Maddon plans to alternate Russell and Baez at short

There's an interesting dynamic going on with the Cubs' shortstop situation.

In Saturday's 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, Javier Baez got the start over Addison Russell. On Friday, it was Russell, who has been the No. 1 guy at short since late in the 2015 season. For the series finale last Wednesday at San Diego, it was Baez.

"It's not a day off," manager Joe Maddon said, referring to Russell. "I've been trying to go back and forth. I've been trying to alternate. It's almost like hitting Kyle (Schwarber) ninth. I don't want him to get too many at-bats when you're struggling right now. The fact that Javy's as good as he is permits us to do that with these two guys so that they just don't bury themselves, they don't get overwhelmed, they don't get too quick mentally. So it's a unique opportunity we have.

"Also once you see them, particularly Addison, get back on track normally, then you're going to see him play a lot more often. But for now, there's a unique set of circumstances going on among this right now with our younger players, especially when it comes to hitting."

Lester wows 'em:

Jon Lester's problems throwing to first base have been well documented. So when he picked off baserunner Tommy Pham in Saturday's fifth inning, it definitely raised eyebrows. Lester low-keyed it.

"I didn't see anything, just threw the ball over there," he said. "It's something I haven't shied away from (talking about) from Day 1. Thought it was a little weird (the Cardinals) had your 3-, 4-, 5-hole hitters bunting in the first inning, but whatever."

Joe Maddon, who has downplayed Lester's fielding and throwing, was pleased.

"That was pretty solid moving forward," Maddon said. "It's a mind thing, man. It's all about the mind. If you believe you can do it, you can do it."

Ninth is the spot:

Joe Maddon said Kyle Schwarber would bat ninth again Sunday night after he hit ninth Saturday and had a game-deciding grand slam. Maddon batted Schwarber seventh Saturday and regretted it.

"I didn't like it seventh at all," Maddon said. "If we could replay every pitch that was thrown to him yesterday, I hated it. Just off from the side, they were taking advantage of the eighth-hole hitter and the pitcher hitting behind him. He did not benefit from the wide strike zone. I hated it. So I called him last night after the game and said I want to do this, and this is why. Put him in front of the top of the batting order. So he's in essence another leadoff hitter."

Schwarber said he was OK with it.

"I'm like, 'Hey at least I'm playing,'" he said. "No, I didn't say anything. He told me his reason, and I was like, 'All right. I'm going with it.' Whatever the skipper does, I'm going to follow it. We got his back. He's got our back. It's all a process. It worked out today."