Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by David Just2019-09-21T17:58:57-05:00https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/david-just/rss2019-09-21T17:58:57-05:002019-09-23T17:18:54-05:00Cardinals touch Kimbrel for 2 homers in 9th to hand Cubs crushing loss
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<img class="Image" alt="St Louis Cardinals v Chicago Cubs" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/146d70a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2792x1567+0+924/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FnVXqe34zKjENu60EkaUCBhJMVAs%3D%2F0x0%3A2792x3414%2F2792x3414%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281360x1176%3A1361x1177%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19220588%2F1176211530.jpg.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2eb9630/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2792x1567+0+924/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FnVXqe34zKjENu60EkaUCBhJMVAs%3D%2F0x0%3A2792x3414%2F2792x3414%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281360x1176%3A1361x1177%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19220588%2F1176211530.jpg.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Kris Bryant reacts after striking out in the fourth inning Saturday against the Cardinals.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images</p></div></div>
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<p>Manager <b>Joe Maddon</b> can’t figure out who this Cubs team is.</p><p>Are they the team that won five straight games last week and scored 59 runs? Or are they the team that has lost five straight — four by a run — amid a slew of injuries, bad luck and frustration?</p><p>The answer, as is often the case, is somewhere in the middle. The Cubs are 57-59 since May 15. That’s who they are.</p><p>And one thing was certainly clearer after the ninth inning Saturday: This Cubs team doesn’t appear destined for its fifth straight playoff berth.</p><p>“To have your mind try to extrapolate what is going on here, it’s hard to pinpoint anything,” Maddon said. “A lot of guys are having really good seasons, and we’ve lost a lot of one-run games. Is that a lack of a hit? A lack of a pitch? I don’t know. Have the other teams gotten better? It’s so hard to really cull it down to one particular event or moment or thought.”</p><p><b>Craig Kimbrel </b>allowed two home runs on the first two pitches in the ninth inning of a slow, painful 9-8 loss to the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. At 4 hours, 24 minutes, it was the longest nine-inning game in franchise history.</p><p>Those homers might have been the final two nails in the Cubs’ coffin. They’re six games behind the first-place Cardinals and three behind the Brewers with seven games to play.</p><p>Even if they were to win all seven, including four more against the Cardinals, it would still take some luck to make the postseason. The Cubs need the Brewers to lose games against the lowly Reds and last-place Rockies in the final week of the season.</p><p>“It sucks, you know?” <b>Javy Baez </b>said. “Obviously, it sucks. But we’re really close to two other teams. We just got to play our game and try to get hot in the last two series and see what happens when the last game is over.”</p><p><b>Baez returns</b></p><p>Baez returned from his broken left thumb to make the final out. He struck out with a runner on first.</p><p> He has been hitting off a tee since the middle of the week and was cleared to play before the game. </p><p>“It’s still bothering me a little bit, but I would do anything to help my team,” Baez said.</p><p><b>Castellanos doubles again</b></p><p><b>Nick Castellanos</b> doubled in his first at-bat to take sole possession of 10th place all time on the single-season doubles list with 58.</p><p>Only Castellanos and <b>Todd Helton </b>have hit that many in a season since 1936.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/9/21/20877576/cardinals-touch-kimbrel-for-2-homers-in-9th-to-hand-cubs-crushing-lossDavid Just2019-07-13T19:12:59-05:002019-07-14T16:15:12-05:00Joe Maddon: We’re witnessing ‘another level’ of Cubs ace Jon Lester
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<img class="Image" alt="Cubs pitcher Jon Lester" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0685af4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/808x453+0+64/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FbXKA84DImtz_q9R9BFHoV2qljKI%3D%2F0x0%3A808x582%2F808x582%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28380x185%3A381x186%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F18308536%2FScreen_Shot_2019_07_13_at_7.05.43_PM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/edd2819/2147483647/strip/true/crop/808x453+0+64/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FbXKA84DImtz_q9R9BFHoV2qljKI%3D%2F0x0%3A808x582%2F808x582%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28380x185%3A381x186%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F18308536%2FScreen_Shot_2019_07_13_at_7.05.43_PM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Chicago Cubs’ Jon Lester (34) walks to the dugout after hitting a home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July, 13, 2019, in Chicago. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>David Banks/AP</p></div></div>
