July 22, 2017

Chicago Tribune, Cardinals' crazy, nine-run eighth inning ends Cubs' win streak at six http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-cardinals-spt-0722-20170721-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs Way, revised: Trading top prospects in minors for major contributors http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-way-white-sox-haugh-spt-0723-20170722-column.html

Chicago Tribune, 'We should have a team meeting': Cubs are confused about their new celebration http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-confused-about-new-celebration-20170721-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Lost in transition: Jose Quintana still feeling his way around with Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jose-quintana-cubs-notes-spt-0722-20170721-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs notebook: Arrieta, fellow starting pitchers feed off one another http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-notebook-arrieta-fellow-starting-pitchers-feed-off-one-another/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ bullpen implodes in 9-run 8th as 6-game winning streak ends http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-bullpen-implodes-in-nine-run-eighth-as-six-game-win-streak-ends/

Chicago Sun-Times, MORRISSEY: A Cubs-White Sox World Series? Here, have what I’m having! http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/morrissey-a-cubs-white-sox-world-series-here-have-what-im-having/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Bryant out of lineup against Cardinals with finger sprain http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-bryant-out-of-lineup-against-cardinals-with-finger-sprain/

Daily Herald, Bullpen blows up as Cubs' win streak ends at 6 http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170721/bullpen-blows-up-as-cubs-win-streak-ends-at-6

Daily Herald, Finger injury may knock Cubs' Bryant out for weekend http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170721/finger-injury-may-knock-cubs-bryant-out-for-weekend

Cubs.com, Lester looks to continue Cubs' success vs. Cards http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243522772/lester-looks-to-continue-cubs-success-vs-cards

Cubs.com, Arrieta displays vintage form in tough loss http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243573018/cubs-jake-arrieta-delivers-strong-performance/

Cubs.com, Contreras homers, but Cubs' win streak ends http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243522534/cardinals-rally-late-to-top-cubs-in-opener/

Cubs.com, Bryant sits to rest injured pinkie finger http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243523142/cubs-kris-bryant-resting-injured-finger/

Cubs.com, Cubs show interest in dealing for Darvish http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243483788/cubs-interested-in-yu-darvish-trade-with-texas/

ESPNChicago.com, Recharging their battery: Cubs seek trades for catching, relief help http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45038/recharging-their-battery-cubs-seek-catching-relief-help

ESPNChicago.com, Cardinals' huge, 'weird' eighth inning stuns streaking Cubs http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45057/cardinals-huge-weird-eighth-inning-stuns-streaking-cubs

CSNChicago.com, With NL Central Suddenly Bunched Up, A Reminder It Won't All Be Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows For Cubs In Second Half http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/nl-central-suddenly-bunched-reminder-it-wont-all-be-sunshine-lollipops-and-rainbows

CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon Has Not Seen Anything Like These Recent Implosions From Cubs Pitching Staff http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/joe-maddon-has-not-seen-anything-these-recent-implosions-cubs-pitching-staff-hector-rondon-cardinals-carl-edwards

CSNChicago.com, Jose Quintana Admits Trade Rumors Have Affected Him Negatively This Season http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jose-quintana-admits-trade-rumors-have-affected-him-negatively-season-white-sox

CSNChicago.com, Willson Contreras: King Of The Bat Flip http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/willson-contreras-king-bat-flip-carlos-martinez-cubs-cardinals

CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon Updates Injury Status Of Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks Heading Into Cardinals Series http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/joe-maddon-updates-injury-status-kris-bryant-kyle-hendricks-heading-cardinals-series

CSNChicago.com, Will Cubs Add Another Ace? Report Says North Siders Interested In Yu Darvish http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/will-cubs-add-another-ace-report-says-north-siders-interested-yu-darvish

-- Chicago Tribune Cardinals' crazy, nine-run eighth inning ends Cubs' win streak at six By Paul Skrbina The big inning came near the end this time. And the top of the eighth inning seemed like it never was going to end Friday at Wrigley Field. The first 11 Cardinals reached base, resulting in nine runs and what turned out to be a 11-4 defeat for the Cubs that snapped their six-game winning streak. In all, the Cardinals pestered three relievers for six hits, including two two-run doubles, six walks and Cubs coaches for three trips to the mound. In the process, they became the third opponent in the Cubs' last five home games to score at least seven runs in one inning. The Brewers scored seven in the third July 6, while the Pirates scored 10 in the first July 9. "That was a weird, weird inning," said Hector Rondon, who was charged with a season-high four runs on two hits and two walks without recording an out in the eighth. "First time I've seen something like that — nine runs with no outs. They got us today.

"Right now, I'm pissed. But tomorrow I'll come in with a different mentality to try to win the game. That's it." This wasn't the first time the Cubs have seen the Cardinals score nine runs without making an out to start an inning, though. They were the last team to achieve the feat against the Cubs, Aug. 30, 2014, according to STATS, Inc. Long before Matt Carpenter hit a leadoff double off Carl Edwards to start the disaster, Thin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town" screamed from the speakers inside the old ballpark early Friday afternoon. While they were out of town, the Cubs had won six in a row, picked up a top-of-the rotation pitcher in Jose Quintana and gained 4 1/2 games on the first-place Brewers, all on the heels of the All-Star break. "You get to get away. You get some rest. You get a chance to ponder things," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You come back revitalized. We've played well." He reiterated that after Friday's game, with one exception. "We had a bad inning pitching," he said. "I just had no choice but I put (Rondon) in a bad spot (with the bases loaded and nobody out). When I took him out, I said to him, 'Listen, Ronny, I put you in a bad spot.'" Rondon walked the first batter he faced to force in a run to tie the score 3-3. Paul DeJong then hit a two-run ground-rule double into the ivy for two more runs, and the rout was on. The Cubs were sans third baseman Kris Bryant, who might not play at all during the three-game series against the Cardinals this weekend. Bryant sprained his left pinky while sliding headfirst into third base Wednesday. Maddon said Bryant is day-to-day but cautioned it's unlikely he will play Saturday and possibly Sunday. "It's sore," Maddon said. "He has to grip the bat. That's what it really comes down to." And what Friday came down to was the eighth inning, which made a footnote of Willson Contreras' two-run home run in the first, his sixth in 13 starts from the cleanup spot. The catcher is batting .364 with five home runs, four doubles and 12 RBIs in July. It also made an afterthought of Jake Arrieta, who three times Friday struck out the first two batters in an inning to account for his six against no walks. He allowed five hits, including a home run to Randal Grichuk, in six innings and left with a 3-2 lead. "A couple of guys had a pretty rare outing in the eighth," Arrieta said. "You won't see that (often), if ever again from those guys." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs Way, revised: Trading top prospects in minors for major contributors By David Haugh When it comes to following The Cubs Way, patented circa 2012, the secret lies in staying nimble. Be willing to change the path, but not the overall direction. Plot a course for each highly regarded prospect, but use pencil instead of pen. Trust your instincts over analytics, no matter how many baseball geeks get paid well to convince you otherwise.

