By Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune –
MILWAUKEE — Alfonso Soriano’s streak without a home run in 2012 reached 112 at-bats Sunday, though he still contributed with an RBI double in the Cubs’ 8-2 win over the Brewers.
“It’s weird,” Soriano said. “I hit tons of home runs in spring training, like it was easy, and now it’s harder to hit one. But I know when I hit one, it’s going to be done. I’m hitting. It’s not about home runs. Sometimes I almost hit 20 homers in like six weeks, but if I don’t hit one I put pressure on myself.”
Manager Dale Sveum said the Cubs need more power out of Soriano, who remains in the No. 5 hole despite his power outage.
“Whatever it is, it’s a strange phenomenon that (Brewers rookie) Edwin Maysonet has more home runs than Alfonso Soriano right now,” Sveum said. “That’s tough to swallow, because we’ve got to get some two- and three-run home runs out of that position. We’re having trouble sustaining innings enough.”
Sveum recently asked Soriano to swing a lighter bat, and Soriano said he did go down one ounce a couple of weeks ago, from 331/2 ounces to 321/4.
“It’s not the bat,” Soriano said. “I know when I hit one, I’ll forget about it.”
Sveum said Soriano was “OK” with the request, but added: “He didn’t quite go as far as I wanted with a lighter bat.”
Does Soriano know Sveum is his boss?
“It’s one of those things where you can tell a guy to use a really small, light bat,” Sveum said, laughing. “Physics alone, it makes sense.”
Soriano is accustomed to swinging a heavier bat, but concedes the times are changing.
“I understand sometimes you’re tired, (the bat’s) heavy, I’m 36 years old and I put one ounce down,” he said. “I’m happy with it, feels comfortable. More bat speed.”
Volstad watch: Chris Volstad is in no imminent danger of losing his spot in the rotation, Sveum said, and he will start Thursday against the Phillies. Volstad is out of options and can’t be sent to Triple-A Iowa without clearing waivers.
Volstad usually has one bad inning that ruins an otherwise decent effort.
“It’s the same old thing,” Sveum said. “How do you fix that is the million dollar question. … It’s funny how a guy has just as many shutout innings as just about anybody in baseball, but his one inning isn’t one (run), it’s three, four, five or six in an inning.”
Extra innings: Bryan LaHair went 0-for-4 with a walk and has reached safely in 30 consecutive games, the first Cubs first baseman to do so since Derrek Lee’s 30-game streak in 2009. … Tony Campana tied his career high with three hits.
