September 30, 2016 CSNChicago.com Questions About Soler, Coghlan, Almora Jr. As Cubs Shape Playoff Roster By Patrick Mooney PITTSBURGH – As the Cubs shape the edges of their playoff roster, there are more outfield questions than answers: Is Jorge Soler running out of time? Will Chris Coghlan be ready? Can Albert Almora Jr. handle October? After two MRIs on his right side came back clean, Soler rejoined the team on Thursday at PNC Park, so he could work with the training staff and hitting coaches. Yes, Soler shined during seven playoff games last year – putting up three homers, three doubles, five RBI and six walks – but he’s only gotten nine at-bats within the last two weeks and the Cubs sound like they are losing patience. “It’s not awful – I don’t think it’s dire,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He needs to get going, though. We got to find out. This is one of those things you want to test. But if you test too soon, then it could totally take him out of an entire postseason. “You got to be careful, in a sense. He felt pretty good today, from what I was told. It’s just once in a while he just feels it in a very, very, very minor way. From a training perspective, it’s all good. We just have to wait for him to say: I feel up to par.” Coghlan left cleat marks on the W.B. Mason advertisement on PNC Park’s left-field wall during Wednesday night’s 8-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, spraining his left ankle while jumping for a ball hit over his head. Coghlan called it a day-to-day issue and didn’t sound worried about where he fits into the playoff picture. Writing off his struggles with the Oakland A’s – and appreciating the opportunity after getting traded back to the Cubs midseason – the left-handed hitter is batting .326 with a .954 OPS through 18 games in September. “I’ve been real productive,” Coghlan said. “At this point, they already know what type of player I am. It feels good for me just to contribute to the team. (It’s) fun to be out there playing more often and producing at the level that I know I can.” It’s unclear if Soler and Coghlan will play during this weekend’s end-of-the-regular-season series against the Cincinnati Reds, but the Cubs don’t necessarily need to see them in action at Great American Ball Park. Injuries could potentially create a spot for Almora, a 22-year-old rookie with first-round pedigree and a high baseball IQ who’s viewed as a future Gold Glove-level defender. “He’s always ready to play,” Maddon said. “And if you put him in any situation, he’s fine.” -- CSNChicago.com Playing Mind Games, Joe Maddon Fires Back At Frustrated Cubs Players By Patrick Mooney PITTSBURGH – Joe Maddon’s job is an endlessly complex maze of egos and insecurities. His players want to make history and know they will be judged in October. His boss just signed a five-year extension in the neighborhood of

$50 million, making Theo Epstein perhaps the highest-paid personnel executive in the game. Reporters covering this team will consider this season a failure if the Cubs don’t win the World Series. But moments like this are why Maddon has his own $25 million deal, three Manager of the Year awards and the platform to become a multimedia star, liquor-store pitchman and T-shirt tycoon (for charity). Maddon fired back after star pitcher Jake Arrieta and veteran catcher Miguel Montero questioned the manager’s in-game strategy during Wednesday night’s 8-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates – wondering why rookie Willson Contreras showed up behind the plate at PNC Park in the fifth inning – and overall spring-training philosophy since the Cubs clinched a National League Central title two weeks ago. “My answer to that is we’re 7-2 in our last nine games,” Maddon said during Thursday’s pregame media session. “I don’t see any kind of real negative patterns right there. They all knew what was going to happen before that game. There were no surprises. And there has been no surprises.” Except Arrieta had already done his paid weekly radio appearance on WMVP-AM 1000, telling “Waddle and Silvy” this: “Going into the game, I was really unaware we were going to go with a catching change.” Still think this is entirely a media creation or something beat writers imagined while two established players made unsolicited comments? The spring-training feel continued as the rain kept pouring down on PNC Park, with Thursday night’s game suspended and ending after five innings in a 1-1 tie. Major League Baseball considered this an official game – its first tie since it happened to the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros on June 30, 2005 – and stats will still count after an 83-minute delay. But there is no need to make it up with the Cubs having already clinched the NL’s No. 1 seed and the Pirates eliminated from wild-card contention. The last time the Cubs finished in a tie – a 2-2 draw with the Montreal Expos on May 28, 1993 at Wrigley Field. “Anything that changes your routine a little bit is a little frustrating,” said Ben Zobrist, who sat while Munenori Kawasaki started at second base in a Cactus League lineup. “Because this is such a routine-oriented game. “Obviously, it’s frustrating at times. But I get it. I understand the overall goal of these games is not the same as it’s been the last six months of the year.” Arrieta described himself as “a little bitter” on ESPN Radio and also admitted that he “let my emotions get away from me” and could have handled the situation differently. But this has been building, from the awkwardness of three catchers to the six-man rotation concept to starting pitchers getting pulled early to relievers now working on a set schedule and players wanting to stay in a rhythm. “You probably heard some things last night – I think if they had more time to think about it, they probably would not have said those same things,” Maddon said. “Up until (John Jaso’s three-run homer), I thought (Jake) was throwing the ball really well. “And with the catching situation, we didn’t change that until they had four runs. So there’s really not a whole lot of credence to that, as far as I’m concerned. “I don’t think it was attributable to a spring-training attitude as much as the Pirates had a good approach.” Maddon isn’t going to alter his big-picture outlook after hearing about some of the clubhouse grumbling and manage Games 160, 161 and 162 any differently against the last-place Reds this weekend at Great American Ball Park. “No, why would I do that?” Maddon said. “I utilized the word ‘spring training’ on several occasions, just to indicate the context regarding getting guys in and out of the game, not from the perspective of not trying to win.

“It’s still going to be scripted. They’re going to get their at-bats. Again, when you talk about recreating a ‘feel,’ that would be individualistic. It’s hard to replicate fighting for a playoff spot if you’ve already clinched it and you’re playing against a team that is not playing for anything either. “These are all mind games you have to play with yourself in order to replicate what you want.” Of course, any portraits of frustration and miscommunication will be swept aside by those fun-loving Cubs posting photos on their social-media accounts of the football-jersey-themed road trip to Cincinnati. But this is a real issue for professionals who care about their craft and want to perform on the biggest stage of their lives. “It’s a different kind of ‘on’ you have to be as a player,” Zobrist said. “That’s just weird for everybody right now to be experiencing that kind of feeling.” Zobrist – who spent parts of nine seasons with Maddon’s Tampa Bay Rays, knows the manager as well as any player in the clubhouse and won a World Series ring with the Kansas City Royals last year – admitted the Cubs are getting a little stir crazy before their first postseason game at Wrigley Field. “We’re all looking so forward to next Friday, but that’s over a week away still,” Zobrist said. “So we have to try to stay in the moment, even though our minds want to go in the future. “That’s the tough thing right now – staying in the moment. It’s even tougher now than it is when you’re in the playoffs and everybody’s talking and there’s a lot of stuff going on off the field. It’s even tougher now, I think, because there’s not enough going on.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Wear NFL Jerseys For Themed Road Trip By Staff The Cubs headed to Cincinnati in style Thursday night for their final regular-season series of the season. In what may or may not be the last themed trip of the year implemented by Joe Maddon, Cubs players sported NFL jerseys while they hit the road and some of them are unique. Kris Bryant went old school with a retro Mike Ditka home jersey while David Ross and Pedro Strop rocked the Bo Jackson home and away Oakland Raiders jersey: Five Cubs players wore Walter Payton jerseys to represent the Bears. Here is the full team picture, courtesy of Ross' Twitter account. Other notables: Jason Heyward in a Cam Newton jersey, Jon Lester in a Matt Ryan jersey and the Cubs rookies in cheerleader outfits. Priceless. (Photos in link) -- CSNChicago.com What’s Next For Cubs And Jason Hammel? By Patrick Mooney PITTSBURGH – Making a risk-reward decision, the Cubs will shut down Jason Hammel and not start him Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds, leaving his playoff status and future in the organization uncertain.

Hammel said he’s been feeling tightness in his right elbow for weeks, which may have dulled the sharpness to his slider and explained some of his second-half struggles, which have put him on the postseason-roster bubble, if not on the outside looking in. After Friday’s TBD, Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks are still scheduled to start the season’s final two games at Great American Ball Park, putting them at the front of a playoff rotation that didn’t figure to include Hammel anyway. “That decision lays in their hands,” said Hammel, who has been playing catch and throwing off flat ground during this week's spring-training-like series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. “Health-wise, I’m not stressing about it. Collectively, we talked about it. And for being available through October, is it really worth something right now happening in a game that – more or less – doesn’t really matter?” The Hammel 2.0 reboot still has to be considered a success, with another All-Star-caliber first half, a career-high 15 wins, a 3.83 ERA and an overall resume that would look dramatically different if he didn’t have three starts allowing nine or 10 runs. The Cubs hold a $12 million option – with a $2 million buyout – for next season that could make Hammel an attractive trade chip given this winter’s shallow pool of free agents. “Obviously, not happy with the way things ended,” Hammel said. “But I would say for 9/10ths of the season, I was very good. I’ll take that into the offseason and add onto what I added (last) offseason. “Some crazy freak incident like this can derail it, but overall my body feels good. I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, which was to make 30-plus starts and be competitive, save for five, six starts. Out of 30, I’d say that’s pretty good.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Fan Gets 2016 World Series Champions Tattoo For Radio Contest By Staff This Cubs fan is pretty confident the curse will be broken in 2016. A radio station in Des Moines, Iowa called 1460 KXnO held a contest for which brave soul would tattoo their body with something that has not happened ... yet. A man named Noel got this 2016 World Series Champions inked on his leg: (Photo in link) Here goes nothin'. -- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon defends change of routine for 'spring training' strategy By Mark Gonzales Manager Joe Maddon merely pointed Thursday night to the Cubs' recent record in response to criticism from Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero that the final games are being treated as spring training contests. They were especially critical of that approach after Wednesday night's loss to the Pirates in which Arrieta gave up seven runs on 10 hits in five innings and catcher Willson Contreras replaced Montero in the fifth inning.