Chicago sports teams talk about rebuilding enough for county commissioners to consider taxing it, so, with the Crosstown Series upon us this week, it merits exploring the key to how the Cubs successfully did what the Sox are trying to do. For the first three seasons of the Theo Epstein regime, which included 286 losses from 2012-14, The Cubs Way focused on accumulating elite prospects via high draft picks and smart international signings. The games that mattered most were played away from Wrigley Field, in minor-league ballparks from Iowa to Tennessee to Florida. At the major-league level, the Cubs won for losing, and if you doubt that even one iota, let me introduce you to top five draft choices Kris Bryant, the No. 2 overall pick in 2013, and Kyle Schwarber, No. 4 a year later. In 2015, The Cubs Way originally called for the development process to continue under new manager Joe Maddon but a group of overachieving youngsters, oblivious to any timetable, won 97 games a year ahead of schedule. In 2016, The Cubs Way set the standard for rebuilding teams such as the White Sox when the team won the World Series — but it required a directional shift philosophically for the Cubs to reach their destination. For the first time since Epstein arrived, the Cubs' present took precedence over the future. The highly regarded prospects an organization bereft of talent once hoarded now were deemed expendable for veterans who filled a pressing need. Goodbye, promising shortstop Gleyber Torres, the price the Yankees demanded for rented closer Aroldis Chapman. Versatile left-hander Mike Montgomery cost the Cubs slugger Dan Vogelbach, considered at one point a poor man’s Schwarber. Since third baseman Bryant’s throw hit first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s mitt with the final out at 11:47 p.m. Nov. 2, nobody in Cubdom ever has asked what if. And nobody ever will. Once Chapman became a free-agent last winter, the Cubs replaced him by abandoning hope for outfielder Jorge Soler and using him in a trade with the Royals to acquire Wade Davis. The win-now, worry-later mentality surfaced again with the Jose Quintana trade as the Cubs gave up outfielder Eloy Jimenez, Baseball America's fifth-rated prospect, and pitcher Dylan Cease. Jimenez looks like a budding superstar but Epstein was willing to watch him explode later somewhere else to improve the Cubs' chances of winning now — a compromise not every baseball executive would make. Too often in professional sports, executives become overly attached to players they draft or sign. They overvalue keeping "home-grown" prospects when imported veterans might help put them over the top, a la Chapman. As important as anything Epstein has done, he has avoided falling in love with his own players. Imagine where the Cubs would be if Epstein stubbornly had refused to consider trading Torres or Jimenez, both signed in the summer of 2013. One guess: They wouldn't be in a position to defend a World Series title. Attention, White Sox, who have 10 of baseball's top 100 prospects, according to MLB.com. Rebuilding doesn't always mean playing every prospect drafted or signed as much as using several of those players in trades that help you win when the time is right. It means using them as currency. No prospect is untouchable for a team on the verge of winning. Nothing in sports carries more value than potential, and Epstein shrewdly invested his in proven players. That is The Cubs Way in 2017, the revised edition. It was amusing to see Epstein asked after the Quintana trade how he felt about not having any prospects in the top 100 for the first time in his tenure. Surely Epstein feels heavier, weighted down by another World Series he won because he was willing to part with a couple of those precious prospects. Hanging banners beats stockpiling minor-leaguers every day for teams at the stage the Cubs find themselves. Soon, somebody obsessed with prospects and a lifetime subscription to MiLB.com will try framing a narrative about the Cubs depleting their farm system. As if that's a bad thing for a team that has won 200 regular-season games and a World Series in the last two seasons. Fret if you wish but it's wasted energy. Remember, the Quintana trade propped the Cubs' World Series window open wider for the next several seasons. If Cubs trades over the last 12 months indeed have depleted their minor-league system, 1) it was worth it, and 2) it's nothing this front office can't fix with two drafts and a couple of international signings.

Besides, the minor-league system still has top prospects — third baseman Jeimer Candelario, pitcher Oscar De La Cruz and reliever Matt Carasiti, the Pacific Coast League's best closer — to pique interest of sellers as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. They likely have enough to make a reasonable offer, say, to the Rangers for pitcher Yu Darvish without dangling any names on the major-league roster. Darvish could be a difference-maker too. Forget about moving Ian Happ, a revelation, or Schwarber, a proven postseason performer who isn't going anywhere. Focus on exchanging a package of minor-leaguers for Darvish, a rental. Don't worry about the Cubs' cupboard of prospects being bare as much as the trophy case being too empty. Worry about the thing that matters most until the Cubs' World Series window closes: Going through it again. -- Chicago Tribune 'We should have a team meeting': Cubs are confused about their new celebration By Marissa Payne Team celebrations can be elaborate; they can be silly; they can be intricate. But in the case of the Chicago Cubs, their team celebration is barely noticeable. Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, who somehow wrote 800 words about this new celebration: "[T]he Cubs (49-45) are literally waving at each other — first from the dugout to the hitter who reached base, then from the hitter back to the dugout in acknowledgment. The twist is that the base runner can freestyle with any creative gesture he chooses." No surprise, the celebration has yet to be noticed widely on social media. A search "Cubs wave" elicited just one video on Twitter and the user who posted it didn't even seem to be aware that this was some sort of organized team celebration effort. Fans aren't alone in not noticing this new celebration. Even members of the team are confused. "I don't even know what we're doing," star Kris Bryant told Rogers. "No one is telling me. There's no memo. All the other years, it was confirmed, like 'This is what we're doing,' but this year, are we waving? Is everyone doing their own thing? It's like, okay, whatever. You wave at me. I'll wave back to you." Bryant appears to be most confused that the base runner doesn't have to wave but can do any manner of gesticulation, according to the unwritten rules of the ritual. "We should have a team meeting on that," Bryant said. "Are we waving or what? For singles, are we waving? What about doubles? When I get on first, I'm just happy I got to first. Now I have to worry about waving and thinking about all this stuff." Hopefully, the Cubs can figure this pressing issue out, as the team tries to get back on track. After winning the World Series last season, the team has struggled to meet fans' high expectations this season, entering the all-star break with a losing record. Since scooping up left-hander Jose Quintana from the White Sox, though, the Cubs have won six straight. That's worth a wave. -- Chicago Tribune Lost in transition: Jose Quintana still feeling his way around with Cubs By Paul Skrbina Jose Quintana's sheepish shrug suggested he was lost Friday morning.

Probably because he was. The Cubs' new left-hander wandered right past his locker before a bystander pointed him in the right direction in Quintana's first trip to the home clubhouse at Wrigley Field. Quintana, acquired from the White Sox last week, responded with a chuckle and an appreciative nod as he took his spot next to Albert Almora Jr.'s stall. "Just a few more minutes to the ballpark, a different way," Quintana said. "Today was my first day going (to the ballpark) in a different direction. I enjoyed that. Lake Shore Drive was fun. "My wife said, 'You can sleep now.' I'm having a dream." Ask Quintana what's new, and his answer is, basically everything — new team, new route to work, new clubhouse. But the game remains the same to quiet Colombian who dazzled in his Cubs debut Sunday, allowing no runs, three hits and no walks and striking out 12 in seven innings. His next scheduled start is Sunday against the Cardinals, meaning he would not start any of the four games next week against his former team, the White Sox. Quintana said such a scenario would have been tough but that he's focused on the Cardinals. Here comes Kyle: Tendinitis in his pitching hand, an injury Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks called "nothing traumatizing" more than six weeks ago, looks like it finally might be healed. Hendricks hasn't pitched for the Cubs since June 4 but will return "more than likely next week, early next week," manager Joe Maddon said. Hendricks allowed one run and two hits in 8 1/3 innings spanning two rehab starts with Double-A Tennessee. He is 4-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 starts for the Cubs this season. Late scratch: Eight-time All-Star catcher Yadier Molina was in the Cardinals lineup batting fourth, when the game began. But when the Cardinals took the field in the bottom of the first, Molina was nowhere to be found. Instead, Carson Kelly, a Chicago native who was called up earlier in the day, was behind the plate. The Cardinals said Molina was a late scratch because of discomfort in his right ankle. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs notebook: Arrieta, fellow starting pitchers feed off one another By Jeff Arnold For six innings Friday, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta continued what has been a trend for a starting rotation that factored greatly into six consecutive victories coming out of the All-Star break. But Arrieta’s outing got lost after the Cardinals scored nine runs in the eighth inning of their 11-4 victory. Yet Arrieta’s 97-pitch performance was the latest solid start at a time when the rotation soon will be at full strength again. Manager Joe Maddon said Kyle Hendricks will return early next week, likely Monday or Tuesday against the White Sox. Hendricks, who last pitched for the Cubs on June 4, has been sidelined with tendinitis in his right hand.

“He’s ready to rock and roll,” Maddon said. Arrieta, who scattered five hits and allowed two runs, said the starters’ recent run has only bolstered the confidence of a group that will be pivotal if the Cubs hope to stay in the division race. “We’re at the point of the season now, if you don’t have [your stride] by now, it’s tough to find,” Arrieta said. “You want to try to elevate your game a little bit. Obviously, the competition among the staff — whether it’s talked about it or it goes unsaid — we all want to go out there and follow up the guy before us and have a quality outing or an outing that allows our offense to stay in the game and not allow things to get out of hand.” Bryant could miss weekend After missing the game with a sprained left pinkie, third baseman Kris Bryant’s availability will be determined by his ability to grip a bat, Maddon said. Bryant’s finger, which he injured on a headfirst slide Wednesday against the Braves, still is sore. Maddon said considering Bryant returned sooner than expected from a recent ankle injury, he didn’t want to speculate if Bryant would be able to play at all this weekend against the Cardinals. Finding his way Jose Quintana made his first trip to the home clubhouse at Wrigley Field after taking a different way to work than he has been accustomed to. Quintana, who spent six years with the Sox, said it was strange to make his way north on Lake Shore Drive to his new surroundings. By starting Sunday, Quintana won’t face his former team next week, when the Cubs and Sox will play twice at Wrigley and twice at Guaranteed Rate Field. Quintana said he has other things to focus on instead of worrying about pitching against his former team. “It’s tough. It’s my old team, but honestly I’m focusing on the Cardinals and the Brewers,” Quintana said. “That’s the contenders for us in the division.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ bullpen implodes in 9-run 8th as 6-game winning streak ends By Jeff Arnold Cubs manager Joe Maddon has seen enough baseball to be able to spot an odd occurrence when he sees one. Case in point, the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 11-4 loss to the Cardinals on Friday that snapped a six-game winning streak. In a span of 38 minutes, relievers Carl Edwards Jr., Hector Rondon and Justin Grimm allowed nine runs before recording an out. They threw 61 pitches, walked six and surrendered six hits. “That was a weird, weird inning,” said Rondon, who was charged with four runs after he walked two and allowed two hits. “That’s the first time I’ve seen something like that — nine runs with no outs. It’s weird. But it is what it is.” For all that had gone right during the Cubs’ 6-0 road trip coming out of the All-Star break, the bullpen implosion brought with it a stark reality check. After series sweeps of the Orioles and Braves — combined with a skid by the first-place Brewers — the Cubs had charged to within a game of the lead in the National League Central. Even without third baseman Kris Bryant, who could miss the series with soreness in the finger he sprained on a headfirst slide Wednesday, the Cubs appeared headed for another victory.

