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September 26, 2017

Tribune, Cubs fun includes eliminating Cardinals, winning over Nacho Man http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-addison-russell-delivers-nachos-to-thankful- cardinals-fan-20170925-column.html

, Cubs one step from NL Central title, eliminate Cardinals from division race http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-cardinals-spt-0926-20170925-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez escapes with bruise after fouling ball off leg http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-javier-baez-20170925-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, believes Cubs, Indians share second-half similarities http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-similar-to-indians-notes-spt-0926-20170925- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs, Indians records share parallel in second-half of season http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-second-half-20170925-story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, nacho problem for Cubs on night of good news, better vibe http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/jon-lester-nacho-problem-for-cubs-on-night-of-good-news-better-vibe/

 Chicago Sun-Times, seeks clincher, soaks in personal countdown with Cubs http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/arrieta-seeks-to-clinch-as-he-soaks-in-personal-countdown-with-cubs/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Clinch-mode Cubs shove rival Cardinals to the precipice of 2017 abyss http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/clinch-mode-cubs-shove-rival-cardinals-to-the-precipice-of-2016-abyss/

 Daily Herald, How will decide postseason pitching rotation? It starts with health, Maddon says http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170925/how-will-chicago-cubs-decide-postseason-pitching-rotation-it- starts-with-health-maddon-says

 Daily Herald, : What the national anthem means to me http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170925/wayne-messmer-what-the-national-anthem-means-to-me

 Daily Herald, Wayne Messmer: National anthem, protesters deserve respect http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170925/wayne-messmer-national-anthem-protesters-deserve-respect

 Cubs.com, Cubs' fast start helps magic number drop to 1 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/255964168/cubs-beat-cardinals-trim-magic-number-to-1/

 Cubs.com, Lester, Maddon encouraged by lefty's outing http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/256073132/jon-lester-maddon-on-leftys-win-vs-cards/

 Cubs.com, Maddon, Heyward talk Cubs-Cards rivalry http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/256073126/joe-maddon-on-cubs-cardinals-rivary/

 Cubs.com, Cubs face Cards on cusp of NL Central clinch http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/255963320/cubs-face-cards-on-cusp-of-nl-central-clinch

 ESPNChicago.com, What you need to know as Cubs' potential clinching day arrives http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45881/what-you-need-to-know-as-cubs-potential- clinching-day-arrives

 ESPNChicago.com, Jon Lester shows the Cubs something they needed to see http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45891/jon-lester-shows-the-cubs-something-they- needed-to-see

 CSNChicago.com, With no more drama left in division race, Cubs-Cardinals turns into vs. Nacho Man http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/no-more-drama-left-division-race-cubs-cardinals-turns-addison- russell-vs-nacho-man

 CSNChicago.com, Get off my lawn: Jon Lester breaks down big Cubs win http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/get-my-lawn-jon-lester-breaks-down-big-cubs-win

 CSNChicago.com, Jason Heyward knows how sweet it will be for Cubs to clinch in front of Cardinals http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jason-heyward-knows-how-sweet-it-will-be-cubs-clinch-front- cardinals

 CSNChicago.com, The Cardinals set off fireworks for a home http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cardinals-set-fireworks-kris-bryant-home-run

 CSNChicago.com, Say cheese: Addison Russell smothered in nachos, delivers new batch to fan http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/say-cheese-addison-russell-smothered-nachos-delivers-new-batch- fan

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Chicago Tribune Cubs fun includes eliminating Cardinals, winning over Nacho Man By Paul Sullivan

It was a little over two years ago that Cubs declared war on the Cardinals in a classic rant after they allegedly threw at in a game at .

"We don't start stuff, but we will stop stuff," Maddon said.

That was the beginning of the new era of the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, one that has seen the Cubs turn from punching bag to aggressors in the blink of an eye.

That's why it was so strange to hear Maddon try to downplay the rivalry before Monday night's game, pretending that clinching on the Cardinals' turf would be no different than doing it anywhere else.

Reminded how much Cubs fans would enjoy watching it happen in St. Louis against a team they thoroughly dislike, Maddon put it on auto-Maddon, insisting the venue was irrelevant.

"I just really want to win, honestly," Maddon said before the Cubs' 10-2 win. "I understand all that, but I'm so contrary to attempting to enforce those kinds of thoughts into my method. It's about tonight's game, and whenever we have this first chance to get there let's get there.

"You never want it to drag out. … So it doesn't matter to me. You can also say you'd love to do in front of the hometown group. There's always that."

That would mean losing four straight games in St. Louis, which would've led to a recurrence of those Cub-induced ulcers you assumed went away for good after the 2016 championship.

The Cubs made sure that wouldn't happen, scoring four runs off in the first inning, including Addison Russell's bases-loaded , to take control early.

With the Cardinals eliminated from the division race and the magic number reduced to one over the Brewers, look for Busch to be flooded with Cubs fans Tuesday night.

It will be hard to top the strangeness of Monday's game, in which Jon Lester re-established himself and Russell spilled nachos on an unsuspecting fan before rewarding him with a new tray of nachos and a selfie.

Russell's adventures began in the bottom of the second when he went flying headfirst into the stands down the third-base line and spilled a Cardinals fan's nachos all over him and his girlfriend, getting some on himself as well.

"Looked like () wasn't anywhere close, so I took it upon myself to track the ball and I didn't see the fence and collided with it and got all nacho'd up," Russell said.

It was the second nacho-related incident this year after former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, nachos in hand, berated a Cubs fan who had been harassing the politician at Miller Park.

The replay on the video board would soon make Andrew Gudermuth, a 21-year-old manager of Solstice Sunglasses in Chesterfield, Mo., a viral sensation. Russell got up and apologized and went back to his position with nacho cheese dripping from his uniform as his teammates laughed.

A Cardinals official came down to deliver some new nachos and shirts to Gudermuth and his girlfriend, Hannah Lucas.

Just when Gudermuth thought his 15 minutes of fame were up, Russell came out between innings with a new tray of nachos.

Maddon suggested Russell go down to the clubhouse and bring Gudermuth a new plate of nachos.

"Pretty entertaining," Maddon said. "We sent him some nachos to replace the broken nachos."

The two shook hands, Russell apologized again and took a selfie with Gudermuth.

"Normally I don't do that, but being the case of me being nacho'd all over, my cleats even, I was like, you know what, why not?" Russell said. "A once in a lifetime experience."