"We're 7-2 in our last nine games," Maddon said. "I don't see any kind of negative pattern there. They all knew what was going to happen before that game began. There were no surprises, and there have been no surprises. "It was a moment where it didn't work out exactly like we wanted it to, so you probably heard some things that if they had more time to think about it, they wouldn't have said those same things." Thursday night's game at Pittsburgh was suspended and declared a 1-1 tie with one out in the top of the sixth after a 1 hour, 23 minute rain delay. The game won't be resumed because it doesn't affect the standings and neither team has an open day before the end of the regular season. All individual statistics from the game will count. This marked the Cubs' first tie since May 28, 1993, against the Expos. It's the first major-league game to be called a tie since the Astros and Reds played to 2-2 tie after seven innings on June 30, 2005. Meanwhile, Maddon doesn't plan to change his thinking entering the regular season's final series this weekend in Cincinnati. "It's still going to be scripted," Maddon said before rookie left-hander Rob Zastryzny threw 3 2/3 innings of two-hit ball in a 57-pitch outing. "They're going to get their at-bats. We're talking about re-creating a feel that would be individualistic as much as anything. "It's hard to replicate fighting for that playoff spot if you already have clinched it, and you're playing against a team that is not playing for anything, either. These are all mind games you have to play with yourself to replicate what you want." Maddon maintained there still are "close calls" as he wants to make a proper evaluation before the Cubs set their National League Division Series roster on Oct. 7. One of those moves Wednesday involved inserting rookie Contreras in place of Montero in the fifth, which Arrieta cited as a move similar to a spring training game. But Maddon didn't think the switch mattered much to the outcome, stating that he thought Arrieta pitched well until hanging a breaking pitch that John Jaso smacked for a three-run homer in the fourth. Second baseman Ben Zobrist admitted the Cubs are in a "weird" situation after clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs and playing teams not in contention for a playoff berth. "Anything that changes your routine is a little frustrating," Zobrist said. "This is such a routine-oriented game. The lineup is different. Going in and out in the middle of the game is different. That is frustrating at times, but I get it." -- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon's unconventional style has made him the toast of Chicago By Paul Sullivan The visiting manager's office at Angel Stadium was too small to fit the Chicago media contingent on opening day, so Joe Maddon met everyone in a dark hallway outside the clubhouse after the Cubs' victory over the Angels. "Where should I stand?" Maddon asked. "Up against the wall," someone replied. Maddon complied, facing the wall and putting his palms up against it as if he were under arrest. It was vintage Joe — slightly dry, with a hint of wry — and served as a harbinger of things to come.

This Cubs team would not only win and win often, it would lead the league in good times, or die tryin'. Here are some of the ways Maddon's inimitable managing style affects the Cubs, on and off the field: Art of doing nothing Maddon said in spring training he excelled in the art of "doing nothing." "I didn't have enough chance to do nothing last offseason," he said. "I want more of an opportunity to do nothing, and I mean that in a positive way. When you get this downtime, to be able to do nothing well, that's my goal." The art of doing nothing is evidenced in Maddon's philosophy regarding his players' work habits. Since coming up in the minors, position players are taught to arrive at the ballpark early, take batting practice on a daily basis and prepare for a game hours before the first pitch. Maddon junked that last year, instituting "American Legion week" and instructing his players to just show up for the game, as they did while playing American Legion ball. "If you treat it that way, it keeps their minds fresher," Maddon explained. "And if their mind is fresher, they'll play a better game." Now doing nothing isn't everything, it's the only thing, and "Do simple better" is the mantra. No team takes less batting practice than the Cubs, and no manager has a longer leash on his players. " 'Whatever it takes you to get ready for a game that night, you know what it takes, so do that, don't do anything else,' " Maddon said he tells players. "Just don't do something eyewash-wise that's going to ameliorate an old adage." Players still get their work in, but they don't have to spend hours at the ballpark. When the Giants scored five runs in three games against the Padres in mid-September, manager Bruce Bochy canceled the next day's BP and ordered the players to show up late. "Really good call by Bochy," outfielder Hunter Pence said. "Do less, accomplish more." Sound familiar? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Wackier than thou The Cubs have kept the T-shirt industry thriving in 2016, thanks in no small part to Maddon. Making T-shirts with catchy slogans was part of Maddon's annual shtick with the Rays, as Ben Zobrist knows well. Why do Maddon's T-shirts matter? "They're interesting, that's why," Zobrist said. "They're entertaining. He's not just great at slogans and making it fun, he really lives it out and tries to see the whole vision played out through the course of the season." The ubiquitous "Try Not to Suck" T-shirts took Maddon's approach to a new level. The slogan consciously toys with the Cubs' well-earned image as losers, slyly suggesting they will make an attempt at not being awful. The psychological ploy could have backfired if they actually did suck. The dress-up road trips were also a continuation of Maddon's Rays days but included some new wrinkles (the minimalist zany suit trip in Pittsburgh) and a now annual classic (the onesies trip in Los Angeles). Maddon is particularly fond of onesies.

"They're always acceptable on a road trip," he said. Are the wacky costume trips overkill? Maybe. Do people still search the internet the next day to see what outfits the Cubs wore? Definitely. Unconventional wisdom Using Travis Wood and Pedro Strop in left field. Having Jon Lester pinch hit in the 12th inning and instructing him to bunt home the winning run. Moving position players around with the audacity of Dr. Strangelove in the War Room. These are just a few of the things Maddon has done that go against the grain. It cements his image as an outside-the-box manager, even if his decisions don't always work. (Someone should have talked him out of warming up veteran starter John Lackey in a couple of extra-inning games and then not using him.) One former manager said it was easy for managers like Maddon and former Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa to take risks because they were on long-term contracts and never had to worry about the consequences. But that's debatable. If Maddon were on the final year of his contract with no hope of returning, he probably would do the very same things. He enjoys taking risks. Instant messenger Before a pregame interview in Whitey Herzog's office in 1989, the Cardinals manager offered me a cold beer and some fried squirrel. "Shot three squirrels in my backyard with a BB gun last week," he said. "Skinned 'em and ate 'em up." Those fried squirrel days are long gone. Some modern managers often spend five minutes or so dealing with the media, trying to reveal as little as possible and hoping to get it over with as soon as possible. Maddon will answer any question, anytime, no matter how strange it sounds, so the players know they need to do likewise. "Joe, let me paraphrase one of your favorite groups, Pink Floyd," Maddon was asked last week before a Cardinals game at Wrigley Field. "If you don't need a brick in the wall, what do you need going into this series?" Maddon briefly gave a puzzled look, then dispensed with a long-winded answer that ended with the thought: "The brick, for me, would be to just continue to make progress with our two-strike approach." Managers send messages to players and fans through the media, so you would think any general manager would want a manager who enjoys communicating with reporters. Unfortunately, Maddon is an anomaly. Entertainment weekly

One small moment from this super-sized season shows why Maddon is so beloved on the North Side. During the ninth inning of a game Sept. 12 at St. Louis, umpire Joe West ejected Maddon while he was trying to buy time for Aroldis Chapman to warm up. Maddon blatantly tried to get his players to stall after Kyle Hendricks' no-hitter was broken up so Chapman could get in a few more throws. West, a longtime villain to Cubs fans, told catcher Miguel Montero the team would be charged with a mound visit if he went out to talk to Hendricks, prompting a full-metal Maddon episode with the beefy ump. Maddon basically accused West of turning a misdemeanor into a felony, saying no other major-league umpire would have made such a big deal of it. Former Cubs manager Lou Piniella always said Yankees owner George Steinbrenner instructed him to put on a show with umpires once in a while to get the Yankees on the back pages of the tabloids. It was deja vu all over again. Managers are a fairly generic bunch, making Maddon stick out in the crowd. After he finished his news conference blasting West, Maddon channeled his inner Lou. "It was entertaining," he offered. -- Chicago Tribune Wild race: 3 teams battling to the end for chance to face Cubs in playoffs By Paul Sullivan The National League wild-card race between the Mets, Giants and Cardinals comes down to the final weekend, which seemingly plays right into the Cubs' hands. If the Mets and Giants come out on top, Noah Syndergaard could face Madison Bumgarner in Wednesday's wild-card game, ensuring neither ace would likely be available until Game 3 of the NLDS. The Mets held a 1 1/2-game lead over the Giants for the first spot entering Thursday's off day. The Giants were one game ahead of the Cardinals for the second spot after both lost home games to sub-.500 teams on Wednesday night. Both had night games on Thursday. With so much on the line, it should be one wild wild-card finish this weekend. In the AL race, the Blue Jays and Orioles try to hang on to their spots, with the Tigers lurking on the outside rail. Since the NL race is of vital interest to the Cubs, who play the wild-card winner, here's how the weekend stacks up for the three contenders. Pitching matchups are subject to change. Friday Mets Matchup: Mets (Robert Gsellman 3-2) at Phillies (Alec Asher 2-0). Outlook: The Phillies are in rebuilding mode with nothing to lose, while the Mets continue to win despite losing key players and going with a four-man rotation. Jay Bruce has finally woken up from his prolonged nap, with three home runs in the last five games.

