After day off, Frazier regains power stroke

CHICAGO -- Todd Frazier suspected this power surge was coming. The third baseman got a day off on Monday, and was asked by his manager to study pitchers and their release points, thinking it would help Frazier discover some of the power that had been missing for the last month or so.

"He's a good student," Dusty Baker said. "And he studied, and he then applied it."

After going without a homer since April 24, Frazier went yard in back-to-back games, including a go-ahead solo shot in Wednesday's 2-1 win. He has nine RBIs in 12 games against the Cubs this year, and went 1-for-3 with a walk in Thursday's 6-5 loss in 14 innings. But he knew the drought was growing longer as the team traveled to Wrigley Field this week.

"I knew it was gonna turn around," Frazier said. "It's gonna turn around. … I'm trying to get some hits, trying to help the team. Do I want to hit home runs? Of course. But at the same time, I'm trying to get my average up and we're trying to win. I know at the end of the year, I'm going to have my numbers.

"It felt really good, and now it's time to keep taking off."

Frazier said he tried to pick up pitches in the dugout with hitting coach Brook Jacoby, trying to figure out what the pitcher was throwing.

"I don't think he missed one," Frazier said. "I was trying to pick it up and he finally told me. We've got smart coaches here. The staff knows what they're talking about."

Frazier has eight homers and 36 RBIs through 63 games, after hitting 19 and driving in 67 in 128 games last season, and finishing third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.