CUBS WIN 100
PITTSBURGH— Most of the players in the Cubs’ clubhouse never had done it before. Fewer still had any idea about the last time the Cubs had done it.
But the significance of winning 100 games didn’t seem lost on them as the Cubs reached the rare franchise milestone with a 12- 2 victory Monday against the Pirates. And they did it with six games to spare.
‘‘ It’s not too often that you get this much talent in one room on one team,’’ said third baseman Kris Bryant, whose major- league tenure consists of a 97- victory season with a run to the National League Championship Series in 2015 and now the Cubs’ first 100- victory season since 1935.
‘‘ Really,’’ right- hander Kyle Hendricks ( 16- 8) said when told how long it had been. ‘‘ I did not know that. Definitely, we’ve got to soak that in a little bit.’’
Said Bryant: ‘‘ I think we need to realize what we have here and be grateful for it. I certainly am. I couldn’t have pictured a better first two years in the big leagues.’’
The sixth 100- victory season in Cubs history is also the first as a baseballoperations boss for president Theo Epstein, who has two World Series rings from his days with the Red Sox, and the first as a manager for Joe Maddon, who reached the World Series with the Rays.
But echoing the theme from the clubhouse throughout this run, Hendricks quickly shifted to the bigger goals coming next month.
‘‘ This is just another step on the way,’’ he said.
The other 100
As Bryant talked near his locker, teammate Chris Coghlan arrived at his locker nearby and chimed in.
‘‘ I didn’t see anything here when I came in,’’ Coghlan said. ‘‘ I got it,’’ Bryant said, laughing. It turns out Bryant, who had been stuck on 99 RBI since Wednesday, promised Coghlan before the game that he could have all the cash in his wallet if he scored on his 100th RBI.
When Bryant hit his 39th home run in the sixth inning, it was leadoff man Coghlan who had singled just ahead of the homer. ‘‘ I owe him some money,’’ Bryant said. Bryant admitted he might have been pressing in recent games.
‘‘ Just thinking back to last year, ending on 99, I didn’t want that two years in a row,’’ he said. ‘‘ But I just reminded myself I’m a completely different player than last year.
‘‘ Sometimes when it doesn’t come right away, you start trying harder and it never comes to you. Then it just happens out of the blue. I’m very happy that’s over. I don’t need to talk about it anymore.’’
Huh?
Here’s some insight into Maddon’s managerial style and/ or genius: In the middle of Hendricks’ start, Maddon approached him in the dugout to ask about his alma mater.
Just what is Dartmouth’s nickname, anyway?
‘‘ I told him the Big Green,’’ Hendricks said. ‘‘ And that was it. He’s like, ‘ OK,’ and he walked away. I still don’t know why.’’
Hendricks wound up pitching six scoreless innings.