May 26, 2017

CSNChicago.com, Summing Up The Cubs' Impressive, Potentially Season-Altering Homestand http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/summing-cubs-impressive-potentially-season-altering-homestand

CSNChicago.com, Wade Davis' Impact On Cubs Goes Far Beyond His Eye-Popping Numbers http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/wade-davis-impact-cubs-goes-far-beyond-his-eye-popping-numbers

CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon Explains How Cubs Young Players Can Handle Trade Rumors http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/joe-maddon-explains-how-cubs-young-players-can-handle-trade-rumors-javy-baez-kyle-schwarber-ian-happ

Chicago Tribune, Three homers help lift Cubs and Eddie Butler to 5-1 victory over Giants http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-giants-spt-0526-20170525-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Boy who played catch with Willson Contreras cherishes memory http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-haugh-spt-0526-20170525-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Kyle Schwarber a fan of Cubs' first theme trip: 'I love 'Anchorman'' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-anchorman-cubs-road-trip-20170525-story.html

Chicago Tribune, David Ross confesses he didn't get Anthony Rizzo's 'Anchorman' reference in Game 7 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chicagoinc/ct-david-ross-anthony-rizzo-anchorman-20170525-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Giants' Jeff Samardzija allows rare walk, three homers in 'normal' start at Wrigley http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jeff-samardzija-cubs-giants-spt-0526-20170525-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Addison Russell patiently working, waiting to get his stroke back http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-notes-cubs-giants-spt-0526-20170525-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs escalate quickly on winning homestand, finish off Giants 5-1 http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-escalate-quickly-on-winning-homestand-finish-off-giants-5-1/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cub-hating at its core: How sly scheme tried to bring down 1907 Cubs http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cub-hating-at-its-core-how-sly-scheme-tried-to-bring-down-1907-cubs/

Chicago Sun-Times, Trade Javy Baez? ‘No intent on our part,’ says Cubs manager Joe Maddon http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/trade-javy-baez-no-intent-on-our-part-says-cubs-manager-joe-maddon/

Daily Herald, Maddon knows MLB sellers will have an eye on elite prospects http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170525/maddon-knows-mlb-sellers-will-have-an-eye-on-elite-prospects

Daily Herald, Strong pitching, 3 homers boost Cubs over Giants http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170525/strong-pitching-3-homers-boost-cubs-over-giants

Cubs.com, Cubs crack three HRs in finale W over Giants http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/232384506/cubs-hit-3-hrs-in-series-finale-win-vs-giants/

Cubs.com, Heyward's offseason swing work paying off http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/232433160/cubs-jason-heyward-shows-improved-offense/

Cubs.com, Bryant homers -- with or without fan's grab http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/232392864/cubs-kris-bryant-homers-fan-makes-catch/

Cubs.com, Maddon impressed with Davis' demeanor http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/232385508/cubs-wade-davis-mentoring-young-pitchers/

Cubs.com, Arrieta faces Dodgers, returns to site of no-no http://atmlb.com/2qr3ddj

ESPNChicago.com, Theme trips and W's? Cubs are ready to have some fun http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/44338/theme-trips-and-ws-the-cubs-are-ready-to-have-some-fun

-- CSNChicago.com Summing Up The Cubs' Impressive, Potentially Season-Altering Homestand By Tony Andracki For the third straight year, the Cubs' season could hinge on an important series with the San Francisco Giants. In August of 2015, the Cubs swept the Giants in a four-game set at Wrigley Field and they built off that momentum to win 97 games and make it all the way to the National League Championship Series. Last fall, the Cubs rallied to beat the Giants in an epic comeback in Game 4 of the NLDS, essentially winning the World Series in that game, by Joe Maddon's opinion. The 2017 Cubs have spent all year hovering around .500 before winning three of four against the Giants this week at Wrigley, looking more and more like the defending champs. Thursday's 5-1 win over the Giants was the icing on top of an impressive 7-2 homestand that also featured a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds and a split in a rain-shortened series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Here's the summation of the potentially season-altering homestand: —The Cubs are now 14-11 at home and 25-21 overall, having caught up to the Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. —This is the best homestand since the Cubs went 8-2 in a 10-game set from Aug. 9-18 last summer. —The Cubs are four games above .500 for the third time this year, representing a season-high. —How will this homestand affect the team moving forward? "Well, you're gonna find out," Maddon said. "That's the kind of homestand we look forward to having because that's what we did last year and that's what got us there. But we've also been a good road team. We're gonna get on the plane, have the Anchorman road trip; there'll be a lot of laughing and giggling, which is always good going to play a very good team in Los Angeles."

—On the nine-game homestand, the Cubs found their offensive groove, scoring 59 runs — good for 6.56 runs per game. —They also smashed 20 home runs, which is nearly a third of their season total (62). On the homestand, 45.7 percent of the Cubs' runs came via the longball. "Yeah, we're starting to hit 'em," Maddon said. "I also believe the weather [is a factor], it's a little bit warmer, somewhat more favorable wind conditions have helped a little bit, too. "We have that kind of power on our team. We needed to get into our groove a little bit. Looks like it's starting to show up right now. You're starting to see it from a wider range of the players. It's definitely a part of our game. But it is contagious, I agree with that." —Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist delivered the offense with a solo homer each off former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija. Bryant and Anthony Rizzo added insurance by both scoring on a wild pitch (and subsequent error) in the bottom of the eighth inning. —Heyward's blast was his fifth of the season. He didn't notch his fifth homer of 2016 until July 29. —The Cubs are now 9-0 when hitting at least three homers in a game. They were 20-2 in 2016 when crushing at least a trio of longballs. —The Cubs weren't just offense this homestand, also showing off the leather, like Javy Baez's ridiculous play in the eighth inning of the series finale against the Giants: —Eddie Butler turned in another solid start, allowing just a run in five innings. Mike Montgomery faced one above the minimum in four innings of relief, inducing six outs on ground balls. It was Montgomery's first regular-season save. You might remember his only other career save... —Cubs are 9-5-1 in 15 series this season. —The homestand was also fraught with controversy and drama, beginning with Reds manager Bryan Price's "hail to the Cubs" moment followed by the Brewers laying into the Cubs' handling of last Saturday's rainout and finishing with the Giants complaining they were unable to challenge Bryant's first-inning homer Thursday because the phones didn't work. —With the Cubs embarking on an 'Anchorman'-themed road trip to the West Coast, Maddon was asked how Ron Burgandy would sum up the homestand: "Stay classy, Chicago." -- CSNChicago.com Wade Davis' Impact On Cubs Goes Far Beyond His Eye-Popping Numbers By Tony Andracki Wade Davis may not light up the radar gun like Aroldis Chapman, but the veteran closer has still had a similar impact shortening games for the Cubs. Davis is 10-for-10 in save opportunities in his first year in Chicago, providing Joe Maddon and the Cubs with peace of mind as an anchor in a bullpen that has thrown the eighth-most innings in baseball (and ranks No. 8 in ERA with a 3.45 mark).

