For the first time this season, the Cubs have just two games in between off days.
Their two-game Crosstown series at Guaranteed Rate Field this weekend is sandwiched between a Thursday offday and a rare Sunday offday.
“At this time of year, it always helps, specifically, relievers,” manager Craig Counsell said before the game Friday. “And then, Dansby [Swanson], Nico [Hoerner], Ian [Happ] have been going pretty hard in terms of playing every day, and did great through that stretch we just had. To get those guys off their feet is helpful, for sure.”
The Cubs have four off days in a span of 12 games, which is quite the contrast to a May schedule that included only two off days.
Counsell shrugged off a question about the Cubs’ advantageous strength of schedule the rest of the month – six of their next seven opponents have losing records.
“You’ve got to play the games in front of you,” he said.
He challenged the notion that teams perform better against teams with worse records.
“I don’t know that, so far, that’s held true for this team,” he said.
Counsell pointed to the Cubs’ series sweep in Baltimore, which he said might have been their “best series of the year.” At the time, the Orioles had the best record in the American League.
Regardless, the playoffs are a long shot for the Cubs. Entering Friday, Fangraphs gave the Cubs a 6.7% chance of making the postseason.
Cubs get to Crochet early
The Cubs pounced on White Sox ace Garrett Crochet for six runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Happ got things started with a solo homer, his sixth career leadoff home run. With one out, Seiya Suzuki singled in front of Cody Bellinger, who turned on a low cutter and hit a moon shot into the right-field stands.
Bellinger was returning from a one-game hiatus for a sore hamstring and didn’t seem to miss a step.
In the third inning, Bellinger singled to initiate another rally. Then Isaac Paredes and Hoerner hit back-to-back home runs.
The Cubs knew Crochet had been on a pitch limit, throwing between 64 and 77 pitches in his previous three starts.
His pitch count had already risen to 67 Friday when he left the game.
Injury updates
Bellinger, working back from a fractured left middle finger, has served as the designated hitter in his nine games back from the injured list. He was scheduled to throw Friday before the game and “kind of push it,” Counsell said. Counsell was “cautiously optimistic” that Bellinger could get back in the outfield next week.
Right-hander Hayden Wesneski (strained right forearm) traveled to Arizona to continue his rehab progression at the Cubs’ Mesa complex.