Advantage: Mets. Cardinals Matchup: Pirates (Tyler Glasnow 0-1) at Cardinals (Carlos Martinez 15-9). Outlook: Dealing with anxiety is not part of the "Cardinals Way." According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, after Brandon Moss struck out with two on to end the sixth inning on a 2-1 loss to the Reds on Wednesday, the Busch Stadium video board went straight to the Kiss Cam to change the mood. The Kiss Cam has been barred at Wrigley Field by Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, and the Cubs also prohibit video board exhortations to get loud, including the Noise-O-Meter and "Make Some Noise" graphics. Advantage: Pirates. Giants Matchup: Dodgers (Rich Hill 12-5) at Giants (Madison Bumgarner 14-9). Outlook: The Giants play the late game, so they should know where they stand sometime in the early innings. This series isn't crucial to the Dodgers, except for the fact these are Vin Scully's final games as broadcaster after a 67-year career. There's no bigger big-game pitcher than Bumgarner. The last time he faced the Dodgers he got into a war of words with Yasiel Puig, yelling "Don't look at me" at the outfielder. Of course, the Dodgers made that into a T-shirt and sent one to Bumgarner. Will it come back to bite them? Advantage: Giants. Saturday Mets Matchup: Mets (Bartolo Colon 14-8) at Phillies (Severino Gonzalez 1-2). Outlook: With all the starters' injuries, the 43-year-old Colon is now the No. 2 pitcher in the Mets rotation, and could face the Cubs in Game 1 of the NLDS if they make it. He's 2-1 against the Phillies in four starts this year, with a 2.92 earned-run average. Gonzalez has a 5.60 ERA in 27 games, and would be making his first start of the season. Advantage: Mets. Cardinals Matchup: Pirates (Chad Kuhl 5-4) at Cardinals (Jaime Garcia 10-13). Outlook: Garcia looked discombobulated against the Cubs in Game 2 of the NL Division Series last October, and manager Mike Matheny yanked him against the Cubs with two outs in the second inning of a game on Sept. 13, despite trailing only 2-0. The trust factor is gone. But Kuhl, a rookie nicknamed "Sasquatch," has a 5.82 ERA in September. Can Bigfoot boot the Cards out of the postseason? Advantage: Cardinals. Giants Matchup: Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw 12-3) at Giants (Albert Suarez 3-5). Outlook: Kershaw has a 0.86 ERA with 23 strikeouts and one walk in his four starts since returning from the disabled list after missing more than two months with back issues. Even if this is a must-win game for the Giants, you don't like their chances against the best pitcher on the planet. Advantage: Dodgers. Sunday

Mets Matchup: Mets (Noah Syndergaard 14-9) at Phillies (Jared Eickhoff 11-14). Outlook: If the Mets have already clinched a wild-card spot, manager Terry Collins will rest Syndergaard for the wild-card game. If not, Syndergaard should have no problem shutting down a team that basically shut down in June. Whether the baseball gods are kind to Ryan Howard in his final game as a Phillies will be interesting to watch. Advantage: Mets Cardinals Matchup: Pirates (Ryan Vogelsong 3-7) at Cardinals (Adam Wainwright 13-9). Outlook: Wainwright has had a subpar season, at least for him, with a 4.67 ERA. But you still like him in a game that could decide the Cardinals' season, especially against Vogelsong, who has an 8.72 ERA in September. Advantage: Cardinals. Giants Matchup: Dodgers (Kenta Maeda 16-10) at Giants (Matt Moore 12-12). Outlook: No pressure on the Dodgers, other than trying to win one for Vin. Moore is 5-5 with a 4.68 ERA in his 11 starts since being acquired from the Rays. This being an even-numbered year, the karma is with the Giants. Advantage: Giants. -- Chicago Tribune Clock ticking on Jorge Soler making Cubs' postseason roster By Mark Gonzales The likelihood of Jason Hammel not being on the Cubs' playoff roster increased after he was scratched from Friday night's start against the Reds because of persistent tightness in his right elbow. Outfielder Jorge Soler's sore right side also makes his roster spot tenuous. Soler rejoined the team Thursday but it's uncertain when he will be able to return to the field. "It's not awful," Maddon said of Soler's injury. "I don't think it's dire. (But) he needs to get going. We have to find out. It's one of those things you want to test, but not test too soon." Maddon said the Cubs could wait until Tuesday to see if Soler has regained his timing and full health. He has started only once since Sept. 16 and he pinch hit another time. If Soler isn't ready, rookie Albert Almora Jr. could emerge as a more viable candidate on the postseason roster — which must be submitted hours before the Cubs' first playoff game on Oct. 7. The Cubs decided it was wise to skip Hammel's start because of the tightness he has experienced the last two weeks that has affected the sharpness of his slider. Maddon declined to announce his rotation for the playoffs, which likely will be left-hander Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey. "You always can draw your conclusion, but I'm not ready to announce it," Maddon said. Hammel believes he might be able to test his elbow during Tuesday's simulated game.

Left fielder Chris Coghlan reported that his left ankle feels better one day after suffering a sprain and believes he should be ready this weekend. "I wanted to stay in there, but it probably was better to get treatment," Coghlan said. "There's nothing to be gained." Coghlan returned the money Bryant paid him too fulfill his vow to reward Coghlan if he scored on Bryant's 100th RBI. "I just wanted to make sure he pulled out (the money)," Coghlan joked. "I'm just glad I'm part of the KB history." Extra innings: Maddon sported a replica of his Lafayette College No. 12 football jersey as part of the Cubs' theme trip. Some of the other jerseys included Mike Ditka (Kris Bryant), Barry Sanders (Coghlan), Victor Cruz (Hector Rondon), Bo Jackson (Pedro Strop) and Troy Aikman (John Lackey). -- Chicago Tribune Thursday's recap: Cubs 1, Pirates 1 By Mark Gonzales Thursday night's game between the Cubs and Pirates was suspended during the sixth inning and ruled a tie after a 1 hour, 23 minute rain delay at PNC Park. There will be no makeup date. All individual statistics from the game will count. At the plate Rookie catcher Willson Contreras had two infield hits, including a single in the second inning that led to Timi Federowicz's sacrifice fly that gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead. On the mound Rookie left-hander Rob Zastryzny allowed two hits in 32/3 innings in his first major-league start. Zastryzny struck out four, including Jordy Mercer on a curve in the first. Zastryzny worked out of a jam in the third when he induced Andrew McCutchen to ground into a double play. In the field Catcher Federowicz bounced a throw to second on an attempted force play that allowed the Pirates to tie the game on Josh Bell's sacrifice fly in the third. Third baseman Tommy La Stella made a quick stop to retire Bell in the first. Key number 5/28/93: Date of Cubs' last tie game, against Expos. Up next Vs. Reds at Great American Ball Park, 6:10 p.m. Friday, CSN. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Jason Hammel states his case for 2017 and beyond By Mark Gonzales

It’s uncertain whether Jason Hammel will throw another pitch for the Cubs after suffering tightness in his right elbow. But Hammel, 34, at least has put himself in a position to earn a multi-year free agent contract with another team this winter if the Cubs elect not to pick up his option for 2017. Hammel won a career-high 15 games, and he won eight in the second half after fading quickly in the second half of 2015. He made 30 starts, and his 3.83 ERA would look more respectable had he not pitched with discomfort during the latter part of September in which his ERA swelled from 3.14 at the start of the month. “I thought he carried it all the way through the season,” manager Joe Maddon said. “You have to look at the final results. Just take away a couple moments there, and this guy would have incredibly good numbers. You have to believe it would help him a lot.” Several scouts kept a close watch on Hammel as a free agent possibility in the second half and believe he could provide a fit at the back end of a rotation with veteran experience. Hammel allowed eight earned runs in a loss at Milwaukee on Sept. 6 and six runs in his last start against St. Louis when his elbow discomfort was more apparent. “I’m not happy with the way things ended, but for 9/10ths of the season I was very good,” Hammel said. “I’ll take that into the offseason once the playoffs are done and add on to what I added to this (past) offseason. Hammel plans to continue his nutritional and fitness program he embarked on last winter after fading quickly in the second half of 2015. -- Chicago Tribune Jake Arrieta, Miguel Montero not keen on Cubs' September spring training By Mark Gonzales With the home field advantage for the National League playoffs already wrapped up, Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero don’t seem keen on the Chicago Cubs' current plan of treating the last week of the regular season like spring training games. “It felt like a spring training game from the get-go,” Arrieta said after allowing seven runs and 10 hits — both season-highs — in five innings Wednesday night as the Cubs fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4. “I wasn’t crisp. I didn’t have much working.” Arrieta took note of the fact that Montero was pulled before the bottom of the fifth in place of rookie catcher Willson Contreras. The Pirates went on to score three runs after two outs — as Arrieta allowed three consecutive doubles and a single to cap his miserable performance. But Arrieta likes to stick to a routine regardless of the Cubs’ status, and he made that clear. “I feel fine,” Arrieta, who finished the regular season with an 18-8 record and 3.10 ERA in 197 1/3 innings. “The feeling of the game, from the first pitch, wasn’t there. Switching catchers felt like we were trying to do a little too much instead of win a ballgame. But I didn’t throw well.” Manager Joe Maddon and Montero thought Arrieta threw well but were perplexed by the results. "It was kind of weird,” Maddon said. “I thought he had a great delivery, was throwing strikes and his stuff looked good. But he looked out of sorts, if that makes any sense.”