Davis just surrendered his first runs of the season Wednesday night on a Mac Williamson homer that snuck into the right-field basket. Yet Davis still wound up preserving the victory by buckling down and turning away the Giants in the ninth. It was the first homer he's allowed since Sept. 24, 2015 and only the fourth longball he's given up since the start of the 2014 campaign, a span of 201 innings. Even with Wednesday's outing, Davis boasts a microscopic 0.98 ERA and has allowed just 14 baserunners in 18.1 innings. With 24 whiffs on the season, Davis is striking out 34.8 percent of the batters he's faced in a Cubs uniform, which would be the second-highest mark of his career (he struck out 39.1 percent of batters in 2014 as the Kansas City Royals setup man). The 31-year-old nine-year MLB veteran is showing no ill effects from the forearm issue that limited him to only 43.1 innings last season. But his impact isn't restricted to just on-the-field dominance. In spring training, Justin Grimm said he spent as much time as he could around Davis in an attempt to soak up all the knowledge he could. "It's the stuff that you see — obviously he's really good," Maddon said. "He knows how to pitch, he's a very good closer, he's very successful. But he's a really good mentor to the other guys. "Oftentimes, I'll walk through the video room and he'll be sitting there with a young relief pitcher or a catcher. There's a lot of respect. A lot of guys come to me and say, 'Listen, Wade's really great to be around.'" Maddon was the manager with the Tampa Bay Rays when Davis first made his big-league debut in 2009 and the now-Cubs skipper credits the Rays organization with teaching Davis the right habits. Davis also began his career as a starter before moving to the bullpen full-time in 2014 and reinventing himself as one of the best pitchers on the planet. "He's grown into this," Maddon said. "He was raised properly. He comes from the organization with the Rays — really good pitching, really good pitching health regarding coaching. And then some of the veteran players that were around him to begin with. "He's passing it along. The obvious is that he's got a great cutter, slider, fastball, curveball, whatever. He's very good with everybody else around him." Davis needed 34 pitches to work around a couple jams and get the save Wednesday night. That's his highest pitch count in an outing since June 2, 2015. Wednesday was also Davis' first time working in a week as the Cubs have not had a save situation in that span. Maddon said he sees no link between the week off and Davis' struggles in Wednesday's outing and the Cubs manager also has no hesitance going to his closer for more than three outs. However, Maddon doesn't see a need to extend Davis at this point in the season and would prefer to keep the Cubs' best reliever fresh for the stretch run and what the organization hopes is another shot at a World Series title. -- CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon Explains How Cubs Young Players Can Handle Trade Rumors By Tony Andracki

Two weeks ago, it seemed Ian Happ was at the top of the list of Cubs potential trade bait. Now, there are some circles of the fanbase that would rather see Javy Baez or Kyle Schwarber traded than Ian Happ. Roughly two-and-a-half hours before Eddie Butler started for the Cubs in the series finale with the San Francisco Giants Thursday afternoon, the conversation with Joe Maddon turned to the neverending search for pitching and how young players can handle being a part of trade rumors. "I think a lot of times when people are mentioned in a trade, sometimes it's perceived that they're not going well, people want to push them to the front of the line," Maddon said. "All of a sudden, [Baez is] going well, so I expect him to go to the back of the line relatively soon." After a stretch where he went 1-for-18 from May 10-17, Baez entered play Thursday with eight hits in his last 13 at-bats, including two homers and eight RBI. He's raised his OPS 104 points in the process to .798. Happ, meanwhile posted a 1.240 OPS in his first eight games in The Show, including seven extra-base hits (four doubles, two homers and a triple). Schwarber's batting average hasn't climbed over .200 since the last day of April. Of course, part of the discussion with all three is the positional versatility — Baez and Happ can play all over the field while Schwarber is a left fielder and rare catcher. "Another part of the trade narrative is based on depth, obviously," Maddon said. "So if you have other pieces like that, then you promote somebody within that group. I think Javy's gonna be in that position for a bit regardless — no intent on our part. "However, he's still going to be mentioned in those moments because of what I just said — he's gonna go good or bad. And when he's going great, you're never gonna trade him. But right now, he's playing really well. That was a good game he had [Wednesday]. He's in the .270s now [average], better at-bats, he's not chasing pitches, the defense is obviously showing up. "I just think the nature of our team, the young guys, you're gonna hear that. If you're gonna attempt to get pitching, you're gonna hear the typical names mentioned. And just from our players' perspective, I just would hope they won't take it to heart too often. "But if they hear it enough and they're asked about that question often enough, of course it's gonna leave a mark. But [Baez] is impactful. Listen, none of these guys that you like aren't even nearly as good as they're gonna be in a couple years. Just be patient." The Cubs are always going to be searching for pitching as their farm system has had much more success producing young hitters than arms. The Cubs are still looking for some consistency from the fifth starter spot this season and looking further down the road, both Jake Arrieta and John Lackey are only under contract through 2017. As of right now, only Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks are penciled into the Cubs' 2018 rotation. Of course, given the surplus of quality, young position players, the Cubs could deal from a position of strength to acquire impact, controllable pitching. But it's hard to see them ever trading Baez or Schwarber — who are both in the midst of their first full season in the big leagues and will forever be entrenched in Cubs lore with their postseason heroics last fall. Baez is also particularly important for his impact in the field, as an elite defender at three infield spots and the Cubs' only depth at the shortstop position after Addison Russell.

In Thursday's lineup, Maddon gave Russell a day off and inserted Baez at shortstop, a move that gives the Cubs manager peace of mind from a defensive standpoint — "It's a beautiful thing." There's no way Happ will keep hitting like he has in his first two weeks in the majors, but his performance after only 91 minor-league games above Class-A ball could serve as a showcase for other teams looking at trade options from the Cubs system. "I can't emphasize enough—- if you like our kids, just wait a little bit," Maddon said. "Continue to fertilize them, nurture them and they're gonna keep getting better." -- Chicago Tribune Three homers help lift Cubs and Eddie Butler to 5-1 victory over Giants By Chris Kuc It's usually not a good thing when the word "contagious" works its way through a baseball clubhouse. For the Cubs, though, the word has gone viral in a positive way as both pitchers and hitters are using it to describe how the team's bats caught fire and helped the defending World Series champions win seven of nine games on their homestand, including a 5-1 dispatching of the Giants on a sunny Thursday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs belted three more home runs — one each from Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist — and finished the homestand with 20, including at least two in the final five games. "Long balls are fun and they are contagious," said starter Eddie Butler, who was the beneficiary of the three solo blasts to earn the victory with an effective five innings. "The guys are really swinging it right now and having a lot of fun." As if to confirm the outbreak, Bryant added: "Offense is contagious. It feels good to have guys swinging it well. The home-run ball is nice." The Cubs improved to 9-0 this season when hitting at least three homers in a game and with their third consecutive victory tied their season-best high-water mark of four games above .500 at 25-21. "We're starting to hit (home runs)," manager Joe Maddon said. "The weather has been a little bit warmer and somewhat more favorable wind conditions have helped a little bit too. We have that kind of power. We needed to get into our groove a little bit (and) it looks like it's starting to show. You're starting to see it from a wider range of the players. It's definitely part of our game. But it is contagious." Thursday's victory wasn't all about infectious long balls. The Cubs put it together in all facets with sparkling defense — including highlight-reel plays from center fielder Ian Happ and shortstop Javier Baez — and strong pitching performances from Butler and reliever Mike Montgomery. Butler improved to 2-0 with five innings of work during which the right-hander yielded a run on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. Montgomery came on in the sixth to keep the Giants at bay with four stellar innings, allowing one hit and issuing one walk. It marked the first four-inning save for a Cubs pitcher since Sean Gallagher did it July 18, 2007 against the Giants. "I just go out there and let them hit it and let the defense make great plays and they did that (Thursday)," Montgomery said. "They kept telling me to go back out so I just kept trying to make good pitches." The Giants staked Jeff Samardzija to a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to Brandon Belt's run-scoring double but it was all Cubs after that. Bryant answered with his 11th homer of the season in the bottom half and Heyward belted the eventual game-winner into the basket in right in the fifth. Ben Zobrist extended the lead to 3-1 with a drive