Gudermuth, from Sikeston, Mo., promptly changed his name from "Big Furly" to "Nacho Man," befitting his new nickname.

So what did he think of Russell's gesture?

"That gives me a lot more respect for the Cubs team," he said. "I don't really bash people or anything like that, but ... "

But you hate the Cubs?

"Yes, Cardinals all the way," he said. "But it definitely gave me a lot more respect for the team. They're not all about fame."

Everyone got a kick out of it, though Lester wondered what all the fuss was about.

"I'm laughing more at the fact that the guy is taking pictures and signing autographs," Lester said. "I really don't know what he did. A guy fell into him and he got nacho cheese on his arm and now he's taking pictures and signing autographs.

"I guess that shows you where our society is right now with all that stuff."

Just another day in the pennant race.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs one step from NL Central title, eliminate Cardinals from division race By Mark Gonzales

There will be greater challenges for the Cubs next month, but they wasted little time establishing their desire to reach the next stage.

"We like the bigger moment," manager Joe Maddon said two hours before the Cubs scored four runs in the top of the first inning and saw left-hander Jon Lester rebound with six innings of one-run pitching in a 10-2 win over the Cardinals.

"There's a lot of confidence."

The Cubs' victory, their 11th in their last 13 games, assured them of no worse than a tie for the Central title while eliminating the Cardinals from the division race. Their magic number fell to one.

"The right thing to do is to get there as quickly as you can, and then have the ability to set things up (for the playoffs)," Maddon said.

Addison Russell paved the way with a three-run double in the first, and Javier Baez smacked a three-run in the third. Baez fouled a pitch off his right knee in the eighth and walked slowly off the field after hitting a single.

"I thought it was really bad," Baez said. "But after, it was a big bruise and very sore."

The offensive outburst was welcomed by Lester, whose velocity and sharpness returned after a lack of command knocked him out after only 4 1/3 innings Wednesday in a loss to the Rays.

Lester fooled Paul DeJong on a 94-mph fastball to end the first, and he snapped a curve to strike out to end the sixth on his 103rd and final pitch. He allowed five hits and two walks with four .

Lester, who was on the disabled list at the end of August due to shoulder fatigue and lat tightness, seemed to quell any questions about his status for the playoffs.

"It feels good," Lester said. "I thought I was fine early in the game."

The big debate will be how the rotation is aligned, presumably against the predominately left-handed-hitting Nationals.

Right-hander and left-hander Jose Quintana have been the most dominant among the starters of late, although Jake Arrieta can strengthen his case Tuesday night in his second start since returning from a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.

Cubs infielder Javier Baez discusses his knee bruise on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune) The Cubs currently have no plans to juggle their rotation for the rest of the regular season, with Hendricks, Quintana, Lester and Arrieta scheduled to pitch the final four games, followed by a four-day break before the first playoff game.

"I'm not going to jump the gun on any of this stuff," Maddon said. "I can't permit myself to do that."

The Cubs, like every playoff contender, have dispatched multiple scouts to watch potential postseason opponents for at least the last week.

"Once you (clinch a playoff berth), then everyone descends upon you with spreadsheets and data and video, and then we'll make our decision," Maddon said.

Another potential debate involves Ben Zobrist or in left field.

Maddon is careful not to rely solely on hitter- matchups.

"Everyone wants the large sample size, but sometimes that can be more deceptive than the smaller size," Maddon said. "Jon Jay is a prime example of the smaller sample size being very pertinent right now."

Jay a two-out RBI single in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to five games.

"I don't feel like we've gotten off track," said Jason Heyward, who hit an RBI double to cap a four-run first. "We're in first place, been in first place for a while now and we have chance to clinch our division. So to me, we're on track."

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Chicago Tribune Javier Baez escapes with bruise after fouling ball off leg By Mark Gonzales

Javier Baez was in severe pain Monday night as after fouling off a pitch that initially scared the Cubs and their fans thirsting for their second title.

Fortunately for the Cubs, their prized infielder suffered only a bruise that might allow him to play Tuesday night in what could be a division-clinching game at Busch Stadium.

“I thought it was really bad,” Baez said. “I only felt my knee. Afterwards, it was a big bruise and sore. It was like jumping into a cold tub, and my whole leg was freezing.”

In the eighth, Baez fouled a pitch off Cardinals reliever Sandy Alcantara and immediately fell to the ground before receiving medical attention. After nearly two minutes, he squatted, and then tested his leg by jogging about 60 feet before feeling well enough to resume his at-bat.

Baez smacked a pitch into left field for a single but bent over after returning to first base and eventually walked slowly off the field.

Baez said he was fortunate the ball hit more of his quadriceps muscle than his kneecap.

“With (Alcantara) throwing that hard, I was just hoping he didn’t throw me that same pitch,” Baez said. “Because if I hit it again right there, it was going to be very painful.

“I feel pretty good now. It’s still a little sore when I bend down. But if I got to play (Tuesday night), I’m ready.”

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Chicago Tribune Jason Heyward believes Cubs, Indians share second-half similarities By Mark Gonzales

Jason Heyward believes it's more than a coincidence that the Cubs and 2016 foe Indians have the best records in their leagues in the second half.

"Something could be said about how long and hard it was to go through what we went through, win or lose a World Series, come back for and not have everyone fresh," Heyward said. "There are a lot of challenges with it, but we've both done a good job in the second half of coming through."

The Cubs' 43-45 record in the first half was marked by several unusual challenges, Heyward said.

"Starting with guys naturally fatiguing, the pitching staff being fatigue, and every other team in our division playing well. It was a combination of everything. It's one of those years where you got to do a lot of things right to get it done and a lot of things stacked against you, even more than last year."

The Cubs' 44-23 record in the second half entering Monday night was second in the majors to the Indians' 51-18 mark, which featured a 22-game winning streak.

Heyward also pointed to the growth behind the plate from last year, from veteran to to in his first full season.

"That's just another step in the process you got to grow into," Heyward said. "We had a lot of growing to do this year versus last year."

Average not ordinary: Jr. has downplayed his chance to bat .300 in his first full season.

"I don't try to pay attention to that," said Almora, who was batting .297 entering Monday. "Playing for this team is special."

Almora is batting .356 with 22 RBIs in his last 41 games since Aug. 7. Almora's current role is as a platoon starter against left-handed , against whom he is batting .345, but he is 10-for-27 (.370) against right-handers in September.

