PHOENIX — Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy liked what he saw when he strode out to the mound Saturday for a visit with Ryan Pressly three straight hits into a save opportunity.
Eugenio Suárez’ two-run home run had cut the Cubs’ lead to one in one smooth stroke. And now Pressly had another runner on, after a seven-pitch battle with Gabriel Moreno resulted in a line drive single to right field.
“Going to the mound in that situation, seeing his confidence, it was awesome,” Hottovy said in a conversation with the Sun-Times.
The Cubs bullpen has work to do. Even before blowing a four-run lead in spectacular fashion Sunday, it had a middling 5.03 ERA, good for No. 18 in MLB. Then in the Cubs’ 10-6 loss Sunday to the Diamondbacks, three different relievers pitched in an eight-run eighth inning.
Some of the issues are magnified by the time of year and a disjointed buildup because of the Tokyo Series. Going into Monday, manager Craig Counsell had avoided calling on any reliever to pitch back to back days. And though the Cubs’ schedule is flush with off days in April, they begin the season with a block of seven games without a break.
Solidifying the back end of the rotation would help the rest fall in line. That starts with Pressly. So, manager Craig Counsell is going to continue to call on him at the end of games, with the long view in mind.
Though Pressly hasn’t had a dominant start, totaling three runs in his first three outings, the Cubs were encouraged by the progress they’d seen from their new veteran closer.
“He came into the spring with some pointed things he wanted to work on mechanically,” Hottovy said. “Some of those just take time; it comes and goes, just like every other guy. So there’s days where he feels really good, and then those days where he feels a little out of sync.
“And I think, I actually think stuff-wise, [Saturday] was about as good from a mechanic standpoint [as he’s been.]”
Pressly’s average fastball velocity jumped up by almost two mph from his first appearance stateside to his outing Saturday, according to Statcast. Mechanically, Pressly has focused on keeping his front side strong and refining his posture.
“The adjustments he’s making were better,” Hottovy said. “He just didn’t get the results. And he said after the game, it just sucks when you know you feel good and the results don’t come.”
Pressly did, however, battle to the most important result Saturday: a save and a Cubs win.
“He gave up some runs, and that’s not good,” Counsell said after the game, “But [Saturday] was a good day for him. I think he’ll take something from [Saturday] for the positive.”
Hottovy certainly took positives from Pressly’s performance. Of his six pitches to the first two hitters he faced Saturday, only one was a ball.
“Suárez is living in a tree right now and hit a homer,” Hottovy said of the Diamondbacks slugger who launched four long balls against the Cubs in Arizona’s opening series. “Other than that, he was really freaking good, you know? And so, yeah, he gave up two quick runs. But I’ve seen so many people implode in those moments.”
Pressly did the opposite.
He got two quick outs, issued a walk, and then induced soft contact to set up shortstop Dansby Swanson for a trick play to end the game.
“Just don’t panic,” Pressly said after the game. “Just try to keep it calm, make your pitches. I felt great tonight. It’s just one of those things where it wasn’t the cleanest inning, but a win’s a win, and we got the job done.”
Putting the final touches on Pressly’s mechanics should help him do so more consistently and with less fanbase nail-biting. But most days, the save will be more important than how he achieved it.
