Mates say Heyward ‘ brings a lot to table’
LOS ANGELES — As the Cubs embarked on their longest road trip of the second half, $ 184 million right fielder Jason Heyward’s seasonlong struggles had him riding the bench for the entire first series.
Coincidence or not, the Cubs lost two of three to the Rockies in that series. Then they won the next four games with him back in the lineup, including a victory in 10 innings Friday after he doubled leading off the ninth and scored the tying run on a pair of wild pitches.
By Saturday, Heyward was back on the bench against Dodgers rookie left- hander Julio Urias. Still, he contributed with a pinch single for an RBI in the seventh.
Whether that’s a sign his longslumbering bat might be stirring, teammates — especially pitchers — want his Gold Glove defense in the lineup daily, regardless.
‘‘ One hundred percent,’’ righthander Jake Arrieta said. ‘‘ He’s one of the best team guys I’ve ever played with. His demeanor and attitude have never changed. He’s always positive. And it’s not easy to maintain that attitude when you do struggle.
‘‘ After a tough at- bat or a couple of tough at- bats, he’s out there making tremendous diving plays or keeping really difficult line drives in front of him to keep a guy at first base. It’s tough to stretch a double on that guy. So he brings a lot to the table.
‘‘ And the way he carries himself really rubs off on a lot of our guys.’’
Said manager Joe Maddon: ‘‘ That’s why I say he’s a winner. The hitting’s going to be there. I’m telling you, it’s going to be there. He’s just had a tough moment, and he’s been digging himself out of a hole all year — at the plate. But everyplace else, he’s among the best in the game right now.’’
Sometimes lost in the criticism of the hitting slump has been the transformative effect Heyward has had on the Cubs’ outfield defense. He has helped make the Cubs the best team in baseball by a wide margin in terms of turning balls in play into outs.
‘‘ We all know what he can do at the plate, and everybody knows what he can do in the field,’’ third baseman Kris Bryant said. ‘‘ He’s a huge asset to this team.
‘‘ It’s just awesome to see him come out and compete every day. It inspires me. It makes me want to be like him — always keeping your head up, always being a great teammate, being positive. I can’t say enough about him.’’
Must- see TV
With all due respect to Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies, the marquee inning of Cubs broadcasts this season should be the third inning Sunday on CSN.
That’s when the local broadcast will switch to Dodgers legend Vin Scully, who will be working the final Cubs- Dodgers regular- season game of his 67- year career.
Lackey close to return?
Right- hander John Lackey, who has been sidelined the last two weeks by a sore shoulder, fared well enough after his throwing session Friday that he has been scheduled for a full- effort bullpen session at home Monday. Barring a setback, that might put him in line for a return the first week of September.
Setup man Hector Rondon ( triceps) also played catch Friday but hasn’t progressed to more intense throwing yet. He’s expected to throw on flat ground Monday.
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