"I don't think of that," Almora said of his improvement against right-handers. "I think of when I'm getting the chance to play against righties and lefties, I don't think I got to do better (specifically)."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs, Indians records share parallel in second-half of season By Mark Gonzales

Reader Ron Raedeke points out a very interesting parallel between the entrants Cubs and Indians.

Despite a terrible first half, the Cubs -- not the Dodgers -- have posted the best record in the second half in the National League at 44-23.

The Indians, thanks to a 22-game winning streak, have the majors' best record in the second half at 51-18.

The path to the World Series will be difficult for the Cubs, who likely won't have home field advantage should they clinch a playoff berth.

The Indians (98-58) have the best record in the and appear headed to face the AL wild-card winner.

At any rate, both teams have overcome a slow start following the 2016 World Series to rebound in the second half.

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Chicago Sun-Times Jon Lester nacho problem for Cubs on night of good news, better vibe By Gordon Wittenmyer

ST. LOUIS — Just when it looked like the Cubs’ late-September lives couldn’t get any more charmed than they did in , get a tray load of what went down Monday at Busch Stadium.

And don’t forget the extra cheese.

The Cubs won 10-2 to eliminate the rival Cardinals and lower their magic number to one to clinch a second consecutive division title.

But that doesn’t begin to tell the story on a night that went so quickly and thoroughly the Cubs’ way. When Kris Bryant hit a second-inning homer, fireworks began to go off. At Busch Stadium. In St. Louis. For a Cub.

Big deal?

How about the Cards fan Addison Russell befriended after the Cub kicked the guy’s nachos out of his hand on a dive into the stands for a foul ball.

The fan later was given a fresh tray of nachos by the Cardinals, then another by Russell an inning later.

“Great effort,” pitcher Jon Lester said. “But I don’t understand the other stuff.

“A guy fell into him and got nacho cheese on his arm and now he’s taking pictures and signing autographs. It shows you where our society’s at right now with all that stuff.”

Manager Joe Maddon, who apparently was behind the nacho order delivered by Russell, called it “pretty entertaining.”

As Russell, who said he was “nacho-ed all over,” pointed out, “You don’t get between a man and his nachos.”

The Cubs haven’t had this much fun in St. Louis since, well, pretty much ever. If the clincher comes in the next three days, it’ll be the Cubs’ first title clinch of any kind in St. Louis since 1938.

Even Lester had a good night Monday, which was the most important development of the game for the Cubs.

Lester looked like a question mark for the playoff rotation — much less the front end of it — after four shaky starts since a two-week lat injury.

But staked to a 4-0 lead before he took the mound, Lester pounded the vicinity of the strike zone with a steady diet of fastballs ranging from 91 mph to 94 for six innings that looked as strong as any he had thrown since last month.

“The command could have been a little better, but I’ll take the good right now with that game,” said Lester, who made an effort to get “back to being me” instead of relying as much on scouting reports. “Everything was just a little bit sharper today than it has been in a little while.”

Lester still couldn’t pinpoint the source of his command problems and suggested more work ahead: “I haven’t had stuff like this before so we’ll just figure it out as we go.”

He has one more start, Saturday at home, before a potential Game 1 or 2 playoff start against the Nationals.

“I anticipated good [Monday],” Maddon said. “He’s coming. That’s the whole point. It’s going to get there.”

NOTES: Javy Baez badly bruised his right knee on a foul ball in the eighth, then hit a single and left the game. He said afterward it was sore but he expected to play Tuesday.

— Cardinals was hit in the mask by fouls on back-to-back pitches and left the game for concussion protocol. He vomited in his mask after the second one.

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Chicago Sun-Times Jake Arrieta seeks clincher, soaks in personal countdown with Cubs By Gordon Wittenmyer

ST. LOUIS – It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance to the Cubs of Jake Arrieta’s quick return from a hamstring injury this past.

It might be even more difficult to overstate how important it was to Arrieta.

After returning with five strong innings Thursday in a victory over the Brewers, Arrieta admitted over the weekend to slipping into bouts of nostalgia lately as he begins to measure what figures to be his final few weeks as a Cub.

“I go all the way back to my rookie season and even before that, just the progression of me as a person, a player, a teammate,” said Arrieta, who has had the kind of four-year run with the Cubs that not even Greg Maddux or Rick Sutcliffe can match.

The Cubs’ likely Game 1 playoff starter late next week against the Nationals, Arrieta starts Tuesday in St. Louis with a chance to clinch a second consecutive National League Central championship.

That also would clinch three straight postseason appearances for the Cubs for the first time since 1906-08.

And this: His start Tuesday might well be his last as a Cub against the Cardinals, and his start Sunday against the Reds possibly his last at Wrigley Field in a Cub uniform.

“Yeah, I’ve thought about it,” he said. “Hopefully, the last one is at some point in the playoffs. But if for some reason it works out that way, it’ll be an emotional start. It’ll be a special one.”

That’s what they’re all starting to feel like for Arrieta, each one part of a slow-motion countdown to what’s likely the end of the most celebrated, accomplished chapter in his baseball life.

“It’s a point in my career where I’ve been able to do a lot of reflecting,” Arrieta said. “I don’t do it as often as I probably should, just because simply there’s not enough time to right now.”

It certainly was a major incentive during his rehab work after suffering the right hamstring injury in his Sept. 4 start in . Team officials marveled at the way Arrieta’s physical conditioning allowed him to return so quickly, but the mental drive and motivation might have been just as strong an influence.

Arrieta hasn’t ruled out talking to the team when he becomes a free agent this fall about a multiyear contract. But nothing has changed between the sides to suggest the odds of that enormous long shot are any better.

“I’m trying to take advantage of this opportunity, if it is my last with this organization, and really make the most of it,” Arrieta said, “for not only myself but for the rest of the guys in this room and the coaching staff and the organization top to bottom and the entire city and all of our fans across the world.”

Widely considered one of the best trades in franchise history, Arrieta was acquired, with , from the Orioles for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger in July 2013.

He had a losing record and 5.46 ERA with Baltimore.

But he has been arguably the biggest reason for the Cubs’ competitive turnaround since then, going 68-30 in 127 starts, with a 2.71 ERA, a 2015 Cy Young Award, 2016 All-Star selection, two no-hitters and a .

