Bruce went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in Friday's loss to the Cubs, dropping his line to .164/.261/.328 on the year. "I'm just missing pitches right now, that's the bottom line," said Bruce. "The at-bats are not over when it needs to be. I'm getting behind in counts, and I'm not doing what I need to be doing." Four of those at-bats came with runners in scoring position, including a bases loaded at-bat in the 10th inning. The slow start is a carryover from Bruce's desultory 2014 campaign, when he hit just .217 with 149 strikeouts. He already has 24 strikeouts in the first 17 games of the season.