3 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ 3-3 road trip, including Dansby Swanson’s power surge and Seiya Suzuki’s return – The Denver Post

Jameson Taillon won’t overreact to one bad start.

“But I also don’t want to just push it aside and move on,” Taillon said Sunday after the Chicago Cubs’ 11-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays completed a 3-3 road trip.

Taillon surrendered eight runs in three-plus innings, his worst start in six weeks. It was reminiscent of his bad stretch over the first 2 1/2 months: too many hard-hit balls and inconsistent defense behind him.

He plans to look back on Sunday’s start but believes he’s still on the right track.

“I’m very execution-based,” Taillon said, “so there were some balls that found holes today and stuff like that. But I also feel like if I executed a higher percentage of my pitches, I would have put us in a better spot.

“Whenever those weird things are happening behind you, it’s good to just fall back and resort to really executing at a high level, and when you don’t do that, that’s the type of game that can really balloon.”

Although the Cubs weren’t able to complete the sweep Sunday, they finished the trip in position to build off of it during their homestand against the White Sox and Kansas City Royals.

Here are three takeaways from the trip.

1. Dansby Swanson’s power surge continues

Swanson’s introduction to his new home at Wrigley Field and the whims of the spring weather were not a kind combination for the Cubs shortstop.

He didn’t hit his first home run at Wrigley until April 27, and that stood as his lone home long ball until May 9, part of a three extra-base hit game. Since then Swanson owns a .483 slugging percentage over his last 70 games.

He’ll enter the City Series versus the Sox slugging .444 this season, nearly replicating his power production the previous two years in Atlanta. He posted a career-high .464 slugging percentage during the 60-game 2020 season.

“Early on is always such a challenge just because, weather-wise, I think that goes for most places but especially in Chicago,” Swanson said Sunday. “A lot of it, too, is just some time to get in the groove after spring (training) and get adjusted to coming into a new setting.

“I give a lot of credit to our coaching staff. They’ve always been really good about keeping me even-keeled and in a good place mentally and just continuing to put the work in to better myself to be able to drive the ball a little bit more.”

Swanson’s three-run homer in Saturday’s 5-4 comeback victory was part of a four-run fourth. He gave the Cubs a first-inning lead Sunday when he smacked a two-run double.

Midway through August, five of Swanson’s 18 home runs have come this month. It’s a great sign for a lineup that became deeper at the trade deadline.

“It’s just a real professional at-bat,” manager David Ross said. “He wants to have his plan. … Since he’s been back off the IL, it feels like he’s crushing the ball a little bit better and I think that’s part of the season.”

2. Seiya Suzuki is back

The Cubs have made a push in the postseason race largely through pitching and defense, but the offense as a group has been more locked in the last six weeks.

Those results from the lineup have come largely without the type of production the Cubs envisioned from right fielder Seiya Suzuki. A four-day mental reset, which allowed Suzuki to step back and watch from the dugout, ended with a return to the lineup Wednesday against the New York Mets at Citi Field.

The early returns are encouraging for Suzuki and the Cubs. He went 6-for-15 in the final four games of the trip with three extra-base hits, including a home run, and three RBIs.

It’s a scary thought for the Cubs — and opposing pitching staffs — how much more explosive their offense could become if Suzuki is locked back in and gets on a roll in the next six weeks.

3. Cubs showing bounce-back ability

A mark of a good team is leaving behind a bad game or series.

The Cubs didn’t let two bad games against the Mets carry over into their series in Toronto. They haven’t lost back-to-back series since June 27-July 2 at home against the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Guardians.

Playing with added urgency in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline forced players to stay in a day-by-day mindset. The Cubs have ensured they don’t let losses compound, an important attribute for a veteran team that must continue to rack up wins down the stretch.

“It’s huge,” Swanson said. “I feel like win or lose. you have to continue to show up and prepare to win each and every day. That’s something that we’ve done really well over the past two months, and we’re just going to continue that moving forward.”

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