5 On It & Kylen Mills previews Cubs-Giants series (Hour 3)
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What recent performance changes have the Cubs made?
The Cubs scored their most runs of nine in their win over the Rockies yesterday since May 27th against the Pirates. Despite it being in Coors Field, are you buying into that this could be the awakening of the Cubs' bats?
I don't know that I am buying into a possible awakening yet. Although I do understand that there have been some swing adjustments made by Alex Bregman. I know Harold Reynolds talked about them. And what I like to see was a pitch that when he hit on the home run, it was inside and low. So that would give you an indication that maybe there is a difference in what he's doing at the plate. If there's anybody who I think can make that adjustment, it's him. He's one bat. I need them all to do better. And you face a Giants team now in San Francisco where that Marine layer will come to play, where the ball you think may be going out of the yard will get dragged down quickly. So... I would love to say yes, I feel confident about this.
But I don't know what about the eye test in the past month, if anybody's been watching, leads you to believe that they can produce offensively two games in a row against two different opponents, regardless of how bad the opponent is. It's really about them and what they're doing right now, especially facing breaking balls.
Could the Cubs be experiencing an offensive awakening?
Listen, I'm looking at this Cubs team right now, and I have all kinds of questions about This could be the awakening of the Cubs bats, but I feel like we've said that before and it hasn't happened. We keep saying it. Well, yeah. So my answer is yes, it can definitely be something that happens. My concern is this. Craig Council's got to make sure that his lineups are optimized. And I'm not sure he's done that. Matt Shaw hasn't gotten a start since he's come off the I.L. I still question some of the placement of the players not named Pete Carl Armstrong and Michael Bush in the lineup.
And at this point, Nico Horner.
Okay, that's fair. That's fair. Although Nico's really struggled since he got hit in the head. I mean, I'm not saying it's a causation thing, but...
How does the Giants' recent performance compare to the Cubs?
No, that's the point. That's the point. You can even question where Nico goes in a lineup right now.
And so, I think, yes, it can definitely be the awakening that the Cubs offense needs. The fact that Robbie Ray's not pitching in this series, I think there's an opportunity here for the Cubs to feel good about themselves with... A series win. Series win just means a 500 road trip, which is what teams should aim for when they go on the road in Major League Baseball. Especially when they're not a good team, when they're just a mediocre team. And Mark, this is a mediocre Cubs team right now. It is. Yeah, they are exactly mediocre. And we are... So desperate right now for an awakening. So I totally and completely understand the question, but I just can't. I just can't look at this and say, yeah, this is a launching pad for the Cubs.
What are the expectations for the Cubs-Giants series?
Hereforth, they are going to be fine. There just hasn't been enough evidence of that recently. However, I do not take for granted what happened yesterday. And in the question, the caveat is put, despite it being in Coors Field. Well, the last two games in Coors Field, the Cubs were not scoring runs. The Cubs scored two runs on Wednesday. They scored three runs on Tuesday. So I do think that... Scoring the nine runs yesterday was a big accomplishment. It was really cool to see Seiya Suzuki hit that grand slam. And maybe we shouldn't be talking about the team getting hot. Maybe just somebody getting scalding hot. I know PC. has been there, but maybe we're adding Seiya Suzuki because we know what it looks like when really any of these guys gets hot, but we know exactly what it looks.
Seiya Suzuki looks like an all-star when he gets hot.
What challenges does the Cubs lineup face against the Giants?
We saw evidence of it last year, so maybe just Seiya Suzuki getting hot is what I would settle for. at this point. I have some good news for you, Mark. Nine games in the month of June so far. Seiya Suzuki's already hit three home runs. He's hitting .267. His on-base is .333, and he's slugging .567. And maybe that's it.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What recent performance changes have the Cubs made?
0:02–1:29
2
Could the Cubs be experiencing an offensive awakening?
1:29–2:20
3
How does the Giants' recent performance compare to the Cubs?
2:20–3:16
4
What are the expectations for the Cubs-Giants series?
3:16–4:09
5
What challenges does the Cubs lineup face against the Giants?
4:09–4:49
6
How does the Cubs pitching staff impact their chances in the series?
4:49–5:40
7
What are the concerns about the Giants' bullpen?
5:40–6:40
8
What is the latest news on the Bears' stadium situation?
6:40–41:58
Speakers
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5 On It & Tim Jenkins breaks down Bears tape (Hour 3)