September 16, 2017

Chicago Sun-Times, John Lackey melts down, blames ump; Cubs crush Cards 8-2 anyway http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/john-lackey-melts-down-blames-ump-cubs-crush-cards-8-2-anyway/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Addison Russell on the verge of making his long-awaited return http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-addison-russell-on-the-verge-of-making-his-long-awaited-return/

Chicago Sun-Times, John Lackey, Willson Contreras ejected from Cubs-Cardinals opener http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/john-lackey-willson-contreras-ejected-from-cubs-cardinals-opener/

Daily Herald, Fireworks erupt, but Cubs hitters keep heads, knock off Cards http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170915/fireworks-erupt-but-cubs-hitters-keep-heads-knock-off-cards

Daily Herald, Epstein on Thursday's win "it wasn't an oil painting" http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170915/epstein-on-thursdays-win-x201cit-wasnt-an-oil-paintingx201d

Cubs.com, Cubs ride 7-run 6th to eventful win over Cards http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254435924/cubs-ride-7-run-6th-to-eventful-win-over-cards/

Cubs.com, Lackey, Contreras ejected after disputed call http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254430882/cubs-john-lackey-willson-contreras-ejected/

Cubs.com, Arrieta set for determining bullpen session http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254409790/cubs-jake-arrieta-to-throw-bullpen-session/

Cubs.com, Wacha, Hendricks to duel in NL Central clash http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254409112/wacha-hendricks-to-duel-in-nl-central-clash

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' offense takes charge against Cards after starting battery gets boot http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45718/cubs-offense-takes-charge-after-starting-battery-gets-the-boot

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' Theo Epstein says bullpen improvement key down the stretch http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20715345/chicago-cubs-president-theo-epstein-wants-see-improvement

CSNChicago.com, John Lackey and Willson Contreras go absolutely bonkers on home plate umpire after insane call in Cubs-Cardinals http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/john-lackey-and-willson-contreras-go-absolutely-bonkers-home-plate-umpire-after-insane-call-cubs-cardinals-ejected

CSNChicago.com, After 'Murphy's Law' strikes bullpen, Cubs searching for answers at pivotal point in season http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/after-murphys-law-strikes-bullpen-cubs-searching-answers-pivotal-point-season-theo-epstein-maddon-playoffs-october

CSNChicago.com, Theo Epstein doesn't see a shortstop controversy for Cubs with Addison Russell nearing return http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/theo-epstein-doesnt-see-shortstop-controversy-cubs-addison-russell-nearing-return-javy-baez-maddon-playoffs

Chicago Tribune, Say what you will, John Lackey tirade might have been 'spark' Cubs needed http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-john-lackey-tirade-cubs-sullivan-spt-0916-20170915-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez joins shortstop class that has lived up to golden reputation http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sullivan-big-hit-baseball-spt-0917-20170916-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs survive immature outburst from John Lackey — again http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-john-lackey-immature-outburst--haugh-spt-0916-20170915-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs bullpen excels after John Lackey ejection in victory over Cardinals http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-cardinals-spt-0916-20170915-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Best case: Jake Arrieta could return for Brewers series next weekend http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jake-arrieta-brewers-cubs-notes-spt-0916-20170915-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Will Willson Contreras earn a suspension? http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-will-willson-contreras-possible-suspension-20170916-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Kyle Schwarber's Cubs future no longer a certainty after season of struggle http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-kyle-schwarber-cubs-mcgrath-spt-0917-20170916-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Reliever Hector Rondon sidelined with elbow inflammation http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-hector-rondon-20170915-story.html

-- Chicago Sun-Times John Lackey melts down, blames ump; Cubs crush Cards 8-2 anyway By Steve Greenberg Umpire Jordan Baker is so bad. How bad is he? So bad, the Cubs should think about throwing a parade in his honor. Or at least letting him sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” before the end of the weekend. John Lackey and Willson Contreras are such babies. Their kicking and screaming in the Cubs’ 8-2 victory Friday against the Cardinals was so over-the-top ridiculous, all it accomplished was igniting a comeback for their most important win of the season. Up was down and black was white at Wrigley Field in the opening game of an all-important series between division rivals. The Cubs’ starting pitcher and rising-star catcher melted down in the fifth inning of a nip-and-tuck game, putting their team at risk of a bad day . . . or maybe a terrible series . . . or, gasp, a stretch run gone completely awry. Nope. Lackey and Contreras got themselves kicked out, and an inning later, their teammates were kicking the toasted ravioli out of the Cardinals with seven mighty big runs. “I think it was a nice little spark for us,” third baseman Kris Bryant said, “and some energy that we needed.” Hey, whatever works.

What made this one go haywire? With Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez at bat and facing a two-strike count against Lackey, a pitch danced over the plate — easily inside any “K zone” — and into Contreras’ glove. Strike three, right? Martinez even took several steps toward the visitors’ dugout, yet Baker just stood there. An incredulous Lackey nearly got tossed right then and there. With a runner on second, Martinez stepped back into the box and singled home the go-ahead run on the next pitch. Lackey, lighting up Baker as he ran in to back up home plate, was ejected before the runner even scored. Then things really got nuts as Baker rang up Contreras, too. Contreras flung his mask into the dirt, but it bounced up and made contact with Baker’s leg — instantly raising questions about a potential suspension. “I don’t have any concern on my part,” said Contreras, who nevertheless apologized to fans, Major League Baseball and Baker. After the game, Lackey was still doing a slow burn. “It’s a pretty big spot right there,” he said. “[Baker] cost me a big-league win. Those don’t grow on trees.” That’s especially true, of course, during a pennant race. Lackey clearly had a hand in costing himself what would’ve been his 12th victory, but the bottom line is the first-place Cubs put themselves four games in front of the Cardinals with a mere 15 to play. The Brewers are three back. The Cubs are 9-4 against the Cardinals, 6-1 at Wrigley. As off-the-rails as this game got — on a day when the Cubs passed the 3 million mark in attendance for the second consecutive year — it felt a bit like order had been restored. The Cardinals are still threats to the Cubs, but it has been pretty well established how these rivals stack up head-to-head. As for Lackey’s temper, well, it’s pretty well established, too. Wouldn’t it have been better if the 15-year veteran had gotten ahold of his anger and stuck around in a critical game? “Impossible,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I could say I’d like to see that, but why would I even think that? That’s the definition of insanity. Why would I think he’s going to change in that moment?” Maybe he’ll be a calmer, cooler pitcher in his 40s. Or his 50s? Up was down. Black was white. It couldn’t have worked out any better if the Cubs had drawn it up that way. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Addison Russell on the verge of making his long-awaited return By Steve Greenberg Remember Addison Russell? A long time ago, he played shortstop for the Cubs. Any day now, he’ll actually be back in action. Russell, who has been sidelined since Aug. 3 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, indicated before the Cubs’ 8-2 victory Friday against the Cardinals that he could make an appearance in this weekend series at Wrigley Field. “I’m ready to get out there,” he said. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein slowed that roll a bit, saying there will be no talk of activating Russell until after a Saturday workout. But it’s coming, unless — perish the thought — Russell has another setback like the one he had three weeks ago.

“Just talking to him on the bench during the games, he’s really excited,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He feels good about himself. He’s pain-free.” This is as good a time as any to tamp down speculation about Cubdom’s favorite defensive player, Javy Baez, remaining at shortstop and forcing Russell over to second base. It will be the other way around, with Russell manning the position he played so well as the Cubs battled to last fall’s World Series title. Even at second, Baez’s defense was one of the biggest stories of the postseason. “We’re a damn good defensive unit with Addy at short and Javy at second,” Epstein said. Also confirmed: If Russell — who’ll be worked back slowly, perhaps not playing a full nine innings for a while — is healthy, it’s a given he’ll play in the postseason. If the Cubs make the playoffs, that is. “I see these guys go to work every day, and they’re having fun,” Russell said. “I want to be more a part of that.” The dream scenario Left-hander Jose Quintana remembers the atmosphere on the South Side as he faced, and beat, the Tigers as a member of the White Sox in September 2012. The teams were in a division race that the Sox would end up losing by three games. That was Quintana’s answer when asked what he felt was the biggest start of his career. Quintana is pretty sure the answer will change Sunday, when he faces the Cardinals in the finale of a three-game series. “That’s the reason I’m here,” he said, “to win games like that one.” Two months into his Cubs career, Quintana is thinking bigger all the time. “I dream about the World Series, pitching in Game 7, so I think we can do it,” he said. “But we don’t want it to go seven. Get the Series over as quick as we can. But, for sure, I think about that moment a lot.” The comeback trail All six of the Cubs’ victories against the Cardinals at Wrigley have been come-from-behind efforts. The game Friday was their 41st comeback win of the season. -- Chicago Sun-Times John Lackey, Willson Contreras ejected from Cubs-Cardinals opener By Steve Greenberg One pitch — and one hard-to-believe non-strike call by home plate umpire Jordan Baker — and Friday’s Game 1 of a critical Cubs-Cardinals series went haywire. In the fifth inning of a 1-1 game, with Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez at the plate and facing a two-strike count against John Lackey, a breaking ball danced over the plate — easily inside any “K zone” — and into catcher Willson Contreras’ glove. Strike three, right? Martinez even walked toward the visitors’ dugout, but Baker just stood there. Lackey nearly got tossed from the game right then and there. With a runner on second, Martinez stepped back up to the plate and, on the next pitch, singled to center to drive in the go-ahead run. Lackey, shouting at Baker as he ran in to back up home plate, was ejected before the runner even scored.