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<p>Manager <b>Joe Maddon</b> said he’s witnessing “another level” of Cubs ace <b>Jon Lester</b>.</p><p>After Lester threw his ninth quality start of the season and added a double, homer and three RBI in Saturday’s 10-4 victory over the Pirates, Maddon said it’s the best version of Lester that he’s seen.</p><p>So how did Lester take the compliment?</p><p>“I feel old,” he said to laughs. “That’s obviously high praise. . . . I’ve felt a lot better about my stuff and where I’ve been at. Hopefully I can continue to ride that momentum as we go forward in the second half and pitch well down the stretch.</p><p>Maddon is most impressed by Lester’s ability to control his emotions and keep calm in bad counts or tough game situations.</p><p>He came out of the game with two outs in the seventh inning, but probably had more to give despite throwing 98 pitches. </p><p>“Watching him on the mound, he doesn’t get in a hurry,” Maddon said. “If something happens he’s able to reel himself back in. He slows it down, repeats his delivery. He’s able to do that.”</p><p>Lester covered 6‰ innings and gave up three runs on eight hits. He has gone 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in his last five starts and is 6-2 with a 2.62 ERA at home.</p><p>The players behind Lester see him thriving, too.</p><p>“He’s a competitor,” <b>Jason Heyward</b> said. “He’s coming at you. He’s going to throw strikes. He mixes it up every now and then with the game plan. He’s got to do his thing, and he stays true to himself. Then when we get to the postseason, he knows there’s another switch, another level. And he stays locked into that.”</p><h4>Cubs rock Lyles</h4><p>The Cubs worked out any leftover resentment with the Pirates and pitcher <b>Jordan Lyles </b>on the field and left behind the fireworks of their Fourth of July meeting.</p><p>The Cubs scored seven runs in the first inning against Lyles, knocking him out of the game after two-thirds of an inning. His departure with two outs in the first made for an extra-sweet moment for Cubs fans amid the offensive explosion.</p><p>Lyles had worked Maddon into a rage during a game on July 4 with one too many pitches high and inside. Maddon was ejected from that game and charged toward the Pirates’ dugout in his anger.</p><p>With those fresh memories, the Cubs batted around in the first, which saw seven runs, five hits, four walks and a 4-for-6 clip with runners in scoring position.</p><h4>Rotation set</h4><p>The Cubs have set their staring rotation for the three-game series against the visiting Reds beginning Monday.</p><p>The Cubs plan to recall right-hander <b>Alec Mills</b> from Class AAA Iowa to start Tuesday’s game at Wrigley Field. Mills played seven games for the Cubs last year with two starts, going 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA.</p><p><b>Kyle Hendricks </b>will start Monday, and <b>Yu Darvish</b> will pitch Wednesday.</p><h4>Hamels update</h4><p><b>Cole Hamels</b> threw from flat ground Saturday during pregame workouts and continues to progress from an oblique strain. He has been on the injured list since June 28.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/7/13/20693350/maddon-jon-lester-cubs-notebook-pirates-lyles-heyward-hamelsDavid Just2019-07-13T18:45:48-05:002019-07-14T10:15:08-05:00Noise? What noise? Cubs play with passion and focus in 10-4 victory against Pirates
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p> Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez (9) makes a play on Pittsburgh Pirates’ Kevin Newman (27) to start a double play to end the game during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July, 13, 2019, in Chicago. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>David Banks/AP</p></div></div>
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<p>After a first half seemingly filled with questions, speculation and doubt, the Cubs have set the right tone to open the second half.</p><p>The obvious signs were all there in a 10-4 victory Saturday against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. The offense scored seven runs in the first inning and Jon Lester chalked up another quality start. </p><p>But it was the littler things that stood out even more, such as drawing six walks or Jason Heyward’s laying out for a catch with a 7-0 lead — even though he came up short.</p><p>Those are the types of ingredients that will help separate the Cubs from the crowded National League Central pack during the second half.</p><p>“It was hot out there and we came out ready to play,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Just sensing from the guys, the looks on their face, it’s right here. . . . There were a lot of good indicators today.”</p><p>Along with Friday’s victory, the Cubs have opened the second half by outscoring the Pirates 14-7 and have clinched their first series win since June 9.</p><p>Questions about the trade deadline and Maddon’s future with the organization surrounded the Cubs going into the All-Star break, but the team isn’t showing any of that tension in this opening series.</p><p>Maddon is aware of the noise, as he called it, but he’s making sure not to add additional pressure as the second half kicks off.</p><p>“To create more gravity about a moment, I don’t think that necessarily ever works,” he said. “I would prefer that we continue with the same attitude we’ve had over the last several years. It’s been pretty successful.”