Arrieta admitted he was upset at some borderline pitches that were called balls in the first inning by umpire Chris Guccione and had words with him. Montero, meanwhile, also wondered if Arrieta’s concentration wavered. “He got upset in the first inning, and I don’t know if that took him away from throwing a good game. But I really thought he had good stuff going on. “Other than that, I don’t know what happened. It felt like spring training. I do believe that. That’s not a good feeling for a pitcher or a player to go into a game knowing you’re going to play four innings or five innings or whatever it is, because this game is still important for all of the players.” Montero was adamant that his mentality is to win despite the fact that Cubs secured a playoff berth nearly two weeks ago and that Maddon has used the subsequent time to rest his starters and employ his reserves to keep them sharp for the playoffs. “It can be tough on players’ minds, so we have to find a point where we trick our mind, because if that’s the way we’re going to go the rest of the way, I guess we need to trick ourselves." Montero took note of the fact that the Cubs used rookie Felix Pena instead of veteran Aroldis Chapman to secure a 6-4 win Tuesday night over the Pirates. “I take it personal because I’m catching and want to win. It’s hard. I understand (Maddon’s) point and the organization’s point, and I respect it. I can only control what I can control. “We have to trick our minds. We got to compete for whatever innings we’re going to play.” Aside from Wednesday's rough outing, Arrieta described his season as "good" and believed he still has the potential to achieve a season similar to his 2015 season when he won the National League Cy Young Award. "I don’t think you know how hard this game is unless you’ve play it," Arrieta said. "I feel I can have another season like that. People have done it before. Why can’t I do it? I can do it again. I appreciate it." -- Chicago Tribune Series preview: Cubs at Reds By Staff All games on WSCR-AM 670. Season series: Cubs 13-3. Friday: 6:10 p.m., CSN. RH Jake Buchanan (0-0, 9.00) vs. RH Josh Smith (3-2, 4.77). Saturday: 3:10 p.m., CSN. LH Jon Lester (19-4, 2.28) vs. RH Tim Adleman (3-4, 3.90). Sunday: 2:10 p.m., WGN-9. RH Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 1.99) vs. RH Robert Stephenson (2-3, 6.27).

Storylines: This marks a final three-game tuneup for the Cubs, who open the National League Division Series on Oct. 7. The Reds (37-41) already are assured of a losing home record. Trending: Lester and Hendricks will try to become the first set to finish one-two in ERA since Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte of the Astros in 2005. Reds first baseman Joey Votto has hit safely in 10 of 11 games. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs notes: Hammel out for NLDS? Coghlan, Soler updates By Gordon Wittenmyer PITTSBURGH – The Cubs aren’t ready to say it. But the elbow tightness that sidelined right-hander Jason Hammel for Friday’s final start of the season has suddenly – and ironically – made it less painful to leave the 15-game winner off the playoff roster. “Always draw your own conclusions, no question,” manager Joe Maddon said, declining, again, to divulge the team’s playoff rotation plans, in part because he said the pitchers haven’t all been told. “I don’t want to jump the gun. Obviously, he’s got a little bit of a problem going on, but, actually, it’s not so bad right now, either.” Hammel (15-10) on Thursday was scratched from his Friday start because of tightness he had pitched through in recent weeks. He felt good playing catch as recently as Wednesday, and the decision was considered precautionary, with tentative plans to have him throw during the team’s scheduled simulated game Tuesday. What’s certain is that he finished his regular season with a career-high in victories, a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts and a sense that his more vigorous nutrition and fitness regimen last winter paid off with second-half strength he didn’t have in recent seasons. “Obviously, I’m not happy with the way things ended, but I would say for nine-tenths of the season it was very good,” he said. “I’ll take that into the offseason and add on to what I added to [last] offseason.” When Hammel struggled this year, he struggled big – allowing 30 of his earned runs in 15 1/3 innings across four starts against the Mets, Rockies, Brewers and Cardinals. He’s 15-6 with a 2.44 ERA in the 26 other starts – including a 6-0, 0.95 stretch out of the All-Star break. “Overall, my body feels good,” he said. “I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, which is to be able to make 30-plus starts and be competitive.” Where he goes from here is the big question, regardless of the elbow issue he said played a role in some of the most recent struggles. He has a $12 million club option for 2017 ($2 million buyout), and it seems as likely as not he’ll be shopped in a pitching-thin market this winter if the team picks up the option. His status for the postseason no more certain, regardless how far the Cubs advance. Barring injury involving someone else in the rotation, he was the odd man out of the four-man playoff rotation. “That’s a decision that lies in their hands,” he said. “Health-wise, I’m not stressing about it. Collectively, we talked about [the shutdown], and it’s just [about] being available through October.” Coghlan, Soler updates Outfielder Chris Coghlan, who left Wednesday’s game with a mild ankle spring, said he felt much improved Thursday and hoped to return to action this weekend in Cincinnati.

Jorge Soler (sore right side), rejoined the team after a second MRI in Chicago revealed “no abnormalities,” and the club is just awaiting the young outfielder’s assent that he feels as game ready as the medical indicators suggest. “I don’t think it’s dire,” said Maddon, who wouldn’t rule out a spot on the playoff roster for Soler even if he doesn’t return by Sunday’s finale. He has just four at-bats since Sept. 16, when he left a game with the soreness. “You want to test it, but if you test too soon then it could totally take him out of the entire postseason,” Maddon said. “He felt pretty good today from what I was told. It’s just once in a while he feels it in a very, very, very minor way.” RBI value? Coghlan said teammate Kris Bryant finally paid him the week’s worth of meal money he promised for Coghlan becoming his 100th RBI of the season Monday. “But I gave it back to him,” Coghlan said. “I just wanted to make sure he pulled it out. I was like, `Nay, I can’t take it from you man.’ I’m just glad I’m part of the KB history, part of the legacy. I’ll be claiming it for years.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Maddon fires back after players criticize spring-like managing By Gordon Wittenmyer PITTSBURGH – As far as Cubs manager Joe Maddon is concerned, players can grouse all they want about the “spring training” vibe and substitution patterns, but it’s not going to change how he and his staff handle the team the final few days of the regular season or make him second-guess the methods. “My answer to that is we’re 7-2 in our last nine games,” Maddon said Thursday, the day after pitcher Jake Arrieta and catcher Miguel Montero expressed irritation in postgame comments. “I don’t see any kind of real negative pattern right there.” Make that 7-2-1 in the last 10 after another spring training-looking Cubs lineup played the Pirates to a spring training-like result – with the heavens underscoring the vibe by creating a 1-1 tie when rain stopped the game in the sixth. Because the game will not be finished or replayed, and five innings constitute an official game length, MLB deemed it the Cubs’ first tie since May 28, 1993 (2-2 vs. Montreal). It’s the first in the majors since 2005 (Astros and Reds). “I’ve utilized the words spring training on several occasions just to indicate the [context] regarding getting guys in and out of the game, not from the perspective of not trying to win,” Maddon said. “They all knew what was going to happen before that game began last night. There were no surprises. And there’s been no surprises. “There’s really not a whole lot of credence to all of that as far as I’m concerned because we’ve been playing well.” The frustration in the clubhouse has not been limited to Arrieta and Montero since the Cubs clinched the division title with 16 games to play, putting them in a unique position that has resulted in scripted bullpen schedules, manipulated rotation schedules and liberal use of days off for regulars and substitutions. “Anything that changes your routine a little bit is a little frustrating, because this is such a routine-oriented game,” said veteran Ben Zobrist, who called the feeling “odd” and “weird” this week. “Obviously, it’s frustrating at times,” he said, “but I get it. I understand the overall goal of these games is not the same as it’s been the last six months of the year. So we have to do the best we can to accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish today, then we’ll prepare for tomorrow, tomorrow.”