They led 3-2 after Anthony Rizzo’s RBI single in the fifth. After Jake Arrieta allowed two runs and five hits and struck out six in six innings, Pedro Strop pitched out of trouble in the seventh. Then came the eighth inning, in which the Cardinals sent 14 hitters to the plate. Edwards Jr. (3-2) allowed a lead-off double to Matt Carpenter before yielding back-to-back walks to load the bases. Rondon entered and promptly walked in the tying run before Paul DeJong broke the tie with a two-run, ground-rule double. After Rondon walked Kolten Wong, Randal Grichuk — who homered in the second — hit a broken-bat RBI single. Carson Kelly doubled home two runs, Carpenter singled in another and Tommy Pham singled in two more before Dexter Fowler hit into a double play. “I’m saying straight up, we played good baseball today,” Maddon said. “We just pitched badly for one inning, and some really good pitchers had a tough time.” The Cubs, who took a 2-0 lead on Willson Contreras’ two-run homer in the first, stranded nine men. They left the bases loaded in the sixth. Maddon wrote off the eighth as an anomaly, but it marked the third time this month that Cubs pitchers allowed at least seven runs in an inning. The Pirates scored 10 in the first in the last game before the All-Star break, and the Brewers tallied seven in the third three days earlier. The Cubs know that while they might be able to shrug off the eighth inning, they can’t let it lead to bigger slides if they hope to defend their World Series title. “In our minds, it’s up for grabs,” Arrieta said. “It’s ours to take, and we look forward to the opportunity to do so.” -- Chicago Sun-Times MORRISSEY: A Cubs-White Sox World Series? Here, have what I’m having! By Rick Morrissey If you’re going to be all in on this White Sox rebuild, you might as well get ridiculous with it. I’m speaking here to Sox fans, many of whom have embraced general manager Rick Hahn’s long-range plan in a way that traditionally results in marriage, if not children. But I’m also speaking to Cubs fans, who might be looking for ways to replicate the high that came with winning the World Series last season. There’s only one event left in Chicago sports that could come close to matching the energy the city had last fall. There’s only one mountain, scaled so long ago that it seems more myth than fact: A Cubs-Sox World Series. The last one, the only one, was in 1906. My colleague Rick Telander was in first grade. How about another in the near future? Say, in five years? No, I haven’t been drinking. Yes, I am aware that the Sox are likely at least three years from the mere possibility of being a contender. Yes, I know that stockpiling prospects, as the Sox are doing, doesn’t guarantee a thing. That pile easily could turn into a bonfire of unrealized dreams. I’m the guy who, at every step, questioned how many of Cubs president Theo Epstein’s highly touted prospects would become major-league contributors. So I’m wired to be highly skeptical of a Baseball America coronation.

Yes, it has occurred to me that, despite Epstein’s stated goal of sustained success for the franchise, the Cubs might not be World Series material in five years. Did I just write that? And a lightning bolt didn’t strike me? Weird. But what if everything went right for a change in Chicago baseball? What if plans were mapped out and plans were realized on both sides of town, resulting in a critical mass of baseball excellence in five years? No, I don’t have a medical marijuana card. The Cubs and Sox will meet for four games starting Monday, the first two at Wrigley Field and the next two at Guaranteed Rate Field, a name that still rolls off the tongue like a peach pit. These games mean nothing in themselves, not the way they did when interleague play was new and tribalism seemed so much more personal. For the Cubs, the games against the Sox are important because their players want to continue to prove to management that they’re worthy of another trade-deadline acquisition and, thus, another October. They’re finally beating the mediocre teams they should have been beating since the beginning of the season. The Sox should be another movable object. For the Sox, the Cubs are there to get more at-bats for Yoan Moncada, the top prospect in baseball when he was called up to the majors Wednesday. In that sense, the Cubs are no different to the Sox than the Astros are. But at least the Cubs will help fill up the Sox’ park for a couple of games. The Crosstown Classic lost its buzz a long time ago, but I’m dreaming of a time when it will matter again, when both teams are good, when fans on either side of town are thinking about a Cubs-Sox World Series, about a Crosstown Cataclysm, a Fall Classic connected by a third rail. What’s left in Chicago sports? The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the last eight seasons. The Bulls? People are still high from the fumes of Michael Jordan. OK, the Bears winning a Super Bowl for the first time since the 1985 season would be huge. But going by Cubs-Sox World Series history, that feels almost recent. When the teams played in the 1906 World Series, the Sox stunned the Cubs in six games. The Cubs had gone 116-36 that season. The Sox somehow won the Series despite hitting .230 as a team in the regular season. The last time the teams were in the playoffs at the same time was 2008. Both teams were ousted in a divisional series. So a Cubs-Sox World Series in five years? This is going to take vision that most of us don’t possess. So many things have to go right for it to happen. Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech and some of the Sox’ other big-time prospects will need to turn into big-time major-league talents, either for the Sox or for a trading partner that gives them proven veterans in return. I know: This is putting the cart about a mile ahead of the horse. But Cubs fans did that five years ago, and the cart and the horse last were seen posing with the World Series trophy. For our Chicago-centric dream to come true, the Cubs will have to stay good — no easy thing. Who on the current roster still will be around in five years? Kris Bryant and Addison Russell look like sure bets. A 33-year-old Anthony Rizzo? Who knows? Maybe Willson Contreras. Javy Baez? I don’t think so. He’s their best infielder. He looks like the eternal trade chip. Albert Almora Jr., Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ? Maybe, maybe not. Doubting Epstein’s ability to build multiple champions is silly. He did it in Boston. He has a foundation in place that makes more than one World Series in Chicago possible. But nothing is guaranteed, as the first half of the season taught so precisely. But what if all the chips land in the right place in five years, for both teams? ‘‘There’s Moncada with a deep drive to right field. Bryce Harper is at the warning track . . . ’’

You’re right. Maybe I do need to be drug-tested. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Bryant out of lineup against Cardinals with finger sprain By Jeff Arnold Two days after he sprained his pinkie finger on a head-first slide, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is day-to-day and won’t play in the series opener against the rival Cardinals. Manager Joe Maddon said he wasn’t sure Bryant would play this weekend. He also said that Bryant has soreness and difficulty gripping a bat. Maddon said Friday morning that he has not spoken with Bryant, but received word from Cubs trainer P.J. Mainville that Bryant was still experiencing soreness. Maddon said once he spoke with Bryant, he would have a better idea of how the reigning National League Most Valuable Player was feeling. Maddon was hesitant to put a definite timeline on Bryant returning from the injury. “I’m just trying not to draw any conclusions right now,” Maddon said. Bryant left Wednesday’s game against the Braves in the first inning after he injured his finger on the slide. Bryant attempted to advance to third base on a ball dropped by the catcher. He jammed his finger into the cleat of Braves third baseman Johan Camargo. In addition to cutting his finger near his finger nail, Bryant’s pinkie finger and ring finger splayed, which caused a sprain at the crease of his fingers. Bryant is hitting .275 with 19 homers and 40 RBI. Javier Baez will start at third base and bat ninth for the Cubs Friday while Jason Heyward will move into the leadoff spot. Jake Arrieta (9-7) makes the start for the Cubs, who are seeking their seventh straight victory. -- Daily Herald Bullpen blows up as Cubs' win streak ends at 6 By Bruce Miles They aren't exactly a pair of matching bookends, but the effect was the same, and it wasn't pretty for the Cubs. Back on July 9, the Pittsburgh Pirates scored 10 runs in the first inning on the way to a 14-3 victory over the Cubs, sending the Cubs into the all-star break on a downer. On Friday, in the Cubs' first home game back from the break, the St. Louis Cardinals scored 9 in the eighth inning to erase a 3-2 deficit and go on to an 11-4 victory. The Cubs used three relievers in the eighth, and neither Carl Edwards Jr. nor Hector Rondon could get anybody out among the three. The loss snapped the Cubs' six-game winning streak and dropped their record to 49-46. Cubs manager Joe Maddon could do nothing but note the oddity of the Cubs giving up 9 runs in an inning on Friday, 10 against the Pirates and 7 in the third inning to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 6. "I have not seen that since Rrokie ball," Maddon said. "That's crazy stuff."

