Rainout scraps leadoff plan for Bryant
Nearly three hours after the scheduled start of the game Monday between the Dodgers and Cubs at Wrigley Field, the tarp was still on the soggy infield. Lights above the grandstands down the right- field line weren’t working. Rain had come and gone.
With the power at full- go, they probably could have squeezed in the opener of this three- game series. Instead, it was rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader Tuesday, with game times of 12: 05 p. m. and 7: 05 p. m.
Everybody in the park was hoping to see baseball. And every Cubs fan from here to the end of the earth was hoping to see third baseman Kris Bryant’s elongated slump finally blow over.
Bryant entered the series mired in a 3- for- 26 stretch in his last seven games and with only one home run since May 14. If it hasn’t been a classic slump, it certainly has been a noticeable power outage.
‘‘ You really do start trying too hard,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘ You try to force things, as opposed to letting them just come to you, especially a power guy who has not hit home runs in a bit.’’
That’s why Maddon wrote Bryant’s name into the leadoff spot. It was another attempt at getting him going. Bryant had led off twice before in his career— in back- toback games this month against the Pirates. He reached five times in eight plate appearances ( three singles, a walk and a hit- by- pitch) and scored two runs.
It isn’t about the long ball, Maddon said. He wants Bryant to dig into his complete set of tools.
‘‘ I want him to focus on that, not homers,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘ I think he probably hears that way too much about the power situation, and I’m really not interested in that. . . . He can help win a game in so many different ways.”
Not very bright
It was a bad look for the Cubs to wait nearly three hours before postponing a night game, especially when the lights weren’t working and when the explanation on the video boards throughout were about the rain, not the power.
‘‘ I wouldn’t call it a calamity,’’ a team spokesman said. ‘‘ It’s just part of the game.’’
Even after all the fans were gone, the Cubs still hadn’t identified a ‘‘ root cause’’ for the lighting problems.
In case they end up needing one ( or both) of them, the Cubs and Dodgers have mutual days off July 5 and Sept. 20.
Could have been worse
Did second baseman Javy Baez see his season flash before his eyes as he went down in excruciating pain after being hit in the left elbow Sunday by a pitch from the Cardinals’ Jack Flaherty?
‘‘ That’s one thing that you can’t let go through your head when you get hit because you’re not going to do good,’’ he said.
Baez relayed a heart- of- themoment exchange with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.
‘‘ Yadi asked me if I was all right,’’ Baez said. ‘‘ He actually apologized. I was like: ‘ Man, come on. Yeah, everything’s good.’ ’’
Duensing on bereavement list
The Cubs put left- handed reliever Brian Duensing on the bereavement list and recalled fellow lefty Rob Zastryzny from Class AAA Iowa.
Duensing, whose grandfather died, should rejoin the team this week in Cincinnati.