Nobody since Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown has more World Series victories as a Cub than the two Arrieta won in last fall.

“It’s really humbling to just try and understand the magnitude of what I’ve been able to accomplish and what collectively we’ve been able to be a part of as a team these last three or four years,” he said.

“It’s really a unique opportunity to be a part of something special for multiple years in this organization so I’m going to do everything I can in my power to make it a good [finish].”

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Chicago Sun-Times Clinch-mode Cubs shove rival Cardinals to the precipice of 2017 abyss By Steve Greenberg

ST. LOUIS — It’s probably safe to say that hasn’t had quite as much fun in his first season with the Cardinals as he had in his last one with the Cubs.

“I wish we were winning a little bit more,” the and leadoff man of the 2016 World Series champs said before the Cubs’ 10-2 victory in the opener of a four-game series between old rivals Monday. “But other than that, it’s been all right.”

Has it, though?

Maybe for Fowler, the indignity of looking up at the Cubs while wearing the Birds on the Bat across his chest hasn’t really set in. After all, he practically just got here.

Cardinals closer has been around since way back when — some of you may even remember this — the Cubs were a last-place team. He’s plenty in tune with what it means to have the Cubs (magic number: so small, it’s not even relevant) come into Busch Stadium and clinch a division title. And dance and stomp all over the mound. And party like rock stars in the visitors’ clubhouse.

The Cubs haven’t clinched anything in this stellar baseball town since winning the National League pennant in 1938. Barring the obscenely unpredictable, they’re about to become the first opponent to clinch a division title — NL Central or otherwise — in the 12-year history of the Cardinals’ current ballpark.

For Rosenthal and all of , losing to the Cubs in the 2015 division series was painful. Being left at the station by the runaway Cubs in 2016 was brutal. Getting rolled by the Cubs in the season series (12-4 so far) in 2017 has been some serious salt in the wound.

But a Cubs clincher here, of all places? The whole thing has gone beyond the pale.

“When you play in St. Louis for a while, you start drinking the water here and it’s really all about the Cardinals,” Rosenthal said. “We love the Cardinals, and we don’t like to see the Cubs win. And we especially don’t want to see them win here.”

Mike Matheny has spent over a decade with the Cardinals, first as a catcher and now as their manager. Asked about the fact the Cubs could clinch before his very eyes, on his own turf, he went straight for sarcasm.

“Is that right? Cool,” he said.

A lot of folks down this way are salty when it comes to the Cubs. Lifelong fans in their 40s or older experienced three of the Cardinals’ 11 World Series titles (in 1982, 2006 and 2011). It only seems like every one of them has lunged at the opportunity to claim superiority over Cubs fans, who have a meager one.

Take it from someone who lived in St. Louis during the team’s last two championships and for 17 years in all: Cardinal Nation still isn’t sure how to cope with the harsh reality that the Cubs are in position to rule the roost in the division for years to come.

Eleven Series flags fly above the bleachers at Busch, more than we ever may see at Wrigley Field. Guess what else flew above the bleachers Monday? A single firework, which went off after a second-inning home run by Kris Bryant.

For those unaware, Bryant was playing for the visitors.

It was simply a case of honest, embarrassing human , obviously. Or maybe a malfunctioning doohickey was to blame. Who cares which? One could cut the symbolism with a knife.

Anyone want to bet that the Cubs will leave here without locking up the division crown and burying their rivals in the NL wild-card race, to boot? It’s all but a done deal now.

Might be a wee bit fun, too.

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Daily Herald How will Chicago Cubs decide postseason pitching rotation? It starts with health, Maddon says By Bruce Miles

The question came up to Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon about the starting rotation: Does he feel as good about it as he did last year?

"Woof," Maddon said, before giving it several seconds of heavy consideration.

It's a question worth asking and one worthy of a "woof" from Maddon. Last year the Cubs' rotation pretty much cruised into the postseason and to a World Series title in fine form and in good health.

Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks wound up 2-3 in Cy Young balloting, and Jake Arrieta won 18 games a season after dominating baseball and earning the Cy Young.

There have been more fits and starts this year among the starters. Lester and Hendricks spent time on the disabled list, and Arrieta suffered a hamstring injury on Labor Day, but he looks fully recovered.

John Lackey has been doing what a No. 5 starter usually does, and Jose Quintana tossed a complete-game shutout Sunday at Milwaukee.

Lester started Monday night's series opener at St. Louis, as the Cubs reduced their magic number to 1 for clinching the National League Central with a 10-2 victory. Arrieta will pitch tonight, when the Cubs will have their first chance to clinch.

Still, the question persists. How do things compare?

"You've got to make sure that Jake's well," Maddon said. "You've got to make sure Jonny Lester's OK coming out of this, too, because last year Lester and Hendricks were pretty much Cy Young candidates.

"I would say Jonny Lester getting back to normalcy and that Jake is well because I think Q is throwing the ball great.

"Johnny Lackey didn't have a great start (Friday), but he's been good. Hendricks, to me, is throwing the ball as good as I've seen. He really is. That last game was the best stuff I've ever seen."

Lester experienced shoulder fatigue, which put him on the DL from Aug. 18-Sept. 2. His September ERA heading into Monday was 5.91, and his ERA since the all-star break was 5.11 going into the start.

The Cubs say there are no signs that Lester is injured. But he has pitched extensively in the postseason in recent years, and the fatigue factor could be real.

"There's nothing wrong with him," Maddon insisted over the weekend. "If there was, I'd be concerned, but I'm not getting that at all.

"There's been nothing new. He has not come to me with anything new. I've not talked to Bos (pitching ). Bos hasn't brought any kind of epiphanies to me. I really anticipate better.

"I just think he has to work through coming off his injury. Physically he's well. There's nothing unwell about him. I have so much faith in the guy. I'm anticipating good.

"We need that from Jon. That's who Jon is. And he expects that from himself also."

Arrieta has looked fine in his starts since resting the hamstring. He pitched the Cubs to victory in the 2015 wild- card game at Pittsburgh.

The extended workload may have caught up to Arrieta last year, but he said he's ready to once again pitch the Cubs into the postseason.

"It's just good to be back out there," he said. "These are big games. I want to be a part of as many as I can, especially to try to clinch the division as quick as possible and kind of line things up for us in October. But we've got to get there first."

