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Schwarber adjusting to life in the outfield

Rookie makes one catch in left field in finale win over Rockies

CHICAGO -- Kyle Schwarber had a different perspective in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Rockies at Wrigley Field. Instead of being behind the plate, he was in left field, making his first start in the outfield for the Cubs. He only caught one fly ball, and that was hit by Charlie Blackmon to end the eighth inning -- and Schwarber used both hands.

"I just wanted to secure the catch with two hands," Schwarber said. "I didn't want it to squirt out with one."

"I told him, he's two-for-two," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the rookie, who played one inning in left on Sunday, and also made one catch.

Schwarber didn't think the switch from catcher to outfield would be a problem, especially after doing some early work with bench coach Dave Martinez.

"You have to get to know your steps and your breaks and make sure there's no back pedals and things like that," Schwarber said. "I'm trying to get the new things out of the way."

Maddon wants to get the rookie's bat in the lineup somehow, and said Schwarber, the Cubs' No. 1 Draft pick in 2014, isn't quite ready to handle all of the Cubs' pitchers.

Is he ready for the brick outfield wall?

"There's going to be some bounces," Schwarber said.

There also was a little badinage with the bleacher fans at Wrigley.

"Cubs fans are awesome, they're crazy, they're fun," Scharber said. "That's why they're the best in baseball."

Did they say anything to him?

"They yelled," he said.

Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings. You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat and listen to her podcast.
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