Right-fielder Seiya Suzuki hit a two-run homer but also dropped a fly ball in the Cubs’ 5-1 victory over the Angels on Friday at Wrigley Field. And there was nothing lost in the translation — Suzuki was lamenting the dropped fly ball much more than celebrating the home run.
“It’s a routine play that should be made and should have been made,” Suzuki said through an interpreter. “So it’s just trying to improve on the next one.”
Suzuki was accepting no excuses — and he was offered a few — for the error. Even when asked about Justin Steele’s impressive pitching performance, the error was still on his mind. It was his third of the season and 10th in three seasons with the Cubs.
“Obviously a great outing for [Steele], but my error in right field, it would have made the day a little bit easier, so that’s something I’m reflecting on,” Suzuki said.
Suzuki’s error came with two outs in the fourth inning when he had to come in a little but, but simply missed Logan O’Hoppe’s fly to shallow right. Steele walked Brandon Drury, but third baseman Miles Mastrobuoni saved Suzuki additional heartache with a fabulous defensive play on Zach Neto’s line drive for an inning-ending forceout.
“I know he’s trying to catch the ball,” Steele said. “He’s trying to make the play. It’s not like a lack of hustle or anything. That’s part of baseball. Things happen. All his teammates back him up. We’re behind him. We know how special Seiya can be.”
Suzuki’s home run was his 12th of the season and fourth in the last nine games. He’s hitting .262 with an .806 OPS.
“He’s having a pretty solid year,” manager Craig Counsell said.
That didn’t soothe Suzuki on this day.
“I know they expect a lot of me, not just on offense but also on defense,” he said. “As I said, those plays in right field have to be made. If I do have another chance I want to make sure I make those plays.”
Two-out magic
The Cubs scored all their runs with two outs, including three runs scored after having two outs and nobody on base.
“We had three two-out base hits to score runs. I’m sure we haven’t done that this year,” Counsell said.
The Cubs actually have done it three times — in an 8-1 victory over the Dodgers on April 7, a 9-8 loss to the Padres on April 8 and a 7-6 loss to the Giants on June 17.
Two, two, two in a row …
The victory over the Angels gave the Cubs back-to-back wins for the first time since June 18-19 against the Giants. They have not won three consecutive games since April 23-26 — a sweep of the Astros and a victory over the Red Sox.
The Cubs (41-48) will go for their third consecutive victory Saturday against the Angels at 1:20 p.m. at Wrigley Field, with right-hander Kyle Hendricks (1-6, 7.48) facing Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson (7-8, 3.03).
Third baseman Miles Mastrobuoni was feeling the momentum after pitching, offense and defense contributed to the 5-1 victory over the Angels.
“Today was kind of one of those days that was like Cubbie baseball,” Mastrobuoni said. “This locker room’s very talented. When we put things together, I’d take this team against anybody.’
PCA is day-to-day
Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong sat out his second consecutive game with a left thumb injury that required four stitches to repair when he was inadvertently spiked Wednesday night by Phillies’ third basemen Whit Merrifield on a head-first slide.
Crow-Armstrong said the injury impairs him “a little bit,” but Counsell was monitoring Crow-Armstrong’s availability by the hour Friday, so he could be available as soon as Saturday.