Swanson, Amaya bust out of slumps to lead Cubs past Angels
This was redemption day at Wrigley Field.
Dansby Swanson started the day 0 for his last 23 at the plate, with 9 strikeouts in the last 13 at-bats. On Sunday, he smacked the first pitch he saw from Angels starter Jose Soriano into right field for a single.
Catcher Miguel Amaya took three days off to try to remedy his .186 batting average. His first at-bat was an RBI single, bringing home Swanson, which propelled the Cubs to a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Pitcher Hayden Wesneski could be included on the list. He's been touched up for some home runs in the last few weeks, but back in his comfort zone as a starter, Wesneski allowed just 1 hit in 6 ⅓ innings to get the victory.
Amaya added a double to finish the day 2-for-3. He wasn't available after the game, but manager Craig Counsell talked about the strategy of Amaya taking a few days to refocus his hitting approach.
“Some mechanical changes would be the way to say it,” Counsell said. “He tried some new stuff today and obviously hit a ball really hard for a double. So some confidence that can give him success in a game and see how it moves forward.”
Swanson finished 1-for-3, but had a deep fly ball to left that might have been a home run in windless conditions.
“I thought Dansby had good at-bats today,” Counsell said. “Again, he played really good defense. The ball off Wes' hand, that was a great play. Through all this (hitting slump), he's continued to play incredible defense.”
The play being referenced happened in the third inning, when Luis Guillorme hit a one-hopper to the mound. Wesneski instinctively reached out with his bare hand and deflected the ball, but Swanson was able to charge in, grab it with his bare hand and make a sidearm throw to get the out.
Wesneski initially waved his glove to suggest he didn't need to see a trainer, but he came out to the mound for a health check anyway.
“It kind of just caught me on the middle fingers, basically the fingers I need,” Wesneski said. “Probably me just being a little stubborn. My thought was I didn't need any assistance, but I will say I probably did need the time. I appreciated the warm-ups. But I knew it wasn't all that serious.”
The right-hander threw just 86 pitches and allowed one walk. So it was an efficient performance for Wesneski, who has been asked to switch from starter to reliever and back a few times this season.
“At the end of the day, my job is to get outs,” he said. “It doesn't matter if it's in the eighth or the second. That's kind of how my brain's processing it. I've done (starting) for longer. (But) I like winning. So whatever it takes to win, I'm not necessarily picky.”
Porter Hodge, who has quickly become the Cubs' most effective relief pitcher, retired all five batters he faced. Luke Little then loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs, before Hector Neris came on to finish it out.
Fortunately for the Cubs, Michael Busch blasted a 2-run homer through a heavy rain in the seventh, giving the bullpen a little more cushion.
After the game, rookie pitcher Shota Imanaga was announced as the Cubs' representative in the July 16 All-Star Game in Arlington, Tex.
X: @McGrawDHSports