'Stroman Shuffle' punctuates another stellar start

SAN DIEGO -- Juan Soto leaned back and grimaced after the sinker unleashed by Cubs starter Marcus Stroman was deemed a strike. Out on the mound, Stroman took a couple exaggerated steps to his left, paying tribute to Soto’s signature shuffle as the Padres’ star turned to head back to the dugout.

“Just some gamesmanship,” Stroman said.

In a 7-1 victory over the Padres on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park, Stroman worked through some early game delivery issues and found his groove. One way to tell when the pitcher is locking things in is to watch his body language on the mound. Stroman is never shy about being demonstrative.

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Cubs manager David Ross recently quipped that “the mannerisms you get from him make me smile.”

There was a post-strikeout stutter-step against Matt Carpenter in the sixth inning. Against the Mets a few outings ago, Stroman struck a pose after starting a double play, and did plenty of glove and chest pounding (and shouting) against his former team. After finishing a shutout against the Rays last time out, Stroman hoisted his arms skyward and soaked in the energy at Wrigley Field.

“I think he's able to go out and be himself on this team, which I think is important to him,” Ross said. “And he understands it's just about winning here and prepping to do everything you possibly can to affect the game that day in a winning way.

“That's all I care about and I think all this organization cares about.”

Stroman has been doing plenty of that lately.

After a solid debut season in 2022 for the Cubs, who signed him to a three-year deal worth $71 million, Stroman has pitched like an ace out of the chute this year. He went six innings on Sunday, picking up his MLB-leading 11th quality start and trimming his ERA to 2.39 (second in the National League).

Over Stroman’s last four starts, he has fashioned a 1.24 ERA with 21 strikeouts and 12 hits allowed over 29 innings. He is tied for first in innings (79) in the NL and third in the Majors.

Stroman may not be the leading candidate to start the All-Star Game in Seattle, but he certainly is pitching his way into that type of conversation.

“He likes the spotlight,” Ross said. “I think he likes to be the guy, the stopper, the guy that wants to take the most innings. We've had conversations. He wants to be out there to give the bullpen a rest, to be able to give you as much length as he possibly can. I think he could do a lot with a baseball when he's right.”

Stroman admittedly was fighting his mechanics early in Sunday’s start, in which he walked three and surrendered one unearned run on four hits. The lone run came in the third, when a fielding error by second baseman Nico Hoerner opened the door for Trent Grisham to reach and eventually score on a Soto groundout.

Soto also drew a walk against Stroman in the first inning, and San Diego’s left fielder smiled and looked the pitcher’s way as he headed up the first-base line. Stroman made a mental note for his subsequent matchups with Soto, who entered the game 3-for-8 with a homer, a double, three walks and one strikeout against the righty.

“Soto is incredible, man,” Stroman said. “Everyone sees how I've talked about Soto on social media before. I think he's going to go down as one the best players to ever play this game. He's an incredibly tough at-bat. He really doesn't swing at anything outside the zone. So it's always a game.

“That first inning, he was kind of nodding at me after the walk. So I just put it in my back pocket just in case I punched him out later in the game.”

Between innings, Stroman said conversations with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos helped him get back to some cues that help with his delivery. That, combined with a seven-run outburst by the offense in the opening three frames, allowed Stroman to be aggressive while searching for his rhythm.

“My body, my mechanics, they're everything to me,” Stroman said.

Stroman retired the final eight batters he faced. Along the way, some of those “mannerisms” Ross mentioned came to light. And that included the fifth-inning meeting with Soto, who froze when Stroman’s sinker zipped across the bottom edge of the zone for strike three.

“That's not easy to do,” Stroman said. “I'm not going to sit here and say anything, because I know he's going to get me at some point, too.”