WATCH: Craig Counsell reacts to Cubs' five-game winning streak

Tony Crumpton - Senior Editor - 1 day ago

Cubs manager Craig Counsell speaks to the media after the Chicago Cubs' 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres about Ian Happ's amazing catch in the seventh inning, Matthew Boyd's stellar outing and more.

“The big significance for me is 1,000 games with the same team,” Counsell said about Ian Happ. “That, in this era of baseball, is not happening. It’s just not happening. And that speaks a lot about kind of how Ian’s gone about it, I think. It’s hard to do.”

Watch his postgame interview below:

Video summary/cliff-notes:

(00:00) Craig Counsell praised Ian Happ’s defensive play during his 1,000th career game, calling it an "awesome play" and highlighting the crowd's reaction.

(00:34) Counsell complimented pitcher Matt Boyd's performance, emphasizing his effective mix of off-speed pitches and fastballs to keep hitters off balance.

(01:04) He confirmed Boyd was fine after a comeback hit and noted the value of Boyd's strong starts, mentioning he hasn’t given up a run yet this season.

(01:42) Counsell highlighted the team’s consistent offensive pressure, with runners on base in nearly every inning except the first and last.

(02:14) He credited Carson for delivering a crucial hit and emphasized the importance of continuously applying pressure by creating scoring opportunities.

(02:46) Counsell noted the significance of contributions from the catching position, especially from Kelly, which was lacking early last season.

(03:00) He stressed the value of getting offensive production from different players across the lineup, calling it key to being a consistent offense.

(03:30) Counsell expressed confidence in the team’s offensive skill set, saying they’re capable of generating "pressure innings" and potentially being above average overall.