into the bleachers an inning later and the Cubs tacked on two runs in the eighth on reliever Josh Osich's wild pitch and an ensuing error on the play. "The last few days I think the long ball has done it for us," said Anthony Rizzo, who had two hits and a run scored. "But we kept the line moving and got a couple of runs late. That's really the winning formula — score early, get your lead and then add on. We've been doing a good job of that." The Cubs hit the road — while wearing outfits from the 1970s as part of Maddon's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" theme trip — for a six-game swing through Los Angeles and San Diego and looked to maintain their scorching play. "It was a great homestand," Bryant said. "We'll take 7-2. We feel good about that. We're playing better baseball and hopefully we can continue that hot stretch. I just think if we're able to continue to win the way we are, we'll be where we want at the end of the year." -- Chicago Tribune Boy who played catch with Willson Contreras cherishes memory By David Haugh On the way to a Wrigley Field parking lot after the best day of his life, 11-year-old Brodie Case stopped smiling last Friday only long enough to focus on the screen of a smartphone his stunned father asked him to read. "On the ESPN App, the headline said 'Young Cubs fan plays catch with Willson Contreras,'" Brodie recalled Thursday. "I was like, 'Oh, wow, that's cool, Dad. That's me!'" That was the kid whose innocent interaction with Contreras during a rain delay in the Cubs' 6-3 loss the Brewers attracted 2.1 million views on the Cubs' Facebook page — and counting. The kid who just finished the fifth grade at Somonauk Middle School in this small village of 1,884, about 65 miles west of Chicago, but will remember the moment if he ever takes his own children to the old ballpark. The kid who couldn't believe it when Contreras made eye contact with him just before play resumed in the Brewers sixth inning. "Contreras was just sitting there talking to the grounds crew and everybody was calling his name but he looked right at me and pointed," Brodie said. Naturally, the boy obeyed the gesture. An usher tried to stop Brodie from going to a spot about four rows behind the Cubs dugout, no more than 30 feet from where Contreras stood on the field in full gear. The usher relented after realizing the Cubs catcher had requested a game of catch with Brodie, who was wearing his Louisville Slugger glove. "He threw it to me first and motioned for me to throw it back so I was like, 'Oh, he wants to play catch,' and we played catch," Brodie said. "My first throw was pretty bad because I had a glove on and the ball kind of slipped. I got better. I was just concentrating on catching the ball so I wouldn't embarrass myself. … I didn't even pay attention to any cameras. I just kept thinking, 'Don't drop it.'" Brodie flashed a good glove, his smile growing wider after each one of Contreras' five tosses. Contreras told the Tribune's Paul Sullivan his "spur of the moment" decision to start throwing to Brodie resulted from the enthusiastic 25-year-old "just trying to have fun before the game started again." A home crowd thinned considerably by blustery 46-degree conditions watched with amusement as Sean Case looked on with such amazement he forgot to videotape one of the nicest gestures anyone ever will see from a professional athlete. "It was surreal, my son playing catch with a major-leaguer," Brodie's dad said.

Sean grew up on Addison Street in Wrigleyville, the kind of die-hard Cubs fan who sobbed calling Brodie after Game 7. He had seen hundreds of games at Clark and Addison but none affected him like this one, a Cubs' loss lasting 5 hours, 26 minutes but worth staying for every second. When Sean picked up Brodie in the morning, he fibbed by telling him they were going to a museum in Chicago only to produce Cubs tickets upon hitting city limits. And yet that wasn't even the biggest surprise of the day. "Willson Contreras has a fan for life, my new favorite Cub," said Sean, 40, who works at a car dealership in Bloomington, Ill. "I was like, 'Brodie, where'd that day rate?' He jumped up and reached his hand as high as it would go and said, 'Way up here, Dad.' It feels like he became an overnight internet sensation." The video went viral on local and national sports websites, with the Cubs posting it on various social-media platforms with the caption: "Waiting on a rain delay. So worth it. #ThatsCub". In Minnesota at a family wedding, Sarah Case had received a text from her ex-husband with a lot of exclamation points and ALL CAPS telling her what happened. Almost immediately, Sarah worried somebody at Brodie's school might have seen the video clip after she called the office that morning to excuse him for an out-of-town wedding. "Now he's all over TV at the Cubs game and I felt totally like Ferris Bueller's day off," Sarah said. "I thought, I guess we'll see what the teachers say. … But I think everybody saw it was such a rare thing. Contreras could have waved and walked away. Instead, he made a kid's day by doing something Brodie never will forget." At school Monday, Brodie brought the ball he and Contreras used in a plastic sandwich bag. One buddy, Drew White, who wears glasses with the Cubs logo, asked to hold the souvenir Brodie clutched as if it was the final out of the World Series. Even the teachers Sarah worried about got infected with Brodie Fever, with Cardinals fan Mrs. McAnally showing colleagues Brodie's highlight on her phone. "This is like a small town, 1,900 people, and Contreras chose a person from one of the tiniest towns in Illinois to come play catch with?" Brodie said. "I'm lucky. Everybody at school was like, 'How cool is that?'" At Central Ink in West Chicago, where Sarah works, the proud mom played coy Monday morning returning to an office full of Cubs fans. "I asked them, 'Did you see that kid who got to play catch with Willson Contreras?'" Sarah said. "Not everybody had. So I said, 'Yeah, that was Brodie.'" That was the charismatic kid who one day hopes to see Contreras again, and not just to ask the catcher to sign his special baseball. "I really just want to thank him," Brodie said. "This is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me." -- Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber a fan of Cubs' first theme trip: 'I love 'Anchorman'' By Chris Kuc The Cubs were channeling their inner local San Diego news team before facing the Giants Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Manager Joe Maddon made the 2004 movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” the theme for the team’s road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego, and Cubs players were getting in the spirit prior to Thursday’s homestand finale. Among players already in costume were pitchers Kyle Hendricks, who was sporting a blue plaid sport coat, Hector Rondon with a flashy ensemble that included a bow tie and infielder Javier Baez donning a 1970’s era leisure suit. Kyle Schwarber walked into the clubhouse wearing a cowboy hat to honor the character of sportscaster Champion “Champ” Kind.

