PHILADELPHIA -- The change that Nico Hoerner has focused on making with his swing over the past year is a subtle one. What is not difficult to see is the result, as the Phillies can attest after two straight nights of hits sprayed all over Citizens Bank Park off the bat of the Cubs second baseman.
In an 11-2 romp over the Phillies on Wednesday night, Hoerner turned in a performance that put his entire offensive game on display. There was a perfectly placed single to shallow center. There was a home run hammered to left-center. There was a slashed hard hit up the right-field line. Hoerner also stole a base that led to a run.
“He looks like a more dangerous hitter,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “He looks fantastic right now -- just like the end of last year.”
Hoyer made those remarks during a pregame chat with reporters on Wednesday -- one night after Hoerner helped spark a 10-4 win over the Phillies. In that victory, he delivered two crucial hits to help fuel a comeback, following which manager Craig Counsell referred to the second baseman as “the engine” of the offense right now.
Hoerner then went out and collected a career-high five RBIs, giving him the most RBIs (eight) he has ever produced in a two-game span. Combined with the rest of the lineup’s production, it added up to a surplus of support for lefty Shota Imanaga, who limited the Phillies to one run over six innings and struck out 11, with 26 swings and misses -- tying a single-game record for a Cubs pitcher in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008).
Hoerner’s three-hit night gave him a .324 average with 23 hits -- including nine extra-base hits -- through the Cubs’ first 18 games. Entering Wednesday, the second baseman had 55 hits dating back to Sept. 1, trailing only Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile (57 hits) across the Major Leagues during that span. Hoerner hit .333 over the final month, then hit .419 in the playoffs and has not slowed down out of the chute this year.
“The bottom line is he’s not satisfied,” Cubs assistant hitting coach John Mallee said. “He knew there was more in the tank. He was searching for it. He wants to be great. Not good. Great.”