Maddon tried to think back to when he might have last seen innings like these recent run-gushers at Wrigley. "I've managed in Salem, Idaho Falls and Midland," he said. "It's probably more reminiscent of Midland. But that's really unusual to see that kind of stuff." Of course, Maddon could see sunshine through the postgame downpour that hit Wrigley Field, and he liked the rest of Friday's game. Jake Arrieta pitched 6 inning of 5-hit ball, giving up 2 runs. But the Cubs stranded nine runners, including three in the sixth inning. "Yeah, but we had good at-bats," Maddon said. "We really played well today. We played a good game of baseball. The at-bats were good. We were hitting balls all over the place. Some were being caught. We were using line to line. Addy (Addison Russell) tried to bunt on his own to try to advance runners. Everything, we did everything well. Jake was really good." In the fateful eighth, Edwards faced three batters, walking two. Rondon came in with the bases loaded and wound up facing four batters, walking two. "Rondon, I just put him in a bad spot," Maddon said. "I just had no choice. But I put him in a bad spot. When I took him out, I said to him, 'Listen, Ronnie, I put you in a bad spot. At (18 pitches), that pretty much permits you to pitch again tomorrow if it's necessary.'" Justin Grimm finished the inning, in which the Cardinals sent 14 men to the plate and walked six times. They scored all 9 runs before an out was recorded. "You just can't open another can of pitchers," Maddon said. Rondon had posted a 1.38 ERA over his previous 13 games, earning praise from Maddon before the game. Afterward, Rondon faced reporters. "It's tough to come into that situation, especially when we tried to hold the lead and hold my teammate in front, too," he said. "It's really tough to get success in those moments, but it is what it is." Arrieta turned in the Cubs' fifth quality start since the all-star break and his second. He said the good feeling that came from the 6-0 road trip to Baltimore and Atlanta continues. "We feel good about it," he said. "I don't think we've gotten too high or too low, even throughout some slumps where we weren't very happy about the way we were playing. I feel like we've been able to maintain an even keel and stay focused. While there has been some frustration, that's just kind of the nature of not playing up to your potential and knowing you're better than you're playing." -- Daily Herald Finger injury may knock Cubs' Bryant out for weekend By Bruce Miles Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is iffy for this weekend's series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Bryant suffered a sprained right pinkie during Wednesday's series finale at Atlanta. "I don't know yet," manager Joe Maddon said Friday. "He's just not ready today, but we're going to do this (as) a day-by-day thing. I really don't know. If I had to guess, probably not tomorrow, too, and possibly on Sunday. But I really don't know. He healed well with the ankle. We did not expect that to come back very quickly, and it did. I'm trying not to draw any conclusions right now.

"It's sore. It's just a soreness, and he's got to grip the bat. That's what it really comes down to. I haven't spoken to him specifically or directly." Javier Baez played third base Friday. A new drive to work: Left-hander Jose Quintana made his first trip to Wrigley Field as a member of the Cubs. He came to the team last week in a trade with the White Sox. "It's a (few) more minutes to the ballpark," he said. "Just a different way. Today was my first day in a different direction. So I enjoyed that during my way on Lake Shore Drive. It was fun." Quintana will start Sunday night against the Cardinals, meaning he'll miss facing his former team during the four games they play against each other next week -- two at Wrigley Field and two at Guaranteed Rate Field. Quintana will start next weekend at Milwaukee. "It's tough," he said. "It's all my old team. Honestly, I have been focusing on the Cardinals and the Brewers after. They are contenders for us in our division, and I'm focusing on Sunday." Hopeful on Hendricks: The Cubs remain hopeful they'll get right-hander Kyle Hendricks (hand tendinitis) off the disabled list to pitch next week. "More than likely next week, probably early next week," Joe Maddon said. "We're looking at that, but we're not ready to make any other kind of conclusions or announcements. But he's there. He's ready to rock and roll." -- Cubs.com Lester looks to continue Cubs' success vs. Cards By Scott Chasen Jon Lester's last start had a bit of everything. On the mound, Lester was his usual self, throwing seven innings of one-run ball in a Cubs win. What was atypical, however, was his offensive production, as the lefty reached safely twice -- once with a double and once with a walk -- and posted the first stolen base of his career. Now, Lester (6-6, 4.07 ERA) will look to make the most of his encore performance as he faces off against Adam Wainwright (11-5, 5.08 ERA) and the Cardinals on Saturday at Wrigley Field. At the very least, he'll aim to follow the host of strong pitching performances the Cubs have seen since the break. "So far, so good," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "You get to get away a little bit. You get some rest. You get a chance to ponder things. Then all of a sudden, you come back revitalized." But for the Cardinals, it hasn't quite been the same. Hovering around the .500 mark since the break and with a slew of roster moves announced on Friday -- including the callup of Carson Kelly, the team's No. 2 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com -- the Cards will be looking for a spark to get them going in the second half.

Leading the charge will be Wainwright, who has looked solid in his past two outings. In fact, since giving up six earned runs in five innings against the Marlins on July 3, he has allowed just three earned runs in his past 12 1/3 innings. Things to know about this game • Wainwright has faced the Cubs twice this year, allowing two runs in 12 innings. However, the right-hander struggled in his last start at Wrigley Field, allowing seven runs in two innings and taking the loss on Aug. 12, 2016. • Lester has plenty of experience against the Cardinals, though Yadier Molina has been somewhat of a thorn in his side. The catcher has a career .444 batting average against Lester and even homered off him in their last meeting on June 3. • The Cubs may be without Kris Bryant again, who is officially day to day with a sprained left pinkie finger. Maddon said on Friday it's possible Bryant could be held out for the entire series. -- Cubs.com Arrieta displays vintage form in tough loss By Scott Chasen CHICAGO -- Joe Maddon was pleased with the production. Hours before Jake Arrieta's solid six-inning start and even longer before a humbling eighth inning that led to an 11-4 loss on Friday, the Cubs' manager spoke to the media about how he felt the All-Star break had "revitalized" the starters. "They needed to rest," Maddon said. "It all worked out really well." Arrieta seemed to continue that trend, allowing only two runs in six innings on Friday. If anything, he might have pitched better than his line. After getting the first two outs of the third inning, the Cubs had the chance to finish off the frame. Tommy Pham took an aggressive turn around first and tried to stretch a single into a double, which he was ultimately able to do because Kyle Schwarber's throw to second pulled Ben Zobrist off the bag. After Pham scored one at-bat later, Arrieta settled back in, retiring eight batters in a row and only allowing one single from the fourth inning on. But then the eighth inning happened -- the six-hit, six-walk, 14-batter eighth inning. "That was the turning point in the game," Arrieta said. "You won't see that rarely ever ... if ever again from those two guys." First came Carl Edwards Jr., who gave up a leadoff double -- his first allowed this season -- and two walks before exiting. The sequence kept going. Hector Rondon came in and allowed a walk, double, walk and single before he was pulled. Then it was Justin Grimm's turn. He allowed a double, walk and back-to-back singles before finally recording the first out of the frame. "Some really good pitchers had a tough time," Maddon said. "[Edwards] had been outstanding. Rondon, I put him in a tough spot. ... We played well and lost, because we gave up nine runs in an inning." Ultimately, it was in that eighth inning where the game flipped. The first 11 Cardinals batters reached safely while the first nine scored for the first time in a game since August 2014. Within that frame, there were a couple of balls