The frustration was not simply the result of Wednesday night’s loss. It had been building among several of the veterans and others trying to get or stay sharp, knowing they’ll have four days off before the playoffs, some said privately. Maddon said he plans to keep his relievers on their scripts, keep the starting pitchers on conservative pitch limits and substitute out regulars after three or four at-bats over the final three games this weekend in Cincinnati. “In regards to feeling that competitive moment, it’s almost impossible to replicate that unless you actually are playing to get into the playoffs,” he said. “And you’re playing against a team that is not playing for anything, either. So these are all mind games you have to play with yourself in order to replicate what you want.” Arrieta, who was trying to back up a strong performance five days earlier in his final start before the playoffs, was chapped at unexpectedly having veteran Montero replaced behind the plate Wednesday with rookie Willson Contreras in a 4-1 game after four innings. Despite Maddon’s “no surprises” assertion, Arrieta reiterated his surprise at the catching change during his weekly radio show Thursday. That doesn’t mean a 101-season is suddenly coming apart at the seams within the clubhouse. Players say they have no doubt they’ll be ready for next week’s playoff opener. More than anything, it might speak to the uncharted September waters of going so long with so little on the line and “bigger baseball fish to fry” in October, as Maddon has put it. “It’s a place that nobody usually is in,” Zobrist said. “There’s very few teams that get in this position so early and kind of run away with it. So that’s why we’re where we are. For those of us in here it’s new for all of us, including Joe, including all the staff. They have to do the best job they can to keep everyone healthy, not allow anything bad to happen, but at the same time try to keep people sharp. “It does feel a little bit more like spring training. So we want to get away from that as quick as we can and get back to playing really competitive baseball.” As Arrieta said through clenched teeth Wednesday night: “Whoever I face in the first round, they’re going to be in trouble.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Pirates trying to pick up the pieces after 2016 Cubs storm By Steve Greenberg PITTSBURGH — It was July of 1986. Unless, come to think of it, it was June. Clint Hurdle can’t remember which, not that it makes a bit of difference. Either way, the New York Mets were hammering everybody in their path and Hurdle’s St. Louis Cardinals — the defending National League champs — already were buried up to their eyeballs in the East division standings. The Mets would go on to soar past 100 victories on their way to a World Series title, and Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog saw it coming long before the dog days of summer set in. “Whitey just said, ‘It’s over,’ ” recalled Hurdle, who’s wrapping up his sixth season as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I mean, he actually threw it out there. There were some of us that might’ve been thinking about [catching the Mets], but when your manager throws it out there, you go, ‘Whoa — wait a minute.’ And it played out just the way Whitey said it was going to play out.”

Thirty years later, Hurdle pretty much saw things from a Herzog-like point of view in regard to the N.L. Central and the runaway Cubs. While Joe Maddon and the Cubs walked around in football jerseys before Thursday’s game — the latest installment of getaway-day fun for the best team in baseball — Hurdle sat in his clubhouse office for another round of season-ending exit interviews with his players. The Pirates had hoped to contend for a championship in 2016. Instead of ringing in another “Buctober,” they’re out of the postseason mix for the first time since 2012. Injuries kept them from reaching their full potential, but they’re not kidding themselves — even their very best wasn’t going to be enough to hang with the Cubs. “They have a good organization. They’ve put things together very well,” Hurdle said. “But one thing losing can do for you is self-evaluation: What can be done to cut down the separation?” Pirates star Andrew McCutchen — never one to rock the boat — bristled this week at being asked to size up the gap between his team and the Cubs. McCutchen has seen the likes of Pedro Alvarez, J.A. Happ and Mark Melancon get away from the cost-conscious Pirates. It’s a good bet he was referring to them when he said a major league team can’t remain competitive without keeping a “core of guys.” And who has a stronger core nowadays than the Cubs? “I’d rather not talk about it,” McCutchen decided. No biggie — a hopeless year can frustrate anybody. McCutchen presumably isn’t throwing in the towel for 2017 and beyond. His teammates aren’t, either. “We’ll hit that reset button and come back set to try to win the division,” second baseman Josh Harrison said. “I’ve got no doubt in my mind we can do it. This year has nothing to do with next year. For me, I could care less — when 2017 comes, we’ll be ready.” But there’s little question the Pirates were knocked back on their heels by the Cubs’ enormous success. Sure, there are a great many people who hope — desperately — to see the Cubs end their interminable World Series drought as soon as possible. But how many other teams are widely expected, as the Cubs are, to set the bar in their division for years to come? The Pirates can’t be sure if or when their time will come again. “For the Cubs to separate themselves as much as they did caught us all off guard a little bit,” shortstop Jordy Mercer said. “But all that did was give us motivation. It gives the whole organization motivation, because you’ve got to be good — otherwise you’re going to keep getting buried.” Right up to the eyeballs. It can’t be a good feeling. -- Chicago Sun-Times Tempting fate, Cubs fan gets ‘World Series Champions’ tattoo By Mitch Dudek Some would say — and they have online, often and in nasty ways — that Noel Brown is tempting fate by getting a Cubs “World Series Champions” tattoo before the deed is done. Brown got the tattoo Wednesday 330 miles west of Chicago, in Des Moines, Iowa. He won a contest held by a radio station, beating about 40 other participants, to win the tattoo on his left calf.

It features a Cubs logo with a goat in the middle and the words “Holy Cow!! Curse Broken World Series Champions.” Brown, 45, a health insurance underwriter who also coaches high school baseball, says he’s “not really superstitious.” “When it comes to winning or losing, there’s too much other stuff involved,” he said Thursday. “I don’t put a lot stock into that. Although, he admits, he had a moment of doubt when he got home Wednesday night, turned on the TV and found the Cubs trailing, even with Jake Arrieta on the mound. “The first thing that goes through my mind is, ‘Oh, crud, I hope I didn’t jinx anything,” Brown said. “But if one person gets a tattoo, that can’t throw the whole thing out of whack. “But since they’re gonna win it this year, it’s not really a worry,” he said. Brown, who’s married and has two kids, had a hand in designing the tattoo. Brown has been taking some heat since he got the tattoo. He said he stopped looking at comments online because of the negativity. Still, he said, “If this is the biggest regret I have at the end of the day is having this tattoo, then I’ve lived a pretty good life. “Worst-case scenario, we’ve got a good story and something to laugh about around the house,” he said. -- Daily Herald North: It's World Series or bust for this Cubs team By Mike North So, I'm watching the Chicago Cubs prepare for postseason play and try to finally end decades of futility. Theo Epstein, armed with a five-year extension worth close to $50 million, has the players, the manager and the fans in his corner. I can't help but believe that the next 5 to 10 years will be exciting and eventful. I really feel like the wait is almost over and the "lovable losers" moniker will be a thing of the past. It's obvious that players and fans are having a blast, and why not? Veteran catcher David Ross plans on retiring after this season and the adulation he has been receiving is somewhat surprising for a journeyman player hitting .233, especially for a guy who has only been with the team two years. If the Cubs were only playing .500 baseball and not in the hunt, I doubt his send off would be quite so celebrated. I also think it's more of a clubhouse tribute to his guidance, likability, veteran presence and just being a really cool guy. Everyone, including the fans, are enjoying it, even though some have considered it all a bit hokey. Cubs fans tend to latch on to someone who mirrors them and Ross is that guy.

Other Cubs teams have identified well with the fans like the 1969, 1984 or the 1993 teams, but this team is different. Everyone should continue to have fun and celebrate away with Ross, but this crew is expected and needs to bring home the trophy. Nothing else will do! Can anyone guarantee it? Of course not, but Joe Maddon has been the perfect leader for this team. I almost believe if he had been the manager in 1969 or one of those other years the results might have been different. What Maddon has now is a stacked team. I can't forget, though, that it was only a year ago when the Cubs, with pretty much the same team, were swept by the New York Mets. The Cubs were happy to be there and picked up valuable experience, but the Mets were as inexperienced and still managed to win. Totally different results are expected this year, and if the Cubs can pull off a World Series we might be looking at a run similar to the Blackhawks and their success. Well, postseason play is almost here and as the boys wait in the weeds they have to know they are the hunted. Solid leadership plus the right mix of youngsters and veterans on this team have made many of us believers, but now they have to do it! Anything else will be unacceptable. No excuses, and I don't want to hear it was a great season but. … No, it's champagne or nothing. Now go get 'em, boys! • Follow Mike North on Twitter @north2north. His column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com. -- Daily Herald Imrem: How to and how not to conduct baseball business By Mike Imrem Welcome to the latest on Chicago's polar opposite baseball teams. The Cubs are swinging on the Milky Way with Theo Epstein; the Sox are stumbling on Planet Cuckoo with Robin Ventura. The big Sox news early Wednesday afternoon: They want Ventura back as manager if he wants to return. That's like attempting to retrieve a spaceship that crashed into a black hole. The big Cubs news a couple of hours later: They extended the contract of baseball chief Epstein. That's like attempting to launch toward higher heights during the next five years. The immediate mood among South Siders was funereal; the immediate mood among North Siders was celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music. The Sox haven't made anything official concerning Ventura. He and general manager Rick Hahn said they won't address the issue until after the season.

