Levine: Joe Maddon, Cubs Have Faith In Jorge Soler Despite Struggles

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- You have to be a successful handler of people and a player development guru like Joe Maddon,to pull that off.

After a red-hot start to the season, the Cubs lost both ends of a doubleheader to the lowly San Diego Padres on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. That in itself was big news, but perhaps the lasting takeaway came afterward, when manager Joe Maddon didn't back away from supporting outfielder Jorge Soler after a tough day as the Cubs try to spark his development.

After receiving inconsistent playing time recently, Soler played both ends of the twinbill and struggled through a 1-for-8 day at the plate. In a 1-0 loss in the nightcap, the Cubs had the tying and go-ahead runs on as they loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth inning and Soler at the plate.

Soler had already struck out three times in the second game. Padres left-handed reliever Brad Hand was on the mound. Maddon could have turned to shortstop Addison Russell to pinch hit as he rested on the back end of a doubleheader, but Maddon showed faith in Soler, who entered batting .184.

The end result wasn't ideal. Soler struck out for the fourth time in as many at-bats, squandering the team's best chance and handing a hard-luck loss to Cubs right-hander John Lackey, who allowed just one run on three hits in eight innings. The only damage came on a solo homer by Christian Bethancourt in the fifth inning.

Asked if he considered using a pinch-hitter for the 24-year-old Soler, Maddon responded, "Of course not, of course not."

"You don't do that," Maddon said. "This is a guy who is a big part of our future. He could have easily hit one over the wall or get a knock. No, there was really no thought of that."

When the timing is right, Maddon hasn't been afraid to lose a game to win a player's gratitude and belief. Truth be told, that has been a big part of the his magic since he arrived on the scene as a major league manager in 2006.

Soler is hitting .175 with two homers, six RBIs and a .536 OPS in 80 at-bats this season.

"He had to cover a lot of strike zone," Maddon said of Soler, "That made it a little more difficult. He is fine. There is not a thing wrong. Their guy pitched well. He had a tough night, but Jorge is going to be just fine."

Maddon and the Cubs were playing with house money. Before Wednesday's doubleheader loss, they were 25-6, which marked the hottest start in baseball since 1984, and had an eight-game lead in the NL Central.

Despite the tough loss, Lackey expressed confidence in Soler.

"It's a long season," Lackey said. "Guys are going to have their ups and downs. They will have a rough game or two. You are going to need him in the end. To show confidence in those guys can pay off later on in the season, for sure."

The Cubs hottest hitter, Ben Zobrist grounded out to end the game with Tommy La Stella stranded at second base. During his eight years in Tampa Bay playing for Maddon, Zobrist watched many players develop first-hand under the manager's tutelage, including himself.

"We believe in everybody in here," Zobrist said. "Jorge gets a big hit in that situation, we would not be surprised about that. He is a great player, and I am sure he will keep getting at-bats, keep getting starts and come through for us in that situation next time. We had our opportunities. We just did not come through with them today."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.