Refocused Suzuki makes instant impact for Cubs

NEW YORK -- It was only the second inning on Wednesday night, but when Seiya Suzuki reached third base on a triple, he made an impassioned point towards the dugout and let out a yell that could be heard all throughout Citi Field, as if a month’s worth of frustrations had been felled by one swing of the bat.

In a way, they had.

Suzuki returned to the lineup -- as promised by manager David Ross -- in the Cubs’ 4-3 loss to the Mets, playing for the first time since sitting out for the past four games due to sustained offensive struggles.

“The hitting guys are working him every day and working through all those thoughts,” Ross said before the game. “I think sometimes, just a step back and watching the game with a different perspective and having a couple of days to breathe and work on something with a free mind can really help.

“He’s been a really good player for a really long time, and he puts that pressure on himself. I don’t always know if that’s a good thing. But it [has] also gotten him to this point, and it drives him. So he just has to take a step back and realize nobody’s perfect and it’s an imperfect game.”

The 28-year-old responded in his return to the lineup by swinging at the very first pitch he saw from Mets lefty David Peterson, putting almost every tool he has on display.

Suzuki turned on a 92.9 mph sinker with an exit velocity of 107 mph, racing to third base in just 11.55 seconds at a sprint speed of 28.9 feet per second (the fifth-fastest time by a Cubs player this season, per Statcast). He then scored on a passed ball three pitches later.

That level of instant impact showcased during a 3-for-4 day (just his seventh multihit game since the start of July), which was punctuated by a solo homer off Adam Ottavino in the ninth inning, is the player that the Cubs know and cherish. It’s also the player that exists under a mountain of self-induced pressure and overthinking at the plate.

“When things don’t really work out obviously for a long stretch, it becomes a mental thing,” Suzuki said via interpreter Toy Matsushita on Tuesday. “During that span, I just couldn’t organize what was the first thing to kind of work on. That’s all I can say right now.”

Suzuki ensured that there was no time to let his thoughts cloud him in each at-bat. He swung at the first pitch in his first plate appearance. In his second at-bat, he jumped on a curveball from Peterson and sent a line-drive single into left with an exit velocity of 104.5 mph.

Then, when he led off the ninth inning, he watched two pitches that ended up nowhere near the plate to get into a 2-0 count. He then hammered a grooved sinker into the bleachers in left-center field, with another Statcast darling of an exit velocity (112.2 mph). After the game, Suzuki didn’t spill all the secrets about what allowed him to unlock a performance of that level, instead giving credence to the idea that simplifying his thoughts provided some sort of relief.

“I was able to organize my thoughts really well before I got into my at-bats today,” Suzuki said after the loss. “I wasn’t trying to think too much, just trying to focus on what’s in front of me, my at-bat. I’m glad I was able to do that today.”

After Kyle Hendricks allowed the game-tying homer to Pete Alonso in the fourth and reliever Hayden Wesneski gave up a solo homer to Jeff McNeil and an RBI single Jonathan Araúz in the sixth, Suzuki’s ninth-inning blast sparked a spirited Cubs comeback that fell just short. Nick Madrigal was able to move Jeimer Candelario and Mike Tauchman into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

However, Phil Bickford struck out Christopher Morel and then Ian Happ with the bases loaded to end the game, shutting down Chicago’s bid for another series win.

“Really good at-bats in the ninth, they got their guy [Adam Ottavino] coming in,” Ross said. “Seiya, obviously getting us started, had a really nice day. Nice to see him swing the bat well.

"We fight, this group has fought all year long. … Couldn’t scrap back, but it’s not for a lack of fight and effort.”