Smyly among Cubs putting team over self in shifting roles

PITTSBURGH -- Cubs lefty Drew Smyly took the mound in the eighth inning on Friday night and promptly picked up a strikeout against Pirates outfielder Joshua Palacios. The final blow was a sharp curve that dove to the dirt, but it was tempting enough for Palacios to offer a feeble swing.

That Smyly worked late in Friday¡¯s 2-1 loss at PNC Park was another example of the Cubs placing winning above all else as this postseason chase approaches the final monthly lap. Smyly was originally the planned starter for Sunday, but Chicago is changing course by moving the lefty back to the bullpen.

¡°This is one of the reasons I chose to sign back here,¡± Smyly said prior to Friday¡¯s game. ¡°I thought the Cubs were really close to winning. And we are. We¡¯re right here in the final stretch, so I¡¯m happy to fill any type of role for them. I just want to help the team win and try to get us to that next step.¡±

The Cubs are currently in Wild Card position in the National League and sit three games behind the Phillies for the top seed in that race. Within the NL Central, the North Siders are four games behind the division-leading Brewers.

As Chicago has pulled itself back into this playoff race, one theme over recent weeks has been decision-making centered around picking up victories rather than any personal preferences.

¡°That's been the main thing,¡± said veteran Kyle Hendricks, who allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings on Friday. ¡°Everybody in there knows that winning is the priority and everybody's bought in, and that's huge. That means a lot.

¡°There are no egos in there, wanting to get their own kind of career stats done. It's all for the team in there. It's a special group, and that's kind of why we're headed where we're headed.¡±

Smyly had a 2.60 ERA through his first 10 appearances (all starts) this season, but the lefty then struggled to the tune of a 7.43 ERA in his next 17 outings (12 starts) entering Friday. With All-Star Marcus Stroman on the injured list and his timetable unclear, Smyly was given the chance to move back to the rotation. He allowed seven runs in a forgettable outing in Detroit on Tuesday.

¡°I get it. I haven¡¯t been doing my job as a starter,¡± Smyly said. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing I can say or any type of way I can feel about it. I wish I was throwing better.¡±

Against the Pirates, Smyly set down the three batters he faced in order and indeed looked like a potentially valuable relief piece for the final push. In 2021, Smyly filled a similar role late in the year for the Braves, who went on to win the World Series.

¡°What's so refreshing from my seat,¡± Cubs manager David Ross said, ¡°is when you have players that want to do whatever it takes to win and they set their ego aside. They set what they want aside, and they know how to help the team. Drew's been nothing but that throughout the season.¡±

Righty Javier Assad -- slated to start Saturday -- earned a rotation job with a stellar run in the bullpen. Similar to Smyly, Assad shuffled back and forth between roles until his performance dictated a regular job as a starter. The Cubs have yet to announce a starter for Sunday; Jordan Wicks, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 10 Cubs prospect, is a possibility.

Among the position players, Patrick Wisdom, Nick Madrigal and Christopher Morel have experienced ebbs and flows with their playing time. During a tough slump earlier this month, outfielder Seiya Suzuki was benched for a handful of games. He has been on an eight-game hitting streak in the wake of that mental reset.

Wisdom, who has a 1.008 OPS in his past 21 games amid sporadic opportunities, echoed the repeated ¡°no ego¡± aspect of a winning team.

¡°You have to put your ego aside, if you will, but not lose sight of your confidence,¡± Wisdom said. ¡°Winning is driving it. And if we are winning, I'm all in. I want to do my role. I want to take pride in my role. And when I'm called on, I want to succeed.

¡°I want to help the team win, because winning makes everything better and winning is fun. If we're raising that trophy in [the end], then I'm happy to be where I'm at.¡±