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Kyle Tucker was encouraged to run at less than full speed in his long-awaited return to the Cubs’ lineup Friday.
Turns out, he didn’t have to run at all.
Back after a nearly monthlong stay on the injured list, Tucker was on base twice. But instead of being forced to test his calf on the bases, all he had to do was trot home from first base, scoring on two of the Cubs’ four homers in a 12-1 rout of the rival Cardinals to start the final series of the regular season.
The Cubs have spent the second half waiting for the bats to wake up, to return to the kind of thumpings they were handing out during the first half, when they were one of baseball’s highest-scoring squads.