“I love ‘Anchorman,’” Schwarber said with a grin. “Champ is my guy.” It was the first theme trip that Maddon has sprung on the team to keep it loose through the rigors of a 162-game regular season. The players wore their costumes on the team charter that left for Los Angeles Thursday evening. “Of course a win always makes it better but even after a loss it’s a good way to let it go,” Maddon said. “I think everybody has embraced the Anchorman very well. It would have been perfect going to to San Diego first but I’ll take it. “It’s pretty fun,”Maddon added. “I got my Botany 500 (suit) out. I’ll be wearing that (Thursday). ‘Sex Panther (cologne)’ is on board. I’m hearing a lot of good things about ‘Sex Panther.’ Sixty percent of the time it works every time. I want to know who wrote that. That is brilliant.” -- Chicago Tribune David Ross confesses he didn't get Anthony Rizzo's 'Anchorman' reference in Game 7 By Phil Thompson It's one of the iconic moments from Game 7 of the World Series and a big part of it was completely lost on David Ross. With the Cubs leading the Indians 4-1 in the fifth inning, Anthony Rizzo grabs Ross by the shoulders and admitted, "I'm in a glass case of emotion." Ross simply replied, "Wait until the ninth with this three-run lead." But Rizzo's "glass case" reference, a classic line from 2004's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," didn't seem to elicit much of a reaction from Ross himself, so when Ross appeared on ESPN radio host Mike Greenberg's show Thursday, Greenberg put it to him: "It does not appear obvious to me that you recognize that this is a line from a movie. Did you know that at the time and at what point did you find out that he was doing a line from a movie?" Ross fessed up, "No, I didn't know. At the time, I was just like I was in a whole wreck of emotions in myself; I'm just trying to keep myself calm. and he's coming up — and terrible advice by me, 'Oh, it's only going to get worse.' Like, way to go, veteran guy, way to calm him down. "Tommy (La Stella) was laughing, he knew the 'Anchorman' theme. And Tommy told me right after (Rizzo) left (for his at bat) — but they didn't play it (on TV) — he was like, 'That was a line from 'Anchorman.'' I was like, 'Oh, man.' I didn't pick up on it, I was so locked into the game. "We had a good laugh about it. Rizz was giving me crap: 'You were more nervous than I was, you didn't even recognize I was dropping movie lines.' I was like, dude, I was locked in. I just wanted to win. I was a nervous wreck too," Ross said. -- Chicago Tribune Giants' Jeff Samardzija allows rare walk, three homers in 'normal' start at Wrigley By Paul Skrbina Jeff Samardzija sat alone in his Giants uniform on the top step of the tunnel next to the visitor's clubhouse at Wrigley Field on Thursday. The 32-year-old right-hander was collecting his thoughts after his team's 5-1 loss.

Samardzija, a fifth-round pick of the Cubs in 2006 out of Notre Dame, walked into the ballpark he called home for the first 6 1/2 seasons of his major-league career having not allowed a walk to the last 132 batters he faced. That streak grew to 154 before Ian Happ reached ball four in the sixth inning. Samardzija walked out of the ballpark with a 1-6 record and 4.50 ERA in 68 innings spanning 10 starts. It was his first start on the North Side since Game 2 of last year's National League Division Series, when he was booed mercilessly and allowed four runs and six hits in two innings. The Padres' Jabari Blash had been the last player to walk against Samardzija, in the third inning April 28. "Someone previously mentioned it to me," Samardzija said of the streak. "We were just throwing (Happ) fastballs and missed a little bit." That wasn't on his mind as much as the three home runs he allowed Thursday. One of them, by Jason Heyward, landed in the basket in right field, and another, by Kris Bryant, would have if a fan hadn't caught it. "It's a tough way to take it," Samardzija said. "Gave up the one to (Ben) Zobrist that he hit well and two other Easter baskets, and you're sitting down 3-1." Samardzija had high hopes that Bryant's first-inning home run would fall short. "Put the head down and hope it ends up in some leather," he said. "But it didn't." Samardzjia, who also spent a season with the White Sox, called Thursday's start "normal" when asked whether it was strange being an opposing player at Wrigley. It was his 106th career game there and his second start as a visitor. He hit a double and said he was "pretty happy" with his seven innings on the mound, during which he allowed three runs, six hits and the one walk and struck out eight. "Against a team like that, it's a fine line," Samardzija said. "You've got to be on the whole time. I came off the basepaths and gave up the leadoff homer to Heyward. That can't happen." -- Chicago Tribune Addison Russell patiently working, waiting to get his stroke back By Chris Kuc Addison Russell had a scheduled day off as the Cubs wrapped up their nine-game homestand against the Giants on a sunny Thursday at Wrigley Field. But even if it already hadn't been determined the 23-year-old shortstop would take a seat on the bench in favor of Javier Baez, manager Joe Maddon would have had Russell out of the lineup anyway. "It was planned but I also believe that it was the right thing (Thursday) based on watching him (Wednesday night), especially," Maddon said before the Cubs defeated the Giants 5-1. Russell went 1-for-3 during the Cubs' 5-4 victory over the Giants on Wednesday to raise his average during the homestand to .154. For the season, Russell is batting .214 with three home runs and 19 RBIs. "Obviously, things haven't been going my way but I'm still in high spirits," Russell said. "Ultimately, it's just getting back to what got you here and then you have to grind it out. Even though it's my third year in the league, having this happen is definitely challenging in a different way.

"I can't wait to end up on the other side where there is a lot of success. Until that happens you have to keep up with the process and keep high spirits and pick your teammates up." Heating up: Jason Heyward rocketed balls all over Wrigley during the series against the Giants, including finding the basket in right field for his fifth home run Thursday. The veteran outfielder credits adjustments to his swing that he began making during the offseason. "I'm just trying to make adjustments as quick as possible — on the fly," Heyward said. "The name of the game is to give yourself a chance and be consistent. If I'm in tune to what's going on and … being mindful of every at bat, every pitch … that's how you stay out of slumps and just continue to make solid contact." Hairy situation: If Carl Edwards Jr. is looking a bit shaggy these days, that's by design. The Cubs reliever has decided not to cut his hair until he has a bad outing. The right-hander has been brilliant this season with a 1-0 record, 1.00 ERA and six holds. "We'll see how long it gets before I have a little struggle," Edwards Jr. said. Seeing Red: The Reds claimed right-hander Jake Buchanan off waivers from the Cubs. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs escalate quickly on winning homestand, finish off Giants 5-1 By Gordon Wittenmyer Kyle Schwarber is still struggling at the plate and could get much of the weekend off against the Dodgers with left-handed pitchers scheduled to face the Cubs. The Cubs are still looking for a little more from the pitching staff; shortstop Addison Russell is down to .214 and got a day off from hitting; and the Cubs put men in scoring position only three times all day Thursday. But after riding three solo homers to a 5-1 victory over the Giants to win that four-game series and close a 7-2 homestand Thursday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon smiled and offered a simple message: “Stay classy, Chicago.” Then he cleaned up, threw some Just For Men into his white locks and beard, changed into the closest thing he could find to a retro-‘70s suit and headed for the bus with other Ron Burgundys, Champ Kinds and Brick Tamlands from the Cubs’ clubhouse. Unlike much of the first six weeks of the season, it was much easier for Chicago to stay classy about the Cubs as they headed into the sunset for a six-game trip to the west coast – fresh from their first winning homestand of the season, riding a three-game winning streak and getting back to their high-water mark for the year of four games over .500. “We’re not there yet, but we’re definitely getting better,” Maddon said. During a homestand in which game-time temperatures ranged from 87 degrees to 46 and rain fell or threatened through most of it, the Cubs hit 20 home runs in nine games – including one each from Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist off ex-Cub Jeff Samardzija on Thursday. The starting pitching also began to stabilize – the rotation going 7-1 with a 3.27 ERA over the nine games (9-4, 3.02, over the last 14).