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Daily Herald Wayne Messmer: What the national anthem means to me By Wayne Messmer

There is a unique moment for anyone who has been introduced to sing the national anthem. That honor of being handed the microphone, or walking up to the podium to handle this great responsibility is something that every American should have the privilege to experience. For me, it is more than just another song, it is an opportunity to recite the poem, "Defence of Fort M'Henry" written by Francis Scott Key as he was inspired by the brave men who fought to Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor on Sept. 13-14 in the early days of the War of 1812 and the 15- stripe and 15-star flag that survived the vicious night of bombardment.

The prose, first published just more than two years later, tells the heroic actions of patriots who put their newfound country ahead of their own lives, willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we now, all too frequently, take for granted. The blood that was shed on that proud moment of early America serves as the inspiration for the moment when I am called upon to represent those men and the tens of thousands of others who laid down their lives for us … many generations later, whom they could only imagine.

The melody that we now know as "The Star-Spangled Banner" emanates from John Stafford Smith's "To Anacreon in Heaven," a popular tune that had been used previously by the lawyer/poet. The music carried its challenges then as it does now, covering an octave and a fifth in range … surpassing the average singing voice by a few critical notes on the top or the bottom range. It took many years before "The Star-Spangled Banner" found its proper place in our daily lives. President Woodrow Wilson exercised an executive order in 1916 to approve the "Service Version" of the patriotic piece that found its way into baseball during the between the Chicago

Cubs and the Red Sox. Folklore tells of President Wilson's request of the military band to play during the 7th inning stretch, (at a Cubs World Series' home game played at the larger capacity on the South Side, rather than smaller Weeghman Park, the future Wrigley Field, only to discover that the band had exhausted their repertoire and were forced to play their last remaining tune. Naturally, people stood and the tradition loosely began, although the song did not officially become recognized as our national anthem until a Congressional Resolution was passed and signed by President Herbert Hoover in 1931.

Knowing this history and that, for which it stands, only amplifies the honorable responsibility that is not to be taken lightly as too many others have done and continue to do. I have always felt that this not the time to boast, brag or to call attention to one's self with a grandstanding gesture or an attempt at a grandiose personal interpretation. Doing so, in my opinion is nothing short of blatantly disrespectful. We have all seen our share of showboating in action over the years and I only wish it would stop.

As a son of a WW II veteran, I learned firsthand what this proud song truly represents to the men and women who have worn the uniforms of the five branches of our military then and now. I have walked along the monuments at Arlington National Cemetery and at country graveyards that mark this lives of soldiers and sailors who have served and fallen. I have had the great honor on a number of momentous occasions to sing before millions of people over the years … moments where the national anthem needed to be sung, "the way it's supposed to be sung."

With a count of near 5,000 times of accepting this honor since my first public singing of the national anthem at a Loyola University hockey game nearly 40 years ago, I have never varied from my approach to treating the moment with dignity, respect and pride.

Each and every time I have heard the call, it has been the same motivation to "lead the crowd" in the singing of the anthem. Never should it be taken as an invitation to draw attention away from the words of courage as written by the poet of so long ago.

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Daily Herald Wayne Messmer: National anthem, protesters deserve respect By Burt Constable

More than 21 years ago, popular anthem singer Wayne Messmer and I had a conversation after the National Basketball Association suspended star player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of the Nuggets indefinitely without pay because the player refused to stand during our national anthem.

Abdul-Rauf's refusal to stand "is a much more dignified way of expressing silent speech than ruining the song by singing it disrespectfully," Messmer said in March 1996.

As with most things involving top athletes and big money, a compromise was reached two days later allowing the Nuggets to put Abdul-Rauf back in the starting lineup and giving the player the right to stand with his head bowed and his eyes closed in prayer. Fans, on the other hand, were still free to spend the anthem sipping beer, munching hot dogs, talking, singing in a mocking manner, cheering, booing or taking a quick bathroom break before the action began. Now, you can add cellphone activity to the list of things folks can do during our national anthem.

"I often sing with my eyes closed so I don't see some knucklehead on the phone or wearing his cap," says Messmer today, as he nears his 5,000th performance of the anthem. Messmer says he respects the freedom to protest, just as he respects the anthem.

"For me, it is more than just another song," Messmer writes in his essay "What the National Anthem Means to Me," which explains how Francis Scott Key wrote the poem after "he was inspired by the brave men who fought to save Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor on Sept. 13-14 in the early days of the War of 1812 and the 15-stripe and 15-star flag that survived the vicious night of bombardment."

Messmer says he sings the anthem as his way to honor the people who have given their lives for our country, and not, as often happens with anthem singers who don't get that sentiment, a chance to show off some vocal tricks, see how long he can hold a note, or turn the anthem into a pep song.

The song, with the melody of an old English drinking song about women and wine, got its start at athletic events at the 1918 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the . Messmer says folklore claims President Woodrow Wilson asked the military band to play something during the 7th-inning stretch at old Comiskey Park, where the Cubs played because it held more fans than the Cubs' home field of Weeghman Park. "The band had exhausted their repertoire and were forced to play their last remaining tune," Messmer says. "Naturally, people stood and the tradition loosely began."

Declared our national anthem in 1931, the song got played at some ballparks during World War II, but it didn't become a regular thing until years later. The Cubs didn't start playing it regularly until the 1960s, and even then, not before every game, Messmer says.

At the , José Feliciano made a name for himself before Game Five with a free-form, folksy, controversial version that earned him the distinction of being the first blind person booed at a World Series. Jimi Hendrix used the anthem as a weapon at Woodstock. Marvin Gaye used it as a dance mix at an NBA All-Star Game, Kenny G. used it for way too long, and Roseanne Barr used it to accompany a scratch and spit.

The Naperville Municipal Band used to end outdoor summer concerts with the anthem, but "people would grab their kids and their lawn chairs and start heading out," longtime conductor Ron Keller told me for that 1996 column. So Keller moved it to the start.

Moving the anthem in an attempt to get more respect for it makes sense. We don't sing it before plays, movies, concerts, math competitions, poetry slams, weddings or book readings. It's really a song about "bombs bursting in air," and war. That is even too violent for football and hockey, let alone basketball, baseball and soccer. Messmer, who performs beautiful, inspiring duets with his wife, Kathleen, to "God Bless America," "America the Beautiful" and "O, Canada," says he'd be OK with a change in the anthem routine before every sporting event.

