NEW YORK – Shortstop Dansby Swanson continues to show signs of life at the plate. His bat proved to be the difference as the Cubs pounded the Mets, 10-3, in the first game of a day/night doubleheader at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon. The score was tied at 3 when Chicago took the lead in the top of the sixth inning against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean. With runners on first and third and two outs, Swanson crushed a 1-0 fastball a Statcast-projected 400 feet over the center-field wall for a three-run homer. It was his second homer in the past two games. Swanson then went yard again two innings later. This time it was a grand slam off right-hander Jonathan Pintaro, a 418-foot blast to give Chicago a seven-run cushion. It was Swanson’s fourth career grand slam. Swanson is the second Cubs shortstop in franchise history (since 1901) with at least two home runs and seven RBIs in a game, joining Ernie Banks, who did the trick but with three homers on Aug. 4, 1955, against the Pirates. On June 16, Swanson had a slash line of .175/.281/.306. He never had any doubts about his skills at the plate. He just wondered when the consistency was going to turn up. “I know I’m still capable. It’s just a matter of finding the consistent work that’s going to show up,” he said. It finally happened this past week. In his last five games, including Wednesday’s twin-bill opener, Swanson went 8-for-18 with four homers and 14 RBIs. It shows how quickly a season can turn around within a few days.