</p><p>Having Lester on the mound certainly helped. Maddon said he has been “exemplifying leadership” at a new level, and the Cubs could always use that sort of steady hand moving forward.</p><p>Lester threw 6⅔ innings and gave up three runs on eight hits. He struck out six and allowed two solo home runs. </p><p>He also turned heads with a two-run double in the first inning and a solo home run in the third inning — the third homer of his career.</p><p>“The break came at a good time for us,” Lester said. “We know what’s ahead. We know the end of this month can be tough. We have to focus on the now. We can’t worry about where we’re at in the standings or anything like that.”</p><p>That mindset was readily apparent in the second inning when Heyward dove to his right to catch a shallow fly ball off the bat of Jose Osuna. Heyward didn’t make the play, but showing that determination with a 7-0 lead speaks to the Cubs’ focus.</p><p>Kyle Schwarber dove to his right for a catch in the seventh inning and appeared to make the play. The umpires ruled it a hit and then upheld the call after review.</p><p>Javy Baez, no stranger to dazzling plays, had undoubtedly one of the niftiest plays of the season by diving for a ground ball, then flipping it from his glove to kick off a 6-4-3 double play that ended the game.</p><p>Taken together, the Cubs looked like a team playing with passion and focus.</p><p>“We’re all rested,” Schwarber said. “We’re all ready to go and take off in this second half. We all know the challenges ahead of us, especially rolling into the second half and how close everything is right now. For all of us in general that we’re all ready to go and really focused.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/7/13/20693334/cubs-pirates-noise-passion-focus-lester-maddon-heyward-schwarber-baezDavid Just2019-06-29T20:01:10-05:002019-07-11T18:39:46-05:00Sox notebook: Jimenez can empathize with Anderson over high ankle sprain
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<img class="Image" alt="Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0194f82/2147483647/strip/true/crop/993x557+0+28/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F_67rHyQos2TCtjs519GHEja0H8w%3D%2F0x0%3A993x614%2F993x614%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28549x191%3A550x192%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F16858368%2FScreen_Shot_2019_06_29_at_7.57.27_PM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6d03a05/2147483647/strip/true/crop/993x557+0+28/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F_67rHyQos2TCtjs519GHEja0H8w%3D%2F0x0%3A993x614%2F993x614%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28549x191%3A550x192%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F16858368%2FScreen_Shot_2019_06_29_at_7.57.27_PM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Chicago White Sox’s Eloy Jimenez makes a catch of the ball hit by Minnesota Twins’ Jorge Polanco (not pictured) during the 5th inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 29, 2019, in Chicago. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Jeff Haynes/AP</p></div></div>
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<p>If anyone around the White Sox understands Tim Anderson’s pain right now it’s Eloy Jimenez.</p><p> Jimenez suffered a high ankle sprain after attempting to climb the wall and rob a home run from the Tigers on April 26. Anderson suffered the same injury Tuesday after planting awkwardly while ranging to his left and making a throw to first base.</p><p>“I told Timmy just you are going to feel sore when you come back,” Jimenez said. “Just don’t worry. Keep playing hard because you are a good player. I don’t think it’s going to stop you.”</p><p> General manager Rick Hahn said this sort of injury typically results in a 4-6 week stay on the injured list, but Anderson could progress faster. Jimenez missed 21 games with his injury during a month-long stint on the injured list in April and May.</p><p> “Really it does hearken back to the experience with Eloy,” Hahn said. “When he came off the field, needing assistance, it seemed like that was going to be worse as well. These high ankle sprains are serious, and you’ve got to give them time. They’re a different injury, but it’s not dissimilar from an oblique, where you can’t rush. You’ve got to let it heal and then slowly start ramping up activity. So it’s going to take some time.”</p><p>But Jimenez said that Anderson can expect to be in some pain even after he returns.</p><p>“It wasn’t fun because I was playing with some soreness,” he said. “But now it’s good.”</p><p><b>Bummer shining</b></p><p>Rick Renteria made a case for reliever Aaron Bummer as a potential All-Star and future closer on Saturday.</p><p> Bummer is enjoying a breakout season in his third year in the majors. He owns a</p><p>1.95 ERA in 27 2/3 innings, striking out 28 and allowing just one home run.</p><p>“I think he’s just starting to get more and more confident trusting his stuff,” Renteria said. “I think in the past he put himself in some difficult situations and might not have been able to get out of them. Now he seems to be maturing and trusting and a little more confident.”</p><p> Bummer pitched the Sox out of a seventh-inning jam Friday by forcing Jorge Polanco to ground into a double play with the bases loaded.