Then things really got nuts. Baker rang up Contreras, too. The catcher flung his mask into the dirt, but it bounced up and made contact with the umpire’s leg. That instantly raised questions about a potential suspension of one of the Cubs’ most important players. The Cubs entered Friday leading the National League Central by only three games over both the Cardinals and the Brewers. Baker’s screw-up — and that’s what it was, plain and simple — could end up costing the Cubs at a most delicate time. -- Daily Herald Fireworks erupt, but Cubs hitters keep heads, knock off Cards By Bruce Miles Anybody who expected John Lackey to react any differently to Friday's proceedings at Wrigley Field doesn't know Lackey. A measured response to a bad call by an umpire? Not happening with this 38-year-old warhorse who's about as set in his ways as anybody. The Cubs' starting pitcher got himself ejected from the afternoon's 8-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a game that will go down as one more colorful chapter in this rivalry of red and blue. Catcher Willson Contreras rode off into the sunset with Lackey as both batterymates were tossed by home-plate umpire Jordan Baker. As Lackey put it: "He missed the pitch. It's big spot in a huge game, and he missed the pitch." The pitch in question was a 2-2 breaking ball with two outs in the fifth inning to Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez. The ball appeared to catch the plate but was called a ball by Baker. Lackey didn't like the call then, and when Martinez singled on the next pitch to drive in a run and put the Cardinals ahead 2-1, Lackey liked it even less. This one had trouble written all over it as Lackey began yelling at Baker while sprinting to back up home plate. Baker tossed Lackey even as the play was in motion. Contreras was the next to go, and he slammed his mask down after getting tossed. Lackey said Martinez knew he was out because "he almost walked to the grass" on his way back to the dugout. "He (Baker) threw me out of the game kind of halfheartedly because he knew he messed up," Lackey said. Lackey added one kicker: "It's a pretty big spot right there. He cost me a big-league win. Those don't grow on trees." While Lackey was unapologetic, Contreras said he felt bad about the mask-toss and it hitting the umpire as it bounced up off the ground. "Those things happen," Contreras said. "First of all, I didn't mean to hit the umpire, to hit the umpire, to hit anybody. I'm not that kind of guy. I think he made a good pitch even though I got crossed up (expecting a fastball). I think I did a pretty good job of holding the baseball. I just got fired up. I couldn't control my emotions. If I have to apologize, I apologize to umpire because I didn't mean to hit him and I didn't mean to hurt anybody." There was some disagreement among the parties about whether there was a cross-up between Lackey and Contreras. Manager Joe Maddon and Contreras said yes. Lackey said no.

Either way, Maddon has known Lackey for a long time, dating to their days with the Angels in the early 2000s. Even though the ejections might have ended up hurting the Cubs, Maddon said it was unreasonable to think that the ornery Lackey would have a more measured response. "Impossible," Maddon said. "I can say I'd like to see that, but why would I even think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he's going to change in that particular moment? So God bless him. It's who Johnny is. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why even expect that? "So it happened. We reacted. And the rest of the group came together." The upshot of that is that the Cubs (81-66) moved to 4 games ahead of the Cardinals (77-70) in the National League Central with a victory in the first game of this key three-game series. They did so by scoring 7 runs in the bottom of the sixth, when they sent 11 men to the plate. Kris Bryant, who homered in the fourth inning, said the commotion with Lackey and Contreras may have helped the Cubs. "The crowd got into it," Bryant said. "Obviously, we're always into the game but anytime you see your teammates or bros go on out like that and get fired up, it's not a terrible thing. I think it only helped us." -- Daily Herald Epstein on Thursday's win "it wasn't an oil painting" By Bruce Miles Cubs president Theo Epstein said starting a rookie battery in Thursday night's 14-6 victory over the New York Mets was a calculated gamble that paid off. Pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng and catcher Taylor Davis each made his first major-league start, and both had shaky moments. Each player was in the game for only three innings, but the Cubs scored 5 runs in the fourth inning and 5 more in the sixth. Tseng replaced lefty Mike Montgomery, a swing man the Cubs used out of the bullpen for 2 innings. "A lot of different factors, dealing with a less-than-ideal set of circumstances for the short term," Epstein said. "Really, the hope was that we could win that game and allow Montgomery to be available out of the bullpen for part or all of the Cardinals series (this weekend). It wasn't an oil painting, as Joe (manager Maddon) might say, but we won the game, and Montgomery's going to be available for a decent part of the Cardinals series. "Sometimes there are things going on behind the scenes in the bullpen with availability and certain guys working on things or struggling where you have to go outside the norm in order to give your manager some options." Russell gets closer: Addison Russell says he may be ready to come off the disabled list this weekend, but the Cubs will make doubly sure he's ready. Their starting shortstop has been on the disabled list since Aug. 3 with a strained right foot and plantar fasciitis. After running the bases, hitting and taking fielding this week, Russell says he's ready. "I'm looking forward to this next week," he said. "I'm feeling pretty good. I think I'm getting ready. Everything's feeling good. My body feels good. My foot feels good. I'm pretty sure I can go game speed. We're pretty close. "Maybe a chance this weekend. Maybe a chance early next week. I think this weekend would definitely be ideal."

Manager Joe Maddon said the Cubs would have to ease Russell back into action, which would mean possibly playing one day and sitting the next. Arrieta to throw a pen: Pitcher Jake Arrieta will throw another bullpen session Saturday as he recovers from a strained right hamstring, suffered in Pittsburgh on Labor Day. "If tomorrow goes really well, there's a chance he could take the ball maybe three times the rest of the season," said Theo Epstein. "If he gets through tomorrow, probably the best-case scenario might be he gets in the Milwaukee series and St. Louis and maybe the last weekend. That's only if things go really well tomorrow. The worst thing you could do is rush it and he suffers a setback and isn't available at all." Rondon ailing: Reliever Hector Rondon has not pitched since Sept. 8, and the Cubs said Friday he has soreness in his elbow. "There's nothing structurally wrong with him," said Joe Maddon. "We just need to give him a break right now." Too much tension: After cruising to the National League Central title last year on the way to a World Series championship, the Cubs find themselves in a race this year with the Brewers and the Cardinals. Theo Epstein said he prefers it the way it happened last year. "My favorite pennant races are the ones where you're sitting in the bleachers on Sept. 16," he said, referring to what he did last year after the Cubs clinched. "I kind of like those. No, but it's good. You have years where everything, or most things, go your way and you have years where more things than usual seem like a challenge." -- Cubs.com Cubs ride 7-run 6th to eventful win over Cards By Carrie Muskat and Jenifer Langosch CHICAGO -- The Cardinals-Cubs rivalry has historically been intense enough on its own, but it's overamped this weekend because of the close National League Central race. On Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cubs showed they're going to fight for the chance to repeat. Despite losing both starting pitcher John Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras to ejections, the Cubs rallied for an 8-2 victory over the Cardinals to open a four-game lead in the division, with the Brewers sitting three back. Kris Bryant smacked a solo home run, scored the tying run and added an RBI single in a seven-run sixth inning to give Chicago its fourth straight win. "They got fired up after they saw everything that happened," Contreras said of his teammates. "It happened because we care about the team, we care about the win, we care about the game. I know we are in a spot where we need to win most of the games to clinch the playoffs. Every game means a lot." How big is this weekend? It's the first time the Cubs and Cardinals have squared off in a September series with both teams either in the division lead or within three games of the lead since Sept. 1-5, 2003. The Cards' Tommy Pham hit a solo home run and Carlos Martinez delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in a key at-bat in the fifth that resulted in the ejections of Lackey and Contreras.

The game was tied at 1 with two outs and two runners on base against Lackey. The veteran right-hander thought a 2-2 pitch to Martinez was a called strike, and he walked off the mound and extended his arms in disbelief after home-plate umpire Jordan Baker signaled that it was a ball. Even Martinez had started toward St. Louis' dugout, thinking he was called out on strikes. "I did think it was [strike three]," Martinez, speaking through a translator, acknowledged afterward. "I was pretty surprised." Said Lackey: "[Baker] missed the pitch. It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch." Given another chance, Martinez singled to right-center to drive in a run, and Lackey sprinted home to yell at Baker before being ejected. Contreras had to be restrained by manager Joe Maddon and shortstop Javier Baez, and the catcher also was tossed. Contreras also threw his mask in anger, and it accidentally struck Baker. "I didn't mean to hit the umpire, I didn't mean to hit anybody," Contreras said. "I thought he made a good pitch. I got crossed up, but I think I did a pretty good job holding the baseball. I just got fired up and I couldn't control my emotions. If I have to apologize, I'll apologize to the umpire. I didn't mean to hit him." The Cardinals, however, couldn't pad their lead, and the Cubs rebounded with their sixth-inning rally, sending 11 batters to the plate. All Wrigley Field needed was some bunting to add to the playoff feel. "I'd love to be able to see us add on a little more right there," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "We were looking for that big hit once again. Then we had opportunities to go after their bullpen to add on to a small lead. But we always know that these games can go one way or another in this place." Cubs closer Wade Davis got the final four outs, the first time he's been asked to pitch more than one inning this season. It was the Cubs' 41st comeback win of the season, and all six of Chicago's wins against St. Louis at Wrigley Field have been come-from-behind efforts. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Out at home: Martinez had retired the first 10 batters he faced before Bryant launched a 2-0 pitch 400 feet to right-center for his 27th homer to tie the game at 1. The fun came when Anthony Rizzo got on base. Rizzo was hit by a pitch, and he moved up on Contreras' single. One out later, Jon Jay singled and Rizzo tried to score but was thrown out at home by Pham, although it didn't appear as if catcher Yadier Molina tagged Rizzo. Rally caps: Bryant singled to open the sixth and Rizzo walked. Alex Avila, catching in place of Contreras, singled to center. Bryant hesitated at third, but then sprinted home to score the tying run. Jay followed with an RBI single to put the Cubs ahead, 3-2. Jason Heyward walked to load the bases and Baez hit a grounder to Martinez, who had trouble picking the ball up before throwing home. Molina couldn't get his glove on the ball and Avila scored on the fielder's choice. It was the third time in five starts that an inning unraveled after Martinez botched a potential inning-ending double play. "This game will keep you humble," Matheny said. "And when you think you've got it all wrapped up, something will jump up and grab you a little bit. And right now he's fighting his confidence defensively. But I think it's just going to be a blip on the screen." Matt Bowman took over for Martinez and pinch-hitter Ian Happ greeted him with a two-run single to open a 6-2 lead. Ben Zobrist added a sacrifice fly and Bryant hit an RBI single in his second at-bat in the inning. "He's one of the best in the game, in my opinion," Bryant said of Martinez. "To have a really big inning against him and some good at-bats says a lot about this team and how good we are." Big moment: Justin Wilson didn't have much time to think when he was called on to replace Lackey in the fifth with two on and two outs. That may have helped the left-hander, who struck out Matt Carpenter to end the inning.

