The Bryzzo Souvenir Co. appears to be open for business again — and perhaps not a moment too soon for the Cubs, with the Brewers in town for a three-game battle for the National League Central lead this weekend.
‘‘It’s still way early in the season, but I think we’re playing our best baseball of the whole year,’’ said third baseman Kris Bryant, who looks as good at the plate as he has for any stretch since at least 2017. ‘‘That’s always good when you’re going into a series against a team that’s going to give us tough games from here on out and won [the division] last year.’’
Bryant’s first-inning home run in the Cubs’ 4-1 victory Thursday against the Marlins was his fourth in his last five games and sixth in his last 12. It came two nights after he hit a walk-off shot in the ninth.
Bryant has reached base in 19 consecutive games (.447 on-base percentage during that time), the second-longest such streak of his career to a 21-gamer during his MVP season in 2016.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo’s two-run homer in the fifth gave him six homers in his last 15 games.
Both had slumped early in the season but have been major contributors to the Cubs’ 10-1 run heading into the weekend.
‘‘A lot of the brunt was taken by the bottom of the order for a while,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘Now it’s getting back up to the top and the middle, which is wonderful.’’
‘Easing’ Addison
One day after returning to the Cubs’ lineup from his domestic-violence suspension, infielder Addison Russell was on the bench. Maddon said that’s part of an ‘‘ease-in process’’ he’ll employ as Russell works back to daily game speed.
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‘‘From what I saw [Wednesday], he still needs a little work in some areas,’’ said Maddon, who has Russell back in the lineup at second base for the series opener Friday against the Brewers and left-hander Gio Gonzalez. ‘‘I didn’t think he was totally accomplished at the plate yet. But even if he’s not, he’s still really attractive in the latter part of the game defensively.
‘‘I’d like him to get some more work with [the hitting coaches] and just work it from there.’’
Russell, who was optioned to the minors when his suspension ended last week, was called up a week earlier than the Cubs anticipated because of Ben Zobrist’s personal leave of absence.
Switch flipped?
It might have been overshadowed by Jason Heyward’s walk-off heroics in the 11th inning, but when right-hander Kyle Hendricks limited the Marlins to an unearned run in eight innings Wednesday, he became the first Cubs pitcher since Ray Burris in 1976 to post back-to-back starts of at least eight innings without allowing an earned run or a walk.
Hendricks hasn’t allowed an earned run in three of his last four starts, going at least seven innings in each.
Is this where Hendricks’ annual run of dominance starts?
‘‘I hope so,’’ he said. ‘‘Mentally, I’ve been way better, with just attacking from the start, getting after it from the first inning and just making sure I’m making good pitches.’’
This and that
Look for infielder Daniel Descalso to return to the starting lineup Saturday or Sunday against the Brewers.
• With a day off scheduled Monday, Maddon might target Tuesday as a rest day for shortstop Javy Baez, who has started every game this season. Russell’s return makes that easier to do, he said.
