Stroman's return from IL gives Cubs reason for optimism

LOS ANGELES -- Marcus Stroman found success early in his brief return from the injured list, nodding his head in the affirmative from the mound Saturday when it was clear his shoulder was sound and his effectiveness was on point.

Playing it safe, the Cubs limited Stroman to just four innings against the Dodgers, yet it felt like more. In the big picture, it was. Stroman gave up just two hits and didn’t allow a run with one walk and three strikeouts.

Stroman’s outing allowed the Cubs to take the lead twice in the game, yet it ended in a 4-2 defeat to the Dodgers, the third-consecutive hard-luck loss at Dodger Stadium.

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“I think [Stroman's return], and getting some good starts here against a really good team, being in the games late … the starters have done a phenomenal job,” manager David Ross said. “I think that is what the indicator is of us being in games. If we get good starting pitching, we can be in games for a good bit.”

The outing even came opposite determined Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, who was trying to make a final impression in a bid to land a spot on the National League All-Star team.

Stroman had his own motivating factors. He was one of five Cubs starters on the injured list before his return, having last taken the mound June 3. He hadn’t pitched outside of Chicago since May 24.

“I’ve been working while I was away, just mechanically with our coaches here, and I think we found some things to work on going forward to provide some consistency,” Stroman said. “I’m excited to see the results.”

Stroman's comeback from shoulder inflammation lasted 59 pitches, with a handful more expected at home next week when he takes the mound one more time before the All-Star break.

Drew Smyly is the next Cubs starter slated to come back, with returns from Kyle Hendricks, Alec Mills and Wade Miley further down the line. Smyly will pitch Sunday, marking consecutive games in which a starter was activated from the IL. Smyly was dealing with an oblique injury and hasn’t pitched since May 30.

Stroman set the tone for all of them. Of his 12 outs, half were on ground balls. The two hits he allowed were singles, with Gavin Lux getting one before he was wiped out trying to steal second base.

“It looked like his ball was moving all over the place, very efficient, clean, getting ahead of hitters,” Ross said. “He kept guys off balance. He got a little tired there at the end, it looked like, but was able to come back, make pitches and lock it in.”

Yet despite the success, Stroman was far from satisfied. Marrying the mechanical adjustments with a growing pitch count is the next stage.

“It’s a process, a journey,” Stroman said. “Out on the mound, it’s just trying to find my breath and make sure I make those mechanical adjustments each and every pitch, which is hard to do when you have a lot going on. When I feel like I hone in and hit those points, I feel like my pitches come out with much better action. So it’s a matter of getting there.”

As a team, part of the journey is figuring out how to finish off teams. Seven of the Cubs’ last eight losses have been by two runs or fewer. The other one was in extra innings. The Dodgers had to rally in the ninth inning to tie Friday’s game and needed a seventh-inning rally to move in front Saturday.

“Every loss hurts, especially when they’re close, and we were ahead in the games at some point and it just slips through our fingers,” said Patrick Wisdom, who doubled and scored a run. “It’s tough to swallow. Any loss is like that for sure. I think we’re playing good baseball. Little things kind of add up but we’ve been on a pretty good stretch.”

Smyly’s return is another reason for optimism. But the realist in Ross will prevent him from celebrating just yet. So how does Ross feel with two starters returning in consecutive days?

“I’ll let you know after [Smyly’s] start,” he said.