“I could have been a little better today,” said Eddie Butler (2-0), who was lifted after five innings (one run) with the middle of the Giants order due up in a one-run game. “I just failed a couple times to keep the ball in the zone. I really need to attack the guys even more.” Left-hander Mike Montgomery, the Cubs’ next option for a fifth starter if Butler falters, earned a rare four-inning save with a one-hit, scoreless relief effort. “I keep talking about trending in the right direction,” Maddon said. “I’m seeing that.” “We’ve just got it going now,” said Javy Baez, who started for Russell at short. “Obviously, we had a slow start, but we kept trying and everything’s playing out and we’re getting everything together.” Especially at home – where the Cubs were just 7-9 until sweeping the Reds to open the homestand (after going 57-24 at home last year). By the time they boarded their bus after the game, they were tied again for the National League Central lead, pending the Brewers’ and Cardinals’ night games. “We’ve got one of the better home-field advantages in sports, with the atmosphere, the fans, everything,” said Heyward, who has hit in all five games – including two homers – since returning from the disabled list Sunday (jammed finger). “We never take that for granted,” he said. Said Maddon: “I like what’s going on.” Even if it’s not everything he expects yet. Schwarber, the early-season leadoff hitter who was bumped to second and has sat against lefties recently, struck out four times Thursday. He’s hitting .181 with a team-leading 55 strikeouts in 160 at-bats. “When you strike out four times your confidence is going to take a hit,” Maddon said. “So we’ll just continue to talk to him. Watching form the side there’s not a whole lot different than when he’s been really good. We’ll just continue to work with him. I have all the faith and confidence in the world in this young man.” Asked if Schwarber could sit this weekend with the Dodgers starting tough lefties in Alex Wood Friday and Clayton Kershaw Sunday, Maddon said he hadn’t worked on those lineups yet. Schwarber strikes out in first “If the worst thing that happened today is that Kyle struggled a little bit, then I’ll take that because I know he’s going to work through it,” he said. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cub-hating at its core: How sly scheme tried to bring down 1907 Cubs By Rick Telander Even after a blah start and with improving play lately, the Cubs (25-21) are pretty close to where they need to be to get into the postseason a few months from now. Once in the postseason, who knows? They could win another World Series and be called a mini-dynasty. Would baseball, in general, like that? Hmmm.

Let me remind partly sated but ever-desirous Cubs nuts here: Not everybody loves your marching Cubs Nation. The Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals and Dodgers come to mind quickly as franchises that might not be thrilled with all the North Side noise. CT scans of final-out baseballs from (left to right) the 1907 World Series, 1908 World Series, 1908 NL clincher and 1945 World Series, plus Addison Russell’s grand slam ball from last Nov. 1. | University of Chicago Medical Center Here’s what’s interesting. There was a time long ago, before even your trusted scribe was born — the early 1900s, to be precise — when the Cubs were a dynasty, and some folks were getting quite upset about it. How upset? After the 1906 and 1907 seasons, in which the Cubs won a combined 223 games, including a major-league-record 116 in 1906, there was an MLB memo, reported by the Chicago Daily News in October 1908, that claimed the Cubs were continuing to win “in spite of the ‘Good of the League’ policy, which was announced at the opening of the season, meaning the defeat of the Chicago club.” You talk about your run-of-the-mill CIA conspiracies; this was the whole world against the Cubs. The essence of the complaint was that the Cubs were so dominant, people were bored and attendance was dropping (as depicted in a Tribune cartoon showing a lone fan in the empty bleachers, sighing “Ho-hum” above an outfield wall that read “1907”). So what happened? It gets interesting. According to research done by amateur baseball sleuth and maniac memorabilia collector Grant DePorter, CEO of Harry Caray’s restaurants, in 1907 the Detroit Tigers — and maybe baseball itself — did something to attempt to stop the Cubs: They messed with the World Series ball. DePorter owns not only the final-out World Series balls from 1907 and 1908 (both games won by the Cubs against the Tigers, in Detroit), but also the grand-slam ball from the Cubs’ Game 6 World Series victory against the Cleveland Indians last November. Doing what only DePorter would do, he had the balls CT-scanned at the University of Chicago Medical Center and, with the aid of radiologists Dr. Richard Heller and Dr. Kate Feinstein, discovered the 1907 ball was the only one with no center to it. That is, it was wadded with something other than the mandatory cork or rubber, and it was essentially, it appeared, a “mush” ball. Enter Dave Wiley, president of McCrone Associates, a laboratory specializing in microanalysis of materials. Wiley determined the particles inside the ball were, indeed, not rubber or cork but a plant leaf mixed in with the yarn. A manufacturer in New York declared around the turn of the century that its own “professional dead balls are made of all yarn without rubber and are the deadest balls made.” Those balls were floating about in the early 1900s. Back in that day, the home teams provided the balls for all games, and the assumption here is the sneaky Tigers — or somebody in cahoots with them — used some dead balls in an attempt to stop the Cubs’ high-powered offense. In the first three games of the 1907 World Series, played in Chicago, there were an average of 18 hits a game. In the final two in Detroit, there were 13 per game, a sharp drop. The Tigers started bunting in the first game at home, and, by the end, the Cubs seemed to catch on, and there were 10 total bunts. But the deviousness, if that’s what it was — and it surely seems so — didn’t work. The Cubs swept the Tigers (with a tie thrown in) 4-0-1 in 1907 and beat them 4-1 in 1908, with a clean ball. For the decade from 1904 to 1913, the Cubs averaged 98.6 victories in a 154-game schedule. Juggernaut they were, even if 1908 would be their last World Series victory until last season.

Cheating was a little more blatant back in olden baseball days. You’ll recall that 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal, I’m sure. But how about a sinister ball being used on you? DePorter has CT-scanned many other Cubs baseballs through the years, and the 1907 “streak-stopper” is the only one he has found with no legitimate center. Bottom line? A cheating ball is something you only have to worry about if you’re the best. The Cubs need to get there again, just to think about such happy stuff. -- Chicago Sun-Times Trade Javy Baez? ‘No intent on our part,’ says Cubs manager Joe Maddon By Gordon Wittenmyer Cubs manager Joe Maddon used a scheduled day off for shortstop Addison Russell to show off the Cubs’ other Gold Glove-caliber option at the position – and to remind the Javy Baez-for-pitching trade-mongers why the Cubs are more likely to trade secrets with the Russians than Baez at the deadline. “A lot of times when people are mentioned in a trade, sometimes if it’s perceived that they’re not going well, people want to push them to the front of the line,” said Maddon, adding that perceived depth or redundancy at a position area is another factor. “I think Javy’s going to be in that position for a bit,” Maddon said. “No intent on our part. However, he’s still going to be mentioned in those moments because of what I just said; he’s going to go good or bad.” Baez, who slumped through April, has heated up during the just-concluded 10-day homestand, even batting leadoff Wednesday. In the field? In Thursday’s 5-1 victory over the Giants, he closed the eighth with a spectacular stop in the hole, leaped to his feet and threw a Kyle Hendricks fastball (84.1 mph) to first to get Joe Panik by a half-step. General manager Jed Hoyer reiterated Thursday on WSCR-AM the points he made a week earlier in a conversation with the Sun-Times, outlining the reasons Baez is not being considered in the Cubs’ trade plans – including a reluctance to trade from the big-league core and Baez’s “ability to change a game” offensively or defensively. “This kid is impactful,” Maddon said. “Given the nature of our team, with the young guys, you’re going to hear [rumors]. If you’re going to attempt to get pitching you’re going to hear the typical names mentioned. “Being able to give Addy a rest with Baez at short – I mean, that’s just a beautiful thing to be able to do. And I can’t emphasize enough: If you like our kids, just wait a little bit, continue to fertilize them, nurture them. They’re going to keep getting better.” Notes: Giants left fielder Eduardo Nunez, who was 4-for-11 in the first three games of the series, was scratched from Thursday’s lineup because of a tight hamstring. …The Reds claimed right-hander Jake Buchanan off waivers after the Cubs designated him for assignment Monday to make room on the 40-man roster for reliever Zac Rosscup. Buchanan made one start and a relief appearance for the Cubs last year. …When Cubs closer Wade Davis allowed a two-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday, it snapped a streak of 64 1/3 innings without allowing a homer that dated to last September. It also snapped his streak of 18 scoreless appearances, the longest by a Cub to start a season since Les Lancaster (20) in 1989. …With a 3-for-4 day, Ben Zobrist extended his streak of reaching base via hit or walk to 22 games, the third-longest active streak in the majors. …Jason Heyward’s go-ahead line drive into the right-field basket in the fifth inning was his fifth homer of the season. He had one at this point last year and didn’t hit his fifth until July 29. --

