NewsHoffpauir battling his way out of slump
Chicago (53-46) vs. Houston (51-50), 1:20 p.m. CT
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
07/29/09 8:32 PM ET
CHICAGO -- Micah Hoffpauir isn't skittish. He'll say the word "slump" but doesn't believe that's the problem. Hoffpauir batted .303 in 14 games in April, .270 in 23 games in May, .182 in 19 games in June, and was hitting .176 in 20 games in July. Maybe "funk" is a better word. "You can say 'slump' for all I care," Hoffpauir said. "It's all mental." After batting .314 in his first 28 games, Hoffpauir is hitting .194 (20-for-103) in his last 49. He did triple on Wednesday in the Cubs' 12-0 win over the Astros, but how does he get out of this mess? "Battle your butt off," Hoffpauir said Wednesday. "I think I saw a quote from Lou [Piniella] the other day that if you're in this city, you have to be headstrong, you have to work hard and you have to be mentally tough. That's a big thing. It's something I have to turn the page on and get over it. "I get a little more stubborn. I know I can hit, everybody here knows I can hit. I've just got to do it." Hoffpauir is the Cubs' primary left-handed bat off the bench and is 7-for-34 with six RBIs as a pinch-hitter entering Thursday's series finale against the Houston Astros. The game is a makeup of the May 15 game, which was rained out. The forecast calls for plenty of sunshine. Despite the outfielder's struggles, the Wrigley Field fans have treated Hoffpauir well. "I think the fans here are behind you and they can see and sense people who work hard and people who go about their business the right way, and they appreciate that," Hoffpauir said. "Obviously, if you're struggling, they'll let you hear about it. I was surprised. I would assume you'd get a few more boo birds here and there." He won't blame his problems on a lack of regular at-bats. "Absolutely not," Hoffpauir said. "I knew my role coming into this deal. I've got to get myself right in that role. I'm still learning it. I'm getting a little bit better at it. [Tuesday], in my first at-bat, I felt great at the plate and the confidence was there, and I feel like I'm getting better. "Von [Joshua, hitting coach] and I have been working with some things, I've talked to Lou about a couple different things and I've got a lot of guys in my corner. I think that's a big thing to have those guys behind you." Even his father chimed in with a phone call Wednesday morning. Hoffpauir knows what he has to do. "There are a couple things I need to fix in my swing," he said. "More or less, hitting the ball where it's pitched, stop trying to pull everything, start trying to drive to left-center field and go from there." That's probably what his dad and others told him. Pitching matchupCHC: RHP Kevin Hart (2-1, 2.08 ERA)
Hart thought his days as a starter would be over upon Ryan Dempster's return, but with Ted Lilly going on the DL, the Cubs will be counting on the rookie right-hander. Hart picked up his second win in his last start, against the Reds on Saturday. He posted his longest outing, six innings, and gave up one run on five hits. In his first two starts, Hart had walked 10 and struck out four. Against the Reds, he said he found his groove -- as well as his offspeed pitches -- so he didn't have to rely on his fastball alone. HOU: RHP Russ Ortiz (3-5, 4.75 ERA)
Ortiz labored through 4 1/3 innings against the Mets last time out. He threw 96 pitches, allowing six runs on five hits and walking four in his outing. Ortiz has three appearances, including two starts against the Cubs this season, posting an 0-1 record with a 5.06 ERA over 10 2/3 innings. In his last outing against them on June 11, Ortiz allowed no runs and just three hits over 5 1/3 innings but received a no-decision. In his career, he is 3-5 with a 5.23 ERA in 13 appearances, including 11 starts, against the Cubs. Tidbits
The Cubs needed a fresh arm in the bullpen and called up Mitch Atkins from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday. Jeff Stevens was optioned to the Minor League team. ... Casey Fossum gave up five runs on five hits over five innings in Iowa's 5-4 loss to Omaha on Tuesday. Sam Fuld had two hits, including his 10th triple. ... Starlin Castro extended his hitting streak to four games in Class A Daytona's 3-2 loss to Sarasota. ... Justin Bristow gave up two runs on six hits over five innings in Class A Peoria's 4-3 win over Dayton. Tickets
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• Friday: Cubs (Rich Harden, 7-6, 4.55) at Marlins (Chris Volstad, 8-9, 4.44), 6:10 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Cubs (Carlos Zambrano, 7-4, 3.36) at Marlins (TBD), 6:10 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Cubs (Ryan Dempster, 5-5, 4.31) at Marlins (Ricky Nolasco, 7-7, 5.24), 4:05 p.m. CT
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