"It's counterproductive for me to say, 'Why don't we stop doing what I do?'" quips Messmer, who admits that he'd be happy to sing instead "America the Beautiful" or "God Bless America," which was written by Jewish immigrant Irving Berlin while serving in the U.S. Army in 1918.

Or, as a 1996 episode of TV's "The Simpsons" did during a boxing match, the announcer could just tell the crowd, "Due to popular demand, we will forgo our national anthem." Whatever song we sing at sporting events, we'd all do better if we followed the advice Messmer gave to his wife before a recent duet at Wrigley Field: "Let's make it pretty, meaningful and respectful."

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Cubs.com Cubs' fast start helps magic number drop to 1 By Jenifer Langosch and Carrie Muskat

ST. LOUIS -- The Cubs shifted their champagne onto ice Monday night while simultaneously delivering a costly blow to the Cardinals' chances of following with their own cork-popping celebration later in the week.

The suspense was drained out of Busch Stadium early, as the Cubs pounced on starter Luke Weaver for eight early runs before coasting to a 10-2 victory. The win extended Chicago's year-long dominance over the Cardinals -- they have won six straight and are now 12-4 in the season series -- and reduced the Cubs' magic number to repeat as National League Central champs to one.

"We're just getting ready for the playoffs," Chicago's Javier Baez said. "Hopefully, we clinch tomorrow and everything goes our way again."

The Cubs can secure that division title as early as Tuesday with one more win or a loss by the Brewers, who were idle on Monday. The Cardinals, in contrast, must now turn their focus exclusively to the NL Wild Card race, in which they trail the Rockies by 2 1/2 games.

"We still have some other goals that we've set as well, and some of those include playing deep in October and being the last team standing," Cardinals manager said of falling short of their division-title aspirations. "It's still right there, and that's one of the goals that we're not going to lose sight of. The ones that you don't achieve, whether they are individual goals, whether they're collective goals, you realize that we'll continue to chase those in the future, but right now, we still have goals that we can attain."

The Cardinals had hoped to close that gap upon returning home for the final seven games of the season, but found themselves in a four-run hole before ever coming to bat. The Cubs struck quickly thanks in large part to Addison Russell's bases-clearing double, and they chased Weaver from the game after three innings.

Weaver allowed as many runs Monday as he had in his previous seven starts combined. Kris Bryant and Baez each took him deep; all eight runs scored with two outs.

"It's the Cubs. Good rivalry. I was , amped up," Weaver said. "[I] still made some good pitches, but it just didn't go our way, or my way. That's just part of the game."

"Look at his numbers and what he's done the last seven times out," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said of Weaver. "A lot of strikeouts, no walks, no runs. He's been really impressive. I really thought [Bryant's] line drive to right took him off his game quickly -- that's what I saw from the side."

Cubs starter Jon Lester saw his fortunes shift, too -- but for the better. After posting a 5.91 ERA in four starts since coming off the disabled list, Lester held the Cardinals to a Jedd Gyorko solo homer over his six-inning start. With his fifth career win over the Cardinals, Lester lowered his career ERA against them to 2.30.

"I felt better," Lester said. "Command could've been a little bit better. I'll take the good right now with that game. The ball was coming out better. Everything was a little sharper today than it has been in a little while. That's good. Moving in the right direction."

In almost every way, the Cubs looked right at home. They played in front of several thousand blue-clad fans and were the beneficiaries of an errant firework set off at the stadium when Bryant went deep. Russell even paused during play to accommodate a fan's request for a selfie after replacing the nachos he had accidentally knocked over in pursuit of a foul ball.

"You don't get in front of a man and his nachos," Russell said.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Striking first: Weaver was one strike away from slithering out of a first-inning, bases-loaded mess when Russell lined a 96-mph fastball down the right-field line to give the Cubs a quick, 3-0, lead. With the hit, Russell reached base for a sixth consecutive against the Cardinals and drove in more runs than Weaver had allowed in any of his previous six starts. Jason Heyward then added to the lead with his own RBI double.

"That big opportunity there with Russell, I feel like I threw a good pitch," Weaver said. "He just got the barrel on it, and it snuck down [the line]. They got some momentum, and they capitalized on it. It gets contagious."

Baez's blast: Matheny's decision to try and push Weaver through the third backfired with a blast by Baez. After a two-out walk to Heyward put two runners aboard for the eight-hole hitter, Baez reached for an outside curveball and launched it into the Cubs' bullpen. The three-run homer, which traveled a Statcast-estimated 422 feet, was Baez's 23rd of the season and put Chicago ahead by seven runs. It was the 19th home run Cardinals pitching has served up to the Cubs this year.

MEDICAL REPORT

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina exited the game in the top of the seventh after being hit on the mask by consecutive foul tips off the bat of Bryant. He headed immediately into the clubhouse to undergo concussion testing. Molina's status for the remainder of the season is uncertain.

"He'll go through all the battery of tests and then make sure that he measures up to his former baseline," Matheny said. "We'll go from there."

Baez fouled a ball off his right leg in the eighth inning, and fell to the ground. After he was examined, Baez stayed in the game and delivered a single to left. But after running to first base, he was lifted for pinch-runner Ian Happ. The Cubs wanted Baez to get ice on his right knee and start treatment.

"It was really sore when I first hit it and then running down the line, I was feeling a big bruise," Baez said. "If I have to play tomorrow, I'm ready. I'm always ready."

QUOTABLE

"It's starting to smell like playoff baseball. I know these guys are amped up. You can see throughout the night, it seems we were pretty aggressive in the zone. It's definitely feeling like playoff baseball, and Jonny Lester was great tonight." – Russell

"I think we've always said, anytime you can make the last month count, that's good. Going into that final week and still having a mathematical chance, there's something to be said for that. But you have to start winning games." -- Cardinals president of baseball operations

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: On Tuesday, Jake Arrieta will be making his second start since he was sidelined briefly because of a right hamstring injury suffered Sept. 4. In his first start back, last Thursday, he gave up one run on five hits over five innings. First pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.

Cardinals: With a Wild Card berth still attainable, the Cardinals will continue their series against the Cubs with a 7:15 p.m. CT game on Tuesday. Carlos Martinez, who eclipsed the 200-inning mark for the first time in his career his last time out, will make his 32nd start of the season for St. Louis.

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Cubs.com Lester, Maddon encouraged by lefty's outing By Carrie Muskat

ST. LOUIS -- With the National League Central title nearly secured, the Cubs' next order of business will be sorting out the pitching for the postseason. Jon Lester reminded the Cubs he can still be a key piece for the team.