that could've been stopped or kept in the infield, but the way it was going, everything that could've gone wrong did. For that, the mood after the game wasn't what it'd be after a win, but there was a clear sense of wanting to move forward. "That was a weird, weird inning. First time I've seen something like that," Rondon said. "Right now, OK, I'm [miffed], whatever. But tomorrow, I'll come in with a different mentality and try to win the game. That's it." -- Cubs.com Contreras homers, but Cubs' win streak ends By Carrie Muskat and Jenifer Langosch CHICAGO -- The Cardinals stunned the red-hot Cubs, scoring a season-high nine runs in the eighth inning to post an 11-4 come-from-behind victory on Friday afternoon to snap Chicago's winning streak at six. "That was a weird, weird inning," Cubs reliever Hector Rondon said. "That's the first time I've seen something like that -- nine runs with nobody out." St. Louis sent 14 batters to the plate in the eighth. Trailing 3-2, the Cardinals loaded the bases against Carl Edwards Jr. when Matt Carpenter doubled and both Tommy Pham and Dexter Fowler walked. Rondon took over and walked Jedd Gyorko to force in a run and tie the game, then served up a two-run double to Paul DeJong as the Cards opened a 5-3 lead. DeJong was 0-for-15 before his hit. "I think that really made a statement for us," DeJong said. "I knew he was bringing it and that he was going to attack me early, because there's nowhere he can put me. I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and when I got down, 0-2, I was still looking for a fastball because he was trying to elevate." Randal Grichuk, who hit a solo homer in the second, added an RBI single to chase Rondon. Carson Kelly then notched his first big league hit this season, a two-run double off Justin Grimm. Carpenter and Pham each added RBI singles. All of the runs came with no outs. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time since Aug. 6, 2007, that the Cardinals produced an inning in which each of the first nine batters scored. "That was incredible," Grichuk said. "Obviously, [we had] timely hits, and I felt like they fell apart and couldn't throw strikes. That clearly opened the door for us, and we capitalized." Cubs manager Joe Maddon called the inning "awkward." He didn't have many options. "You can't open another can of pitchers," Maddon said. "When you get behind like that, there's tomorrow to be concerned with and also Sunday." The Cardinals won for the fourth time in eight games in the second half, and the fourth time in 10 meetings with the Cubs. Chicago opened a 2-0 lead in the first on Willson Contreras' two-run homer, and Anthony Rizzo added a tiebreaking RBI single in the fifth. Jake Arrieta gave up five hits over six innings. Since the All-Star break, Cubs starting pitchers have compiled a 2.14 ERA. "Stick around this game long enough, you see some crazy things happen," Arrieta said. "It's a tough one. Give them a little credit. It's not easy to bat through the order against a couple arms like that without recording an out. Give the Cardinals some credit there."

St. Louis starter Carlos Martinez notched his 600th career strikeout when he fanned Rizzo in the first, but he did not get the win. Matt Bowman picked up the win in relief after Zach Duke, making his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2016, retired the first two batters in the seventh. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Contreras stays hot: Even after an off-day, Contreras didn't cool down. With one out in the Chicago first, Ben Zobrist singled and swiped second, his first steal of the season. One out later, Contreras launched his 14th homer off a 2-2 pitch from Martinez into the left-field bleachers. Contreras now is 10-for-27 with three home runs and nine RBIs since the All-Star break. According to Statcast™, Contreras' homer had an exit velocity of 103 mph and traveled 368 feet. Contreras is the second Cubs player to reach 50 RBIs this season, joining Rizzo. Welcome back: Grichuk was activated from the disabled list prior to Friday's game, and he looked healthy with two outs in the second when he hit his 10th home run, a solo shot, into the left-field bleachers. However, Yadier Molina was a late scratch because of soreness in his right ankle. Kelly, the top catching prospect as ranked by MLBPipeline.com, was called up and started in Molina's place. He went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in the eighth. QUOTABLE "I don't think we've gotten too high or too low, even through some slumps where we weren't very happy about the way we were playing. I think we've maintained an even keel and stayed focused. While there has been some frustration, that's just the nature of not playing up to your potential and knowing you're better than you're playing. Having said that, we are positive, and we'll remain to be so throughout this stretch of games we have coming up. We're looking forward to playing good baseball." -- Arrieta "I think everybody needed a little bit of something, and that eighth inning provided a whole lot of wind in everybody's sail." -- Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, on how his team responded after a walk-off loss on Thursday SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Cardinals' nine-run eighth inning marked the third time in the Cubs' past five home games they've given up at least seven runs in one inning. The Brewers scored seven runs in the third on July 6 and the Pirates scored 10 in the first on July 9 against the Cubs. MEDICAL REPORT Reserve outfielder Jose Martinez underwent a battery of concussion tests on Friday after an eighth-inning foul ball off Carpenter's bat struck him around the left temple. The initial tests came back negative, and Martinez will be re-examined on Saturday to determine his availability for the rest of the series. WHAT'S NEXT Cardinals: Adam Wainwright will carry a personal four-game winning streak into his start against the Cubs on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. CT on MLB.TV. He has 14 career wins against the Cubs, including 10 in 22 games (17 starts) at Wrigley Field. Cubs: Jon Lester hit a double, stole a base and picked up the win in his last start against the Braves. What will he do for an encore? Lester starts in the second game of this three-game series on Saturday on MLB.TV. --

Cubs.com Bryant sits to rest injured pinkie finger By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant did not start Friday because of a sprained left pinkie finger, and he may miss the entire weekend series against the Cardinals. Bryant was injured Wednesday when he slid headfirst into third base in the first inning against the Braves. "He's just not ready today, but we'll do this as a day-by-day thing," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Friday. "I really don't know. If I had to guess, probably not [Saturday], too, and possibly not Sunday. I really don't know. He healed well with the ankle. I'm just trying to not draw any conclusions now." Bryant missed a few games in late June when he rolled his right ankle stepping on third base. The problem with the finger injury is that Bryant can't grip the bat because of the soreness. Worth noting • Kyle Hendricks, on the disabled list with inflammation in his right hand, is expected to be activated either Monday or Tuesday to return to the Cubs' rotation. In his last rehab start on Monday, Hendricks went five innings for Double-A Tennessee, and he did not give up a hit or walk a batter. "He's there -- he's ready to rock and roll," Maddon said of Hendricks. What more does Maddon need to see from the right-hander? "Nothing," Maddon said. "Just that he says he feels good tomorrow. He's fine." Hendricks, who led the Major Leagues with a 2.13 ERA last year, has not pitched since June 4 when he went four innings against the Cardinals. • With the non-waiver Trade Deadline approaching, Maddon said he doesn't see a pressing need. "[Any trade] has to be obvious that this guy is going to help," Maddon said. "I don't want to say 'better' than the guy, but he's got to definitely help you win. Lateral moves can work against you in a really tight clubhouse." Maddon said Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer agree with the manager about that. "I know they're actively looking at different things," Maddon said. "I like the names in our room already, a lot." • New Cubs pitcher Jose Quintana was able to test his new bats on Friday when he took batting practice at Wrigley Field. Quintana's next start is Sunday night against the Cardinals. He won't face his former team, the White Sox, next week. "It was my old team, but honestly, I have my focus on the Cardinals and the Brewers [on July 28]," Quintana said. "[The Brewers are] the contender for us in our division, and [I'm] focusing just on baseball." -- Cubs.com Cubs show interest in dealing for Darvish By Jon Paul Morosi The Cubs have inquired to the Rangers on the availability of ace Yu Darvish, according to sources, and a trade match between the teams is more plausible than it would've been entering the All-Star break.