</p><p> Renteria said Bummer has emerged as “one of the better relievers in the game” with the stuff of a closer.</p><p> “He’s got good enough stuff to do that,” Renteria said of Bummer closing. “I think nobody would mistake that his stuff is light’s out. When he’s good he can dominate any hitter.”</p><p> <b>Moncada returns</b></p><p>Yoan Moncada returned to the Sox lineup Saturday after exiting Wednesday’s game early and having the day off Friday.</p><p> Moncada was hit in the knee by an 81 mph slider from Chris Sale in the first inning and left the game a short time after being looked at by assistant trainer James Kruk.</p><p>“He’s a little sore,” Renteria said of Moncada. “The ball that ended up hitting him was in a pretty sensitive position. But he was feeling good as the day was progressing yesterday.”</p><p> Moncada singled in his first at-bat Saturday and went 1 for 4.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2019/6/29/20126067/sox-notebook-eloy-jimenez-empathize-anderson-high-ankle-sprain-chicago-renteria-hahn-bummer-moncadaDavid Just2019-06-29T19:41:56-05:002019-06-30T10:14:51-05:00Sox GM Hahn: Heralded prospect Dylan Cease ‘getting awfully close’ to majors
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<img class="Image" alt="Dylan Cease in spring training" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/76271c3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/861x483+0+90/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FEFjpkH0zGRUS_O6DdjfWdc-OuJo%3D%2F0x0%3A861x664%2F861x664%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28654x229%3A655x230%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F16854712%2FScreen_Shot_2019_06_29_at_7.36.50_PM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bcef85d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/861x483+0+90/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FEFjpkH0zGRUS_O6DdjfWdc-OuJo%3D%2F0x0%3A861x664%2F861x664%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28654x229%3A655x230%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F16854712%2FScreen_Shot_2019_06_29_at_7.36.50_PM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Dylan Cease throws a baseball at Camelback Ranch, the Spring Training home of the Chicago White Sox, in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 13, 2019. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>John Antonoff/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>White Sox fans are eager for the day when all of the organization’s top prospects will have joined the rebuilding big-league club.</p><p>The slow and steady promotion of prospects could continue soon with pitcher Dylan Cease, MLB’s 18<sup>th</sup>-ranked prospect. He’s “getting awfully close” to being ready, general manager Rick Hahn said Friday.</p><p>And fans wouldn’t be the only ones excited. Manager Rick Renteria is just as excited for the day that Cease and other prospects join the team, too.</p><p>“We’re starting to see some of the young men obviously here at the big-league level,” Renteria said. “And soon, as the other men that are within our organization, as they continue to experience and develop and arrive here on the scene with us as Chicago White Sox, it’s going to be a pretty exciting time.</p><p>“(With Cease) here’s another starting arm that we have within the system that they did a great job at acquiring. Hopefully he will be able to transition flawless into it, always understand that there’s a learning curve. But the stuff that he brings to the table, it’s pretty good. We look forward to that time.”</p><p>The Sox have given no indication Cease will get a call-up before the All-Star Break, but an opportune time for his debut awaits Wednesday with a day-night doubleheader against last-place Detroit. The Sox have not any announced starters for the series.</p><p>The Sox need more from their starting pitching going forward, which Hahn conceded during Friday’s media session.</p><p>Starting pitcher Ivan Nova gave the club six innings and allowed four runs in a 10-3 loss to the Twins on Saturday. He remains winless at home and 3-7 on the season</p><p>The bullpen didn’t fare any better, combining to allow six runs in the final three innings. The Sox gave up five home runs, including a 469-foot smash by Nelson Cruz in the ninth inning.</p><p> “We remain in Year 3 of this rebuild,” Hahn said. “We still remain focused on trying to build the best possible team for the long run. Even if you’re talking about jumping up and grabbing the second wild card, that’s not what this rebuild was all about. It was about the long term, and we’re not going to compromise that.”</p><p>Cease’s numbers at Triple-A Charlotte aren’t otherworldly, but his stuff is impressive. He’s 5-2 with a 4.48 ERA this season at Charlotte and has struck out 73 batters in 68 1/3 innings. His last start was a rain-shortened outing Thursday, which would put him on track to be ready for a potential start Wednesday.</p><p>“He’s in a good spot right now,” Hahn said. “He’s in a good spot mentally. He’s in a good spot physically right now. He’s getting closer to helping us. We’ve always said that at some point over the course of the 2019 season we envisioned him joining us as a natural progression.”</p><p>Hahn wouldn’t speculate on whether there was anything in particular Cease needed to prove before his call-up.