CINCINNATI – Alex Bregman hit a game-winning home run Saturday night. He followed it up with another clutch blast Sunday, driving in four runs as part of a three-hit day in the Cubs’ 8-4 win.
In other words, he did the kind of thing the Cubs envisioned when they signed the two-time World Series champ to a big free-agent contract.
On the eve of the All-Star break, this was the production everyone had been waiting for. But that kind of thing didn’t happen with the desired frequency during Bregman’s first few months in a Cubs uniform.
Even after a couple strong days in Ohio, Bregman went into the All-Star break with a .695 OPS that is far and away the lowest of his career, dragged down by a .359 slugging percentage that highlights what’s been the biggest problem.
But might the just-completed road trip go down as a turning point?
All along, the Cubs have been confident – assured, even – that Bregman would hit.
“Once he starts barrelling balls, anything can happen, and you’re just going to see that OPS shoot through the roof,” center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “That’s All-Star or postseason Alex Bregman.
“The best is yet to come from him, really. … When he pops, it’s going to be – it’s one of those things to look forward to in the second half, to be confident about. He could win us some ballgames by himself, probably.”
That, of course, is what the Cubs gave him $175 million to do.
“I said it a month ago: I needed to play better,” Bregman said. “The last few games have been a step in the right direction. I’m looking forward to doing that, contributing to winning. It’s what I love to do. It’s what I’ve done my whole life is win. I want to keep competing and keep winning.”
The Cubs have won 20 of their last 28 games and have impressed by weathering a difficult first half.
A Bregman revival would certainly aid in making the second half run a little smoother.
“A couple good months and getting hot at the right time is going to be huge for us,” outfielder Michael Conforto said Friday. “There’s some good stuff coming.”
Boyd goes deep
Lefty starter Matthew Boyd pitched into the seventh inning for the first time this season in Sunday’s win, giving the Cubs an extended outing after moving past a bumpy four-run third.
Certainly, Boyd wishes his first half went differently and, after dealing with multiple injuries, would prefer having more than just nine starts under his belt.
But he figures to have plenty left in the tank to help the Cubs down the stretch and into what they hope is a lengthy postseason run.
“I missed some time, but all in all, I’m grateful to be healthy, grateful to be going out there right now,” Boyd said. “I feel really good. I’m really excited about where I’m at physically and where my game is right now.
“The goal is to win ballgames. Our best is ahead of us as a team, myself included in that.”
What can Brown do for you?
Will right-hander Ben Brown pitch again this season?
That question earned an easy “yes” from manager Craig Counsell on Sunday.
Whether that means Brown, on the IL while recovering from a stress fracture in a vertebrae in his neck, will have enough time to build back up and slot back into the rotation, however, remains unknown.
“I don’t know if we have clarity on that yet,” Counsell said.