Wilson has struggled recently, giving up five runs on four hits and five walks in his last 1 2/3 innings of relief. The Cubs' bullpen is shorthanded because of injuries and needs Wilson to get on track. "I know he hasn't pitched as well as he'd like, but he came into a situation where there's no room for error and you can't think about it and, 'Here's my stuff, and whoever wins, wins,'" Avila said. "I've always had confidence in him." Said Wilson: "Getting hot in a hurry and on the field, it's a little different. I felt after the last outing, I clearly had to make an adjustment. A little bit mechanical, a little bit mental. I have to keep it rolling. It's a step in the right direction." QUOTABLE "It's an emotional game, especially in that given moment. You try to ride the momentum, but that's just how it goes." -- Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader, on the team's missed opportunity to bury the Cubs after the ejections "Impossible. I could say I'd like to see that, but why would I think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he's going to change in that particular moment? God bless him. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why expect that? It happened, we reacted and the rest of the group came together." -- Maddon, when asked if he would've preferred Lackey had a more measured response SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Cubs surpassed 3 million in total attendance at home for the 10th season and second year in a row. Friday's crowd of 38,464 pushed the total attendance to 3,002,639. MEDICAL REPORT Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong exited the game midway through the fifth inning due to lower back tightness. Wong, who has been dealing with the nagging injury for the better part of two weeks, was 0-for-2 with a run before being replaced by Greg Garcia. His availability for the rest of the weekend is questionable. "It is what it is," Wong said. "It tightened up. I didn't want to get taken out of the game, but there comes a point where you've got to accept the fact that you're not going to help the team." WHAT'S NEXT Cardinals: Coming off one of the most dominant performances of his career, Michael Wacha returns to the mound Saturday in the Cardinals' 3:05 p.m. CT game at Wrigley Field. The right-hander will carry a streak of 12 scoreless innings into the outing, which will be his eighth at Wrigley Field. Cubs: Kyle Hendricks will start Saturday, and the Cubs are hoping he can go deep. He's coming off a loss to the Brewers in which he gave up three runs over six innings, striking out seven. Since the All-Star break, Hendricks is 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 10 starts. First pitch will be 3:05 p.m. CT from Wrigley Field. -- Cubs.com Lackey, Contreras ejected after disputed call By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon has known John Lackey since the right-hander was a rookie with the Angels. Did Maddon expect a calm discussion between the pitcher and home-plate umpire Jordan Baker after a disputed call?

"Impossible," Maddon said. "I could say I'd like to see that but why would I think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he's going to change in that particular moment? God bless him. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why expect that? It happened, we reacted, and the rest of the group came together." Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras were ejected after arguing with Baker in the fifth inning of Friday's series opener against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. The Cubs rallied to post an 8-2 win and open a four-game lead over the Cardinals in the National League Central. Back to the fifth. The game was tied at 1 and the Cardinals had two outs and two runners on against Lackey. The veteran right-hander thought a 2-2 pitch to Carlos Martinez was strike three, and he extended his arms in disbelief after Baker called it a ball. Even Martinez had started toward the dugout, thinking he was called out on strikes. "I did think it was [strike three]," Martinez said. "I was pretty surprised." "He almost walked [out of the batter's box] to the grass," Lackey said of Martinez. "He knew he was out." Martinez then singled to center to drive in a run and, as Lackey sprinted to back up home plate, he began yelling at Baker before being ejected. Contreras, also upset about the sequence of events, had to be restrained by Maddon and shortstop Javier Baez. Contreras also was tossed and he threw his mask to the ground, which then incidentally hit Baker. "There was no intent at the umpire whatsoever," Maddon said of Contreras. "He slammed it down in anger." "Those things happen," Contreras said. "First of all, I didn't mean to hit the umpire, I didn't mean to hit anybody. I thought [Lackey] made a good pitch. I got crossed up, but I think I did a pretty good job holding the baseball. I just got fired up and I couldn't control my emotions. If I have to apologize, I'll apologize to the umpire. I didn't mean to hit him." Lackey said Baker did not argue. "He missed the pitch. It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch," Lackey said. "He had no argument back. He was trying to say, 'That's enough.' Usually when they do that, they know they missed it." Earlier in the game, Lackey had a few words with Baker after an inning. This wasn't the first time Lackey has been ejected; he also was tossed in 2009 two pitches into a start for the Angels. The abbreviated outing ended Lackey's streak of 41 consecutive outings of at least five innings, which was the third-longest active streak in the Major Leagues. Did Lackey have any regrets about his behavior? "Not really, no," he said. "It was a pretty big spot right there. It cost me a big league win. Those don't grow on trees." Both Maddon and Contreras said the catcher was crossed up on the pitch -- it was offspeed and Contreras was expecting fastball -- and that Contreras' difficulty in corralling it may have contributed to it not being called a strike. "He made a good pitch," Contreras said. "I made a pretty good job catching the baseball. I thought I was going to get the call. That was [Baker's] decision. I respect the umpire." Justin Wilson took over and struck out Matt Carpenter to end the Cardinals' fifth. "I'd love to be able to see us add on a little more right there," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "We were looking for that big hit once again. Then we had opportunities to go after their bullpen to add on to a small lead. But we always know that these games can go one way or another in this place." Said Contreras: "Every game means a lot. I'm thankful that this team was able to come back and win."

-- Cubs.com Arrieta set for determining bullpen session By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta will throw a bullpen session on Saturday that will likely determine when and how much the right-hander pitches the rest of the regular season. If all goes well, Arrieta, who is coming back from a right hamstring strain suffered on Sept. 4, could start three more games, beginning with the Cubs' series against the Brewers that starts on Thursday. "He's champing at the bit," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Friday. "He's pushing the schedule and working his tail off. He felt good coming off the last bullpen [session on Thursday]. "If [Saturday] goes really well, there's a chance he could take the ball three times," Epstein said. "The worst thing you can do is rush it." Jon Lester will open the Cubs' Interleague series on Tuesday against the Rays. Wednesday's starter has not been named yet. • Shortstop Addison Russell, sidelined since Aug. 3 with a strained right foot, wants to return this weekend, but the Cubs want to see him do one more workout on Saturday before deciding when he will be inserted back in a game. "He is pretty close," manager Joe Maddon said. "He'll get another workout in [Saturday] and we'll make a determination." Russell is now wearing orthotics to avoid reaggravating his foot. "I'm ready to get out there," Russell said. "Maybe a chance this weekend, maybe a chance early next week. I think this weekend would definitely be ideal." The Cubs will take the same approach with Russell as they did with catcher Willson Contreras, which is to have him play a few innings, but not the full nine. They're taking that approach because there's no place for Russell to rehab since the Minor League season is over. "It's all about seeing as many pitches as I can before I get into a game, and get into that first game and build off of that," Russell said. "I just need reps, I just need reps." • Reliever Hector Rondon has not pitched since Sept. 8 because of inflammation in his right elbow. "There's nothing structurally wrong with him," Maddon said of the right-hander. "We just need to give him a break now." The Cubs' bullpen hasn't been as sharp as they'd like heading into the final two-plus weeks of the season. Koji Uehara has been bothered by an infection in his right knee, and lefty Justin Wilson has been struggling with command. "Bullpens go through peaks and valleys, and we're in a valley right now," Epstein said. "That's unfortunate, because at this time of year, you want to be clicking on all cylinders." • Catcher Victor Caratini and pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng were honored before Friday's opener vs. the Cubs as the club's Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. • Cubs Charities will help those affected by Hurricane Irma by donating 50/50 Raffle proceeds from Saturday's game to the American Red Cross.