However, the report on Ventura came from USA Today's Bob Nightengale, one of the country's most respected baseball journalists. Let's proceed under the premise that Ventura will stay on the job in 2017 and perhaps for centuries to come. Ventura is a failed manager in the final week of the fifth and final year of his contract. The Sox are verging on their fourth straight sub-.500 record under Ventura … after they collapsed out of first place late in his first season. The only plausible reason the Sox would retain Ventura is that nearly everyone is demanding that they divorce him. That's pretty much how the Sox operate. This goes far beyond the Cubs contending for a World Series championship this year and the Sox heading for another fourth-place finish in the American League Central. If Ventura indeed comes back, the Sox would be telling their fans that it doesn't matter how you feel, we're going to slap you around some more. In other words, feel free to stay away from Guaranteed Rate Field like you have been from U.S. Cellular Field. No wonder Sox annual attendance still is well below two million while Cubs attendance is back to well above three million. All of it adds up to examples of how to (Cubs) and not to (White Sox) do the business of baseball. Yes, this is why Sox popularity is low despite winning the 2005 World Series and Cubs popularity is high despite not winning one since 1908. While the Sox would be settling for the beleaguered Ventura, the Cubs are retaining the successful Epstein. All of this goes back five years to when Ventura and Epstein were hired. The Sox entrusted their players to a manager who hadn't ever managed. The Cubs entrusted their team to an executive who was the general manager of two World Series champions in Boston. Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts did the right thing by hiring the right man and then did the right thing by retaining the right man. Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf did the wrong thing by hiring the wrong man and now would be doing the wrong thing by retaining the wrong man. Of course, the USA Today report could be incorrect or the Sox might know that Ventura will decline their offer. Even that would scream how complicated the Sox can make the least complicated personnel move. With or without Robin Ventura, the White Sox still will trail the Cubs and Theo Epstein by light-years. --

Cubs.com Cubs-Pirates game suspended, ends in tie By Adam Berry PITTSBURGH -- As the Pirates and Cubs discovered Thursday night, there is tying in baseball. Their series finale at PNC Park was suspended and declared a 1-1 tie after being delayed by rain in the top of the sixth inning. The tie game, the Majors' first since 2005, will not be reflected in either club's record. Major League Baseball deemed the suspended game to be a tie because it won't be completed before the end of the regular season on Sunday and won't affect either team in the standings. The Cubs already clinched the Majors' best record, which remains 101-57, guaranteeing them home-field advantage in the National League Division Series and NL Championship Series. The Pirates were mathematically eliminated from the playoff race late Tuesday night. They can still salvage the rare 81-win winning season by sweeping the Cardinals this weekend at Busch Stadium. Although the tie is not reflected in the clubs' final records, the statistics from Thursday's game are official. They will each finish with 161 combined wins and losses but 162 games worth of stats. So Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova threw a 5 1/3-inning complete game, technically his third complete-game effort with Pittsburgh. "Never seen that before," Nova said. "I was hoping at least we could keep playing until we scored a run and we win, that's it. It's the first time I've seen that happen." Cubs lefty Rob Zastryzny went 3 2/3 innings in his first Major League start, striking out four while allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks. The game began on time despite dark clouds hovering over Pittsburgh most of Thursday afternoon. About an hour before game time, the grounds crew pulled the tarp off the field. The clubs played through steady rain most of the night, each scoring a run on a sacrifice fly, but the rain intensified after five innings and eventually forced both teams off the field following the first out of the sixth inning. The Pirates announced that tickets from Thursday night's game will not be eligible for exchange because Major League Baseball declared it an official game, not a postponement. The last tie game in the Major Leagues was June 30, 2005, a 2-2 final between the Astros and Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Pirates' last tie was Aug. 24, 1998, a 5-5 game against the Cardinals at Three Rivers Stadium. The Cubs last played a tie game on May 28, 1993, a 2-2 decision against the Expos at Wrigley Field. They will finish their season with three games against the Reds in Cincinnati before opening the NLDS at Wrigley Field on Oct. 7. -- Cubs.com Hammel won't make final start due to tight elbow By Carrie Muskat PITTSBURGH -- Cubs righty Jason Hammel was scratched from his final regular-season start, which was scheduled for Friday, because of tightness in his right elbow, but he said it was a precautionary move so he is ready for the postseason. "Weighing the risk-reward of throwing a game, maybe going five, six, seven innings and having something happening, especially with [bad] weather, who knows what could happen?" said Hammel, who has been bothered by the discomfort for a couple of weeks. "It stinks. Obviously, I want to make the start. We're kind of thinking ahead and availability in October."

Hammel was able to play catch on Thursday and said he was actually feeling better. Will this keep Hammel out of the Cubs' postseason rotation for the National League Division Series, which begins Oct. 7 at Wrigley Field? Manager Joe Maddon wasn't ready to announce his starters yet. "I don't want to jump the gun announcing everything," Maddon said. "You have to talk to people first before you publicly announce. He's got a little bit of a problem going on, but it's not so bad either." Hammel did alter his offseason program, both in terms of his physical and mental preparation, and said he was pleased with the results. The right-hander finishes the regular season with a career high in wins, going 15-10 in 30 starts. He thrived at Wrigley Field, posting a 10-2 record and a 2.42 ERA in 15 starts there. "Overall, my body feels good," Hammel said. "I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, which was make 30 starts and be competitive, save for five, six starts. Out of 30, I'd say that's pretty good." Maddon also was pleased with Hammel's efforts. "I thought he carried it through the season," Maddon said. "You have to look at the final results, and what he did helped. Take away a couple moments, and this guy had incredibly good numbers." -- Cubs.com Cubs go with Buchanan to start opener in Cincy By Carrie Muskat Can Joey Votto finish the second half with a .400 batting average? Will the Cubs' Kyle Hendricks end the regular season with a sub 2.00 ERA? Can Chicago's Jon Lester win 20 games? And how will the Reds' Josh Smith do in his second start of the season? Those are some of the questions for the Reds and Cubs, who close the regular season with a three-game series starting Friday at Great American Ball Park. Votto ranks third in the National League in batting average, trailing the Rockies' DJ LeMahieu and the Nationals' Daniel Murphy. The Reds' first baseman could become the first player since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004 to hit .400 in the second half of a season. The Cubs, who have won the NL Central, will use the three games as the final tune-up for the postseason, which will begin for them on Oct. 7 at Wrigley Field with the NL Division Series. The Cubs will have another bullpen day on Friday, with right-hander Jake Buchanan getting the start. It will be his first start with the Cubs and he'll appear in just his second game since he was promoted from Triple-A Iowa. In 24 games (22 starts) at Iowa, Buchanan posted a 4.34 ERA, striking out 105 over 141 innings. It won't be his first big league start; he made two with the Astros in 2014. Lester will get the call Saturday and Hendricks, who owns a 1.99 ERA, will pitch Sunday. Smith will make his second start of the season, and second against the Cubs on Friday. On Sept. 20 at Wrigley Field, Smith gave up one run on three hits and two walks over three innings, getting lifted after throwing 66 pitches. Things to know about this game • Utility man Patrick Kivlehan, 26, was expected to join the Reds on Friday. Kivlehan was claimed off waivers from the Padres on Wednesday. In 100 Triple-A games this season, he hit .254 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs. He played five big league games with the Padres in August, going 4-for-16 with a home run and two RBIs.

• Jorge Soler may be available to play this weekend. The Cubs outfielder has been bothered by a sore right side since Sept. 16, and rejoined the team on Thursday to be evaluated. • Brandon Phillips was out of Thursday's Reds lineup with soreness at the base of his left hand. Scott Schebler also did not play because of a sore left hamstring. • Hendricks and Lester (2.28 ERA) rank Nos. 1-2 in the Majors in ERA. Hendricks is trying to become the third Cubs qualifying pitcher to finish with a sub 2.00 ERA in 96 years, joining Jake Arrieta (1.77 ERA in 2015) and Grover Cleveland Alexander (1.91 ERA in 1920). -- Cubs.com Coghlan says ankle is fine, eyes playoff roster By Carrie Muskat PITTSBURGH -- The Cubs' Chris Coghlan said his left ankle felt good on Thursday, one day after coming out of a game with a mild sprain after crashing into the outfield wall. "It got stuck in the wall," Coghlan said. He wanted to stay in the game, but manager Joe Maddon convinced him to get treatment. "Joe said, 'It's not worth it right now,'" Coghlan said. "I told him afterward I was glad he said that. As a competitor, you want to stay in there." Coghlan was hoping he could play this weekend in Cincinnati. He's hitting .326 (14-for-43) in 18 games this month and is hoping that's enough to secure a spot on the Cubs' postseason roster. "At the end of the day, I think they know what type of player I am," Coghlan said. "It feels good for me to contribute to the team to win, and it's fun to be out there playing more often and producing at the level I know I can." Worth noting • Outfielder Jorge Soler, who has been bothered by some discomfort on his right side, rejoined the Cubs on Thursday so the athletic trainers could evaluate him. Soler underwent an MRI on Monday, and Maddon was hoping he could at least take batting practice this weekend in Cincinnati. Is there enough time to get him ready for the postseason? "He needs to get going and we want to find out," Maddon said. "You want to test, but you don't want to test too soon to totally take him out of the entire postseason, so you have to be careful in a sense. He felt pretty good today, from what I was told. Once in a while, he feels it in a very, very, very minor way. We just have to wait for him to say he's up to par, so that's why we're being very careful." Soler has had four at-bats over two games since Sept. 16, and made one start. • Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero said they weren't comfortable with what they called a "Spring Training feel" to Wednesday's game. Maddon's response? "My answer to that is we're 7-2 in our last nine games," Maddon said. "I don't see any kind of negative pattern there. They all knew what was going to happen before that game and there's been no surprises. I think it was a moment where it didn't work out the way we wanted it to work out, so you probably heard some things, and I think if they had more time to think about it, they probably wouldn't say the same things."

