PHOENIX -- There's a lot of chatter going on in the Cubs' dugout, and all the talk is paying off.
"When our guys go up to hit, it's contagious," manager Joe Maddon said after Saturday's 4-2 win over the D-backs. "And they talk -- they're talking in the dugout. It's just not happening at home plate, they're talking about grinding out the at-bats. You hear it all the time, but then you have to do it and our guys are doing it right now."
In the first five games of the season, the Cubs have outscored their opponents, 35-12, and they rank second in the National League in on-base percentage with two strikes.