Fans can purchase 50/50 Raffle tickets from uniformed Cubs Charities raffle ticket sellers starting two hours before the game until the middle of the seventh inning. The winning ticket will be announced in the top of the ninth, and the winner will receive a check for half of the net proceeds from the game's raffle ticket sales. The other half will be donated by Cubs Charities to the American Red Cross to help people recovering from the storm. If fans cannot attend Saturday's game, they can make a donation to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Irma disaster relief and recovery efforts by visiting www.redcross.org. -- Cubs.com Wacha, Hendricks to duel in NL Central clash By Jenifer Langosch After frittering away a lead that cost them ground in the National League Central standings, the Cardinals will return to Wrigley Field on Saturday seeking to even their series against the Cubs. Michael Wacha and Kyle Hendricks will square off in the second of a three-game set. With 15 games remaining, Chicago has a four-game advantage over St. Louis in the division. The Brewers, who are playing a weekend series against the Marlins, are sandwiched between the two. The Cubs have built that lead largely through their ability to outperform the Cards, who have won just four of the 13 meetings between the two teams. Including Saturday, the Cardinals and Cubs will play each other six more times down the stretch. "Obviously, there is a different excitement level altogether, but for us, when it comes to doing our job, I've said this before, if we're bringing out more now, then we need to offer a refund for what we were doing earlier because we have an obligation to bring it every day, regardless," Cardsmanager Mike Matheny said. "Whatever anybody wants to make of any particular series, we need to look the same every day." Saturday actually marks the one-year anniversary of the Cubs' champagne-popping celebration for clinching their first NL Central title since 2008. They won't be coasting to the finish line this year, however -- especially with 10 games remaining against the two clubs in close pursuit. "My perfect pennant race is you're sitting in the bleachers on Sept. 16 [celebrating that it's clinched]," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "You have years when most things go your way and you have years when more things than usual seem like a challenge. The last thing you want down the stretch is bullpen issues or pitching issues. That's where you find out what guys are made of. Guys will get the ball in big spots. Any time you have a situation where you have a small margin for error in a postseason series or a pennant race or in a game, it adds to the risk and rewards." The Cardinals are hopeful that Wacha will look just as he did his last time out when he threw eight scoreless innings in a victory against the Pirates. Wacha will carry a 12-inning scoreless streak into this start, and he is riding the momentum from the three consecutive quality starts that have followed a wobbly five-start stretch in which he posted a 7.25 ERA. The ups and downs haven't been so pronounced for Cubs starter Hendricks, who has posted a 2.58 ERA in 10 outings since his return from the disabled list. Hendricks has allowed three runs or fewer in every one of those starts while completing at least six innings in each of his past six. Three things to know about this game • Though both clubs have a plethora of extra arms because of expanded rosters, several key late-inning relievers may still be unavailable on Saturday. Chicago's Hector Rondon (right elbow) and Koji Uehara (right knee) are both battling injuries, while St. Louis' Seung Hwan Oh hasn't pitched since Sept. 7 due to right hamstring tightness.

• Wrigley will be buzzing with activity before a pitch is thrown on Saturday, as the Cubs' Jake Arrieta and the Cards' Adam Wainwright are scheduled to throw pregame bullpen sessions. Those sessions could be the final hurdles for both veteran starters before they're cleared to return. Arrieta has been sidelined since Sept. 4 with a right hamstring injury. Wainwright is recovering from a right elbow impingement that has kept him out since Aug. 18. • How Wacha fares on Saturday may come down to how he navigates through the Nos. 2 and 3 hitters in the Cubs' lineup. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are a combined 25-for-61 with five homers and 14 RBIs against Wacha. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' offense takes charge against Cards after starting battery gets boot By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs were split as to whether the Friday ejections of starter John Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras -- for arguing a non-strike call -- energized a team that, after the smoke cleared in the fifth inning, trailed the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. But one thing the Cubs all agreed upon was that their offensive output one inning later was one of the best of the season. The Cubs scored seven times in the sixth inning, blowing open a close game while further distancing themselves from the Cardinals in the standings. They now lead the National League Central by four over their archrivals after the 8-2 victory, which might be looked back on as a signature victory for the defending champions. “I think it was a nice little spark for us and some energy that we all needed,” Kris Bryant said of the ejections. “The crowd got into it. "Anytime you see your teammates going out like that and getting fired up, it’s not a terrible thing. I think it helped us.” Count Bryant in the group that believes Lackey’s emotional outburst toward plate umpire Jordan Baker galvanized the team. Others, such as catcher Alex Avila, weren’t so sure. Avila replaced Contreras when he was thrown out moments after Lackey got the gate. If it wasn't the ejections that got the Cubs going, at least it was some really good appearances in the batter’s box, according to Avila. “I have no idea,” Avila said. “I really don’t. Some say that it does [energize a team], some say it really doesn’t matter. "I’m probably more so in that what’s going to happen is going to happen. I’m pretty sure the at-bats we were having in succession was more of a factor.” Five singles, two walks, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly helped the Cubs to that seven-run frame. Such innings that have been few and far between against the better pitchers in the league this season, at least when Chicago hasn't hit the long ball. Even though the Cubs scored 39 runs in three games against the New York Mets earlier this week, doing it against the Cardinals for one game simply means more. And because of it, the Cubs have scored eight or more runs in at least four consecutive games at Wrigley Field for the first time since 1929. “To be able to swarm a little bit and utilize outs and walks and knocks, and all of the above, I loved our approach,” manager Joe Maddon said. So it’s doubtful the ejections suddenly changed the Cubs’ approach at the plate against St. Louis starter Carlos Martinez, though it makes for a better story afterward. In reality, Maddon and his coaches have been preaching this kind of offense all season: score without hitting home runs. They feel it’s the missing element to what can be a dynamic and powerful offensive attack.

More than being energized after the ejections, perhaps simply not letting the opposite happen -- a letdown -- was the Cubs' best attribute Friday. Using up the bullpen early while already trailing could have derailed the whole afternoon. “It takes a special group to do that,” Jason Heyward said. “Not patting ourselves on the back, but you have to have some experience to deal with that kind of a moment. The game could have gone any way. “I don’t know if it impacted it or not. We stayed positive, grinded out some at-bats. We had fun with it.” It did go one way: completely in favor of the home team. That became obvious when the bullpen did its job and the offense followed suit. So perhaps Bryant was right in the first place. The Cubs rose to the occasion when two of their players were tossed after a blown strike call. “When things don’t go our way it’s not like it’s, ‘Here we go again,’ Bryant said. “It’s kind of like, ‘Oh great, it’s going to be a nice challenge. We’re going to get by this and feel really good about this when we get over it.’ “That’s a perfect example of it.” -- ESPNChicago.com John Lackey, Willson Contreras ejected after berating plate umpire By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Cubs starter John Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras were both kicked out of Friday's 8-2 win over the Cardinals after arguing with plate umpire Jordan Baker following an apparent missed strike three call on St. Louis pitcher Carlos Martinez. With two on and two out in the top of the fifth inning and a 2-2 count on Martinez, Lackey threw a slider that looked to be a strike. Even Martinez began to walk back to the dugout, but Baker called it a ball, setting Lackey off. "He missed the pitch," Lackey said after the game. "It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch. "He had no argument back. He was just trying to say 'that's enough.' Usually when they do that they know they missed it." As Lackey ran to back up home plate, he screamed in Baker's face, getting kicked out in the process. Moments later, Contreras threw down his catcher's mask, which ended up hitting Baker in the leg. Contreras was also tossed after confronting Baker. Lackey says he doesn't regret what he did. "It was a pretty big spot right there. It cost me a big league win. Those don't grow on trees." Cubs manager Joe Maddon was asked if he wanted Lackey to do something besides blow up at the umpire. "Why would I even think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he would change in that particular moment? So God bless him. It's who John is. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why even expect that?" Contreras said his intention was not to hit anyone. "I apologize to everybody, to the fans, to MLB, to the umpire. I'm sure if I see Jordan [Baker] tomorrow I will apologize to him."

Justin Wilson and Alex Avila took over on the mound and behind the plate and were able to end the inning on the next batter. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Theo Epstein says bullpen improvement key down the stretch By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Exactly one year ago Saturday, Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein, along with other members of the front office, watched from the left-field bleachers as the team played the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. The relaxed setting to watch the game was understandable, considering the Cubs had clinched the National League Central the day before. Fast-forward to Friday as the Cubs prepared to open a series against St. Louis while just three games up on the Cardinals and Brewers. Epstein feels good about his team's chances to repeat as division champion -- just not 2016 good. "We have to do a lot of things to get where we want to go," Epstein said while sitting in the Cubs' dugout early Friday afternoon. "We have so much work ahead of us just to accomplish our first goal. ... Success or failure of this regular season really rides on how we play the next 16 games." Epstein went on to list the things that he would like to see out of his championship club. First off, the Cubs need to hit good pitching. That has been a problem all year, as they have just a .306 on-base percentage against four of the top five pitching staffs in the NL. Manager Joe Maddon and Epstein voiced a bigger concern for the bullpen. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Cubs' relief staff leads the majors in walks since the All-Star break and is 14th in the NL in ERA (5.24). "We have to keep our starters going, getting them deep in games and we have to get our bullpen going," Epstein said. "Bullpens go through peaks and valleys and we're in a valley right now. "It's unfortunate because this is the time of year you want to be clicking on all cylinders, but things can change quickly. You get 1-2 guys locked in ... the next thing you know you look up and you're in good shape. It's a Murphy's Law type thing in our pen." The biggest mystery is lefty Justin Wilson, who was acquired on trade deadline day and has walked 14 batters in 12⅔ innings since coming to the Cubs. His 6.39 ERA isn't giving his new team much confidence, which has led to the Cubs returning Mike Montgomery to the bullpen. It also led to the Cubs starting rookie Jen-Ho Tseng on Thursday, a risky move that almost backfired when he gave up five runs in three innings, though the offense bailed him out in a 14-6 win. "The story is not written on him," Epstein said of Wilson. "He's a really quality pitcher who's struggling right now. What do you do with those guys? You work to get him locked in and you look for the right opportunity because they're always one outing away." The Cubs are also fighting injuries. Saturday is a big day for Jake Arrieta, who's recovering from a hamstring strain. If his bullpen session goes well he could get three starts before the end of the season. Reliever Hector Rondon has been shut down for the moment as his elbow is bothering him, while shortstop Addison Russell is nearing a return from a case of plantar fasciitis. But Epstein kept coming back to his bullpen as his main focus, though he was sure to stress it's not the only one. "We're fighting and scratching in order to have a winning bullpen against good teams," he said. "We can do that, but if you play three to five tight games in a row you tend to get stretched. The more depth you have, the better

