CHICAGO — The Cubs’ offense has sputtered since the All-Star break, posting a .256 team average with a -28 run differential entering Wednesday’s game against the Brewers, and the players met to remind each other how good they can be.
“It’s such a tight knit group of guys, and the fact we’ve been together for so long, it’s just a check in to make sure everybody’s on the same page and everybody’s doing OK,” outfielder Ian Happ said of the players only meeting prior to Tuesday’s game. “We understand that when we play with energy and enthusiasm and we’re all on the same page, we’re a really good team.
“I think one of the most amazing things is that these guys — [president of baseball operations Theo Epstein] and everybody — created this atmosphere of, ‘It’s OK to talk about it,'” Happ added. “We don’t have to all shelter in place with our heads down. It’s OK to talk about what everybody is going though and what everybody is thinking. I think that process of checking in makes us a better ballclub.”
On Wednesday, manager Joe Maddon moved Anthony Rizzo from the leadoff spot to No. 4 in the lineup in an effort to spark the Cubs’ offense. During a 16-game stretch at the top of the order, Rizzo was batting .311 with five homers, eight runs scored and 10 RBIs.
“I just changed the seats on the flight deck somehow,” Maddon said of inserting Javier Baez into the leadoff spot for the third time this season. “We’ll see how it plays out.”
The Cubs began the season without a true leadoff hitter, and Maddon has used eight players there.
“I thought maybe try something differently,” Maddon said. “It’s one of those things to give them a different perspective.