Cubs
The Cubs might miss the playoffs and the White Sox might lose 100 games, but things haven’t been all bad. Here’s our city’s best lineup, starting pitcher and three-man bullpen based on this season.
The Cubs’ defense, which has been a strength all season, had notable gaffes in each of the team’s games against the Braves this week. After a 5-3 loss Thursday, which completed the series sweep, the Cubs’ playoff chances looked just as slippery.
Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay is expected to be activated Friday for the final series of the regular season.
The Cubs (82-76) handed the third National League wild-card spot to the Marlins (82-76), who split a doubleheader against the Mets. The Marlins hold the tiebreaker over the Cubs.
Alzolay said he hopes to be reinstated Friday.
Notes: Closer Adbert Alzolay and corner infielder Jeimer Candelario are nearing returns.
The Braves took the lead on Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki’s two-out error in the eighth inning. The Cubs dropped a game behind the Diamondbacks in the battle for the second wild-card spot and saw their lead over the Marlins for the third and final spot cut to a half-game.
The innocent romances of pre-2016 playoff years are relics, but if we can find our inner rubes — they’ve got to be in there somewhere — it might be a lot of fun.
The Cubs and Sox and all the rest of MLB’s teams will have a custom art version on pocket jackets housing a white vinyl record.
Baseball by the Numbers: Bellinger’s 2.53 WPA leads Ian Happ’s 1.85, Nico Hoerner’s 1.61 and Mike Tauchman’s 1.26. A WPA of 1 represents adding 100% to the chance of winning one game.
The Cubs have six games left in the regular season, split between Atlanta and Milwaukee.
They get a 4-3 win over the Rockies in the regular-season home finale.
“Sitting on the bench watching the game for six to nine innings, it’s easy to stay engaged when we’re playing the type of baseball we’re playing,” Crow-Armstrong said.
Until Merryweather was able to escape his bases-loaded jam, sealing a scoreless inning in an eventual 6-3 win, the litany of reliever injury updates Saturday were top of mind.
Stroman allowed three runs in three innings in his first start back from the IL.
Baseball trivia: Today our theme is the rich (and selective) history of Sept. 23.
The workers, employed by Levy Restaurants, seek a $20 minimum wage, expanded health care coverage and a pension.
In the wake of the surprise news of Marcus Stroman’s return to the rotation, there was no word on how the Cubs will reorder their starters.
With the win, the Cubs moved back into the NL’s third wild-card spot.
Hendricks pitched at Wrigley Field on Thursday for the last time this regular season. Whether he’ll be back is up to the Cubs.
Any promising signs the Cubs had shown in the first two games against the Pirates evaporated in an 8-6 loss Thursday.
Greenberg had spearheaded the Hawks’ analytics department growth as associate general manager, but he spent only 16 months in the role before getting a bigger job.
Steele has been charged with six runs in each of his last two starts.
Canario became the first Cub in the modern era (since 1901) to hit a grand slam in his first MLB start.
Nick Madrigal strained his right hamstring and left the Cubs’ 13-inning game Saturday in the 10th.
For most of the last two weeks, the Cubs have been partying like it’s 1969.
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