The Cubs are chasing the Brewers in the NL Central, and lately the guy leading the charge has been Nico Hoerner. After grinding through a rough stretch to open July, Hoerner has caught fire again, and Wednesday's early game was shaping up as another chance for him to keep it going.
The betting world was already banking on Hoerner staying hot before first pitch.
That's not just a hunch. Hoerner reportedly came into the week working through a 5-for-36 slump before ripping off six hits in a series, including a four-hit day that tied a career high. Cubs manager Craig Counsell has noticed the turnaround too, and it's exactly the kind of form Chicago signed up for when it locked Hoerner up on a 6-year, $141 million extension back in March.
Wednesday's bottom of the 3rd turned into one of those innings where the Cubs just kept finding the gaps and the bases kept clearing. Cameras caught a Cubs runner sliding into second in the middle of the chaos, part of the rally fans were dubbing the 'Mr. Rispy' inning.
A Cubs baserunner slides into second as the rally builds in real time.
By the time the dust settled, the scoreboard had jumped from 0-3 to 0-6 in that same frame, with Hoerner right in the middle of the action at the plate. It's the kind of inning that swings a series and reminds everyone why Chicago is still hanging around the division race despite Milwaukee's cushion up top.
The Wrigley scoreboard tells the story as the Cubs blow the game open in the 3rd.
None of this erases the 6-game gap Chicago is still trying to close on Milwaukee, but stretches like this are how you close gaps. If Hoerner keeps hitting like this and the offense keeps stacking innings like Wednesday's 3rd, the Cubs have a real case to make down the stretch.