off you are. We're fighting harder than usual at this time of year to achieve that depth. That's just an honest assessment." Epstein's bullpen should be tested often the next two weeks as the Cubs play 11 of their next 13 games against the Cardinals and Brewers, beginning Friday. It will go a long way to determining the winner of the division. "You have years where most things go your way and you have years where more things than usual seem like a challenge," Epstein said. "My favorite pennant races are the ones when you're sitting in the bleachers on Sept. 16. I kind of like those." -- CSNChicago.com John Lackey and Willson Contreras go absolutely bonkers on home plate umpire after insane call in Cubs-Cardinals By Tony Andracki John Lackey sprinted toward home plate, absolutely screaming at home plate umpire Jordan Baker. Willson Contreras did a complete circle around Baker, needing both Joe Maddon and Javy Baez to hold him back. Those will become the lasting images from an absolutely wild occurrence at Wrigley Field Friday afternoon. Lackey was on the mound in the fifth inning against Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez, locked in a 1-1 ballgame with runners on first and second and two outs. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Lackey floated a breaking ball right down the middle of the plate. Martinez put his head down and started walking toward the dugout, conceding to the strikeout. But Baker did not call the pitch a strike. Instead, it was Ball 3 and Martinez had new life. Lackey wasted no time laying into Baker, screaming and pointing at Martinez, who was several steps toward the first-base dugout. "He almost walked to the grass," Lackey said. "He knew he was out." Contreras and Maddon both said the second-year catcher got crossed up on the pitch and wasn't expecting a breaking ball, but Lackey said there was no cross-up. Lackey continued screaming at Baker and Maddon came from out of the dugout in an effort to calm things down. "He missed the pitch," Lackey said. "It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch." Lackey remained in the game, but on his next pitch, Martinez singled to right-center, plating Kolten Wong with the go-ahead run. Lackey sprinted in to backup the play at home, yelling at Baker the whole way. When the play was over and time called, Contreras also apparently said something to Baker and was subsequently tossed, resulting in this immediate reaction: Maddon was already on his way out of the dugout and tried to hold Contreras back before Baez intervened and kept his teammate back. Contreras' mask bounced and hit Baker in the foot, but the Cubs catcher apologized afterwards and said he clearly wasn't trying to hit or hurt anybody, just was frustrated in the moment and threw his mask on the ground, never intending for it to hit the umpire.

The end result was both pitcher and catcher ejected in the fifth inning of a crucial game in the pennant race. But the Cubs rebounded with seven runs in the sixth inning, cruising to an 8-2 victory. While the Cubs didn't place too much emphasis on the ejections working as a spark, Kris Bryant felt otherwise: "It was a nice little spark for us and some energy that we all needed," Bryant said. "Yeah, the crowd got into it. I mean, we're always in the game, but anytime you see your teammates or brothers going out like that, getting a little fired up, it's not a terrible thing. I think it ultimately helped us." Lackey is 38 years old and in his 14th big-league season, but he's always been a fierce competitor and Maddon knows he should never expect any other reaction to an umpire's call. "Impossible," Maddon said. "I could say I'd like to see that, but why would I even think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he's gonna change in that particular moment? So God bless him. "It's who Johnny is. I never want him to change. He's not gonna change, so why even expect that? It happened, we reacted and the rest of the group came together." Does Lackey regret his actions? "Not really, no," he said. "It's a pretty big spot right there. It cost me a big-league win; those don't grow on trees." -- CSNChicago.com After 'Murphy's Law' strikes bullpen, Cubs searching for answers at pivotal point in season By Tony Andracki A year ago, Theo Epstein was putting the finishing touches on his "disguise" and getting ready to sit with his front office buddies in the Wrigley Field bleachers. The Cubs clinched the division on Sept. 15 last season but this year, they woke up on the same date getting ready for a battle with the St. Louis Cardinals with plenty still to be decided in the National League Central. Instead of planning for a celebration, the Cubs were tasked with trying to find some answers for a bullpen with a plethora of question marks. There's Justin Wilson, the left-handed flamethrower and former Tigers closer acquired from Detroit ahead of the trade deadline who has struggled with his command since donning Cubs blue. Then there's Hector Rondon, who has elbow inflammation — though no structural damage — and has been shut down indefinitely. And of course there's 42-year-old Koji Uehara who has an infection in his knee and his status is up in the air. Even with expanded rosters, Epstein, Joe Maddon and the rest of the Cubs front office and coaching staff have their hands full trying to figure out how to solidify the bullpen in the final two-plus weeks of the season. That's a big reason why the Cubs called up young pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng for his big-league debut Thursday night against the New York Mets, moving Mike Montgomery back to the bullpen in hopes of giving Maddon another reliable option with an all-important three-game set against St. Louis looming. "If you look at the Cardinals games that we play, a lot of those games that we play are decided in the late innings in the bullpen," Epstein said before Friday's 8-2 win over St. Louis. "It was sort of an educated gamble — of all the games the rest of the season, that was the game we could maybe win and allow us to have an extra weapon out of the 'pen for the big games this weekend.

"They're all big; we weren't doing that to lose the game. We wanted to win the game and have Monty available and it ended up working out." Epstein and Co. knew it was a gamble, but the Cubs offense helped smooth things over by going off for double digit runs for the second consecutive night against the Mets. Just like the Mets are a cautionary tale of how fickle pitching health is, the Cubs know all too well how fragile a bullpen can be, both in terms of health and performance. "Bullpens go through peaks and valleys and we're in a valley right now, which is unfortunate because this is the time of year you wanna be clicking on all cylinders," Epstein said. "That can change quickly. You get one or two guys locked in, one guy throwing strikes, another guy feeling better with his stuff, next thing you know, you look up and you're in good shape. "I think it's kind of a Murphy's Law type thing right now with our 'pen. But we can turn it around in a hurry." The Cubs ranked 12th in baseball with a 4.00 bullpen ERA entering Friday's game, when they accounted for 4.1 shutout innings. Wilson got the first of those 13 outs after starter John Lackey was unceremoniously ejected from the game in the fifth inning. Wilson called the moment a "step in the right direction" and time will tell if the same could be said for the entire bullpen. Wade Davis got four outs as Maddon played things true to his word. Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop and Justin Grimm bridged the gap from Wilson to Davis, allowing four singles and striking out three batters in 2.2 innings. The Cubs had weeks to figure their bullpen out in low-leverage situations as the 2016 season wound down and still found themselves unable to come up with all the answers by the time October hit with Strop and Rondon nursing injuries. This year, they're gonna have to figure things out on the fly with very little wiggle room. "We're fighting harder than usual to get that depth," Epstein said. "That's just the honest assessment. But again, I think those things change in a hurry —not a permanent state of affairs. "It's a tough time of year to be fighting that hard to have kinda normal depth back there. But it is what it is. You deal with the reality. You don't cry in your cereal. You look at ways to fix it." Of course, Epstein and Maddon both agree there are more things to focus on than just the Cubs' bullpen, like the health of other players (Jake Arrieta, Addison Russell) or the offense trying to find consistency. But pitching issues are the last thing the Cubs want down the stretch. "That's where we're gonna find out what guys are made of," Epstein said. "Guys are going to get the ball in big spots and have to perform. Any time you're in a situation where you have a very small margin of error, whether it's in a postseason series or in a pennant race or in the course of a game, it adds to the risk and it adds to the reward, too. "Guys step up in big games and perform well and all of a sudden, you have something because you have some momentum from the most important time." -- CSNChicago.com Theo Epstein doesn't see a shortstop controversy for Cubs with Addison Russell nearing return By Tony Andracki

