CHICAGO – As Dansby Swanson's teammates celebrated inside the third-base dugout, the Cubs shortstop kept his composure as he made his way around the bases on Wednesday night. It was a fitting response from a veteran who has tried to maintain a steady presence and approach, even as his struggles have mounted. The home run Swanson launched will not cure all that has ailed his offense to this point this season, but it was surely a deep-breath moment for him. The blast from No. 7 helped fuel a seven-run, seven-hit outburst in the second inning that allowed the North Siders to hold on for an 8-6 victory over the Rockies at Wrigley Field. “It’s a big deal, for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. The homer was the first for Swanson since May 18, ending a drought of 86 consecutive plate appearances without going deep. During the previous 24 games without a home run, he hit .135 (10-for-74), watching his season OPS drop to .587 from .668 in that span. He entered play Wednesday tied with Manny Machado for the lowest batting average (.175) in baseball among qualified hitters. Needless to say, this home run was a needed boost for Swanson and the Cubs, collectively. Swanson cracked a smile when asked if the home run felt like a monkey, or perhaps a gorilla, off his back. “What’s the biggest mammal in the world?” Swanson said. “I think it’s a blue whale, actually. There you go. Maybe that.” In the second inning, Alex Bregman (walk) and Ian Happ (single) got things started against Rockies lefty Sean Sullivan. Matt Shaw then sent a line drive deep into the gap in right-center, legging out a two-run triple to put the Cubs on the board. Carson Kelly followed with an RBI double into the right-field corner, bringing Swanson to the plate. Swanson saw an 0-1 fastball from Sullivan that ran to the lower, inside edge of the strike zone. The shortstop responded by sending it off his bat at a drastic launch angle (46 degrees), but with enough exit velocity (102 mph) on a night with a friendly wind. The baseball carried over the wall in left-center for a two-run homer that gave the Cubs a 5-0 lead.