</p><p>“We’ve had these conversations with him internally, and we’ll leave it at that,” Hahn said. “But he’s getting awfully close.”</p><p>Renteria said he’s had conversations here and there with Cease throughout the season just as he does with all players. He noted the Sox will create a plan to develop the 23-year-old right-hander with an appropriate innings limit.</p><p>“It’s one of those things that we’ll deal with when he ultimately arrives,” Renteria said. “What that number will be, that’s a discussion to be had. We’ll try to manage that as best as we can in order to allow him to pitch as many games as possible during the course of the season.”</p><p>If Sox fans have their way, that’s a plan the organization will need to develop soon.</p><p></p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2019/6/29/20123938/sox-gm-rick-hahn-heralded-prospect-dylan-cease-promotion-charlotte-renteriaDavid Just2019-05-11T23:40:00-05:002019-05-16T08:14:40-05:00Willson Contreras' homer in 15th gives Cubs third walk-off of week
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Willson Contreras rounds the bases after his 15th inning homer against the Brewers on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images</p></figcaption></div>
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<p>It was cold, wet and gloomy at Wrigley Field, but that didn’t stop the Cubs and Brewers from playing a marathon game Saturday.</p><p>For the smattering of Cubs fans that stuck out the 49-degree, rain-soaked, five-hour affair, this one was worth the wait.</p><p>Willson Contreras launched Burch Smith’s 1-2 pitch into the left-field bleachers to lift the Cubs to a 2-1 victory in 15 innings. It was the third walk-off win of the homestand and gave the Cubs sole possession of first place in the National League Central.</p><p>“He got me to two strikes really quick.” Contreras said. “I stepped back and tried to remind myself to battle. Just tried to foul off pitches and see if I can hit a blooper. That’s what I told myself. And the last pitch was a changeup a little bit down in the zone, and I was able to put the barrel below the ball.”</p><p>Contreras’ game-winning homer was the first walk-off hit of his -career. The last Cub to hit a walk-off homer in the 15th inning or later was Sammy Sosa in 2003.</p><p>Contreras has gotten off to a red-hot start this season. He’s hitting .315 with 10 homers, 23 RBI and a .640 slugging percentage that ranks third in the National League.</p><p>While Contreras might be the hero of this win for bringing the game to an end, Cole Hamels and the bullpen did all the heavy lifting.</p><p>Cubs pitchers gave up just four hits and helped overcome an offense that went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base.</p><p>Hamels had his fifth quality start, going seven strong innings with five strikeouts. He gave up a solo home run to Hernan Perez in the fifth.</p><p>“All year we’re going to be battling with these guys and the Cardinals,” Hamels said. “So to be able to go out there and get a win after 15 innings of play, I think it does some pretty good justice and puts it in our favor a little bit more, because those are big wins.”</p><p>The bullpen was just as good, giving up one hit and five walks in eight innings. The Cubs used everyone in their bullpen except Mike Montgomery, who threw five innings Thursday.</p><p>Tyler Chatwood, who was the last Cubs pitcher available, threw 68 pitches in the final four innings. He gave up no hits, walked three and struck out seven in the longest relief outing of his career.</p><p><b>RELATED</b></p><p>• <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-add-third-lefty-to-bullpen-in-cedeno-put-webster-on-injured-list/" target="_blank" >Cubs add third lefty to bullpen in Cedeno, put Webster on injured list</a></p><p>• <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/former-cub-starlin-castro-talks-about-past-future-and-what-chicago-means-to-him/" target="_blank" >Former Cub Starlin Castro talks about past, future and what Chicago means to him</a></p><p>“You see what he’s able to do,” Hamels said. “He can rack up the strikeouts pretty quickly, and the zeroes he’s able to put up at a moment’s notice. Because you’re not put in good positions when you’re coming in late to a game, you can’t afford to give up runs, and he’s answering the call.”</p><p>Manager Joe Maddon said Chatwood had one inning left in him, after which he would have been forced to use backup catcher Taylor Davis on the mound.</p><p>“They’re a very good team,” Chatwood said, “so I think anytime you can keep them to singles, and Cole had a bunch of double plays. Anytime you do that, you’re going to have success.”</p><p>The Cubs and Brewers hit into a combined 10 double plays, with seven of those coming in the first nine innings. Hamels forced double-play groundouts in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.</p><p>The Cubs scored their first run after a heads-up baserunning play by David Bote and third-base coach Will Venable in the fifth inning. With two outs and Hamels waiting on deck, Albert Almora doubled to right field, and Bote came around to score from first with a nifty head-first slide to avoid the tag.</p><p>“He knew who was on deck, he knew the outs situation, he knew everything about it,” Maddon said of Venable, who is filling in for Brian Butterfield. “Bote had it in his head also. That was absolutely the right thing to do, and I know Butter is very proud of the whole moment.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/5/11/18618829/willson-contreras-homer-in-15th-gives-cubs-third-walk-off-of-weekDavid Just2019-05-11T22:41:00-05:002019-05-13T18:11:48-05:00Cubs add third lefty to bullpen in Cedeno, put Webster on injured list