The Cubs have three games remaining in Cincinnati before waiting for the start of the National League Division Series on Oct. 7 at Wrigley Field. Maddon doesn't plan on changing the approach. "If a guy has three, four at-bats in the sixth inning, there's no reason to have him out there any longer than that," Maddon said. "I've utilized the words 'Spring Training' in the regard of getting guys in and out of the game, not from the perspective of not trying to win. "Everything we've done over the last two weeks has been scripted, and I think we've done pretty well." To have this much time to prepare is unusual. The Cubs clinched the NL Central on Sept. 15. "There's been a number of teams that have done it in the past 20 years," Ben Zobrist said. "For those of us in here, it's rare for all of us, it's new for all of us, including Joe, including all the staff. They have to do the best job they can to keep everyone healthy and not allow anything bad to happen, but at the same time, try to keep people sharp. It's a difficult task the last week of the season when neither team is playing for anything. It does feel a little more like Spring Training. We want to get away from that as quick as we can and get back to playing real competitive baseball." • Thursday was the Cubs' rookie dress-up day, and the veterans were wearing football jerseys while the rookies were in cheerleader outfits. Kris Bryant picked former Bears coach Mike Ditka's jersey and Javier Baez was wearing Walter Payton's. Maddon went old school, and contacted Lafayette College coach Frank Tavani, who sent a No. 12 football jersey. Maddon, who played baseball and football at Lafayette, posted a photo on Twitter, and said it's the first time he's worn the jersey since freshman year. -- Cubs.com 5 challenges for Cubs with Epstein locked in By Phil Rogers Ninety-five wins a year. That was the Red Sox's goal in the Theo Epstein years, because they were competing against the Yankees. As staggering as that number seems, the Red Sox were actually underselling the greatness of the Yanks. In the Derek Jeter era, the Yankees averaged 97 wins over the course of 17 seasons. That's the same total that the Braves averaged over 14 full seasons in their great run during the Glavine-Smoltz-Maddux years. The Cubs have taken their first steps toward establishing themselves as a powerhouse, piling up victories with a young team, a resourceful front office and strong ownership that is growing revenues. They won 97 games in 2015, and they enter the last four games of this season having already won 101, the most in the Major Leagues. Will we look back on the Cubs a decade down the road and see that they followed the same path as baseball's most consistent winners? When Tom Ricketts extended Epstein's contract for five years on Wednesday, paying him about $10 million a year, it was a no-brainer for all parties involved. Epstein, whose title is president of baseball operations, seemed happiest about the news that general manager Jed Hoyer and vice president of player personnel Jason McLeod are also expected to get extensions that run through 2021. The people most responsible for building the Cubs are being paid at the top of the scale in a business where executives have historically been paid like players who hit seventh or eighth in the lineup. Ricketts is changing the way front-office staff is valued, and that makes it a little bit harder for clubs to pry away those who work alongside Epstein. Epstein's challenge was clear when he arrived in Chicago in October 2011. He had to improve the organization in almost every way while creating what he called a "player-development machine.''

He's done that in A-plus fashion, thanks in large part to shrewd trades that brought Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Dexter Fowler and Carl Edwards Jr. to Wrigley Field. But the challenges that lie ahead are crucial if Epstein is to continue to under-promise and over-deliver. Among them: 1. Find pitching McLeod and his scouts have done a great job identifying and developing position players, with Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber at the front of a long line. But the Cubs have had to spend heavily to create the rotation that has a 2.93 ERA, the best in the Majors. Lefty Rob Zastryzny is the only pitcher from Epstein's five Drafts to reach the big leagues. The organization's best pitching prospects are at least a couple of years away, but life will be smoother for the Cubs if they produce some impact arms from a group that includes Dylan Cease, Duane Underwood, Oscar De La Cruz, Trevor Clifton and Thomas Hatch (who threw 23 consecutive scoreless innings for Oklahoma State in this year's NCAA playoffs). 2. Keep Arrieta The 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner will be a potential free agent after next season. Arrieta will be 32 when he throws his first pitch in '18, his first season with a long-term contract (unless the Cubs extend him), and Epstein seems unlikely to give him the seven-year deal he said in May that he deserves. Arrieta hasn't pitched as well since then (9-8, 4.05 ERA in his past 20 starts, including Wednesday's clunker in Pittsburgh) so perhaps he'd be more open to a deal this offseason. If the Cubs let him reach the free-agent market, they'll probably lose him for a compensation pick. Look for Arrieta to use the upcoming postseason to remind everyone why he's a pitcher you want in future Octobers. 3. Thin the herd wisely Rizzo was a 23-year-old .245 career hitter when the Cubs signed him to a $41 million contract in Spring Training 2013. It was the kind of deal they'd no doubt like to do in the near future with Hendricks, Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Javier Baez and Willson Contreras, among others. Not all players will be open to trading potential earning power for security, of course, but these decisions could play a role as the Cubs choose who to build around and who to trade. How long can Baez remain in a super-utility role? Is there room to bring back Fowler with Schwarber returning to health, the outfield already crowded and Albert Almora an emerging option in center field? The fight for jobs and playing time will become extreme in the next few years, forcing the Cubs to offload some established guys for arms or prospects. 4. Win an international bidding war With a new television contract -- or maybe their own regional sports network -- set to come in 2020, the Cubs could try to sign possible free agents like Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw and David Price after the '18 season (the last two have opt-out clauses in longer deals), but it's Japanese ace/slugger Shohei Otani who could make the biggest splash, perhaps even sooner. Otani is 22 and in his fourth season with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League. He throws in the high-90s with polish and a nasty splitter, which is how he's compiled a 10-4 record and a 1.86 ERA this season, striking out 174 in 140 innings. But Otani can play outfield and often serves as the DH when he's not pitching. He's hit 22 home runs and currently leads the league with a 1.004 OPS. The Fighters have his rights through 2019, but Otani is so popular in Japan that they might yield to public pressure by making him available to Major League teams sooner. An American League team would have an easier time accommodating a two-way player -- but you know Joe Maddon would find a way to use Otani on days he's not starting. 5. Reward Rizzo The Cubs control their cornerstone player as long as they do Epstein. Now's not the time to worry about him being underpaid, but Epstein should guarantee the 2020 and '21 club options as they approach, while also tacking on

years that will keep Rizzo contented throughout the team's run. In other words, give him the Jeter treatment. He's earning it. -- ESPNChicago.com What's at stake for the Cubs this weekend? The Cy Young and more By Jesse Rogers CINCINNATI -- So what’s at stake this weekend as the Chicago Cubs finally complete their historic regular season? Everyone is well aware the games mean nothing in the standings, but various individual accomplishments plus playoff-roster implications and injury updates provide some intrigue as the Cubs and Cincinnati Reds play games 160-162. Jon Lester: Lester starts Saturday needing just 2⅓ innings to reach 200, a number he covets. A victory would give him 20 for the season, a figure Cy Young Award voters might care about. The left-hander technically can win the ERA title if he’s lights-out and teammate Kyle Hendricks gets lit up the next day, but either way the award is a real possibility for the 32-year-old. He’s already on record saying he would vote for Hendricks. Kyle Hendricks: Hendricks pitches in the regular-season finale Sunday and is also in the running for the Cy Young. And it’s possible he could be the only (qualified) pitcher in baseball with a sub-2.00 ERA. The right-hander lowered his to 1.99 in his previous start. “I feel so good with my preparation, and my pitches are pretty good right now as well,” Hendricks said. “And I’m on the same page as my catchers. Once that’s all in place, I’m just trying to keep things where they’re at.” Hendricks admits if the Cubs were not playing on into the postseason he might be focused more on individual accomplishments heading into the finale, at least a little. “To a degree,” the 26-year-old said. “I might think more individually, but even then, in order to have success you can’t think of stats or your results.” Injuries: Right-hander Jason Hammel (elbow) already has been scratched from his start Friday but hasn’t declared himself out for the playoffs, while outfielders Chris Coghlan (left ankle) and Jorge Soler (side) could see action. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said neither has to play to make the postseason roster, but both would like to. Coghlan said Thursday his injury is mild, while Soler rejoined the team in Pittsburgh and will be reevaluated in Cincinnati. Roster spots: Even a banged-up Coghlan probably has made the playoff roster unless he’s too injured to participate. Over his past 35 plate appearances, he’s hitting .407 with an on-base percentage of .543. His hot streak even predates that stretch, at least in his estimation. “Since the first time I went on the disabled list I’ve been real productive, but at the end of the day I think they know what type of player I am,” Coghlan said Thursday. “It feels good to contribute to the team to win.” Coghlan and catcher Miguel Montero have forced the issue, playing their way onto the postseason roster. That leaves a few bubble candidates, with Albert Almora Jr. the most intriguing. The rookie has not looked overmatched at the plate, while fellow right-handed hitter Matt Szczur has slumped and lefty-hitting Tommy La Stella has been inconsistent. Could Almora fight one of them off? “He’s not intimidated by stuff,” Maddon said. “He’s not afraid of stuff.” This weekend could be the determining factor for those three players along with a possible Cy Young winner -- and we haven’t even gotten to the MVP candidates. Could Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo sway voters with their bats over the final three games? Stay tuned.

