Chicago Cubs: Taking advantage of the wind

The Chicago Cubs are looking to find consistency at the plate, but the past two games they have shown what they’re capable of. Returning to Wrigley Field, they played to the conditions.

Despite ending the previous road trip on a high note, the Chicago Cubs would like to forget the 2-6 trip. Returning home to Wrigley for three straight series is a time for the team to get back on track. The homestand began with an odd 4:05 start time on Friday against the Minnesota Twins, their first trip to Wrigley since 2009. Result of the opener, a 10-6 Cubs win.

An incredibly hot and steamy afternoon, to no surprise, brought hitter-friendly conditions to the Friendly Confines. Cubs were facing Twins ace Jose Berrios, a tough matchup seeing as he came in with a 3.15 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 3.25 FIP and 109 Ks in 103.0 innings.

This would be another game when the Cubs had to overcome an early deficit. Mike Montgomery did not have his best stuff as veteran Joe Mauer hit a three-run shot and two-run double early on, which certainly made the thousands of Twins fans in attendance happy.

However the Cubs bats awoke and did what fans have wanted to see them do consistently.

Swinging away and taking advantage.

The biggest blast of the day was Addison Russell‘s go-ahead grand slam in the fifth. He swung at the first pitch and did what he needed to do, hit it in the air. It was a high flyball that was definitely wind-aided, and probably is routine on colder days. Regardless, he got it up and out. Other home runs were hit by Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward. Those were hit very hard.

In total the Cubs pounded out 12 hits with every position player in the starting lineup getting at least one hit. Albert Almora in the leadoff spot had three hits and Heyward totaled two as he batted second. The team also drew six walks.

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Friday’s game was simply great to see, because it is what the fans wait to see from this team. It was more special after such a rough stretch lately. They were hitting for power, had patient at-bats, were spraying the ball all over the field, and doing a lot of it against a good pitcher. Berrios had a 2.10 ERA in June and had not given up six earned runs in a start this season. In fact his only two strikeouts were against the pitcher Montgomery.

Cubs are going to want to keep this going and put together a nice streak after their 2-6 stretch.