Consider what has transpired since then: • The Cubs have won six straight games to start the second half, conveying to the front office that the 2017 roster is worthy of further investment. • Theo Epstein already acquired a long-term rotation piece, Jose Quintana, giving him the freedom to pursue rentals such as Darvish. • Texas, meanwhile, has lost five straight games, including a four-game sweep in Baltimore. The Rangers would need to pass six teams to move into the second Wild Card position in the American League, which is unlikely. And while general manager Jon Daniels hasn't formally decided to sell, executives around the league believe he will in the coming days. • Darvish, who turns 31 next month, is having his best, healthiest season since 2013, with a 1.141 WHIP in 125 1/3 innings. • Ervin Santana (Twins) and Gerrit Cole (Pirates) were viewed as trade candidates at various points this season, but neither is likely to be moved now. Santana's Twins identified themselves as a buyer Thursday, by reportedly nearing a trade for the Braves' Jaime Garcia; Pittsburgh is likely to hold, rather than trade Cole and outfielder Andrew McCutchen. In other words, the Cubs have few high-end, controllable pitchers to pursue -- especially if Sonny Gray ends up in Houston. (The Cubs remained interested in Gray as of Thursday night, one source said.) • Despite the Cubs' 6-0 start since the All-Star break, they have room for an All-Star starter in their rotation -- even if Kyle Hendricks pitches like the 2016 version of himself once he returns from the disabled list. John Lackey has a 5.04 ERA this season, and Mike Montgomery has been much more effective out of the bullpen (2.50 ERA) than in his current role as a starter (5.13 ERA). Yet, it's far too early to characterize the Cubs as the leader to acquire Darvish. The Yankees and Dodgers, among others, are expected to pursue the right-hander if the Rangers formally make him available. For the Cubs, Darvish would be a bold, logical move -- the type of trade Epstein has made numerous times in his future Hall of Fame career. Trade ticker • For weeks -- months, even -- Twins officials wrestled with how aggressively they should buy at the Trade Deadline, given a run differential that remains minus-61 and the reigning AL champions above them in the division. But Thursday's attempt to acquire Garcia was a sensible move. At a half game back in the standings, the clubhouse deserves a reinforcement -- especially for a rotation that has posted a 4.91 ERA this season and relied excessively on Santana and Jose Berrios. • The Mariners aren't finished looking for pitching upgrades, even after Thursday's acquisition of David Phelps from the Marlins. Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto has spoken with the Giants and Padres about their available starters, according to sources. • The Tigers are expected to continue dealing, following this week's J.D. Martinez trade. Justin Wilson has drawn interest from the Astros, Brewers and Red Sox, among others, sources say. And if Detroit general manager Al Avila moves catcher Alex Avila, he'll become the first GM to trade his son since Al Campanis dealt Jim Campanis soon after becoming GM of the Dodgers in 1968, according to MLB Network research and MLB communications. Meanwhile, a source confirmed the report by Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press that the Brewers have some interest in Justin Verlander. The Tigers would need to include substantial cash to defray Verlander's $28 million salary in each of the next two years; it's also unclear if Verlander would waive his no-trade clause, given his preference for large markets.

-- ESPNChicago.com Recharging their battery: Cubs seek trades for catching, relief help By Jesse Rogers Have Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer seen enough out of their club in the second half so far to further pursue trades before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline? You better believe it. The Cubs are 6-1 since the break -- all wins coming on the road -- and they're back in Chicago (with short road trips to the South Side and to Milwaukee) for 2½ weeks, before they have to board a plane again. They've cut into the Brewers' National League Central lead, and they look like a team ready for the pennant race. "We're playing well, right in the thick of it right now," Hoyer said Wednesday. "We have to look out for a bunch of different things." The Cubs already have reeled in a big fish in the form of lefty starter Jose Quintana -- and they'll never stop looking for starting pitching -- but now the immediate needs of this season can be addressed without worry it will be a waste of time or assets. At least it feels that way, because after the deadline, making a move is nearly impossible. "Past Aug. 1, [if you have] injuries, you have to handle internally," Hoyer said. "Focusing on depth, focusing on making sure we have enough pieces as you cross that threshold." Where are the Cubs short on depth in case there's an injury? There is little doubt they could use a backup veteran catcher, no matter how much they like rookie Victor Caratini. It's not about replacing him -- though a veteran immediately would -- it's about being ready in case of injury. You can bank on the Cubs adding someone behind the plate, and Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila is still a solid choice. Hoyer mentioned the idea of fortifying the position before the deadline several times. Same goes for the bullpen. The Cubs have the second-best relief staff in the league, according to ERA (3.30), behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (2.90). But if you want to look hard, with Friday's meltdown against the Cardinals serving as a prime example, you could make a case that they need another arm. Closer Wade Davis is 18-for-18 in save opportunities but has walked a tightrope lately. Carl Edwards Jr. is nearly unhittable but gives up inopportune walks from time to time. Koji Uehara is 42 years old. The readdition of Mike Montgomery to the bullpen strengthens it further, but another lockdown lefty wouldn't hurt. Even a good righty could find a role. Baltimore Orioles lefty Zach Britton was mentioned in a report earlier in the week, and he makes a lot of sense if the Cubs are looking for one of the best on the market. Names not as often discussed from the right side that would fit the Cubs' pen include Brad Brach of the Orioles, David Hernandez of the Los Angeles Angels and former Cub Joe Smith, who has 47 strikeouts in 31⅔ innings pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays. Still, Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't wrong in backing his own guys. They've been good. "The job of the GM at this time of the year is to improve your team, no question," Maddon said. "Our guys are very good at that. I would not be surprised by anything, although, honestly, I think we have what we need right here, right now." He might be right, but it's about planning in case Maddon doesn't have those same pieces beyond July 31. Plus, things are still a little shaky during the middle innings, at times, so another arm makes sense for several reasons. So far, the Cubs' hot start to the second half has given their front office every reason to add again.

"As we get closer to the deadline, we'll look at all those options," Hoyer said. -- ESPNChicago.com Cardinals' huge, 'weird' eighth inning stuns streaking Cubs By Bradford Doolittle CHICAGO -- Cardinals rallies go to 11, or at least they did on Friday. Eleven up, eleven not down, and just like that, St. Louis put an abrupt kibosh on the Chicago Cubs’ post-break spree. Chicago entered the game on a six-game run that pulled it within a game of first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central. All of those wins happened on the road, so the denizens of Wrigley Field were particularly amped up for the homecoming game against arch-rival St. Louis. The house was packed. The afternoon was hot and humid. Cubs starter Jake Arrieta was sharp in his outing, throwing six quality innings, allowing two runs with six strikeouts and no walks. It’s just the third start since the beginning of last season in which Arrieta did not issue a free pass. Meanwhile, Willson Contreras hammered a two-run homer in the first, and Anthony Rizzo drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the fifth. It was Cubs 3, Cardinals 2, and Chicago’s string of effective starts had stretched to six games. “We’re at the point of the season where, if you don’t have it by now, it’s tough to find,” Arrieta said. “You want to try and elevate your game a little bit. Obviously the competition amongst the staff, whether it’s talked about or it’s just something that goes unsaid, we all want to go out there and follow the guy before us with a quality outing.” That’s where it stood as Carl Edwards Jr. toed the rubber to start the eighth. From there, the momentum didn’t so much shift as it did an out-and-out face-plant. Edwards has been very good lately, with 12 strikeouts in his past 6 2/3 innings over seven scoreless appearances. But on Friday, he gave up a double to Matt Carpenter and walked Tommy Pham and Dexter Fowler. That was it -- in came Hector Rondon for the toughest save chance a set-up guy can face. Bases loaded, no outs. It wasn’t a spot that manager Joe Maddon wanted to put Rondon in, nor did Rondon really want to be in that spot. But you gotta do what you gotta do. “Rondon, I put him in a bad spot,” Maddon said. “I just had no choice, but I put him in a bad spot. When I took him out, I said, ‘Listen, Ronnie, I put you in a bad spot.’” As it turned out, Rondon didn’t fare any better than Edwards. He faced four hitters, giving up two walks and two hits, as all three of the runners he inherited from Edwards scored, as did one of his own. It was a slow rally, death by a thousand tiny cuts. St. Louis got two-run doubles from a pair of rookies -- Paul DeJong and Carson Kelly -- but otherwise put together a string of singles and walks, singles and walks. “It’s tough to come in in that situation,” Rondon said. “Especially when you are trying to hold the lead and to have a plan, too. It’s really tough to get success in those moments, but it is what it is.” Rondon departed without retiring any of the four guys he faced, as Maddon pulled him quickly so he could be used later in the weekend. That left Justin Grimm to clean up the mess, knowing he was going to go for a while regardless of what happened. The first four men Grimm faced: double, walk, single, single. “Grimmer just had to suck it up at that point,” Maddon said. “We were out of [relievers]. Listen, man, that was kind of a strange day.”