-- ESPNChicago.com Cubs-Pirates game ends in 1-1 tie after rain delay in 6th inning By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday played to the first tie in Major League Baseball since June 2005. Rain forced the teams to stop playing in the sixth inning with the score tied 1-1. Because the game has no effect on postseason positioning and the teams aren't scheduled to play again this season, MLB decided the game would not be made up and officially declared it a tie after a delay of 1 hour, 23 minutes. All stats from the game will count. The Cubs, who have clinched home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs, now have a record of 101-57-1. The Pirates' record is 78-80-1. It's the first tie in the majors since June 30, 2005, when Houston and Cincinnati played seven innings before being halted by rain. The last time the Cubs played to a tie was May 28, 1993, against the Montreal Expos. The Pirates played to a tie for the first time since Aug. 24, 1998, against the Cardinals. -- ESPNChicago.com Joe Maddon: Catcher swap not an in-game decision; 'they all knew' By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- Pitcher Jake Arrieta and catcher Miguel Montero aren't the only Chicago Cubs players who want to move past the spring training feel to the final days of the regular season -- they are just the most vocal. Both bristled Wednesday night at the decision to remove Montero from the game while Arrieta was still pitching. The Cy Young Award winner had just given up three runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth inning when manager Joe Maddon pulled Montero in favor of Willson Contreras. Maddon said it was a predetermined move to give the rookie Contreras an inning with Arrieta in case that combination is together in a postseason contest. Arrieta wound up giving up three more runs in the fifth. "They all knew what was going to happen before that game," Maddon said Thursday afternoon. "There were no surprises. And there's been no surprises." But that's not what Arrieta indicated earlier in the day during his own radio show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. "Going into the game, I was really unaware we were going to go with a catching change," Arrieta said. Maddon shot back in his take on Arrieta's night, in which he gave up a season-high 10 hits. "I don't think it was attributable to a spring training attitude as much as the Pirates had a good approach last night," Maddon said. Even general manager Jed Hoyer chimed in, also on ESPN 1000. "It's a difficult balance," Hoyer said. "We mostly get it right, maybe yesterday [Wednesday] we didn't."

In the long run, the disagreement probably will matter little as the regular season has just three days left, which means only three more days of meaningless games. "It's a little weird at this time of the year to be doing that," Ben Zobrist said. "I understand. I get it. We're preparing for something else than today. It's odd because [normally] at this time of the year, you're playing one game at a time and pushing." In other words, teams normally are not treating games like it's a second spring training. To be fair, even the players who want to play more get what Maddon is trying to do. The strategy may prevent shortstop Addison Russell from getting to 100 RBIs, but he wasn't about to get upset. "It would be nice to have the starters out there doing their thing," Russell said. "People getting rest is OK and giving the bench guys a chance to see how they handle the pressure is good, too." When informed some players were griping about the atmosphere that Maddon laid out to them after they clinched a playoff spot, the manager had an answer ready to go. "We're 7-2 in our last nine games, so I don't see any kind of negative pattern right there," Maddon said before Thursday's 1-1, six-inning tie with the Pirates. Furthermore, Maddon won't change much in the final three games in Cincinnati. He's not pushing anyone more than he has over the past couple of weeks. "The relief pitchers are still going to be choreographed," Maddon said. "The team on the field, guys [will get] three to four at-bats. It's still going to be scripted." That might not be great news to hear for a regular starter, but that doesn't mean it's the wrong move. "It's been a little weird here knowing these games don't matter for either team, but at the same time they matter for the individuals to get their work in," Zobrist said. "It's a place nobody is usually in. "It's new for all of us. They have to do the best job they can to keep everyone healthy and at the same time keep everyone sharp. That's a difficult task." As for spring training, the Cubs already have had one. They don't need another. It's time to get serious again. "It does feel like spring training," Zobrist said. "We want to get away from that as quick as we can and get back to playing competitive baseball." -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs dealing with nagging injuries, but don't think they're serious By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs added to their short list of the walking wounded when outfielder Chris Coghlan injured his left ankle Wednesday night. And the team announced pitcher Jason Hammel will be skipped on Friday due to elbow tightness. Neither injury sounds serious, but the Cubs are playing it cautious, considering there’s nothing left to play for in the regular season. “I’m hoping just a day or two,” Coghlan said. Coghlan hurt himself running into the left-field wall trying to track down a fly ball, and Hammel said his elbow has been barking for a couple of weeks.

“After a while, it started to get too tight, then you start risking injury,” Hammel said. The pitcher has struggled recently, pointing to his slider not having the movement he’s used to getting. “I’m sure 100 percent it was one of the causes for it,” Hammel said of his elbow. “It restricts your range of motion. ... I feel good right now, but we’re not going to risk it.” Hammel says he’ll be able to throw next week during workouts for the postseason. Manager Joe Maddon wasn’t ready to declare his playoff rotation, though he said, “you can always draw your conclusions, no question.” Considering most observers assumed Hammel was on the outside looking in for a roster spot, this injury can’t help matters. As for oft-injured outfielder Jorge Soler, he rejoined the team on Thursday to be reevaluated (right oblique injury). Soler has started just one game in two weeks, but Maddon said Soler doesn’t necessarily have to play this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds to make the postseason roster. “I’d love to see him play, but if he doesn’t, it doesn’t knock him out of the conversation,” Maddon said. Here's the good news: Soler has shown he can jump right in and perform, as he did last postseason and earlier this year after struggling in the minors. The Cubs brought him up, and he took off. “You want to test it, but you don’t want to test too soon, then it could totally take him out of the entire postseason,” Maddon said. “You have to be careful in a sense. Once in a while, he feels it in a minor way. We just have to wait for him to say it’s up to par.” -- ESPNChicago.com 'Sweetness' a favorite as Cubs don football jerseys for final road trip By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs donned their favorite football jerseys for getaway day Thursday as they prepare for their final series of the regular season. The Cubs are hitting the road to play the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some pandered to their Chicago fan base, while others simply wore the jerseys of their favorite players -- current or past. Here is a partial list of who is wearing what: Kris Bryant: Mike Ditka Kris Bryant wore a Mike Ditka Bears jersey for the Cubs' final regular-season getaway day. Jesse Rogers/ESPN.com Addsion Russell, Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist: Walter Payton Jason Hammel: Jarvis Landry Jason Heyward: Cam Newton Pedro Strop: Bo Jackson Chris Coghlan: Barry Sanders Tommy La Stella (who wanted Sanders): Antonio Brown Justin Grimm: Todd Gurley

Matt Szczur: Brian Westbrook Trevor Cahill: Luke Kuechly First base coach Brandon Hyde: Joe Montana Manager Joe Maddon: Lafayette College -- ESPNChicago.com The week in interesting and unusual Cubs stats By Doug Kern, ESPN Stats & Information Just when you thought you'd seen everything, along comes Thursday's Cubs-Pirates game. With the score 1-1 in the sixth inning, the teams waited through an 83-minute rain delay with no relief in sight. Since the game didn't matter to the postseason, and both teams had places to go, the game was called and (under 7.02(b)(4) for you rulebook fans) declared a tie. A 2007 rule change by Major League Baseball virtually eliminated tie games; in any other scenario, Thursday's contest would have been suspended and resumed later. However, because it was the final game of the season between the teams, there is no "later.” It's the first time the tie-game exception has been invoked since that 2007 change, and it is the first tie under the "last game of season" rule since Aug. 15, 2002, between the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants. Previously, tie games were often declared (the last one was in 2005), but they were replayed later so teams still got 162 (or 154) decisions. The Cubs had not been involved in a tie since May 28, 1993, when they got through five rainy innings against Montreal and called the game with the score 2-2. That was made up as a doubleheader on the Expos' next visit. The Cubs were also involved in the first tie in the World Series (there have been three). On Oct. 8, 1907, they played 12 innings with the Detroit Tigers at West Side Park (now home to the UIC College of Medicine) before the game was called on account of darkness. The Cubs went on to sweep the next four for their first title. Other Cubs oddities Dexter Fowler went single-double-triple in his first three plate appearances Saturday and thus had two shots at the "natural cycle.” Although Chris Coghlan has had those three hits in his first three plate appearances once in each of the last two seasons, Fowler was the first Cubs player to do it in order since Shawon Dunston on Sept. 28, 1985. Only one Cubs player has ever completed the natural cycle: Billy Williams on July 17, 1966. Speaking of Coghlan, he had a go-ahead bases-loaded triple in Tuesday's win, the first by a Cubs player since ... Chris Coghlan in 2014. He's the first Cubs player with two since Williams did that as well, in 1963 and 1965. Albert Almora entered Tuesday's game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. He then doubled in the seventh and hit his first career triple in the ninth. He is the first Cubs player to have a triple and a double in a game he didn't start since Mickey Morandini on Apr. 7, 1999. David Ross hit his 10th home run Sunday, making nine Cubs players who have reached double digits this season. That ties a team record set last year, and Willson Contreras is also among them. That makes 2016 the second time that two Cubs catchers have hit 10 homers each; Sammy Taylor and backup Earl Averill (who played 20 games at other positions in addition to catching) did it in 1959. The Cubs started their series in Pittsburgh with 12 runs and 18 hits Monday, their first time hitting both those numbers at PNC Park since 2008. Javier Baez had a grand slam and six RBIs, the second Cubs player to do that batting eighth or ninth. Jody Davis pulled it off against the Expos on June 26, 1983.

Record watch: Monday's win was the Cubs' 100th of the season, their first triple-digit win total since 1935. Even if they are swept in Cincinnati this weekend, they will finish with a .627 winning percentage (the tie is disregarded). Of the 15 previous seasons the Cubs have won at that pace, they have won the National League pennant 14 times; the exception is 1909, when they still finished 6½ games behind the Pirates. --