MARLINS SERIES IS LIKE BAT MEDICINE
It seems like everyone in Cubs’ lineup got well in three- game sweep of worst team in NL East
Cubs shortstop Addison Russell had his worst game of the season Tuesday night, popping up a bunt, throwing wide of first twice, striking out, slumping his shoulders and dragging a long face back to the dugout.
It took all of 16 hours for the mood to flip with his best game of the season Wednesday afternoon — in just one inning.
That included an over- the- shoulder catch in shallow center in the top of the third, followed by a leadoff double and a two- run homer in the bottom half as the Cubs batted around against Marlins left- hander Wei- Yin Chen.
“You have good days, and you have bad days,” said Russell, who didn’t have a home run — and only eight extra- base hits — until the Cubs’ 13- 4 rout of the Marlins.
“The power numbers are going to show up,’’ Russell said. ‘‘ It’s just contact for me right now. I’m not trying to create anything. I’m not trying to press or do anything like that.” He didn’t have to. “The biggest thing is he’s just not hitting to his potential yet,” manager Joe Maddon said. “You see what he’s capable of doing.”
Turns out Chen and the Marlins brought a sizable dose of cure for what ailed Russell at the plate.
And Anthony Rizzo, for that matter. The slugging first baseman didn’t have a double until hitting two, along with a three- run homer for a five- RBI game.
“Nothing feels as good as a homer,” said Rizzo, who then gestured to “Bryzzo” pal Kris Bryant. “But my business partner over here has told me a few times that I’m on pace for zero doubles this year.”
In fact, the Marlins proved exactly the medicine the Cubs needed after a nausea- inducing weekend in St. Louis. In three days, they helped cure everything that was ailing the Cubs except the Yu Darvish Flu.
Slumping Ian Happ had two homers and five RBI in the series opener; slumping Willson Contreras had three extra- base hits Wednesday, including two triples; Rizzo had multihit games in both games he played in the series; Bryant went 5- for- 10 with three extrabase hits in the series, including career home run No. 100 Wednesday; and Russell wound up 3- for- 3 with two walks in the series finale.
Sprinkle in an eight- inning start from Kyle Hendricks in the opener, an impressive six- inning start from Jose Quintana in the finale and er- rorless play for three days, and it all added up to a sweep of the overwhelmed Marlins by a combined 31- 9 margin.
“And there you have it,” Maddon said. “Have a great off day.” Next? After taking Thursday off, the Cubs have three at Wrigley Field against the White Sox, one of only six teams worse than the Marlins entering play Wednesday.
It’s part of a soft stretch on the schedule that includes 10 of 14 games against last- place teams.
Time for the National League Central favorites to make a move?
“There’s no team you can take for granted,” Rizzo said. “I said that a few years ago about one team, and they ended up sweeping us.”
There seems to be about as much chance of that happening this weekend as there was of the Marlins do- ing it in a series that might have all but erased the sting of back- to- back walk- off losses in St. Louis.
“I think anytime you get swept, the faster you win a game, you turn the page,” said Rizzo, who got Monday off as his teammates opened the week with a 14- 2 victory against the Marlins.
“When we came out Monday and scored a lot, we turned the page right away.”