Gillespie going all out on defense for Cubs

PHOENIX -- Cole Gillespie knows not to run into brick walls. On Monday, he learned there was just enough padding on the wall along the right-field line at Chase Field. The Cubs outfielder tested it again on Tuesday.

In the second inning on Monday, Gillespie grabbed Aaron Hill's fly ball and slid hard into the wall along the right-field line. Somehow, he held onto the ball.

"It shook me up a little bit for sure," he said Tuesday. "My knees took the brunt of it, although I didn't feel that at the time. It jarred my back more than anything. There was a little pinching going on there. I woke up this morning and felt it in my calf."

He was in the lineup on Tuesday, and made another standout, wall-crashing catch in the first on A.J. Pollock's fly ball, slamming into the outfield fence.

"As long as he catches it and you come up healthy, [it's OK]," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said.

Gillespie needs to work on his timing.

"That's the way I like to play," he said of his aggressive style. "Next time, I'll slide a little earlier so I don't go full speed into it. ... If you're going to make a web gem, it's worth it. Just slide earlier."