That’s where it stopped, as Grimm recovered to get the last six outs for the Cubs. But the damage had been more than done in the eighth. Nine runs. Six hits. Six walks. Chicago had started the game with a 43-2 mark when entering the eighth with a lead. Make it 43-3, as St. Louis cruised to an 11-4 win. Like Edwards, Rondon had been on a roll. During July, he had recorded seven scoreless innings over six appearances with 10 strikeouts and only one walk. Grimm has been struggling, having allowed nine runs now in eight July innings, but of course if Edwards and Rondon had fared better, he wouldn’t have been needed. It was a disappointing end to the winning streak and eliminated the possibility of the Cubs moving in a virtual tie with Milwaukee, depending on how the Brewers do Friday night in Philadelphia. But if we’re still in a time of year where it can be said that process trumps results, Chicago was fine. Maddon insisted that despite the bad inning, his club played well. “We really played well today,” Maddon said. “We played a good game of baseball. The at-bats were good, we were hitting the ball all over the place. We did everything well. Jake was really good. “We had a bad inning, pitching. That’s the third time in a week here at this ballpark, if you go back prior to the [All-Star] break, that’s a seven, a nine and a 10. I have not seen that since rookie ball. That’s crazy stuff.” As Maddon alluded to, this is the third time the Cubs have been throttled by a big inning at home in the past couple of weeks. On July 6, they gave up a seven-run third in a loss to Milwaukee. Then, in a nightmarish loss to close the first half, they gave up 10 runs in the first in a loss to Pittsburgh. “You stick around this game long enough, and you see some crazy things happen,” Arrieta said. “A couple of guys had a pretty rare outing in the eighth there. You won’t see that, really, ever again from those two guys. You’ve got to give them a little credit on the other side.” Still, those other big innings were allowed by starting pitchers, not the set-up staff, and overall, the Cubs’ relievers have been credible when it comes to protecting leads. It was just one of those days, not a trend. Not yet, anyway, so it allows all the responsible parties to trot out the shopworn platitudes about relievers having short memories. “That was a weird inning,” Rondon said. “First time I’ve seen something like that, nine runs with no outs. It’s weird. But it is what is and we tried to give our best on the mound. They got us today, and we’ll see tomorrow.” The streak is done, but the pennant race is very much present in the NL Central, which is shaping up as a four-team battle. The Cubs are ready to move on. In a classic case of pathetic fallacy, as soon as the stunned crowd shuffled out of Wrigley Field, the skies opened up in a torrent. Yes, it was a ready-made metaphor for that eighth inning. But the real lesson came next. The rain stopped, the skies brightened, and everyone was ready to get back to the ballpark on Saturday. -- CSNChicago.com With NL Central Suddenly Bunched Up, A Reminder It Won't All Be Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows For Cubs In Second Half By Vinnie Duber So that six-game winning streak was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it? The Cubs’ perfect second half came to a crashing halt Friday in the series opener with the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, an 11-4 drubbing low-lighted by a never-ending eighth inning in which the Cards torched the Cubs’ bullpen for nine runs. It was a screaming reminder that the second half, even with its 6-0 start, won’t be all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows for the defending champs.

One nasty result after a six-game stretch of hot bats and hot pitching shouldn’t send Cubs fans panicking about a falling sky — even though the heavens opened up and poured a gigantic, watery metaphor down on the Friendly Confines after Friday’s bullpen implosion. But it also looked like an indication that the troubles of a sub-.500 first half might not be totally exorcized from Wrigley Field’s home clubhouse. Not that that’s denting the team’s confidence in any way. “I don’t think we’ve gotten too high or too low, even throughout some slumps where we weren’t very happy about the way we were playing,” starting pitcher Jake Arrieta said. “I feel like we’ve been able to maintain an even keel and stay focused. While there has been some frustration, that’s just kind of the nature of not playing up to your potential and knowing you’re better than you’re playing. But having said that, we are positive and will remain to be so throughout the near future and stretch of games we have coming up. We look forward to playing some good baseball.” Most importantly, perhaps, Friday’s result showed that it’s not just the first-place Milwaukee Brewers that the Cubs have to be concerned with in what is suddenly a tight and crowded race in the National League Central. The Cubs might have gotten within a game of the Brewers, but the Cardinals and the surging Pittsburgh Pirates are right there, too. After Friday’s game on the North Side went final, the four teams were within four games of each other. A Brewers loss Friday night in Philadelphia could make things even closer. “Baseball’s crazy,” outfielder Kyle Schwarber said. “You’ve seen a lot of races, I’m sure, and this is just the way that this division’s playing out. It’s really competitive between all of us.” Not dissimilarly from that up-and-down first half, Friday’s contest had signs both positive and negative for the team still on a quest to repeat as World Series champions. Arrieta might’ve been relatively unremarkable, but he only gave up two runs in six innings, bettering numbers that were downright ugly earlier this season and perhaps signaling that his second half will be far more consistent than his first. In four July starts, he’s got a 2.13 ERA after posting ERAs above 4.50 in each of the first three months of the season. Willson Contreras continued his torrid July with a first-inning home run. He’s batting .363 on the month with five homers and 12 RBIs in 14 games. But the negatives were gaudier and more directly involved in the result. In addition to the offense going 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine base runners, a bullpen that had been incredibly reliable fell apart in can’t-look-away fashion. Carl Edwards Jr., Hector Rondon and Justin Grimm combined to allow the first 11 batters of the eighth inning to reach. The first nine of them scored. Five of them walked. Theo Epstein’s front office likely won’t answer the call of fans on Twitter howling for the team to trade for relief help. There’s no need to do that. Only the seemingly unbeatable Los Angeles Dodgers have a better bullpen ERA in the NL than the Cubs’ 3.51 mark. “I trust our guys,” Maddon said, reacting to Friday’s nightmarish eighth. “The right guys are out there. C.J. was the right guy for the moment, it didn't play out. Rondon’s been throwing the ball great, but I really put him in a no-win situation. That’s my fault. And finally, Grimmer just had to suck it up.” Maddon’s not wrong in singing the season-long praises of the three guys who got lit up Friday. But undoubtedly those three relievers provided some evidence that the final two and a half months of the regular season might not feature the Cubs sprinting away from their division-mates. No, this could be a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish. And the Cubs have 26 games remaining against the Brewers, Pirates and Cardinals.

So buckle up. “That’s what you get when you play these kinds of teams that have a shot to reach the postseason,” Arrieta said. “We’re all within a few games of each other, so in our minds it’s up for grabs, it’s ours to take and we look forward to the opportunity to do so.” -- CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon Has Not Seen Anything Like These Recent Implosions From Cubs Pitching Staff By Tony Andracki Joe Maddon has not seen anything like these single-inning implosions lately. At least not at the major-league level. For the third time in the last five Wrigley Field contest, the Cubs pitching staff has allowed at least seven runs in an inning. This time, it was nine runs before the first out was recorded in the eighth inning of Friday's 11-4 Cardinals victory. The Cubs actually entered the inning clinging to a 3-2 lead and had their best setup guy — Carl Edwards Jr. — slated to pitch against the top of the Cardinals order. But after taking out his teammate with a foul ball, Matt Carpenter began the wacky inning with a double off Edwards and the rout was on. "We had a bad inning pitching," Maddon said after the game. "That's the third time in a week here at this ballpark, if you go back prior to the break. It's a seven, a nine and a 10 in an inning. "I've not seen that since rookie ball. That's crazy stuff. I'm saying it straight up: We played good baseball today. We just pitched badly for one inning. Some really good pitchers had a tough time. "...That's kind of a strange day. We played well and lost because we gave up nine runs in an inning, which is really awkward to watch from the dugout." Thirty-eight minutes after Edwards threw the first pitch of the inning, the Cubs finally retired the Cardinals and were looking up at an 11-3 score. Neither Edwards nor Hector Rondon recorded an out and they combined with Justin Grimm to allow six hits, six walks and nine runs. That's the second straight Wrigley Field game that has featured at least nine runs in an inning but a Cubs opponent. Ace Jon Lester surrendered 10 runs in the first inning to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the day before the All-Star Break began. And the day before that series began, Mike Montgomery and the Cubs gave up seven runs to the Milwaukee Brewers in a rain make-up game at the "Friendly Confines." "You see it every now and again. Not often," said Jake Arrieta, Friday's starting pitcher who was in line for a win before that wild eighth inning. "You stick around this game long enough and you see some crazy things happen. And really, that was the turning point in the game. "A couple guys had a pretty rare outing in the 8th there. You won't see that rarely ever or ever again from those two guys. Just a tough one."