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Kris Bryant matched a career high by extending his streak of reaching base safely to 21 games with a single in the sixth inning Saturday. Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images</p></figcaption></div>
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<p>The once-cold, now-hot and ever-changing Cubs bullpen looked different again Saturday against the Brewers.</p><p>The Cubs activated left-hander <b>Xavier Cedeno</b> from the injured list and put right-hander <b>Allen Webster </b>on the 10-day injured list with radial nerve inflammation. Cedeno entered in the 12th inning and walked <b>Christian Yelich</b> before giving way to <b>Tyler Chatwood</b>.</p><p>Cedeno, an offseason acquisition, began the season on the injured list with wrist inflammation and made 10 relief appearances with Class AA Tennessee and Class AAA Iowa. He made 48 appearances with the White Sox and Brewers last season, posting a 2.43 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 33⅓ innings.</p><p>“I watched this guy pitch for a bit,” manager <b>Joe Maddon</b> said. “I’ve been a big fan for a while. He permits us to really match up left-on-left, and he’s able to get righties out, too.”</p><p>His debut performance aside, Cedeno adds depth to the pen as a third lefty along with <b>Mike Montgomery</b> and <b>Kyle Ryan</b>.</p><p>Montgomery returned to the bullpen Wednesday and saw his first action Thursday, tossing five scoreless innings against the Marlins.</p><p>“That’s as good as I’ve seen him in awhile, period,” Maddon said. “I had heard he threw like that in the minor-league games, the guys told me the bullpen was spectacular and then we saw it in the game.”</p><p>Maddon now has a great deal more flexibility with his bullpen and plans to continue using Montgomery as a long reliever. He also likes the peace of mind that comes with having him available should a need for a starter arise in a pinch.</p><p>The Cubs’ bullpen entered Saturday with a 2.42 ERA since April 7 after posting a 9.51 ERA in the first eight games of the season.</p><p><b>Bryant extends streak</b></p><p><b>Kris Bryant </b>matched a career high by extending his streak of reaching base safely to 21 games with a single in the sixth inning.</p><p>Bryant has reached base safely in every game since April 17, the longest active streak in the majors. His last 21-game streak was from Aug. 14 to Sept. 6, 2016.</p><p><b>Ted Williams</b> owns the major-league record for the longest on-base streak at 84 games, set in 1949.</p><p><b>Descalso back Sunday</b></p><p>Infielder <b>Daniel Descalso </b>is expected to return to the lineup Sunday after injuring his ankle last weekend while rounding first base.</p><p><b>RELATED</b></p><p>• <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/willson-contreras-homer-15th-inning-cubs-brewers-wrigley-field/" target="_blank" >Willson Contreras‘ homer in 15th gives Cubs third walk-off of week</a></p><p>• <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/former-cub-starlin-castro-talks-about-past-future-and-what-chicago-means-to-him/" target="_blank" >Former Cub Starlin Castro talks about past, future and what Chicago means to him</a></p><p>Descalso has started 21 games at second base and has been atop the lineup 11 times, behind only <b>Ben Zobrist</b>.</p><p>“If all systems are go, I want to get him back out there tomorrow,” Maddon said.</p><p>Descalso has pinch-hit in five games since the injury, including Saturday, when he lined out for C.J. Edwards in the eighth.</p><p><b>Caratini update</b></p><p>Catcher <b>Victor Caratini</b> continues to show progress in his recovery from a broken bone in his left hand.</p><p>Caratini, who has been swinging the bat without restrictions, moved up to Class AAA Iowa on Saturday to continue his rehab after playing five games with Class A South Bend.</p><p>He made 12 at-bats with three hits and three walks at South Bend.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/5/11/18618813/cubs-add-third-lefty-to-bullpen-in-cedeno-put-webster-on-injured-listDavid Just2019-05-04T22:59:00-05:002019-05-13T18:14:05-05:00It was bullpen's day after four-plus shaky innings from starter Yu Darvish
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, May 4, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton) ORG XMIT: CXC102</p></figcaption></div>