Theo Epstein doesn't sense a shortstop controversy brewing in the final weeks of the Cubs season. With Addison Russell on the cusp of returning, Epstein essentially shot down any talk of Russell moving to second base and keeping Javy Baez at short. "Thought? Maybe. Formal discussions? Not really," Epstein said before Friday's 8-2 win over the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. "I think it's pretty well established with the body of work with this team — we're a good defensive unit when Addy's at short and Javy's at second. "I don't think you can go wrong with how you throw those guys out there. But that's how we've been and that's probably how we'll be for the rest of this season." Russell hasn't played since Aug. 2 with a foot injury and in his stead, Baez has emerged as a force for the Cubs both offensively and defensively. In those 39 games, Baez has hit .298 with an .866 OPS, clubbing eight homers with 26 RBI and 31 runs while playing nearly every inning at shortstop in that time. But even with all those flashy plays, FanGraphs evaluates Baez's shortstop defense as -2 Defensive Runs Saved, while Russell is at +15 DRS on the year. By that one metric, Russell is the second-best shortstop in baseball, behind only Los Angeles Angels' Andrelton Simmons (+27 DRS). Russell said his return against the Cardinals this weekend would be "ideal" but the Cubs aren't getting caught up with that timeline, knowing the young infielder needs to get through his Saturday workout without issue. And once Russell does return, the Cubs won't push him to the limits or let him play every inning of every game immediately. Joe Maddon confirmed Friday morning they'll work Russell in slowly as they have with dynamic catcher Willson Contreras. So even if Russell immediately slots in at shortsto once he's back, Baez still figures to move over to the most demanding position on the infield on at least a part-time basis. "Addy's availability is something we'll have to monitor," Epstein said. "Unfortunately this time of year, there's no place for a rehab assignment. We're gonna evaluate him tomorrow a little bit, decide how much he can play and if he'll be able to play nine [innings] right away as well. "We're gonna be mixing and matching no matter what." Russell knows he needs reps and he's been taking swings in the batting cage and on the field while also taking grounders and running "pain-free," Maddon said. If Russell returns late in the Cardinals series or early next week, that only leaves him with somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-13 games left in the season to gear up for the playoffs. Not to mention the importance of those games, with eight remaining after this weekend against the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. "My confidence will build the more at-bats I get, obviously," Russell said. "But yeah, it's all about seeing as many pitches as I can, hopefully, before I get into a game. And then just take everything in that first game and build off that." Assuming the Cubs do make the playoffs, would there be a question on if Russell would be active for the postseason with so little time to find a groove? "No," Epstein said flatly. "If he's available, he would not be a tough call on a playoff roster. "Just to clarify — if he's available, he's on the playoff roster."

-- Chicago Tribune Say what you will, John Lackey tirade might have been 'spark' Cubs needed By Paul Sullivan There's not a whole lot to say after a performance like the one John Lackey put on display Friday at Wrigley Field before 38,464 fans waiting for him to explode. So I'll just sum it up in three simple words: You go, Lackey. If you missed it and don't have access to the Internet, well too bad for you. This was a meltdown so predictable, so precious, so Lackeyesque it almost defies description. Lackey never has thrown a pitch he thought was a ball, so when he threw an obvious strike to Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez in the fifth inning and the only one in the park who missed it was plate umpire Jordan Baker, he reacted like you thought he would, stomping toward the plate and barking like a pit bull under a full moon. When the baying stopped, he gave up a run-scoring single on the next pitch, then ran to back up home plate and toward Baker for round two and seemingly was ejected in mid-rant. "I went to back up home plate and I told him you can't miss that pitch at this point in the game," Lackey said. "And he threw me out of the game half-heartedly because he knew he messed up." Everyone knew Baker messed up, including Martinez, who had turned and walked toward the dugout on the disputed pitch, thinking he had struck out. "I was pretty surprised at that," Martinez said. Lackey was out of his mind, naturally, but at least he had a good excuse this time. Catcher Willson Contreras quickly joined in, promptly was ejected and slammed down his catchers' mask, accidentally hitting Baker. After manager Joe Maddon tried to calm Contreras down, Javier Baez burst in and grabbed Contreras before he did something really stupid and got himself a lengthy suspension instead of a possible one-game penalty for the mask toss. Wrigley was going crazy, and why not? The only thing missing was Carlos Zambrano, a bat and a Gatorade dispenser. "Pretty big spot right there, and it cost me a big-league win," Lackey fumed. "Those don't grow on trees." Maddon didn't expect Lackey to ask Baker politely if he possibly was mistaken on the missed pitch. He knew better. "That's the definition of insanity," Maddon said. "Why would I think he's going to change in that particular moment. So God bless. That's who Johnny is. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why even expect that?" The Cardinals' Twitter account then trolled Lackey, posting the video of his meltdown with the words "If you got really emotional about this hit from @Tsunamy27 (Martinez), you're not the only one!"

The Cubs scored seven runs the next inning, so if the Cardinals are looking for a new social media director, you will know why. Whether you like Lackey or are as anti-Lackey as Hawk Harrelson, most agree he knows what it takes to win. He has three World Series rings from three teams and treats every pitch like it's the end of the world because he's serious about his craft. He's also as cantankerous as an old coot in a John Ford western, and even called an ESPN reporter a "liar" after his previous start, which produced chuckles from reporters who have grown accustomed to his orneriness. He's like a character in a Coen Brothers movie with a cowboy hat to prove it. No, Lackey didn't get the victory Friday, and he may never start at Wrigley Field again. There are only three home games left after this series and he's not assured of making the postseason rotation. This could have been his last hurrah, or more appropriately, his last harangue. But he got credit from the guys he cares about, the ones in the Cubs' clubhouse. "He's out there fighting," Jason Heyward said. "He wants the ball in that spot. He has wanted it for 16-17 years now and he lived up to whatever it was he wanted to go out and do today. It sucks that it happened to him that he's out of the game. And Willie? "Willie's Willie. He's back there fighting for his pitcher. It was good for us to have guys fired up, and in the moment, and you move on from that moment and go on to the next inning." Kris Bryant said the full-metal Lackey scene provided a "nice little spark for us and some energy that we all needed." The Cubs then put away the opener of the biggest series of the year. They still have a ways to go, but the fire from Friday's triumph should make the atmosphere for the next two days even better. "Any time you see your teammates, your brothers going out like that and getting a little fired up, it's not a terrible thing," Bryant said. "I think it ultimately helped us." The rant heard 'round Wrigleyville could be the best thing that happened to the 2017 Cubs. You go, Lackey. -- Chicago Tribune Javier Baez joins shortstop class that has lived up to golden reputation By Paul Sullivan The 2017 season began with talk of a golden age of shortstops. And with two weeks left, the group has lived up to its reputation. Last year the class of shortstops set new records in slugging percentage (.407) and home runs (565) for the position, hitting 81 more home runs than the next closest group. Though some of the stars have risen and others fallen, this year has seen more of the same. Heading into the weekend, shortstops had a collective .410 slugging percentage and 549 home runs, poised to set another record.

The gold standard was set last year by Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Xander Bogaerts and Addison Russell. Now you can add Javier Baez to the bunch, after Baez moved over from second to replace the injured Russell and gave the Cubs another Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. The list just keeps growing. Cardinals rookie Paul DeJong is on the cusp, hitting 22 home runs in only 92 games to eclipse Dansby Swanson, the former top draft choice of the Diamondbacks who was the odds-on favorite to win Natonal League Rookie of the Year award with the Braves before struggling early on. The Angels' Andrelton Simmons is recognized as the best defender of the bunch, while the Nationals' Trea Turner was making a name for himself before missing time with a broken wrist. Brandon Crawford and Tim Anderson are also still in the mix, though neither has had the kind of season they envisioned back in March. The best of the bunch is probably Lindor, who leads all shortstops in home runs (30) and ranks second in RBIs (79) while leading the Indians during their record-setting winning streak. Lindor said the group of shortstops is competitive and they all keep tabs on what the others are doing. "I guess it just so happened that all of a sudden we have a wave of shortstops," Lindor said. "We're all having fun, we're all pushing for each other. At the end of the day we all want to be the best, but at the same time we want to make the other one better." Which ones does Lindor like to watch the most? "I like Correa, I like Seager," he said. "Bogaerts is impressive, the way he hits and the way he plays in the field is pretty cool. There are so many now, it's unique." Lindor may not have the overall stats to be named the American League MVP like Jose Altuve or Aaron Judge, but he deserves consideration as the best player on the AL's best team. He helped keep the Indians' winning streak alive Thursday with a game-tying RBI double in the ninth, and was hitting .360 during the streak, through Thursday, with nine homers, two triples and 20 RBIs. When Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg won the 1984 NL MVP race, he didn't lead the league in any major offensive categories but was such a good hitter and quality fielder he couldn't be overlooked. Like Lindor, Sandberg also played on his league's best regular-season team. Sandberg was a near unanimous winner, easily beating out the Mets' Keith Hernandez and the Padres' Tony Gwynn, who won the NL batting title on a division-winning team in San Diego. While Lindor's rep continues to grow, Baez's ascendance with the Cubs is the latest chapter in an unfolding story of a group of shortstops. The Cubs had four talented shortstops in the organization only a few years ago before Russell's emergence allowed them to move Starlin Castro to second in '15 and deal him to the Yankees after the season. Russell earned a Gold Glove and starting All-Star nod in 2016, and his growing stature allowed them to send another top shortstop prospect, Gleyber Torres, to the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. But Russell slumped this year before going down with a right foot strain in early August, opening the door for Baez to move over from second. Baez drove in 25 runs in August and had career highs in home runs (22) and RBIs (69) going into the weekend, while making spectacular plays with regularity. It's hard to imagine where the Cubs would be without him, and last week Russell was asked if he ever gets teased about losing his position to his friend. "He's great wherever he plays," Russell said. "He's an athlete. He's going to make the big plays. The team is very fortunate to have him. He's someone I can learn something from. We joke around the clubhouse, but it is what it is."

