ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The “Co-dy” chants rose from a strong Cubs fan contingent at Tropicana Field on Wednesday as Cody Bellinger retreated into the dugout, having put his team in the lead with the kind of home run the Cubs had been missing of late.
“Three-run homers change games,” manager Craig Counsell said after the Cubs’ 4-3 win against the Rays. “And that swing certainly changed the game.”
The Cubs have done well putting runners in scoring position. Even since the beginning of May, a stretch during which the Cubs have been the worst in the majors hitting with runners in scoring position, they were in the top 11 in the league in number of plate appearances in those situations.
They weren’t producing, however, and certainly not producing the big hit in those situations. On Wednesday, a break in that trend proved to be the difference.
“I think Cody’s been good,” Counsell said before the game, “and I think the best is yet to come.”
The Cubs’ offensive personnel hasn’t changed much since last year, when the team had a top-six run-scoring lineup. But every player wasn’t going to repeat his previous season.
Some drop-off was expected after Bellinger’s National League Comeback Player of the Year award-winning 2023 season, when he hit .307 with an .881 OPS.
The common knock on Bellinger’s 2023 season was the lower-than-expected exit velocities. But understanding his two-strike approach and situational hitting was key to understand that trend. Bellinger has a knack for poking soft singles into holes in the outfield when he sees a team benefit.
“He’s always been a little bit unique,” Counsell said. “He’s not very traditional in the way he stands in the box. A lot of people say he’s late getting ready; he’s been told that his whole life. But he sees the ball well, really intelligent in the box in terms of what’s coming next and what the pitchers are going to do to him, and he’s adaptable.”
Even as Bellinger detailed his game-winning three-run homer after the game Wednesday, another at-bat was on his mind.
He’d come to the plate with two runners on in the fifth inning, too. But after fouling off a pair of cutters from Rays starter Aaron Civale, he whiffed at a curveball that fell out of the strike zone.
Having made the third out, he tossed down his bat and helmet at the plate and headed to the outfield.
“Threw me a good pitch, and I kind of tip my cap to that one but was frustrated,” Bellinger said. “My next at-bat, was lucky to come up with the situation almost the same.”
Again, he came up with two outs and two runners on base. The Cubs were trailing by one in the seventh. They had loaded the bases in the first inning, only to strand all three runners. Their only run had come from Seiya Suzuki’s solo homer in the fourth inning.
Bellinger fell behind to a 1-2 count against reliever Garrett Cleavinger.
“Just really wanted to put it in play, keep it simple,” Bellinger said.
He overdelivered.
Bellinger got the barrel of his bat to a cutter down in the zone, sending it out with authority.
Christoper Morel was almost to home when the ball landed about five rows back. He jumped up and punched the air. Patrick Wisdom was right behind him, followed by the man of the hour.
