Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks has tried to focus on the positives despite his early-season struggles.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks has gotten off to poor starts before. And as he weathers another slow beginning to a season, he is trying to keep his mental focus on the good.
‘‘That’s where it’s at, No. 1,’’ Hendricks said. ‘‘Mentally, just keeping it simple and trying to stay positive on those things, then just taking the right mental approach when I’m out there.’’
In the Cubs’ 6-3 loss Sunday to the Marlins, Hendricks didn’t look as bad as he had in his first four outings, not walking a batter for the second time in his last three starts. During the Marlins’ decisive three-run fourth inning, Hendricks was victimized by some bad luck when two of the hits had exit velocities of less than 80 mph.
But Hendricks also didn’t look like his vintage self; he looked more like somebody still trying to figure things out. The 460-foot home run he yielded to Jesus Sanchez in the second came on a center-cut 88 mph fastball, and the Marlins’ plate appearances were sharper and more aggressive the second time through the order.
That added up to another brief outing for Hendricks, who left the game with a 12.00 ERA. In five starts, he has made it through five innings only once, and he had no issue with manager Craig Counsell removing him before the fifth.
‘‘I want to go as deep in the game as possible, but when you’re not getting the results, giving up runs . . . ,’’ Hendricks said. ‘‘That’s a game we had to get. Nothing on that decision there. I’ve got to be better and prove it to get those opportunities.’’
Hendricks earning longer outings would make things easier for Counsell.
The Cubs’ bullpen has been in flux, with Adbert Alzolay struggling to finish games and losing his ninth-inning spot. The pitching staff also has been without dependable reliever Julian Merryweather (stress fracture in rib) and has had to compensate for the absences of starters Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon.
In the Cubs’ first 22 games this season, their relievers have pitched 94‰ innings, the second-highest total in the majors entering play Monday. Knowing that, Sunday would’ve been a good day for Hendricks to go deeper into the game. The Cubs were coming off a doubleheader Saturday in which their relievers threw a combined 8⅓ innings.
Instead, 56 pitches and two times through the Marlins’ batting order was all Counsell got from Hendricks, which meant five more innings from the bullpen. Counsell said the Cubs’ day off Monday before the start of their series Tuesday against the Astros gave him some ‘‘wiggle room’’ to use the bullpen more.
Regardless of the reasoning, however, Counsell knows the Cubs’ starters have to pitch deeper into games. Hendricks is just a part of that.
‘‘In this stretch we’ve got coming up with no off-days, we’re absolutely going to need more innings out of the starters,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘That’s going to be a big part of it.’’
Hendricks is working to be a productive member of the rotation again. He wants to get past his struggles, continue to focus on being aggressive and keep it simple.
Something else he’s working on is not letting himself get frustrated. He conceded that’s not always easy.
‘‘That’s just human nature,’’ he said. ‘‘When you’re out there, you really can’t have those human emotions. It’s just [the] task at hand, lock in, executing on the glove. Those are thoughts I have to have the whole time when I’m out there. [Sunday] was much better on that path.’’