The Cubs’ bats were jumping Sunday at Wrigley Field after a 2-hour, 20-minute rain delay.
Right fielder Mike Tauchman led off the first inning with a home run, first baseman Michael Busch hit a solo shot in the fourth and catcher Miguel Amaya hit a two-run homer in that inning, helping the Cubs to a 5-0 victory against the Nationals.
All three homers came against starter Jake Irvin, who allowed four hits and four walks in four innings. Four Nationals relievers held the Cubs to three hits and one walk the rest of the way.
“Tauch leading off the game with a homer is great, and it puts everybody in a good place,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Bushy had some big hits today, as well; swung the bat well. We played a good all-around game.”
Busch and Amaya each had two of the Cubs’ seven hits.
Defensive turnaround
Nationals right fielder Dylan Crews led off the game with a hard-hit grounder to shortstop Dansby Swanson, who fielded it cleanly and threw to first for the out. It was a difficult play that Swanson, a two-time Gold Glove winner, makes routinely. The Cubs’ defense has improved as Swanson has returned to his career form after a subpar start for both.
But that start played a role in the team’s 21-34 record in May and June. The defense stabilized in the second half, which led to more success.
“As we get to the end here, this is a good defensive group,” Counsell said. “We didn’t play our best the first six weeks. And then, I think Dansby has been … his season is kind of representative of that. He’s been outstanding.”
The Cubs have one of the best middle infields in the majors in Swanson and second baseman Nico Hoerner. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong’s ascension to the starting job gave the Cubs a promising young talent who has shown a knack for making difficult plays seem routine.
The Cubs entered the game ninth in FanGraphs’ defensive runs saved (30) after finishing sixth in 2023 (36).
Counsell wants same focus
The Cubs were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday after their 5-1 loss to the Nationals and the Mets’ 6-3 victory against the Phillies.
With a week left in their season, Counsell doesn’t want the group’s focus to change.
“Nothing changes,” Counsell said. “You just go out and you play the game and you respect the game. You respect your teammates, and that’s it. That’s what you do.”
Despite some success with Crow-Armstrong’s development, Busch’s impressive rookie season and left-hander Shota Imanga’s All-Star performance, the Cubs’ playoff drought will reach four seasons, six not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
“There’s successes, and there’s things that aren’t good enough, and that leads to your record,” Counsell said. “The record is the record, and that’s earned. None of those are promised — the successes or the failures — moving forward, and that’s one of the difficult parts about evaluating teams, as well.”
Injury report
Left fielder Ian Happ was scratched from the game with lower back tightness, according to Counsell. He’s day to day.