Daily Herald Maddon knows MLB sellers will have an eye on elite prospects By Russell Dorsey The Cubs have made no secret that they are going to be buyers when the trade market thaws and other teams around MLB have taken note. With the Cubs' system rich with both elite prospects and major league-ready talent, it's no surprise that many of manager Joe Maddon's players have come up in trade rumors, especially when it comes to young players like Ian Happ, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez. "A lot of times when people are mentioned in a trade, sometimes if it's perceived that they aren't doing well people want to push them to the front of the line, then all of a sudden, they start doing well and they go to the back of the line," Maddon said. "I just think the nature of our team with young guys, you're going to hear that. If you're going to attempt to get pitching, you're going to hear the typical names mentioned." Davis stepping into leadership role: After David Ross' retirement and Dexter Fowler departing to St. Louis via free agency, the team needed new leaders to emerge and several have done just that including closer Wade Davis, whose example hasn't gone unnoticed by his manager. "He's a really good mentor to the other guys," Maddon said. "They'll walk into the video room and he'll be sitting there with a reliever or a catcher. There's a lot of respect. Coming from an organization like the Rays with really good pitching help, regarding coaching. He was raised properly and he's passing that along." Schwarber still struggling: Kyle Schwarber's struggles at the plate continued Thursday as he went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts. He enters Friday's series against the Dodgers hitting .181 this season. His 55 strikeouts ranks first on the team and third in the National League. The Dodgers will have two left-handers Alex Wood (5-0, 1.88 ERA) and Clayton Kershaw (7-2, 2.01 ERA) on the mound against the Cubs and with Schwarber's recent struggles, he will likely sit against two of the best southpaws in the NL. Home cookin': The Cubs probably aren't thrilled to leave the friendly confines of Wrigley Field after finishing the homestand with a 7-2 record. The team started the season going 5-5 in their first ten home games, but have flipped the script in May. The Cubs' offense has returned to form, hitting 21 home runs and averaging just over six runs a game over the last ten home games. -- Daily Herald Strong pitching, 3 homers boost Cubs over Giants By Russell Dorsey First Jon Lester, then Kyle Hendricks and now Eddie Butler. The Chicago Cubs' fifth starter took his turn at shutting down the opposition as the Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-1 at a surprisingly sunny Wrigley Field on Thursday afternoon.

Butler did his best to follow up the performances of both Lester and Hendricks and continued the recent success for Cubs starting pitching. Following his last start where he lasted just 3 innings and had little control, Butler attacked the strike zone, allowing little solid contact in Thursday's afternoon contest. Swingman Mike Montgomery pitched 4 shutout innings in relief to earn the save. "I thought Eddie (Butler) was obviously better than the last time, not as sharp as he can be, but effective and functional," said manager Joe Maddon. "To have (him) and (Montgomery) go five innings and four innings was huge, especially because Wade was not available today." The biggest turning point in the game came in the top of the fifth inning as a double, wild pitch and walk put Giants on the corners with one out. Butler picked off Denard Span at first and got out of the inning unscathed. Butler earned his second win of the season by working 5 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk. The lone run in the game for the Giants came in the first inning as first baseman Brandon Belt hit an RBI double to give the Giants an early 1-0 lead. "Could have been better today," Butler said. "Couple of times failing to keep the ball to keep the ball in the zone, and I need to attack guys in the zone even more. If I do what I expect to do and I'm able to go out there every time and continue attacking guys, I should be able to hold this spot for the rest of the season." The victory was just the second time this season Cubs starters have won three consecutive starts, the last time coming May 16-18 (Lackey, Hendricks, Lester). The offense wasn't amazing, but the Cubs (9 hits on the day) backed up their starter with the long ball. Jason Heyward's sixth home run of the season in the fifth inning gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead. Heyward's homer was his second in the past three games. Kris Bryant (first inning) and Ben Zobrist (sixth inning) both had solo shots. "We all understand that we're going to run into those homers and not necessarily try to make it happen, but relax, take it easy and be aggressive in the strike zone," said Heyward of the team's recent power surge. "We just have to let it come to us." The Cubs added 2 insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on three singles followed by a wild pitch by Giants reliever Josh Osich. The Cubs are now a 9-0 when homering three times or more in a game. Jeff Samardzija (1-6) took the loss, giving up only 6 hits and 3 runs through seven innings. Next up is a West Coast road trip, starting with a return to Dodger Stadium for the first time since their 8-4 victory in Game 5 of the NLCS. Starter Jake Arrieta, who will take the ball for the Cubs on Friday, is coming off one of his best starts of 2017 against the Brewers on May 21. -- Cubs.com Cubs crack three HRs in finale W over Giants By Carrie Muskat and Chris Haft CHICAGO -- The Cubs picked up the home run pace on Thursday as Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist each hit solo shots to post a 5-1 victory over the Giants and Jeff Samardzija for their seventh win in the past nine games. Bryant launched his 11th homer with two outs in the first, and Heyward and Zobrist led off the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, to hand the Giants their 12th loss in the past 14 games at Wrigley Field, which includes postseason play. Chicago now has 26 home runs in the past 14 games, second-most in the National League behind the D-backs (28).

"We have that kind of power on our team," manager Joe Maddon said of the Cubs, who finished the 7-2 homestand with 20 homers. "We needed to get into our groove a little bit. It is a part of our game." Said Cubs starter Eddie Butler: "Long balls are fun, and they're contagious. Guys are really swinging it well right now and having fun." All three homers came off Samardzija, who was facing his former team for the first time since losing Game 2 of the NL Division Series in October at Wrigley Field. The right-hander, drafted by the Cubs and on the team from 2008-14, struck out eight over seven innings. "Facing a lineup like theirs, you have to be 'on' the whole time," Samardzija said. Besides taking the loss, Samardzija also walked rookie Ian Happ with two outs in the sixth; he had gone 154 batters since the last free pass he issued. "We were throwing him fastballs," said Samardzija, who worked the count to 3-2, "and just missed a little bit." Butler picked up the win, and he improved to 4-0 in his career against the Giants. He's 4-16 with a 6.72 ERA against all other teams. San Francisco's only run came in the first when Denard Span doubled to lead off and scored one out later on Brandon Belt's double. The Cubs took advantage of sloppy play in the eighth to add two more runs. Chicago loaded the bases against Josh Osich, and his first pitch to Heyward skipped in the dirt for a wild pitch. One run scored, and then another on catcher Buster Posey's throwing error. Mike Montgomery notched a four-inning save for the Cubs, holding the Giants scoreless and yielding only one hit. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bleacher creatures: Bryant may have gotten a little help from a fan in the bleachers. He launched the first pitch from Samardzija to left, and a fan reached out and snagged the ball with his glove. Giants left fielder Mac Williamson seemed to indicate the fan interfered, but manager Bruce Bochy did not challenge the call, though the team's review crew telephoned him to request an examination of replays. However, the phone did not ring in the Giants' dugout. "It was ironic that as soon as that came up, the phones stopped working," said Bochy, who defused controversy by agreeing that Bryant's homer was legitimate. Said Maddon about the fan: "I think it's almost impossible to reach that far." Say Hey: All the work Heyward put into his swing in the offseason has paid off. He hit four homers in 79 games in the first half of 2016, and he is well ahead of that pace with his fifth on Thursday (he didn't hit his fifth in '16 until July 29). According to Statcast™, his home run had an exit velocity of 108 mph and traveled 373 feet, landing in the basket rimming the right-field bleachers. On Wednesday, the wind blew a potential homer foul; it wasn't a factor this time. "He looks very confident," Maddon said of Heyward. "He's playing at the top of his game right now." UNDER REVIEW With one out in the Giants' fifth, Butler threw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo in attempt to pick off Span. Span was called safe by first base umpire Doug Eddings, but the Cubs challenged the ruling. After a review, the call was overturned and Span was out. Butler got Joe Panik to ground out and end the inning, which was key for the Cubs, Maddon said.