Russell, hitting .241 with 36 RBIs in 97 games before his injury, is set to return to the Cubs for the final couple of weeks and the postseason, though he won't play every inning or every day. President Theo Epstein said Friday they haven't considered leaving Baez at short for the rest of the year and moving Russell back to second, where he played well in '15 before switching with Castro. "A thought, maybe," Epstein said. "But there haven't been any formal discussions. I think it's pretty well established with the body of work with this team that we're a damn good defensive unit when Addy is at short and Javy's at second. "I don't think you could go wrong with how you throw those guys out there, but that's how we've been and that's probably how we'll be for the rest of this season." No matter what happens, Epstein said Russell is assured of a spot on the postseason roster if the Cubs make it. Baez is their only other shortstop, and the Cubs value Russell's glove even if his hitting doesn't come around. "If he's available, he will not be a tough call," Epstein said. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs survive immature outburst from John Lackey — again By David Haugh Remorse never crossed John Lackey's mind Friday as he reflected on whether he contributed to his ejection in the fifth inning of an 8-2 victory over the Cardinals. But then how do you acknowledge something you don't understand? "Not really, no,'' Lackey answered in the Wrigley Field interview room when asked if he had any regrets. "It was a pretty big spot right there and it cost me a big-league win and those don't grow on trees.'' A seven-run sixth inning that led to a fourth straight victory almost overshadowed Lackey letting his team down on a day hitting again bailed the Cubs out of a crisis of their own making. Almost. In the fifth inning of a 1-1 game with playoff implications, Lackey threw a 2-2 breaking pitch to Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez that caught the outside corner of the strike zone. They could see it was a strike from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Even Martinez started walking away like someone who had just struck out. Home plate umpire Jordan Baker called the pitch a ball. "A big spot and huge game and he missed the pitch,'' Lackey said. It indeed was an embarrassingly bad call the ump made. Lackey's reaction was embarrassingly worse. The Cubs subsequently/ winning the first game of a big series doesn't justify anything, something the Cubs need to remember when evaluating Lackey's worthiness for the playoff rotation. Too often in Lackey's mind, every ball is a strike and every umpire an idiot. Too often, he acts like a 38-year-old going on 13. Lackey ranted in familiar fashion, his emotions taking over until he gave Baker an earful. Predictably, Lackey lost composure badly enough on the next pitch to groove a slider that Martinez stroked for an RBI single. As Lackey backed up a potential throw to home plate, he started barking badly enough for Baker to eject him during the play. Who was wrong? Try everybody.

Lackey's pitch was a strike. Baker's call was blown. But, come on, Mr. 16-Year-Veteran, this was a playoff-like game. You want to make a statement? Strike out the pitcher, a .185 hitter, instead of giving up a hit. Even after Baker's missed call, Lackey controlled the situation but surrendered a single. Own it. Throwing a tantrum only incited catcher Willson Contreras, who followed Lackey's lead with an over-the-top outburst that required Cubs manager Joe Maddon and teammate Javier Baez to stop him from bumping Baker. Contreras threw his mask to the ground hard enough to ricochet and hit Baker's leg. Screaming at Baker, Contreras bounced around like a boxer before a fight, with Baez likely saving him from a suspension with a bear hug. Contreras also didn't do his pitcher any favors catching the 2-2 pitch the way he did, with his glove so close to the ground because of what Maddon called a "cross-up.'' Whatever caused it, Lackey and Contreras must know better than to risk letting emotions selfishly interfere with a game so important. And Maddon essentially letting Lackey be Lackey only enables the loutish behavior to continue, perhaps next time in October. At least Contreras showed contrition. "I just got fired up (and) lost control of my emotions,'' Contreras said. "I apologize to everyone.'' Somewhere, Cubs President Theo Epstein probably cussed and cringed and did everything a helpless executive does watching his team in September. Nothing against the view from his suite, but Epstein really preferred to witness this weekend's pivotal series soaking in sunshine and wearing a fake mustache. "My favorite pennant race is the one where you're sitting in the bleachers Sept. 16,'' Epstein said before the game. You will recall that an incognito Epstein sat in the left-field bleachers one year ago Saturday, a day after the Cubs clinched the National League Central, giving the 2016 team time to catch its breath and set up the pitching rotation. Exactly 365 days later, Epstein came to the ballpark hoping the Cubs weren't pretenders disguised as contenders. If Epstein had been sitting in the left-field bleachers Friday, he might have thrown back Tommy Pham's first-inning home run ball off Lackey in disgust. And he definitely would have joined the 38,464 fans booing the home-plate ump. Epstein managed not to scoff when asked how he felt about the Cubs potentially making the postseason three straight years for the first time since 1906-1908. As Epstein gently reminded everyone, they have won nothing in 2017. "Now is not the time to look back or put things in perspective,'' Epstein said. "The success or failure of this regular season really rides on how we play the next 16 games.'' True, but if every game is sacred, what about Thursday? Somewhat sheepishly, Epstein defended starting pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng and catcher Taylor Davis in the series finale against the Mets. The Triple-A battery lasted only three innings. "It wasn't an oil painting but we won the game (14-6),'' Epstein said. The Cubs typically use science more than art to justify their decisions, which made Tseng's major-league debut so difficult to endorse. To call it the right decision based on beating a bad Mets team would show, in the words of Maddon, outcome bias. "It was an educated gamble,'' Epstein said. A little luck can help a team overcome odd decisions — and angry pitchers.

-- Chicago Tribune Cubs bullpen excels after John Lackey ejection in victory over Cardinals By Mark Gonzales Justin Wilson was caught in the wake of heightened emotions Friday as he tried to help stabilize a rattled Cubs team after the ejections of John Lackey and Wilson Contreras with two outs and a run in in the fifth inning. This wasn't the most ideal situation for manager Joe Maddon and a depleted Cubs bullpen, but Wilson's strikeout of Matt Carpenter, the only hitter he faced, helped transform a precarious situation into a boost toward the finish line in the National League Central. The biggest question now may be how many innings the bullpen can provide before fatiguing, but Wilson and Carl Edwards Jr. formed a firm bridge that enabled the offense to rally for seven runs in the sixth inning in an emotional 8-2 victory. The triumph extended the Cubs' lead over the Cardinals to four games in the Central. The Brewers remained three back of the Cubs after beating the Marlins 10-2 in a game relocated to Milwaukee in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. But the bullpen is in danger of fatigue. After Edwards pitched a scoreless sixth, Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm and Wade Davis finished up. Moreover, Hector Rondon (elbow inflammation) and Koji Uehara (knee infection) are unavailable for a while and the Cubs had to avoid using left-handers Mike Montgomery and Brian Duensing on Friday because of recent use. "We know what it takes to handle business," Edwards said. "I don't know when (Rondon and Uehara) will be back, but we'll be (able) to handle it until they do. There's no stress." The Cubs bullpen has thrown 10 1/3 innings of one-run ball the last two games, and the effective efficiency of their work Friday might have bought themselves more time. Plate umpire Jordan Baker ejected Lackey and Contreras one pitch after Lackey voiced his displeasure on a 2-2 offering that appeared to be a third strike to oppsing pitcher Carlos Martinez but was called a ball. Martinez then hit a tie-breaking single and Lackey erupted further. With Lackey tossed, Maddon summoned Wilson, who had allowed five runs in his last three outings. With runners at first and third, Wilson struck out Carpenter to end the threat. The crowd of 38,464 became more energized when the Cubs broke out with five singles to score seven runs in the sixth. "Justin's stuff is strikeout stuff," Maddon said. "If he can get us through this, then we can move it along." Grimm, who allowed three runs in the eighth inning of a 17-5 victory Wednesday, got the first two outs of the eighth and Maddon summoned Davis. Davis pitched more than one inning for the first time since May 29, 2014, snapping a streak of 215 appearances of no more than one. "He needed to pitch an inning, anyway," Maddon said of Davis, who hadn't pitched since Sunday. The comeback victory was especially pleasing for Kris Bryant, whose home run in the fourth was his first extra-base hit in 24 career at-bats against Martinez. And Bryant started the seven-run rally with a single off Martinez and capped it with a RBI hit off Matt Bowman.

"I feel like such a better player overall from last time I faced (Martinez) on opening day," said Bryant, who has scored nine runs in his last four games. "I feel completely different from then. I just feel more comfortable in the box. Seeing (Martinez's) stuff is 99 mph with a foot of sink. Maybe it's a little bit of luck." -- Chicago Tribune Best case: Jake Arrieta could return for Brewers series next weekend By Mark Gonzales In a best-case scenario, Jake Arrieta would rejoin the Cubs to pitch against the Brewers next weekend, the Cardinals in St. Louis and against the Reds, if necessary. That's the hope of President Theo Epstein, who stressed caution regarding Arrieta, who is scheduled to test his right hamstring in a bullpen session before Saturday's game with the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. "With injured guys, you never know," Epstein said of Arrieta, who hasn't pitched since suffering a Grade 1 strain on Sept. 4. "He's pushing the schedule and working his tail off." Left-hander Jon Lester will open the series against the Rays on Tuesday, but the Cubs will assess the state of their bullpen and their options before deciding who will pitch the second game in St. Petersburg, Fla.. In other injury news, shortstop Addison Russell will work out before Saturday's game and team officials assess his next step, which could be his activation from the 10-day disabled list after a recurrence of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Infielder Tommy La Stella has experienced tightness in his groin and was lifted for a pinch-runner after drawing a walk in the fifth. Out of the box: Epstein admitted a lot of factors led to the stunning decision to start Jen-Ho Tseng against the Mets in his major-league debut Thursday. The Cubs took left-hander Mike Montgomery out of the rotation to make him available for the Cardinals' series, but they had to use him for two innings after Tseng lasted only three innings in a 14-6 victory. "Sometimes there are things going on behind the scenes, with the bullpen and availability," Epstein said. "Certain guys working on things and struggling and you have to go outside the norm to give your manager options." Extra innings: Shortstop Javier Baez made several dazzling plays but gave fans a scare when he bent his left wrist while making a stop on the grass in shallow left field Friday on a Paul DeJong single in the eighth. Baez, who has committed only one error at shortstop since Aug. 12, received medical attention before staying in the game. ... The Cubs surpassed the 3 million mark in home attendance for the second consecutive season and the 10th time in franchise history. -- Chicago Tribune Will Willson Contreras earn a suspension? By Paul Sullivan “Willie’s Willie,” Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward said of catcher Willson Contreras’ mask-tossing episode during Friday’s fifth inning meltdown at Wrigley Field, in which Contreras and pitcher John Lackey were ejected by umpire Jordan Baker. But will Willie being Willie lead to a suspension from Major League Baseball?