Rondon, who had entered the game having allowed just two runs in his last 13 innings, could do nothing but shake his head in trying to explain it after the game. "That was a weird, weird inning," Rondon said. "First time I've seen something like that — nine runs with no outs. But it is what it is. They got us today and we'll see tomorrow." Maddon has seen control issues with his bullpen all year, but still has confidence in the unit as a whole. He knows not to overreact to one game. However, Maddon did point to the first game coming out of the All-Star Break where Montgomery and the Cubs bullpen squandered an 8-0 lead before Addison Russell's heroics to break the tie for good late in that contest. "The bullpen has been fabulous," Maddon said. "Twice since the break, they just had tough games." Rondon and the Cubs relievers won't overreact, either. A year ago at this time, Rondon was the Cubs' closer and they hadn't yet traded for Aroldis Chapman. So no, one outing won't get him down. "Right now, I'm pissed and whatever," he said, "but tomorrow, I'll come in with a different mentality and try to win the game." -- CSNChicago.com Jose Quintana Admits Trade Rumors Have Affected Him Negatively This Season By Tony Andracki Jose Quintana emerged from the third-base dugout, taking in Wrigley Field for the first time in a Cubs uniform. But he quickly snapped back to Earth as he realized he and the other Cubs starting pitchers were to take batting practice and he forgot to bring his bat out. Ah, the life of an American League pitcher. It was no big deal, obviously. And minutes later, Quintana's new teammates were marveling at his swing. Even Jake Arrieta — who has five career homers (all during the last three seasons) and sported a .720 OPS last year — was impressed. Quintana doesn't start until Sunday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, so he has two days to acclimate to Wrigley Field. Which is good, because Quintana showed up for work today — he took Lake Shore Drive in (better known as LSD to Chicagoans) — and didn't even know where the players' entrance was: But once he figured that out, he was all smiles, learning the lay of the land from Cubs traveling secretary Vijay Tekchandani. It's also good for the 28-year-old left-hander to get some consistency in his life. Everything will be easier from this point on after he admitted the trade rumors had been bouncing around his head all season. "It was my first time [being mentioned in trades]," Quintana said. "I never heard anything about trades [before]. It was on my mind all the time.

"[Until I realized] it's because I'm doing something good and teams want me. I just try to do my job in season. It's really hard when you have trade [rumors] around you, but for me, it's over now and I'm excited for that and really happy to be here." The White Sox organization was all Quintana had known since 2006 and after watching as teammates Chris Sale and Adam Eaton were shipped out of town over the winter, it is easy to see how it would've been tough dealing with the uncertain future. Quintana entered this season with a career 3.41 ERA, but that mark sat at 5.60 through the first two months of the season as the trade rumors swirled. But the veteran southpaw eventually figured it out — just like he said — and has been on fire since then, posting a 2.30 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 47 innings since the start of June. His first game as a Cub — Sunday against the Orioles in Baltimore, still with a DH — resulted in 12 Ks across seven shutout innings. Quintana is excited for his first start in a Cubs uniform at Wrigley Sunday night (so much so that he used the word "excited" at least seven times in his five-minute media session) and just recently got a few bats to put that BP prowess into action in a game. He was pushed back a day, so he will completely miss the Crosstown series next week and will not pitch against his former mates. That might be the right move, as he admitted it would've been very difficult with the trade just over a week old by the time Monday's Crosstown opener comes along. "It was difficult for me because I played there for six seasons," he said. "It wasn't easy when I heard [I was traded]. It was a little hard for me, but I understand it's part of business and this is the best for me, too. "Trades happen for a reason and I'm really happy to be here with these teammates, this organization; they were champions last year. We have a really good chance this year. I'm excited to be here." As for the trade rumors, Quintana is content now. Especially since he and his family don't even have to move. "As my wife said," Quintana stated, "'You can sleep now.'" -- CSNChicago.com Willson Contreras: King Of The Bat Flip By Tony Andracki Willson Contreras oozes swag. The Cubs' fiery catcher has always worn his emotions on his sleeve and Friday was no exception. Contreras hammered Carlos Martinez's 2-2 offering into the basket in left-center to give the Cubs an early 2-0 lead and his bat flip/reaction was incredible. It's funny that Contreras even reacted that way given the ball just *barely* got out, but hey, a homer's a homer. Contreras has been flat-out raking since the All-Star Break, going 10-for-23 with five runs, three doubles, three homers and nine RBI. That's a .435/.480/.957 slash line and 1.437 OPS in the six second-half games he's played in.

That's boosted his season line to .276/.341/.496 (an .837 OPS) with 14 homers. He's on pace to drive in 85 runs, second only to Anthony Rizzo on the Cubs. Yes, this truly is becoming "Willy's" team. -- CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon Updates Injury Status Of Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks Heading Into Cardinals Series By Vinnie Duber Kris Bryant will likely miss the first two games of this weekend's series against the St. Louis Cardinals and could miss the whole three-game set, according to Joe Maddon. The Cubs manager said the reigning National League MVP will be sidelined as he recovers from a sore finger, injured when he slid head first into third base in the first inning of Wednesday's series-finale against the Atlanta Braves down in Georgia. "He's just not ready today, but we're going to do this (as) a day-by-day thing," Maddon said. "I really don't know. If I had to guess, probably not tomorrow, too. And possibly on Sunday, but I really don't know. "He healed well with the ankle, we did not expect that to come back very quickly and it did. So I'm just trying to not jump to conclusions right now." "It's sore. It's just a soreness and he's got to grip the bat, and that's what it really comes down to." The Cubs have suddenly closed within a game of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers after winning the first six games out of the All-Star break. Certainly losing Bryant for any time, no matter how brief, is a blow to the Cubs' lineup — and their rampage up the NL Central standings — but things could be way worse. A day-to-day situation is preferable to Bryant and his .401 on-base percentage heading for a lengthy stay on the disabled list. Bryant's absence Friday meant right fielder Jason Heyward was at the top of the Cubs' lineup. It's just the third time Heyward has started in the leadoff spot since joining the Cubs. He was 0-for-7 in those two starts in June of last year. In addition to Bryant, there was an update of sorts on injured starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who could return to the rotation next week, per Maddon. "More than likely next week, probably early next week. We're looking at that, but we're really not ready to make any other kinds of conclusions or announcements yet," Maddon said. "He's there. He's ready to rock n roll." Hendricks' return to the rotation will be another shot in the arm for a starting staff that just received a huge upgrade in the form of Jose Quintana. Hendricks has been on the disabled list since June 8, when he went on the shelf with tendinitis in his right hand. Hendricks logged 8.1 innings in two rehab starts with Double-A Tennessee recently, going 15 up, 15 down in his second outing. It sounds like he'll pitch in one of the four games against the White Sox next week. Adding Hendricks and Quintana to a rotation featuring Jon Lester and an improving Jake Arrieta figures to make for a far different starting-pitching picture in the second half of the season following an inconsistent first half. -- CSNChicago.com Will Cubs Add Another Ace? Report Says North Siders Interested In Yu Darvish By Vinnie Duber

It's been a little more than a week since the Cubs altered the state of their pitching staff for years to come with that blockbuster crosstown swap that brought Jose Quintana to the North Side. But are the Cubs looking to make another massive upgrade to their starting rotation before the trade deadline? According to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi, the Cubs are interested in Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish. Now it might not make too much sense at first blush for the Cubs, who dealt away their top two minor leaguers in the trade for Quintana, to acquire another frontline starting pitcher, especially one who unlike Quintana will become a free agent at the end of the season. After all, if the Cubs do want Darvish in the long term, they can wait a few months and go after him in free agency, losing no assets but money in the process. The Cubs' rotation, once Kyle Hendricks returns from the disabled list, also looks pretty set with Jon Lester, Quintana, Jake Arrieta, Hendricks and John Lackey the presumed quintet for the remainder of the regular season, barring any other injuries of course. But Morosi makes some points, even if they might be speculative ones, that make a trade for Darvish seem not so ridiculous. After all, the Cubs did so much for their future in acquiring Quintana that a rental like Darvish to power a second straight run to the World Series might not seem so risky. And while the Cubs' rotation is looking good right now with the team winners of six straight since the All-Star break, it was perhaps the team's biggest problem during that sub-.500 first half. Arrieta and Hendricks both failed to replicate the consistency that made them two of baseball's best last season. And Lackey has struggled mightily, still the owner of 5.04 ERA and a guy who's given up the 25 homers, the second most in baseball. If the National League Central race remains as tight as it is entering play today, with four teams within four and a half games of each other, perhaps adding an extra dominant starter would assure the top spot in the division, which could be the team's only path to the playoffs. Even after a six-game winning streak to start the second half, the Cubs are five and a half games back of the Colorado Rockies for the NL's second wild card spot. There's no doubt Darvish has been very good this season for the Rangers, with a 3.45 ERA in 20 starts and 131 strikeouts in 125.1 innings pitched. He's a four-time All Star in his five-year major league career. Adding that to Lester and Quintana at the front of the rotation would make the Cubs a terrifying force for opposing teams. But at the same time, what would it take to get him? Giving up zero major league talent was part of what made the Quintana trade so terrific for the Cubs. Losing a major league player would perhaps hurt the team's chances at a World Series win this season, which would be the whole point of acquiring Darvish in the first place. It's trade season, so let the rumors keep flying. --