"I'll tell you what was big was the pickoff," Maddon said. "That set it all up -- that permitted Panik to make the last out. The tipping point for us in that game was the pickoff at first base." GLOVEWORK The Cubs' defense shined. Happ made two stellar catches, robbing Span of a hit for the second out in the third, and grabbing Posey's fly ball on the run for the second out of the sixth. In the eighth, shortstop Javier Baez threw out Panik from shallow left, and his throw was clocked at 84.1 mph, the 10th-hardest throw to first by a shortstop that Statcast™ has tracked this season. "That play, after I caught the ball, I had pretty good balance, and I felt like I made a strong throw, really strong," Baez said. WHAT'S NEXT Giants: The Braves come to AT&T Park, where the Giants own an 11-10 record, to open a three-game series on Friday at 7:15 p.m. PT on MLB.TV. This date will also launch a six-game homestand for San Francisco, which will give the ball to Matt Cain in the opener. Cain has not faced Atlanta since 2015. Cubs: Jake Arrieta will open the Cubs' West Coast road trip on Friday, pitching at one of his favorite ballparks, Dodger Stadium. Arrieta threw his first career no-hitter there on Aug. 30, 2015, against the Dodgers. In his most recent outing, the right-hander gave up one unearned run over six innings. First pitch will be 9:10 p.m. CT on MLB.TV. -- Cubs.com Heyward's offseason swing work paying off By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- The Cubs' Jason Heyward knew all the work he did on his swing this offseason paid off in the eighth inning Wednesday night. The Giants had called on lefty Steven Okert to face Heyward, who fouled off the first pitch, then tripled to right. That good feeling continued Thursday when Heyward hit a solo homer in Chicago's 5-1 win over San Francisco. "For me, that [triple] was like, 'All right, this is going to stay fair,'" said Heyward, who has watched too many well-struck balls go foul this year. "I know each game, each at-bat, I have to be able to adjust. The triple I had [Wednesday] night, that was a really good swing, just to be able to adjust mid at-bat because the first [pitch] I pulled foul, and [Okert] made a good pitch. The next one, he still made a good pitch and it was inside, and staying inside it and being able to drive it to right field with backspin, that's a good thing." That's a really good sign for Heyward, who began renovating his swing in November in Mesa, Ariz., after batting .230 in 2016, his first season with the Cubs. When first asked Thursday if there was one swing in which he felt everything clicked, Heyward smiled. "Yeah, but they go foul," Heyward said. It's become a running joke on the Cubs. "I was telling guys today, if I hit it in the basket, it can't go foul," Heyward said of his homer off Jeff Samardzija leading off the fifth that landed in the basket rimming the right-field wall. "I'm having good swings, trying to go up there with an approach every at-bat and trying to be aggressive in the strike zone and not miss good pitches to hit." Heyward now has five homers this year; he didn't hit his fifth of 2016 until July 29 and finished the season with seven. The goal has been to balance being tension-free and still aggressive in the strike zone.

"I don't feel you can ignore [last year]," Heyward said. "You have to be aware and make adjustments. We're going to fail way more times than we'll succeed. That's why it's a humbling game. You always take failure and learn from it and go from there." Manager Joe Maddon sees a difference. "He looks very confident," Maddon said of Heyward. "It's nice to see that because he's close -- I know close is horseshoes -- but the foul balls and [balls off the] top of the wall, he's really been swinging the bat well and confidently. Then you have the high level of defense, so he's playing at the top of his game right now." Heyward knows he has to keep working to maintain the good feeling he has now at the plate. He'd also like to stop getting asked about 2016. Yes, the Cubs won the World Series, but it's over. "We don't care about last year," Heyward said. "It's not going to do anything for us now other than having experience. Right now is right now. We have to go play tomorrow, and that's going to be another thing. ... Last year was awesome, but we have to play right now, and I feel right now we're doing a great job playing baseball the way we can collectively and let things come to us. We're not trying to do too much, not trying to create excitement. It'll be there." -- Cubs.com Bryant homers -- with or without fan's grab By Carrie Muskat and Chris Haft CHICAGO -- Ultimately, nobody disputed that Kris Bryant belted a first-inning home run Thursday afternoon to propel the Cubs to a 5-1 victory over the Giants. Initially, however, the Giants would have appreciated a chance to discuss the matter. But technology stepped in -- or, as was the case, tuned out. A fan seated in the left-field bleachers reached for Bryant's drive and snagged it with his glove. Giants left fielder Mac Williamson seemed to indicate the fan interfered with the play, but manager Bruce Bochy did not challenge it. In fact, the Giants' replay review crew of Shawon Dunston (yes, the former Cubs All-Star shortstop) and Chad Chop tried telephoning Bochy to advise a review. But the phone did not ring in the visitors' dugout. By the time Dunston scampered to the dugout from his battery of video monitors, which was located a few turns away along the tunnel between the clubhouse and the dugout, Giants starter Jeff Samardzija was already preparing to pitch to the next hitter, Anthony Rizzo. Thus, it was too late for the Giants to say, "Ahem." Bochy wasn't at all upset over the incident, citing "sources" who assured him that Bryant's homer was legitimate. Said Bochy, "I talked to the umpires about it. I said it was ironic as soon as that came up, the phones stopped working." Williamson said with a grin that the phone outage was "very convenient." Said Bryant, "I didn't get enough of a chance to see it. If he did [interfere], he did a bad job of selling it. I don't know. I got back in the dugout and nobody was saying anything. And then I went out for the next inning and their coach was telling me, he's like, 'Yeah, like, I guess the guy reached over.'" The fan reached across the basket that rims the top of the bleachers, which is actually a chain-link fence, and he appeared to extend his glove beyond the yellow rope that is at the top. Balls have to clear that rope to be home runs.

