CHICAGO _ Joe Maddon revealed the slogans he writes on his daily lineup card that stress staying in the moment instead of seeking perfection.
"They're not perfect," the Cubs manager said after sharing one-word mottos such as Process, Positive and Optimism. "They're not machines. Right now we're on a nice little roll. I think we can sustain this for a bit."
Thanks to Kris Bryant, the Cubs showed they can overcome moments of imperfection, evidenced by Jake Arrieta's performance during a 9-6 victory over the Brewers. The win capped a four-game sweep and pushed their lead in the National League Central to 13 games and their record a season-high 34 games above .500.
Bryant's 5-for-5, two-home run, 5-RBI performance clearly overshadowed the career-high seven walks by Arrieta, who worked with rookie catcher Willson Contreras for the first time.
"It was one of those days that went by too quick," Bryant said after tying career highs in hits and RBIs while moving into a tie for the league lead with Nolan Arenado with 30 homers. "You have to enjoy a 5-for-5 day. They don't really happen too much."
The Cubs are the most games over .500 since they were 97-63 on Sept. 27, 2008. Their current 18-3 stretch is their best 21-game performance since July 1-19, 1945.
A 14-hit attack compensated for many of the struggles of Arrieta (15-5), who issued all seven walks after he retired the first eight batters.
"It's obviously a hiccup for Jake," said Anthony Rizzo, who hit two doubles. "He was not as sharp as he'd like to be. They pick us up sometimes, we pick them up sometimes."
Arrieta, who was pulled after walking No. 8 hitter Ramon Flores on his 103rd pitch with two out in the sixth, had already looked at video of his performance before addressing reporters.
Arrieta noticed he suddenly lost command of his sinker, and he issued two consecutive walks after two outs in the fourth that set up a three-run home run by Cubs nemesis Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
"It wasn't the best effort, for sure," Arrieta admitted.
The Cubs took another peek at their playoff roster options by employing Contreras behind the plate instead of veteran left-handed hitter Miguel Montero, Arrieta's usual catcher.
Contreras picked Flores off first base in the fifth and was charged with two passed balls. But neither Maddon nor Arrieta placed any blame on Contreras.
"Willson and I are pretty comfortable working with each other regardless of having worked in an actual game together," Arrieta said. "He knows what I like to do. I know his catching style.
"That really wasn't an issue. It was just missed execution, not hitting spots in a couple key situations is what really led to the five runs."
As long as the Cubs keep their winning trend, they can continue to tinker with moves such as pairing Contreras with Arrieta and absorbing an unusually wild outing by Arrieta thanks to a robust offense.
"I don't see anybody getting over their skis about anything right now, and I'm enjoying that part of it," Maddon said.
