The threat of a strike is real and everybody knows it, but manager Tom Trebelhorn tells the Cubs to try not to think about it.
“I just told them, don’t get caught anticipating anything,” said Trebelhorn. “I compare it to anyone who’s grown up where it snows a lot. If you’ve got a big assignment due on Monday and it’s snowing Sunday afternoon, don’t start thinking you can get out of the work that needs to be done.”
That said, Trebelhorn admits the strike issue is troubling. “It certainly is a distraction. On both sides, there’s been a lot of hard work to resolve it, but everything you read is pessimistic. All the speculation is pessimistic.
“The manager, coaches and trainers are in a tough position. We are card-carrying members of the players’ association-we benefit from their efforts-but we’re also here at the discretion of management. I’d rather not think about it.”
Stretch run: Shawon Dunston is starting to look like the player he was before back surgery, even if he insists he doesn’t feel so great. Dunston has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, going 20 for 57 (.351) in that stretch. “My legs hurt and my back hurts, but (starting Tuesday) we have 21 games in 20 days,” he said. “It’ll be a good test.”
Promising numbers: The pitching has improved since early in the season, when the Cubs had the league’s worst earned-run average. And it would be even better without two veterans trying to pitch through injuries. Without Mike Morgan and Jose Guzman, the Cubs are 25-30 with a 4.25 ERA instead of 27-39 with a 4.64 ERA.
Hill topper: Glenallen Hill was 3 for 7 with a homer, double and six runs batted in the last two games. He started both. Hill has started just 20 of the first 66 games, but is hitting .315 (23 for 73) when he’s in the opening lineup. He has a .188 average when he comes off the bench.