The solo homer was Bryant's 11th this season, tying him with Rizzo for the team lead. According to Statcast™, it had an exit velocity of 94 mph and traveled 361 feet. The mark on the left-field wall near where the ball went reads "368." Williamson gesticulated to the umpires "to at least get their attention that [fan interference] was a possibility." Having played in and managed hundreds of games at Wrigley Field, Bochy realized that Bryant's drive was a homer due to the way it reached the basket. "I didn't see any reason to [challenge], to be honest, at first," Bochy said. -- Cubs.com Maddon impressed with Davis' demeanor By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Wade Davis is 10-for-10 in save opportunities this season, but on Wedensday night, he served up a two-run homer to snap a stretch of 64 1/3 homerless innings. It also was his first game in a week. Does Cubs manager Joe Maddon need to get his closer more work? "He'll tell me," Maddon said Thursday about Davis. "If he needs to be out there, he'll let me know." Maddon knows Davis well from their days together in Tampa Bay, but what's been enjoyable to the manager is seeing the right-hander mentor the Cubs' young pitchers. "Often, I'll walk through the video room, and he'll be sitting there with a young relief pitcher or a catcher," Maddon said. "There's a lot of respect. A lot of guys come to me and say, 'Listen, Wade is really great to be around,' 'Wade is this,' 'Wade is that.' He's grown into this." Maddon said Davis was "raised properly" by the Rays coaches and players. "He's passing it along," Maddon said. "He goes out there and has a great cutter, slider, fastball, curve, but he's very good with everyone around him." • Jon Lester's complete game on Tuesday and Kyle Hendricks' seven-inning outing on Wednesday marked the first time this season Cubs starters have gone at least seven frames in back-to-back games. Prior to that, Chicago starters had gone at least seven innings four times in 43 games. "We're still kind of heating up," Jake Arrieta said. "June, July, August, we'd love to see a bunch of seven, eight-inning outings. There's a lot of things that go into that. The feel and crispness of our offspeed pitches -- it takes a while for all of that to come around, and not that we can't pitch well and have success early in the season, but to force early contact and throw quality breaking balls and get early outs. "There's also a lot of luck -- well, not luck, but you have to have good fortune," Arrieta said. "You have to have cooperation from the other side, you have to be on top of your game, defense has to be playing pretty crisp behind you. That's the goal -- we all want to finish the seventh and be in the eighth with the ball in our hands." Plus, none of the starters want to be the weak link. "There's that competitiveness within the starting group to do what the guy did before or out-pitch him, and not for selfish reasons but to help the team," Arrieta said. "Kyle goes seven, I go eight, Jon goes nine, [John] Lackey goes nine -- that's great for us. It means we're doing a lot of things really well." • Maddon said if players are being mentioned in trade rumors, it's usually because they're struggling or the team has a lot of depth at that position. Infielder Javier Baez seems to be popular in recent trade buzz.

"I think the nature of our team with young guys, you'll hear that," Maddon said. "If you're going to attempt to get pitching, you'll hear the typical names mentioned. From our players' perspective, I hope they don't take [the rumors] to heart too often. ... None of these guys are nearly as good as they'll be in a couple years, so be patient." • The Cubs have had to endure a lot of rain during their homestand. "This weather's been a little unpredictable lately," Kyle Schwarber said. "We think someone is just hitting a sprinkler button every time we run out on the field. But we're ready to get out there [to California], have some nice weather, but we're going to focus on today, worry about today and worry about the '70s later." The Cubs head to the West Coast after Thursday's game for a six-game road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego. The '70s reference is because this is a themed road trip, with players asked to dress like the "Anchorman" movie. • On Thursday, the Reds claimed right-handed pitcher Jake Buchanan off waivers from the Cubs. Buchanan, who was starting at Triple-A Iowa, was designated for assignment on Monday to open a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Zac Rosscup. -- Cubs.com Arrieta faces Dodgers, returns to site of no-no By Scott Chasen The Cubs' most recent meeting with the Dodgers carried higher stakes, but that doesn't mean the current matchup won't provide a solid litmus test. Seven months after the Cubs defeated the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS to advance to the World Series, the teams will meet again for a three-game set at Dodger Stadium, the first of which will see Cubs righty Jake Arrieta (5-3, 4.80 ERA) take the mound against Dodgers lefty Alex Wood (5-0, 1.88 ERA). The game will mark Arrieta's first regular-season start at Dodger Stadium since he threw a no-hitter there on Aug. 30, 2015, but he won't be the only one looking forward to the warmer California weather. "We're looking forward to it. This [Chicago] weather has been a little unpredictable lately," said Kyle Schwarber. "We think someone's just hitting a sprinkler button every time we run out in the field." As of Thursday morning, the forecast for Los Angeles was all clear, with temperatures in the 60s and a low chance of precipitation. So the Cubs' biggest challenge will be a Dodgers squad that has taken each of its past two home series against them. Three things to know about this game • This season has been by far the most productive of Wood's career. The left-hander has put together three straight scoreless outings, striking out a combined 25 batters while walking four in 18 1/3 innings. • Arrieta has thrived against the Dodgers, pitching 16 straight regular-season shutout innings. Over his career, Arrieta has held Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Utley to a combined .038 (1-for-26) batting average while blanking Joc Pederson (0-for-6), Yasmani Grandal (0-for-4), Enrique Hernandez (0-for-3) and Franklin Gutierrez (0-for-1). • Opponents have gone 19-for-49 (.388) against Arrieta's slider, an average that is the highest among 59 pitchers who have had at least 40 at-bats end with sliders this year. However, Statcast puts Arrieta's expected average allowed on sliders at just .242 based on the hit probabilities of the balls put in play. --

ESPNChicago.com Theme trips and W's? Cubs are ready to have some fun By Jesse Rogers LOS ANGELES -- A winning homestand -- and a spot atop the NL Central -- followed by their first theme trip of the season. The Chicago Cubs are starting to look and feel like the Cubs team that took the league by storm under manager Joe Maddon, leading to last fall's World Series title. It may not be a coincidence that the fun off the field has corresponded to the wins on it, as the schedule is finally playing in the Cubs' favor. "The beginning of the season has been so abstract," Maddon said before leaving on the trip, which includes a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that begins Friday. "We've had celebrations and rain delays, and then we go to Boston and have the Yankees come here. We've been busy. I didn't want to interfere with any of that." That's why Maddon chose this weekend to break out his first dress-up road trip, with players donning their best '70s garb in honor of the movie "Anchorman," one of Maddon's favorites. But the reasons for the lack of outward fun until this point also have contributed to an up-and-down start. And every time the Cubs thought they were past the choppy beginning, something else came up. Remember that 18-inning loss to the New York Yankees? That stayed with them for a week. Infielder Ben Zobrist was asked recently to sum up the season to this point. He didn't think long. "Fatigue," he told Chicago's ESPN 1000. "We're still a little bit fatigued from the offseason. I think we're getting past that, but I think the early part of the season has been fatiguing. Once it gets warm and stays warm and once we get on a track and stay on a track, we're going to get really hot." If the Cubs never do heat up completely, we'll look back at the first couple of months differently. Right now, it's had all the elements of a classic championship hangover combined with unforeseen circumstances. The 7-2 homestand -- capped by a 5-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday -- is a start toward the kind of record expected for this team, but that's all it is right now. "We think [that] will be the worst we play all season," Zobrist said. "We're way better than this." Maddon concurred, but he also stressed that he didn't break out a theme trip because of the Cubs' slow start. There have been moments that he's used that tactic before, including a time in New York in 2015 when he brought a magician into the clubhouse during a rough stretch of games -- but that was a younger team still learning how to navigate a season. If a true wake-up call is needed for this year's team, it will come later in the season. "It was just about going to San Diego," Maddon said. "That's all. Back then I thought the time was right for the magician. We needed something to break things up." Maddon also said he did less outside-the-box stuff in spring training because strength coach Tim Buss "had it covered." "He didn't need me," Maddon stated. "I let Buss do his thing." So if you noticed the Cubs didn't seem to have as much fun on display as last season, it was mostly a function of circumstances -- though the losses of Dexter Fowler and David Ross also contributed -- and there was no way to match the high of the end of last season. As Maddon often says, it has to happen organically. "We'll do more, but unless I feel there's a need, it usually happens on its own," Maddon explained. "There's usually a trigger."

As for the play on the field, Maddon and Zobrist have been around long enough to know when there is need for worry and when things aren't far from coming together. They both feel the latter is more likely happening than not. "The ingredients are there," Zobrist said. "We know we can play better and we're starting to." --