Cubs' Steele gets reflective about first all-star selection
MILWAUKEE - By the end of Sunday's game at Wrigley Field, several hours passed between the time Justin Steele found out he would be a first-time all-star and when he talked to reporters about the honor.
So Steele was reserved, but still able to describe his emotions. He was told the news in front of the team by manager David Ross.
"You grow up you're always wanting to play in MLB," Steele said. "You're always in the backyard, pretending it's bottom of the ninth, 3-2 and you're getting a big hit or a home run or something.
"To actually be here in the moment, finding out you're making your first All-Star Game, it's really special; really hard to put into words all the work and all the years, everything it took to get here."
Asked if there was one all-star he's looking forward to having as a teammate, Steele said Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, who has always been a role model.
Dansby Swanson and Marcus Stroman were the other two Cubs players chosen as all-stars. Swanson made his first appearance last year and talked about how he took a side trip to Monterrey, Mexico, to watch his future wife Mallory Pugh play for the U.S. in the CONCACAF championship.
"I'm definitely looking forward to kind of soaking this whole experience up, getting Monday and Tuesday," Swanson said. "Getting to do it with Mal and my folks is really neat, just to get that full experience."
Taillon seeks balance:
Left-handed batters are hitting .316 against Jameson Taillon this season and have hit 11 of the 13 home runs he's allowed. Over his career, the lefty batting average is a more reasonable .264.
"This is a little bit of a new challenge for me," he said after giving up 5 earned runs Sunday. "I feel like I've never faced this many lefties in my career and I've never struggled like this against them.
"There's clearly some form adjustment that's been made or I'm changing something I'm doing. So honestly, I've just been trying to get back to my strengths and who I am at my best against left-handed hitters."
Taillon throws seven pitches and said he typically uses a specific pitch package against left-handed batters.
"We're watching video, we're working in the bullpen," he said. "I have left-handed hitters stepping in on my bullpens, different catches catching my bullpens. The work's being done. Hopefully the results match up."
Around the horn:
<h3 class="leadin">Cooper Roberts, who was paralyzed in the Highland Park shooting last year on July 4, threw out Monday's first pitch and met Brewers star Christian Yelich on the field. ... Seiya Suzuki was not in the starting lineup due to feeling some effects of the stiff neck that kept him out of three games last week. He did enter the game on a double-switch in the eighth inning and batted once. ... This result was the Brewers' largest comeback since rallying from an early 7-0 deficit against the Cubs and Jake Arrieta on June 30, 2021. Milwaukee won that game 15-7.
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