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<p>The force was not with Yu on this particular Star Wars Day.</p><p>But <b>Yu Darvish</b> had help from a surging bullpen. Six relievers combined to pitch five scoreless innings to keep the Cubs in the game on the way to a 6-5 victory.</p><p><b>Allen Webster</b>, <b>Kyle Ryan</b>, <b>Brad Brach</b>, <b>Steve Cishek</b>, <b>Brandon Kintzler </b>and <b>Pedro Strop </b>allowed three hits and one walk and struck out seven.</p><p>As the weather has slowly warmed up, so has the pen. Cubs relievers have allowed only 15 earned runs in 73⅔ innings since April 7.</p><p>And there’s reason to believe the bullpen will only get stronger with the imminent return of <b>Mike Montgomery </b>and the continued development of <b>Dillon Maples</b>.</p><p>Montgomery, out with a lat injury, had his fourth rehab start at Class AAA Iowa on Friday night, going six innings. He allowed one run and two walks and struck out three. Ryan is the only other lefty in the Cubs’ bullpen.</p><p>“Monty creates more depth,” manager <b>Joe Maddon </b>said. “There’s nothing wrong with creating depth.”</p><p>Maples, meanwhile, already has shown that he has the stuff of a top-shelf reliever and is making progress with his command.</p><p>He walked 39 batters in 38⅔ innings for Iowa last season and has five walks in his three outings for the Cubs in 2019. But the right-hander features a fastball in the high 90s and a nasty slider that helped him strike out the side Wednesday against the Mariners.</p><p>Maddon sees Maples as the guy who can come into the game in a situation that requires a strikeout.</p><p>“That’s quite a weapon,” he said. “It’s there. We’ve got to continue to nurture it. It’s gonna happen.”</p><p><b>Descalso day-to-day</b></p><p>Infielder <b>Daniel Descalso </b>left the game after three innings with soreness in his left ankle.</p><p>Maddon said Descalso felt something while rounding first base after singling in the first inning. He stayed in the game two more innings and struck out in the third.</p><p><b>Jason Heyward</b> pinch-hit for Descalso in the fourth inning.</p><p>Descalso is considered day-to-day.</p><p><b>The Karkovice</b></p><p>Many baseball fans were introduced to the concept of pitching a Maddux after <b>Kyle Hendricks </b>dominated the Cardinals on Friday.</p><p>The Maddux, an unofficial stat named after former Cubs pitcher <b>Greg Maddux</b>, is when a pitcher throws a complete-game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches.</p><p>On Saturday, Maddon introduced an unfamiliar and very unofficial stat he coined after a different Chicago baseball player: catcher <b>Ron Karkovice</b>.</p><p>“Somebody gets ‘Karkoviced’ when they get jammed, and the pop-up is caught by the pitcher coming in,” Maddon said. “That’s when you’re ‘Karkoviced.’ . . . With all my sincerest apologies to Mr. Karkovice.”</p><p>Karkovice played 12 seasons with the White Sox, had a .221 career batting average and hit 96 home runs.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/5/4/18618884/it-was-bullpen-s-day-after-four-plus-shaky-innings-from-starter-yu-darvishDavid Just2019-05-04T21:01:00-05:002019-05-13T18:47:04-05:00Taylor Davis' slam, Javy Baez's solo shot lift Cubs to 6-5 victory
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Chicago Cubs’ Taylor Davis hits a grand slam during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, May 4, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton) ORG XMIT: CXC116</p></figcaption></div>
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<p>Taylor who?</p><p>That was a common refrain on social media Saturday as Cubs backup catcher Taylor Davis blasted his way into the day’s trending stories.</p><p>Davis, making his second start behind the plate with right-hander Yu Darvish, cranked a game-tying grand slam in the fourth inning to jump-start a 6-5 come-from-behind victory against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.</p><p>The home run was the first of Davis’ career and the first grand slam for the Cubs this season. It came on the first pitch of his at-bat and was also Davis’ first base hit of the season.</p><p>“It’s unbelievable,” Davis said. “It was a really, really fun feeling hearing Wrigley Field react like that.”</p><p>The home run erased a 5-1 deficit, and Javy Baez came through with a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth.</p><p>The Cubs have won six in a row and claimed the first series against their National League Central rivals. A half-game behind St. Louis in the standings, the Cubs can claim the top spot with a victory in Sunday’s finale.</p><p>But back to the question at hand: Who is Taylor Davis?</p><p>The Cubs recalled Davis, 29, from Class AAA Iowa on April 12 after Victor Caratini went on the 10-day injured list. Davis appeared in 13 games for the Cubs the last two seasons, stroking five hits in 18 at-bats.</p><p>He was drafted out of high school by the Marlins in the 49th round of the 2008 draft but did not sign. The Cubs signed him as an amateur free agent in 2011.</p><p>Davis has bounced around the minors the last eight years, spending time in Daytona, Peoria, Tennessee and Iowa.</p><p>It was all building to this moment in front of 39,601 fans.</p><p>“It was perfect,” Darvish said. “It looked like a movie.”</p><p>Manager Joe Maddon could barely contain his surprise that Davis homered against Michael Wacha.</p><p>“That’s so unlikely,” he said. “I’m not degrading him; it’s just unlikely. He crushed that ball. Wacha made a mistake, and he did not miss it. Very unlikely event right there.”</p><p>Davis is the first Cub to hit a grand slam as his first career home run since pitcher Kevin Tapani did it in 1998. He’s the first Cubs position player to do it since Champ Summers in 1975. STATS Inc. also notes that Davis is only the seventh player to hit a game-tying grand slam as his first career homer.</p><p>Davis said somebody was able to retrieve the ball as a souvenir.</p><p>“It hasn’t set in,” Davis said of the emotion of it all. “I’ll tell you when it does. It’s just exciting.”