Escape from Iowa…the “Shaw"shank Redemption
- Eugene McIntosh
- May 29
- 5 min read
Matt Shaw’s redemption tour continues as Cubs sweep Rockies; Boyd, bullpen deliver.
A night after his first career walk-off, Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw registered his fifth multi-hit game since rejoining the Cubs in their 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. Shaw was demoted to Triple-A Iowa in mid-April and knew some immediate changes had to be made.
"I've done it in the past before, but making sure I'm getting on top of the baseball. That just helps me get on time. I can tell that I was late a lot in my first go-round, so I had to make sure I was getting back on time—and for me, on time means on top. That was something that kinda just clicked. I've done it before and it just kinda re-clicked in my head in the minor leagues. I started hammering some baseballs and it's something that I'm continuing to do up here. I'm happy to be back and it feels much different this time around," he told The Bigs.
Shaw's hot streak continues. He was 2-for-3 on the evening, and since his May 19 return, he's posted a .382 batting average (13-for-34) with five doubles and five stolen bases. He’s also played above-average defense at third base, making an impressive play on an Ezequiel Tovar grounder with one out in the ninth to help preserve the win.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell acknowledged Shaw's quick turnaround and the challenge young players face when adjusting to Major League pitching.
"I think your introduction to Major League Baseball for young players right now is difficult," Counsell said. "Even the speed at which Matt has done this is impressive. It's just the nature of baseball right now. It's a difficult transition to come in and expect that you're gonna get big production immediately. Matt has adjusted quickly. He struggled for three weeks. We saw we had to do something different. He took all that feedback—that really the league gave him more than anything—made some adjustments and has come back better. It's a real credit to Matt. I credit the coaching staff, the player development in the big leagues here for just sticking with the player, sticking with the adjustments, sticking with a talented player and then him delivering."
President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer believed Shaw's minor setback would light a fire under him and assured him “the hot corner” was still his upon return. Having that belief from the top has only fueled Shaw’s confidence.
"That's awesome and something that I feel like hopefully I deserved by working hard and showing them I'm someone they can rely on. Just trying to be that guy every day and continue to build that confidence and be someone that the team and front office can believe in so that I can continue to just play my game, play good baseball, and we keep winning," Shaw said.
Another excellent outing for Matthew Boyd
Boyd was sharp again and had great command of his fastball and changeup, retiring 13 of the first 14 hitters he faced. His six-inning, four-hit, eight-strikeout performance earned him his fifth win and seventh quality start of the season. It was Boyd's fourth start with no walks, bringing his K/BB ratio to 4.26:1.
Suzuki and Crow-Armstrong keep up friendly competition
Reigning N.L. Player of the Week Seiya Suzuki notched his league-leading 51st RBI in the first inning with a double that scored Kyle Tucker. Suzuki extended his hitting streak to nine games since May 19, batting .417 (15-for-36) with six doubles, three homers, 12 RBI, and a 1.348 OPS over that stretch. He’s also reached base in 13 straight games since May 14.
"I love Seiya and when he's hot, it's some of the most beautiful baseballs being hit that you can find if you appreciate the game," said Pete Crow-Armstrong. "He's just one of the better hitters I've ever seen. He's been pretty consistent all year, but recently with what he's been doing, it's a treat to be able to stand on deck for that kind of stuff."
Crow-Armstrong’s solo Hank in the fourth ended an 0-for-10 series funk and broke a tie with Suzuki for the team lead in home runs (15). He’s also tied with Rafael Devers for second in MLB with 50 RBI. Over his last 14 games, PCA is batting .317 (19-for-60) with two doubles, two triples, five home runs and 22 RBI. Since April 12, he leads MLB with 45 RBI and is tied for the league lead with 27 extra-base hits.
Swanson’s glove remains elite
The Rockies threatened in the fifth with one out and runners on first and second, but Boyd got a grounder to Dansby Swanson that led to an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. In the seventh, reliever Ryan Brasier induced another 6-4-3 double play to erase a leadoff single. As great a defender as Swanson is, Counsell said watching him handle the tough ones never gets old.
"One of the double plays was a really tricky hop, and he just makes it look easy. It was a ball right at him but it had a tricky bounce. He did a really nice job on it and those are the plays that I really enjoy watching. It’s that little movement with his hands, making the right adjustment. We turned some big double plays for sure to limit pitches and get out of innings."
Bullpen keeps rolling
It was another dominant showing from the Cubs bullpen. Brasier, Brad Keller, and Daniel Palencia combined to allow just two hits over the final three innings, striking out three. Over the last 13 games, Cubs relievers have posted a 0.97 ERA (5 ER/46.2 IP)—lowest in the majors during that span—and held opponents scoreless in nine of those outings.
Palencia recorded his fourth straight save and has held opponents scoreless in 14 of his last 15 appearances. "I think Daniel's pitching with a lot of confidence and that's the big thing," Counsell said after Palencia struck out Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman with a 101 mph fastball to end the game. "That’s the change—he’s a confident pitcher. He understands what can throw you off during an outing and now that stuff doesn’t rattle him. He's taken the next step as a player and he's done a nice job of it."
Keller hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 16 outings (18.0 IP) since April 25.
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