. I'll do everything for my team."
As for Rizzo, he has been bothered by back problems in the past, including earlier this season.
"This is totally different than it was before," Rizzo told reporters. "We're just being smart and being cautious about it."
Jon Lester started Thursday for the Cubs and pitched 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs, on a solo homer by Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth and another to Marcell Ozuna in the sixth.
Catcher David Ross tied the game for the Cubs in the eighth with a leadoff homer. But the Cubs stranded two runners in that inning before leaving the bases loaded in the ninth.
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