</p><p>The Cubs nearly argued their way out of Baez’s home run. Moments before the homer, Baez hit a high pop-up down the right-field line. Kolten Wong attempted a sliding catch near the foul line, but the ball bounced off his glove and was ruled foul. The Cubs challenged, and the call was upheld.</p><p>Three pitches later, Baez hit a no-doubter to right field that sailed 413 feet over the wall.</p><p>“Thank God for instant replay,” Maddon said. “Thank God we did not get what we wanted there. If that had been called fair, it would have been much more difficult to score probably.”</p><p>The Cubs found themselves down 5-1 in the fourth after Darvish began to struggle. Wacha doubled and scored against Darvish in the third, then hit a two-run single in the fourth.</p><p>Darvish allowed five runs, six hits and five walks in four-plus innings. He also threw two wild pitches and gave up a homer to Jose Martinez.</p><p>“My stuff was good,” said Darvish, who noted he went to his sinker too often. “The result was not good, but I can fix it for next time.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/5/4/18622087/taylor-davis-slam-javy-baez-s-solo-shot-lift-cubs-to-6-5-victoryDavid Just2018-09-29T17:36:03-05:002019-04-17T21:46:45-05:00'Weirdest thing in baseball'? Cubs brace for wild finish to division race
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Anthony Rizzo goes head-first into the stands for a foul ball Saturday. He just missed making the catch. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) </p></figcaption></div>
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<p>The Cubs will play a decisive game Sunday at Wrigley Field and hope to avoid doing the same Monday and Tuesday.</p><p>They left the ballpark Saturday afternoon a half game ahead of the Brewers in the National League Central after falling 2-1 to the Cardinals – who kept their own slim playoff hopes alive, pending the outcome of the Dodgers-Giants game.</p><p>Depending on the outcome of games Saturday night and Sunday, the Cubs could win the NL Central outright, be forced into a tiebreaker Monday or finish in second place and settle for a wild card.</p><p>“We all obviously know the situation,” said presumptive Game 1 playoff starter Jon Lester, who would pitch on his natural fifth day on Tuesday if tapped for a wild-card game. “At the same time, you can’t worry about it. We’ve got to worry about tomorrow now.”</p><p>Here’s how it could all shake out:</p><p>If the Cubs win Sunday and Brewers lose, the Cubs will win the National League Central title outright for the third straight year. They’d head straight to Thursday’s National League Division Series and face the winner of the NL wild card game between the Brewers and Rockies or Dodgers.</p><p>A Cubs loss Sunday coupled with a Brewers win would make the Brewers the NL Central champs for the first time since 2011. The Cubs would then head to a wild card game Tuesday against the Dodgers, Rockies or Cardinals.</p><p>“The crazy thing is I heard that two teams could celebrate tomorrow [at Wrigley],” Cubs starter Cole Hamels (4-3) said. “That’d be the weirdest thing in baseball.”</p><p>If the Cubs and Brewers finish the regular season tied, they’d play a tiebreaker game Monday at Wrigley. The Cubs earned home-field advantage thanks to their 11-8 regular season record against the Brewers. Jose Quintana, the likely tiebreaker starter, is 4-1 against Milwaukee this year with a 2.17 ERA.</p><p>The winner of a tiebreaker game would win the NL Central title and move on to Thursday’s NLDS. The loser would host Tuesday’s wild card game.</p><p>The Cubs have had the best record in the league since Aug. 1 and would have home-field advantage in the playoffs if they can hang onto the division title.</p><p>“We would just like to continue to have the best record in the league after tomorrow,” manager Joe Maddon said. “There’s nothing to lament with our guys. They’ve been playing very hard for a long period of time. Our route has been a little bit different than everybody else. We’ll come back ready to play tomorrow and see how it falls.”</p><p>The Cubs claimed a gift of a run in the first inning when Cardinals second baseman Yairo Munoz dropped a two-out pop fly in shallow right field, allowing Ben Zobrist to score.</p><p>St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas only allowed one other Cubs baserunner to even reach second base. Mikolas allowed five hits and one unearned run in eight innings – his 20<sup>th</sup> quality start of the season. He walked none and struck out six.</p><p>Hamels was perfect through three innings before leadoff batter Matt Carpenter reached on catcher’s interference in the fourth. He scored on Paul DeJong’s single. Hamels hit Harrison Bader with an 0-2 pitch the following inning, and the leadoff baserunner again came around to score.</p><p>The game featured a playoff atmosphere and plenty of noise in front of a crowd of 40,784. The Cubs can expect that for all their remaining games – however many that ends up being.</p><p>“It’s a special moment to be able to see that type of intensity that comes with meaningful games and that sort of playoff atmosphere,” Hamels said. “It’s a little bit better when you win.”</p><p> <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/9/29/18460573/weirdest-thing-in-baseball-cubs-brace-for-wild-finish-to-division-raceDavid Just