Schierholtz having career year with Cubs

MILWAUKEE -- Nate Schierholtz has set career highs in at-bats, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs this season, his first year with the Cubs. It is also the first time he has had regular at-bats, and he said he expected to produce.

"It's really the first time I've played consistently, especially against righties," he said. "For me, they should be career highs, and they should be the best I've done. I feel like I can do a lot better than I've done so far, especially the last couple months. Hopefully, moving on, I can stay healthy for a whole year."

Schierholtz has been bothered since late June with a sore right shoulder. He received a cortisone shot at that time, which alleviated some of the discomfort.

"This has been a learning experience for me playing more over the course of the year," he said. "I feel like I would approach certain things differently. It's been a little bit of a grind. I'm just trying to stick with it and play hard every day. It's been a rough second half."

The left-handed hitter batted .269 in the first half, compared with .224 since the All-Star break entering Wednesday's game against the Cubs. He has been one of the Cubs' most consistent hitters with runners in scoring position.

"It's a rough game over 162 games," he said. "It's been nice for me to be able to play a lot and come to the field knowing I'll be in the lineup. It's been different for me. I definitely appreciate the opportunity."