MLB is reviewing Friday’s ejections to determine penalties, as it does with every ejection. Contreras could face a suspension for hitting Baker with his mask after he spiked it following the ejection. Contreras obviously didn’t try to hit Baker with the mask, though he flung it down with the umpire standing right next to him, so it wasn’t surprising it hit him. “I’m sure if I see Jordan (Saturday) I will apologize to him,” Contreras said. “Other than that I’m just happy because the team was able to come back and win the game.” Does he think he may be suspended? “I don’t have any concerns on my part at all,” Contreras said. “If they’re going to do something, I’ll take it like a man. If not, I have to keep playing baseball and keep helping the team win.” The Cubs are well situated with four other catchers on the roster and Kyle Schwarber as the fifth option, but losing their clean-up hitter and emotional sparkplug would hurt. Manager Joe Maddon said the contact was accidental and hoped Contreras' actions would be viewed in that context. -- Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber's Cubs future no longer a certainty after season of struggle By Dan McGrath I was covering the San Francisco Giants when my son was born, and in the manner of "baseball men" the world over, then-manager Joe Altobelli offered a sage tip after congratulating me on Matthew's arrival. "Left-handed-hitting catcher with power," Altobelli said knowingly. "That's the quickest ticket to the big leagues." Can't say if Kyle Schwarber was mindful of that advice when he started whacking his dad's batting-practice offerings around a field near their Middletown, Ohio, home some two decades later, but he followed it, reaching the big leagues with the Cubs at 22 in 2015. A year removed from Indiana University, Schwarber was indeed a left-handed-hitting catcher with power, though he played more outfield to fill a team need, and his time behind the plate has been rare since a gruesome knee injury cost him nearly all of the 2016 regular season. He willed as much as he worked himself back for the World Series and was squarely in the middle of the Cubs' seven-game stoppage of the Indians, going 7-for-17 with three walks as their designated hitter and igniting the Series-deciding Game 7 rally by leading off the 10th inning with a rifle-shot single off Bryan Shaw. Schwarber was merely embellishing the place he had earned in Cubs lore by hitting .333 with five homers and eight RBIs in nine 2015 playoff games, punctuating the division-series-clinching victory over the Cardinals with a moon shot that landed atop the video board in right field. In 14 postseason games over two seasons, the left-handed bopper with the linebacker body and Babe Ruth swing has hit .364 with five homers, 10 RBIs and a 1.178 OPS. When it matters most, there hasn't been a hitter Cubs fans would rather see striding toward the plate. It's no wonder that "Schwarber 12" jerseys are as popular as "Rizzo 44" and "Bryant 17" shirts among the Wrigley Field faithful. His grand slam off Mike Leake in the seventh inning of a June 3 Cardinals game not only lifted the Cubs to a 5-3 victory, but also provoked the loudest roar heard at the ancient ballyard this season.

But the Kyle Schwarber of 2015-16 has made only sporadic appearances in 2017. As the Cubs intensify their push for a third straight playoff appearance, Schwarber has been a part-time player, his future no longer a certainty with a team that might well require significant roster revisions this winter to address a looming pitching shortage. He has struggled to keep his average above .200 all season. The power is there — 26 homers in 388 at-bats through Thursday — but so are the strikeouts — 138, or one for every 3.26 plate appearances. "Baseball's going to give some and it's going to take some," Schwarber said after showing flashes of his old self Tuesday in a 3-for-3 night against the Mets, featuring a home run off lefty Tommy Milone. "I stay with my routine and keep grinding." He has embraced the challenge of becoming an outfielder, offsetting five errors with seven assists thanks to a catcher's throwing arm that's both strong and accurate. But his overall defense in left field — jumps, range, routes, hands — is a work in progress. One veteran baseball executive with experience in both leagues believes Schwarber's future is in the American League, "where he can DH," the executive said. "He's always going to struggle as a big-league outfielder." After an ill-fated attempt to bat him leadoff was abandoned, Schwarber didn't oppose a two-week "clear your head/find your stroke" trip to Triple-A Iowa in late June; there was too much of the latter and not enough of the former in his "patient but aggressive" approach. It helped — he was hitting .171 with 12 homers, 28 RBIs and a .673 OPS when he went down. Since the All-Star break he has hit .257 with 13 homers, 22 RBIs and an .899 OPS in 49 games through Thursday. "He's fighting himself," said a National League scout who has watched Schwarber since college. "He's trying to punish everything, and that's not him. He's always been more hitter than slugger, and he's so strong the power will come from his natural swing. He doesn't have to overpower the ball." The scout paused for another thought. "How many minor-league at-bats did Schwarber have?" he said. He had 560, I told him. "That's one of the problems with our game today — the way we rush guys," he said. The Cubs had faced right-handed starters in five of their previous six games before Tuesday, and Schwarber made just one start. After Jason Heyward's single brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning of the Brewers' 3-1 victory Sunday, Joe Maddon called on Alex Avila to pinch-hit rather than Schwarber. Closer Corey Knebel struck out Avila to conclude the three-game sweep. A day earlier, Schwarber hit his 25th homer during four innings of mop-up duty — including two innings behind the plate — in the Brewers' 15-2 laugher. But he didn't get off the bench a day later as Kris Bryant played left field. Maddon liked the matchup with Mets starter Robert Gsellman on Tuesday night, and Schwarber got himself going with a sharp single to center in the second. He walked and scored on Jose Quintana's squeeze bunt in the fourth, took Milone deep to right in the fifth and ripped another single to left-center off lefty Josh Smoker in the seventh. "He was shorter and quicker to ball with better hand action, which we've been working on," Maddon said. "Very encouraging." The Cubs value Schwarber for his even-keel clubhouse presence as much as his light-tower power and scoffed at rumors that he could be traded for bullpen help while he was injured last season. They're facing a different scenario this offseason.

Jake Arrieta's pending free agency and John Lackey's likely retirement could thin out an already thin rotation. Having disposed of some top prospects in trades to strengthen this year's team, they might have no choice but to deal from the major-league roster if the pitching shortage materializes. Schwarber "might be better at first base than he is in left field," one veteran National League observer said. "But it's not like they're going to move (Anthony) Rizzo to make room for him." And with Willson Contreras' emergence, it's not like they need him to catch. Could he? Saturday's two-inning cameo was Schwarber's fourth appearance, covering seven innings, behind the plate this season. Mark Johnson believes he can; Johnson, a big-league catcher for eight years, was Schwarber's manager for the 23 games he spent at Class A Kane County in 2014 and saw in him the right stuff. "He's more athletic than his body type might suggest," Johnson said, "and he has the mental acuity to call pitches, manage a staff and run the game — that's the first thing I look at. And he wants to do it and be good at it. That's half the battle." That was three years ago, before the torn-up knee. Does he still want to? "That's not up to me," Schwarber said. "I try to keep myself ready for anything, but we've got five catchers here." Some of Schwarber's more memorable 2017 moments have occurred off the field. He has delivered gifts on visits to police stations, firehouses and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center as part of his Neighborhood Heroes campaign to support Chicago-area first responders. A Sunday event to benefit the charity raised more than $280,000. "I couldn't believe it when they told me how much money we brought in," he said. His on-field struggles aside, one patented Schwarber hot streak in the next few weeks and it could be 2016 all over again. "Last year might not have looked it, but it didn't come easy," he said. "There were definitely some rough spots, and we had to fight our way through each playoff series. But that will work to our advantage this year. "It's fun to be us right now. There's no better feeling than to be playing good baseball this time of year." -- Chicago Tribune Reliever Hector Rondon sidelined with elbow inflammation By Mark Gonzales The Chicago Cubs could benefit Friday from a lengthy performance from starter John Lackey against National League Central rival St. Louis. That's because Hector Rondon, one of 12 relievers on their active roster, isn't available because of right elbow inflammation. Rondon, who is 4-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 57 appearances, hasn't pitched since Friday. Manager Joe Maddon said left-handers Mike Montgomery, who pitched two innings Thursday, and Brian Duensing, who pitched on Wednesday and Thursday, likely won't be available. Cardinals reliever Seung Hwan Oh, who has 20 saves in 24 chances, hasn't pitched since Sept. 7. But no explanation has been given for his lack of activity.

Cubs President Theo Epstein said Friday that in a best-case scenario, ace Jake Arrieta would return in time to face the Milwaukee Brewers, Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds, if needed. Arrieta will throw a bullpen session Saturday to test his right hamstring that could determine how soon he returns. Arrieta hasn't pitched since Sept. 4. Shortstop Addison Russell's status will be assessed Saturday once he completes another round of drills. --