The Cubs haven’t been able to solve the No. 5 spot in their rotation all season, and Dan Haren has yet to prove that he’s the answer.
The team’s main trade-deadline acquisition, Haren has brought a lot of things the Cubs like to the team. But he hasn’t yet brought success on the mound.
Saturday was Haren’s fourth outing since joining the Cubs, and he lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, striking out three. His biggest mistake was a two-run homer off the bat of Nick Swisher, one of the many longballs that went out to left field on a day when the wind was blowing from right to left, something that aided the Cubs' comeback effort in their 9-7 win.
“I felt pretty good actually,” Haren said after the game. “I made a bad pitch to Swisher, threw some curveballs and cutters and stuff and tried to sneak a fastball by him, but he hit it pretty good out there.”
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After giving up 13 earned runs in just 19 1/3 innings, his ERA in those four starts is a not-so-great 6.05.
But Haren’s unattractive numbers haven’t dampened how his manager feels about him.
MLB
Joe Maddon remains committed to Haren in the No. 5 spot in the rotation, and he really likes what Haren’s been doing, feeling the veteran can be a late-season contributor to a team making a playoff push.
“I like Danny a lot,” Maddon said. “I really believe he’s going to be a big help to us down the stretch. He’s such a professional. I mean that, sincerely, I like this fella. You’ve got to love his attitude and how he goes about his business.
“It wasn’t the right setup for him today, their lineup, the way their lineup played and the way the ballpark played. It made it more difficult. But I have a lot of respect for this guy. You look at his numbers and what he’s done, and there’s definitely a lot left in the tank. So we’ll run him right back out there.”
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That’s a positive, of course, for Haren, though he’d undoubtedly like to reward his manager’s confidence by turning in some better outings.
“Obviously I’d like to do better, be out there longer and stuff like that,” Haren said. “But when it comes down to it, whenever you’ve got 40 or 50 games left, it’s just about winning games. I think everybody just has to put wanting to do good for themselves behind them and just go out and do the best they can for the team. That’s what it’s about at this point of the year.”