Lester got the win Monday night in the Cubs' 10-2 romp over the Cardinals. With a win on Tuesday, the Cubs will be headed to the postseason for the third straight season.

"Jon Lester was good, he kept getting better game in progress," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

Lester had struggled with his command in his previous outing against the Rays, giving up seven runs on eight hits and three wlaks over 4 1/3 innings. St. Louis' only run off Lester on Monday came on Jedd Gyorko's homer with one out in the second.

"He's been searching, command-wise," Maddon said of Lester. "About the fifth inning, it kicked in. ... I can't give you an exact reason why. They hit a couple balls well early that we caught and he settles in. We just need to get him out of the gate a little more on top of his game. He's well and the numbers on the gun are good. It's just a matter of executing his pitches and finishing them."

Lester was encouraged.

"I felt better," he said. "Command could've been a little bit better. I'll take the good right now with that game. The ball was coming out better. Everything was a little sharper today than it has been in a little while. That's good. Moving in the right direction."

As of now, Lester is scheduled to make his final regular-season start on Saturday against the Reds. The Cubs will then think about which four starters they want to open the NL Division Series, most likely against the Nationals. Maddon wasn't worried about Lester, who was an NL Cy Young Award contender last season, posting a 19-5 record and 2.44 ERA in 32 starts. This year, he's 12-8 with a 4.46 ERA.

"I anticipated good tonight," Maddon said. "He's coming. You'll see that [efficiency] occur earlier in the game as opposed to later in the game."

The Cubs opened an 8-1 lead after three innings, and that cushion made it tough on the Cardinals, manager Mike Matheny said.

"He was good," Matheny said of Lester. "He seems to throw like that against us. Regardless of how his previous starts go, he seems to have a lot of confidence against us. He threw the ball well and had a lot to work with."

Cubs Jason Heyward isn't worried about Lester.

"The one thing he's showed me is he knows what he's doing and he's a competitor and he wants the ball every time out," Heyward said. "He's a guy who's been around for a long time, thrown a lot of innings and he's had to manipulate and find different ways to get things done."

Lester still sounded as if he has a lot of work to do.

"I got to get back to being me, I got to get back to putting the hitters on a defensive mode, as opposed to trying to pitch to a scouting report from pitch one," he said. "That was a conscious effort going into tonight. I felt better with everything."

On Tuesday night, the Cubs could clinch the Central division for the second straight year. Lester will be watching from the .

"We're excited," Lester said. "We've been playing good baseball since the break. Everybody in here is excited, everyone is playing well, everyone feels good about themselves. This game is such an up-and-down game, you think you're going good one day and the next day you can be brought back down. Everybody's feeling good now, riding that wave. Hopefully, we can continue to play good baseball as we move toward the postseason."

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Cubs.com Maddon, Heyward talk Cubs-Cards rivalry By Carrie Muskat

ST. LOUIS -- In 2015, which was Joe Maddon's first year as the Cubs' manager, his team began the season 2-7 against the Cardinals but finished strong, taking two of the final three series. The Cardinals were the team to beat.

On Monday, the Cubs opened a four-game series against the Cardinals and the roles have reversed. Now the Cubs are the team to beat, leading the National League Central Division. Chicago could clinch its second straight division title in St. Louis.

Maddon said the Cardinals vs. Cubs rivalry is similar to what he dealt with in Tampa Bay playing in the tough .

"It's no different than in it was in Tampa Bay with the Yankees and Red Sox," Maddon said. "When people talked about those teams, I understood why they were beating [the Rays] up. You've got to feel confidence in yourself, you've got to believe you can do it -- you've got to believe it before you can do it ever."

Some of those losses in 2015 still sting, but Maddon recalls how pumped the players were when they won the final two series. The Cubs did win the season series in 2016, 10-9, and entered Monday's game with an 11-4 edge head to head.

"This team is a proud, wonderful organization with one of the best histories in all of Major League sports," Maddon said of the Cardinals. "There's nothing that will come easily when you play against St. Louis, especially when you play here."

Jason Heyward has played for both organizations, signing with the Cubs after playing one season in St. Louis in 2015.

"After signing with Chicago, people always say, 'How do you feel about the rivalry, this and that,'" Heyward said. "When I got to the Cubs, I made it clear that we have some catching up to do as far as that goes in playoff wins and [World Series] championships and things like that. This is another opportunity to take a step in that direction."

The Cubs took a major step last year by winning the division and, ultimately, the World Series. This year, the Cubs opened the season at Busch Stadium.

"When we started the year in St. Louis, we wanted to have clinched before this," Chicago's Ben Zobrist said. "We're playing the kind of baseball we're capable of in the second half of this season. We find ourselves in a spot here in the last series to try to clinch. That's the goal in the next couple days."

Worth noting

• With the Cubs close to securing a postseason berth, Maddon and Co. would then need to sort out the club's pitching. Maddon wasn't ready to talk about the plans until the team locks in a spot.

"If you do this properly, you have time to set things up," Maddon said.

• The Cubs' center-field combo of Albert Almora Jr., Jon Jay and Ian Happ have done well, and the trio plus Heyward had combined for a .273 batting average entering play Monday.

"Ian's made it more complicated by getting here so early," Maddon said of , who was promoted on May 13 and was batting .253 with 22 home runs, 17 doubles and 63 RBIs prior to Monday's game. "He was not supposed to have been here right now, or earlier in the season. I had to fit him into the mix and he's got 20 homers, too."

Last season, Dexter Fowler was the Cubs' primary center fielder, but he signed this offseason with the Cardinals.

"Dexter's wonderful and we do miss Dexter," Maddon said, "but the guys who have done it this year have done a fabulous job."

• The Cubs and Indians have the best records in the Majors in the second half. Coincidentally, both played in the World Series last year. Maybe both had a first-half hangover?

"There could be something to be said about how long and hard it was to go through what we went through," Heyward said. "We both have done a good job in the second half and know how to finish strong."

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Cubs.com Cubs face Cards on cusp of NL Central clinch By Carrie Muskat

It's pretty simple what the Cubs have to do.

"We're in first place, we've been in first place for a while now, and here we are with a chance to clinch our division," Chicago's Jason Heyward said. "For me, we're on track."

