(670 The Score) With his team mired in a skid, Cubs manager David Ross has tried to shake up the lineup.
On Monday, Ross moved usual leadoff man Nico Hoerner into the second spot of the batting order and slid Dansby Swanson from the second slot to the fifth spot. Miles Mastrobouni, who's hitting .159 this season, was placed into the leadoff spot. The Cubs managed just three hits but earned a 1-0 win over the Rays thanks to ace Marcus Stroman firing a one-hitter.
Ross recognizes that the Cubs' lineup has continued to struggle, but he plans to keep searching for the right lineup combination to lift his team, which sits at 23-30 and has lost four of its past five games.
"It's a tough one," Ross said on the Bernstein & Holmes Show on Tuesday afternoon. "You try to look at all the numbers, try to mix some things up. The top of our lineup has not been the issue in my opinion. But getting down there to having some of those guys who can drive those guys in and get on at the top is what I was looking for.
"Always looking for the right formula. Don't always have it. But these guys are unwavering in their at-bats and their grind. I know everybody has their opinions, but I get to make the last one, so that's the great thing about being the manager."
Hoerner has led off in 44 of the Cubs' 53 games this season, while Swanson has hit in the second spot 50 times. The Cubs are averaging 4.58 runs per game, which ranks 14th in MLB. Their .255 batting average ranks 13th, and their .748 OPS is 10th.
The Cubs host the Rays on Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field in the second contest of their three-game series. Pregame coverage will start at 6:30 p.m. on 670 The Score, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
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