Swanson sticks with it, gets 'blue whale' off his back with HR

CHICAGO – As Dansby Swanson's teammates celebrated inside the third-base dugout, the Cubs shortstop kept his composure as he made his way around the bases on Wednesday night. It was a fitting response from a veteran who has tried to maintain a steady presence and approach, even as his struggles have mounted.

The home run Swanson launched will not cure all that has ailed his offense to this point this season, but it was surely a deep-breath moment for him. The blast from No. 7 helped fuel a seven-run, seven-hit outburst in the second inning that allowed the North Siders to hold on for an 8-6 victory over the Rockies at Wrigley Field.

“It’s a big deal, for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.

The homer was the first for Swanson since May 18, ending a drought of 86 consecutive plate appearances without going deep. During the previous 24 games without a home run, he hit .135 (10-for-74), watching his season OPS drop to .587 from .668 in that span. He entered play Wednesday tied with Manny Machado for the lowest batting average (.175) in baseball among qualified hitters.

Needless to say, this home run was a needed boost for Swanson and the Cubs, collectively.

Swanson cracked a smile when asked if the home run felt like a monkey, or perhaps a gorilla, off his back.

“What’s the biggest mammal in the world?” Swanson said. “I think it’s a blue whale, actually. There you go. Maybe that.”

In the second inning, Alex Bregman (walk) and Ian Happ (single) got things started against Rockies lefty Sean Sullivan. Matt Shaw then sent a line drive deep into the gap in right-center, legging out a two-run triple to put the Cubs on the board. Carson Kelly followed with an RBI double into the right-field corner, bringing Swanson to the plate.

Swanson saw an 0-1 fastball from Sullivan that ran to the lower, inside edge of the strike zone. The shortstop responded by sending it off his bat at a drastic launch angle (46 degrees), but with enough exit velocity (102 mph) on a night with a friendly wind. The baseball carried over the wall in left-center for a two-run homer that gave the Cubs a 5-0 lead.

“That’s what we’ve been so good at in the past, is having those big innings,” Swanson said. “Really making pitchers work to get outs. Using the ballpark to our advantage. That’s what we do. To have an inning happen like that felt really good, I think, for everybody involved.

“I was one part of it, but I feel like the bigger story is the whole group was doing it. It was a fun one to be a part of.”

Chicago added two more runs in the frame and Pete Crow-Armstrong contributed a solo homer in the fourth (a blast that withstood a replay review), helping the Cubs pick up a second consecutive series win. That is notable due to the fact that Chicago had gone 10 sets in a row without a series win prior to this recent uptick.

To keep pulling out of the funk that overtook the Cubs’ lineup in May and extended into early June, the Cubs need more outbursts like the one experienced Wednesday night. And the North Siders plan on sticking by Swanson, even as his issues have led to questions about whether Shaw or Pedro Ramírez could man second with Nico Hoerner getting more starts at short.

“I think we should be just continuing to invest in Dansby getting back to the offensive player that we know he is,” Counsell said. “That’s what needs to happen for this team. That’s just important to keep trying to do, and the best way to do that is to have him out on the field.”

Jed Hoyer, the Cubs president of baseball operations, was asked about the situation this week, too. He pointed to Swanson's importance for a defense that is the “backbone” of Chicago’s roster.

“We can’t just run away from our run prevention,” Hoyer said.

Entering play Wednesday, Swanson was tied for second among MLB shortstops in outs above average (+8) and third at his position in fielding run value (+6). His 2.8 baserunning runs were ranked 10th overall among qualified MLB hitters. So, even as Swanson’s offense has lagged, he has still provided value in other areas.

“Those other things matter just as much, and maybe even more when you're not swinging the bat,” Swanson said. “At some point, the offensive stuff comes around. It’s a really hard game, and it’s probably harder than it’s been in a really long time.

“So, whatever I can do to help us win games is what I’m going to do. I’m very thankful for that and guys that believe in me.”

Count Crow-Armstrong among those who do.

“We love having him at short,” said the center fielder. “I’m just glad that he’s in the lineup every day and getting chances to kind of turn his season around, because he helps us in so many ways.”