The Cubs are now 12-0 when Chris Coghlan hits in the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
How's that for a stat?
Coghlan drove in four runs on two homers Friday as the Cubs outlasted the White Sox 6-5 in front of 36,386 fans at U.S. Cellular Field.
[MORE: Chase Utley? GM Jed Hoyer says Cubs aren’t close to any deals yet]
After striking out in the first inning, Coghlan hit a three-run shot in the third and added a solo homer in the fifth as the Cubs hung on for their eighth straight victory and 14th win in the last 15 games.
"We feel like we're going to win every game," Coghlan said. "I think that's the reason why we're winning a lot of them. You can say: 'I hope we win a game.'
"But to actually believe it and be convicted in it is totally different than just saying: 'Yeah, I hope we go win today.'"
MLB
Coghlan had entered the game with only a .447 OPS in the three-hole and had struggled over the course of this current winning streak.
In the seven games before Friday, Coghlan was just 4-for-22 (.182 average) with a walk, an RBI and a run scored while getting used to a new position at second base.
Does it make the win extra special now that he's contributing?
"I probably wouldn't use the word 'extra' but it definitely makes it better," Coghlan said. "I feel like we've been winning a lot and I really haven't been able to contribute a lot in the stat column.
"I've been able to do other things to help the team, whether it's defense or baserunning or whatever. But anytime you can put some crooked numbers up individually and help the team, it's always gratifying."
Anthony Rizzo also homered (going back-to-back with Coghlan in the fifth) as the Cubs have shown the power the last two games (eight homers).
Kyle Schwarber got the Cubs started with a first-inning sacrifice fly after Dexter Fowler tripled as the North Siders did all their damage against former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija.
[NBC SHOP: Gear up for the stretch run, Cubs fans]
Samardzija somehow made it through six innings despite allowing six runs on nine hits and a pair of walks.
Kyle Hendricks got the start for the Cubs, but struggled as well, surrendering five runs on eight hits and three walks in only 3 1/3 innings.
"Kyle couldn't get it going," Maddon said. "Nothing was working. I could see it early on with the command as badly as it was."
Hendricks said the issue is mechanical and he's been dealing with it on and off all year, but especially his last couple times out.
But Hendricks also made sure to give credit to former Sox pitcher Clayton Richard, who came into the game in the fourth inning and helped bridge the gap to Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon with two shutout innings.
"Clayton was huge in today's game," Maddon said. "We hit the home runs, we had some really good at-bats. Of course, CC had a really nice day.
"But what Clayton did coming in, he really defined the game at that point."