Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies

Nico Hoerner offers the type of offensive profile that creates trouble for opposing pitchers with runners on base. The Cubs second baseman is one of the toughest batters to strike out in baseball and makes contact at an elite rate. Those traits made Hoerner one of the game’s best performers in the clutch last season, and they're why the Cubs view him as the heartbeat of this lineup. It played out again on Tuesday night, when Hoerner continued his strong start to this season with another pair of hits -- and driving in three runs in the process -- to help spark a 10-4 comeback win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “It’s a challenge,” Phillies starter Aaron Nola said. “I’ve faced him quite a bit now. He’s fouled some of the craziest two-strike pitches off I’ve ever seen. It’s impressive. He doesn’t take any at-bats off, which makes him tough.” Nola was tasked with facing Hoerner with one out and the fleet-footed Pete Crow-Armstrong on second base in the third inning, with the Phillies holding a 3-0 advantage. The right-hander got ahead of Hoerner, 1-2, but then the second baseman fouled off two of the next three pitches before sending a cutter into center for an RBI single. Then, in the sixth, Hoerner’s spot in the order -- Cubs manager Craig Counsell has handed him the keys to the leadoff role -- came around with the bases loaded, one out and the game caught in a 3-3 deadlock. Hoerner fouled off two pitches from lefty Tim Mayza before roping a sinker up the middle for a two-run single that put the Cubs ahead for good. “The at-bat where Nico drove in two was kind of a Nico at-bat,” Counsell said. “He’s going to put a ball in play. That’s the difference in a situation like that.” Really, Hoerner has been the primary differencemaker out of the gates this year. “He’s kind of the engine that makes us go right now,” Counsell said. “He’s doing a really good job offensively, and it’s kind of a continuation of what we saw at the end of last year.” Through 17 games, Hoerner has hit at a .303 clip with 20 hits (including seven doubles and a homer) and an .852 OPS. His strong opening month comes after he finished second in the National League batting race last year (.297), then found another gear in the postseason (hitting .419 in eight games).