Kimbrel still convinced he can get on right track
With the Cubs on a seven-game road trip, it would be easy for struggling closer Craig Kimbrel to hide.
But he took questions on a Zoom call with reporters before Wednesday's game in Kansas City. In three appearances this season, Kimbrel has given up 6 earned runs.
"I'm still going out there trying to compete," he said. "I'm not going out there saying, 'I think I can get beat today, I don't want to be out here.' By no means am I anywhere close to that. I still think everything I've done is going to work itself out. It's just not showing yet."
Kimbrel's sudden drop-off certainly has been alarming. He's a seven-time all-star, who led the majors in saves four years in a row from 2011-14 with Atlanta.
He finished the 2018 season winning the World Series with Boston. Kimbrel wasn't quite himself during that postseason, with a 5.91 ERA, but he still completed 6 saves.
Last season he sat out while looking for a long-term deal and the Cubs eventually came through with a three-year, $42-million deal, plus an option for 2022. But the results weren't very good last year (0-4, 6.53 ERA), and they've been far worse this summer.
There has been a lot of talk about Kimbrel not being able to get his curveball over the plate, because it seems like opposing hitters are sitting on his fastball.
"I got myself into some bad habits mechanically and wasn't finishing the way I should, and I was showing the ball a little more than I should," he said. "I actually felt like (Tuesday) I did some things a little better.
"All I'm really worried about right now is figuring out how to get rid of it and getting back into a comfortable spot where I'm out there competing against the batter in the box, not competing against myself on the mound."
Keep batters guessing:
Cubs manager David Ross was playing in Atlanta when Kimbrel first got to the majors in 2010, so he has as much faith in the reliever as anyone.
Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy talked Wednesday about Kimbrel's quest to get himself right.
"I think what you see from Craig, the stuff is still trending in the right direction," Hottovy said. "The breaking ball looked better (Tuesday), the fastball life is coming back. In the end, we're facing professional hitters. When you see the two-strike fastball he threw to (Franchy) Cordero when he got it up in the zone, that was the swing-and-miss. The two-strike fastball he threw to (Adalberto) Mondesi was middle-middle (for a double).
"When you have a two-pitch mix and one of them you haven't shown a consistency of throwing in the strike zone, then teams can hone in on one pitch, no matter how good that pitch is. I think that's the key for him right now, to be a little more unpredictable."
Kipnis gets comfortable:
Northbrook native Jason Kipnis feels like being back home helped propel his fast start with the Cubs. Kipnis is playing part time but is hitting .429 and belted his second home run Tuesday.
"You can't underestimate the presence of being happy at home," Kipnis said. "Being with a new ballclub, you're kind of motivated to make a good impression, to play better. Then you add that to being home where it's like I need to get better every day because I know all my family and friends are probably watching the games now.
"You turn that little pressure where everyone's watching into a little bit of a motivation. I'm excited about it because it's kept me motivated, it's kept me doing the right things."