Second-place Cubs confident
Nightengale: Club thinks it will pass Brewers
SAN FRANCISCO – They were the team once linked the most to shortstop Manny Machado, but now the contender no longer interested in him.
They are the team that again has World Series aspirations, but the ones barely making a ripple in the trade deadline rumor mill.
The Cubs, despite being in second place in the National League Central and relegated to playing the Phillies or Braves in a wild-card game if the season ended today, haven’t felt this strongly about their team entering the All-Star break since manager Joe Maddon sauntered into town.
Oh sure, their biggest free agent prize, Yu Darvish, has been among baseball’s biggest busts, with one victory and two months between starts.
Kris Bryant, their 2016 NL MVP and
2015 rookie of the year, is playing for the Class AA Tennessee Smokies, recovering from a strained shoulder that has sidelined him since June 23.
Jon Lester, with 11 wins and a 2.45 ERA on his way to a fifth All-Star Game, is the only starter who can be counted on.
Yet here the Cubs are, believing they’ll be playing at Wrigley Field in late October again, no matter what they do at the trade deadline.
“We’re a pretty confident group,” Cubs pitcher Mike Montgomery tells USA TODAY. “We can stack up with anybody in the league, especially with the offense we got.
“I know this front office is aggressive. We’ve added guys at the deadline before, and it’s worked out well. If they do something again, great. If not, we really believe we can win the World Series with what we got.”
The Cubs (51-37 entering Tuesday), who are 26-16 since May 25 and have bludgeoned teams by a league-leading
104 runs this year, have to catch the Brewers, who lead them by 11⁄ games.
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Yet the Cubs consider it more of a formality than an obstacle.
Sure, maybe that confidence wanes a bit if the Brewers win the Machado sweepstakes. The Dodgers, Brewers and Diamondbacks are the leading candidates to acquire Machado, a high-ranking Orioles executive said, with the Yankees’ interest overblown. Yet you can’t find a soul in the Cubs clubhouse who seems worried about it.
The only one who ever expressed even the slightest interest in the Machado trade talks was shortstop Addison Russell, but after he hit .329 in June, those trade rumors died before the ivy turned green at Wrigley.
“I tried not to pay attention to it,” Russell said, “but it was pretty hard to ignore. I was pretty confident that the team wanted me here, but there were so many reports and rumors.
“Obviously, Manny is a great talent. Seems like a great person. Any team would be lucky to have him. I’m just happy that I’m here, because this team has a chance to be pretty special. I think with our lineup, we can beat any team. Really, I’ll stack us up with anybody.”
The Cubs, who lead the NL in runs, batting average and on-base percentage, simply believe they have too much firepower and depth for the Brewers or anyone else to keep up with them. Second baseman Javier Baez is an MVP candidate, hitting more homers (17) than any Cubs middle infielder by the All-Star break since Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg in 1990, with the most RBI (65) since Ernie Banks in 1960.
The Cubs certainly respect the Brewers, along with the other contenders in the league, but there’s no fear. Barely even a concern.
“I don’t feel like we’re chasing anyone,” Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward says. “This team is playing well, and everybody is in a good place. We went through so much last year, coming off the World Series, but this year, we’re a lot more fresh and rested. We’re feeling pretty good where we are.”
The Cubs were 43-45 and 51⁄ games
2 behind the Brewers at the 2017 All-Star break. They had lost nine of 11 entering the 2016 break and went on to win the World Series.
It has almost become a Cubs tradition to leave everyone choking on their exhaust in the second half. The difference this time, the Cubs say, is that they’ve never felt more confident.
“Actually, if we continue the path we’re on,” Maddon said late Monday in his office, “it might be the best we felt going into the All-Star break. Even in our World Series year, we were kind of limping in. Last year, there was so much fatigue among the guys.
“This year, I’m not feeling that. I’m feeling a lot of energy from the guys. Nobody feels beat up. It didn’t feel like that in ’ 15, or ’ 16 or ’17. We’ve got a lot better heartbeat.
“The biggest thing now is to get the starting pitching in order.”
Well, to be more specific, getting their
$126 million man to pitch like an AllStar.
Darvish’s inaugural season in Chicago has been as ugly as their winter weather. He has made only eight starts, won once and hasn’t pitched into the seventh inning.
He was last seen in uniform May 20 and is playing catch these days trying to rid the discomfort in his right triceps, living up to his soft reputation that was solidly built in Texas.
“We have to get Darvish back,” Maddon says. “That’s a big part of this.”
Yet if the rest of the rotation stepped forward, Darvish wouldn’t be such a huge worry. Tyler Chatwood (3-5, 5.01 ERA), their other free agent starter, has walked a league-leading 70 batters in 79 innings. Kyle Hendricks finally pitched how the Cubs remember on Monday night, when he gave up just one unearned run into the ninth inning against the Giants.
Jose Quintana (7-6, 4.22 ERA) has been solid, but only as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter.
Darvish is the one who holds the key to their playoff fate. If the Cubs believe he can return, and dominate, there’s no need to search for another starter. They can simply pursue a back-end reliever or a piece for the bench. If they can’t trust Darvish, they have no choice but to grab someone who’s capable of pitching in a playoff race.
“If we can just get Yu back to his normal form,” utility man Ben Zobrist says, “then we’ll be tough to beat.”
Even without Machado.