Alex Bregman regrets not running hard to 1B in Cubs' victory
CHICAGO -- Third baseman Alex Bregman said Monday he regrets not running hard to first base during a close game in the Chicago Cubs' win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
With his team trailing 1-0 and a man on second, Bregman, 32, jogged to first after hitting a ground ball to Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt in the top of the sixth inning. Pratt bobbled the ball but was still able to throw Bregman out while Pete Crow-Armstrong advanced to third base -- but with two outs now. He was stranded there.
"I've also had 10 soft tissue injuries running down the first baseline specifically," Bregman said. "So, it's kind of some give-and-take, but at the same time, yeah, I obviously wish I would've beat the throw."
The Cubs rallied to win the game 4-3 in 10 innings, taking some of the sting away from Bregman's lack of hustle.
Bregman also has been mired in a seasonlong slump that has only gotten worse in June. He is hitting .181 this month with a .253 slugging percentage. He is also chasing pitches outside the zone at a 24% rate, which would be the highest of his career over a full season. He was asked what he is working on to combat the slump.
"What's your guess?" he answered in a self-deprecating manner. "Um, hitting the baseball."
Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs over the winter only to struggle in his first season with the team. Overall, he is hitting .239 with six home runs including just one this month.
His .671 OPS ranks near the bottom among Cubs regulars, and he has struggled with runners in scoring position all season, hitting just .163.
Bregman was asked more specifically what he is working on to change his fortunes.
"Just being in a consistent spot to be able to hit the ball hard in the air and get back to swinging at pitches I want to hit and not swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone," Bregman said.
He went on to say it's the same stuff he has been working on all season. "Swing at pitches that I can drive," he added, "and take pitches that I can't and hone it in and be better."
The Cubs went 6-1 on a just-completed road trip, including winning a series against the first-place Brewers. They start a six-game homestand Monday that features the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. All three teams are in the wild-card race near each other in the standings.
Earlier Monday, the Cubs placed utility man Matt Shaw and right-hander Ethan Roberts on the injured list.
Shaw has a sprained left hand, and Roberts is out because of elbow inflammation. Outfielder Kevin Alcantara and right-hander Gavin Hollowell were recalled from Triple-A Iowa before the opener of a three-game series against San Diego.
The 24-year-old Shaw was on the IL from May 20 to June 9 because of midback tightness. He hit .257 with two homers and eight RBIs in 14 games after he was activated from the IL.
"I think there's a world where he's swinging a bat by the weekend," manager Craig Counsell said. "I think as soon as we get the inflammation out, we think we can move forward pretty quickly, so there's a chance that one's a minimum [stint]."
Shaw had been serving as Chicago's primary right fielder since Seiya Suzuki hurt his right knee on June 13. Counsell said veteran Michael Conforto will get more regular time in right with Shaw out.
The 28-year-old Roberts is the 13th Cubs pitcher on the IL. He has a 4.21 ERA in a career-high 23 appearances out of the bullpen. He pitched in 11 games in June.
"Ethan's been one of the guys that has pitched a lot," Counsell said. "I don't think we have anything serious here, but it's just, we got to give him a break, basically."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
