(670 The Score) While the Cubs' front office evaluates whether it's wise to buy or sell prior to MLB's Aug. 1 trade deadline, the players in the clubhouse are focused on their opportunity and hopes to win this season.
The Cubs earned a 17-3 victory over the Nationals on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field and improved their record to 44-50 on the season, standing 7.5 games back of first place in the National League Central division.
Cubs left fielder Ian Happ told the Bernstein & Holmes Show that he believes in this team and is hopeful they could make a run this season. But with the trade deadline looming, Happ says his teammates aren't fearing a selloff on the horizon.
"We're professionals," Happ said. "We go out and we play to win every single game. You're not playing harder in the end of July than you are in the middle of April – you're giving it everything you have to win every single day. Some of those phrases or sayings or talks, everybody that is in that clubhouse is giving everything they have to win that day. Our run differential is hilarious compared to our record. It's something that's happened this year.
"We've played really good baseball, we just haven't been on the right side of a few games. I do think this team, we have the ability to go out, make a run and be right in this thing. Everybody is aware of the time of the year. Obviously, the guys that have bene here have been through it and the guys that have been on other teams have been through it. It's something that happens all over baseball every year.
"The only thing that we can do is go out and play our best brand of baseball dya in and day out and get ourselves into the mix. After the deadline, there's still two months of baseball. You just got to be in striking distance. We saw it in 2018, we had a nice lead in the division and Milwaukee didn't lose for a month. There's always stuff that happens late in the year.
"Dansby (Swanson) with the Braves, they were kind of floating around, floating around, and made a run late (in the 2021) season to win the East the year they won (the World Series). Yan (Gomes) with the Nationals, they were completely written off, snuck in and won the World Series (in 2019).
"You just got to keep going, keep playing baseball and get yourself in the conversation."
The Cubs host the Nationals for the rubber match of their three-game series on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.
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