The Cubs can clinch their second straight National League Central title with a win over their rivals, the Cardinals, on Tuesday. St. Louis was officially eliminated after losing, 10-2, on Monday. The Cubs have a magic number of one over the Brewers, who were idle on Monday.

A win on Tuesday, or a Milwaukee loss, would boost the Cubs into the postseason for the third straight season for the first time since 1906-08. As most Cubs fan know, the 1908 season was the last time the Cubs won the World Series before doing so in 2016.

Chicago's Jake Arrieta will start Tuesday against St. Louis' Carlos Martinez, who topped the 200-inning mark for the first time in his career in his last start. Tuesday's game will be his career-high 32nd start. After a run of eight straight starts with three or fewer earned runs allowed, Martinez has given up 11 earned runs in his last two outings. That included seven runs over 5 1/3 innings at Wrigley Field in a loss on Sept. 15.

Arrieta will be making his second start since he was sidelined briefly because of a right hamstring injury suffered Sept. 4. In his first start, back on Thursday, he gave up one run on five hits over five innings.

The right-hander is used to pitching in games that mean something. He won the NL Wild Card Game in 2015, throwing a shutout against the Pirates.

Last season, the Cubs clinched the division on Sept. 15, but this year, they were 5 1/2 the Brewers at the All-Star break. They've had to rally.

"I've said all year, we had a lot of things that were not easy about this year, starting with guys naturally being fatigued [from playing in the postseason in 2016], but you also have the fact that every team in our division played well this year," Heyward said. "Obviously, the Reds are going through what they're going through, but they're still a team you have to show up and play against. ... It's one of those years when you have to do everything right to get it done."

The Cubs-Cardinals series are always intense, no matter where the teams are in the standings, and Chicago's Ben Zobrist added to the rivalry by saying they wanted to clinch in St. Louis.

"He better not ask me how I'm doing on the field," St. Louis' said of Zobrist. "I don't want to be his friend. He's going to come here and pop bottles or all that stuff, don't say hi to me on the field then."

Three things to know about this game

• Cardinals' Jose Martinez will attempt to grip a bat and swing on Tuesday in hopes of being cleared to play in that night's game. Martinez, who has been nursing a sprained left thumb for the past week, had a cortisone shot on Sunday. Prior to being shut down, Martinez had hit safely in 18 of 21 games.

• Arrieta's overall average velocity on the 48 fastballs he threw last Thursday clocked in at 92.2 mph, the exact same as his season average before he got hurt. And Arrieta's command was excellent, too, as he placed nearly half of his fastballs on the edges of the strike zone, according to Statcast's detailed zone metric.

• The toughest decision in the lineup for Maddon these days is who starts in left field. He has started Kyle Schwarber (97 games), Jon Jay (32 games), Ian Happ (11 games), Zobrist (11 games), Willson Contreras (three games) and Kris Bryant (two games). The decision, Maddon said, depends on the opposing pitcher as well a players' past history against that pitcher.

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ESPNChicago.com What you need to know as Cubs' potential clinching day arrives By Jesse Rogers

ST. LOUIS -- Clinching day is finally here for the Chicago Cubs. After a rocky start to 2017, they’re on the verge of something special once again. It has become the norm on the North Side of Chicago, though being pushed by the and St. Louis Cardinals didn’t make this day a certainty.

The Cubs still need either to win one more game or the Brewers to lose one, but a return to the postseason is all but assured. Fivethirtyeight.com says the Cubs have a 99 percent chance of going to the playoffs. In that vein, here’s what you need to know about the Cubs and their attempt to clinch a second consecutive National League Central Division title and third straight postseason appearance when they take on the Cardinals on Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET on ESPN/WatchESPN).

Jake Arrieta faces Carlos Martinez with the Cubs righty owning a 2.06 career ERA against St. Louis. Since July of this season, Arrieta has compiled a 2.00 ERA with a .196 batting average against.

The Cubs would be the first World Series winners to make the postseason since 2012 and the first reigning champions to win their division since 2009. No NL team has repeated as World Series champion since the Reds in 1975 & '76.

It would be the second time the Cubs have repeated as division champions (2007-08) and second time they’ve made the postseason in three straight years (1906-08). The Cubs have won six division titles since 1969. This would be No.7.

The Cubs would be popping champagne for the eighth time since took over after the 2011 season, with all of those happening since 2015. That year, the team secured the second wild-card spot then won the NL wild-card game over the and the divisional round against the Cardinals. In 2016, the Cubs took the division, their first-round series against the Giants and the NLCS over the Dodgers. Finally, they beat the for their first championship since 1908, breaking the longest drought in history.

Joe Maddon will make the postseason for the seventh time in his 12 years as a big league manager and third in three seasons with the Cubs. He has made the postseason in six of the previous nine years as manager for Tampa Bay and now Chicago and has a winning record in nine of his past 10 seasons.

The Cubs are almost a lock to play the in the first round of the postseason. The Cubs went 3- 4 against the Nationals this season, but both teams have made changes since their first meeting in June. The Cubs added to their starting staff, and the Nationals bolstered their bullpen. The Cubs also let catcher Miguel Montero go after Washington stole seven bases off him and Arrieta in June.

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ESPNChicago.com Jon Lester shows the Cubs something they needed to see By Jesse Rogers

ST. LOUIS -- The Chicago Cubs are going to win their division. The drama surrounding that question was eliminated with a blistering second half that included a series win over Milwaukee this past weekend.

A celebration could come as soon as Tuesday, but the Cubs might have popped a cork or two late Monday after watching lefty Jon Lester go about his business in limiting the St. Louis Cardinals to one run over six innings in his team’s 10-2 win. Lester is the only real question for the Cubs right now. He hasn’t been himself lately, but Monday was a step in the right direction. He gave up five hits and walked two while striking out four.

“I felt better,” Lester said after the game. “Command could have been a little bit better, but I’ll take the good out of that game. Little bit sharper today than it has been in a little while. That’s good. Moving in the right direction.”

Lester continued a second-half trend by getting stronger as the game went along but once again he gave up some hard-hit balls early in the contest, though more found leather than in previous starts. He pitched around any trouble, using mostly his fastball. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, he threw it 55 percent of the time, which is six points higher than normal for him. And he had only nine swings-and-misses on the night, which is actually lower than in his last game when he gave up seven runs in 4⅓ innings. But the results were better this time.

“It was good tonight,” Lester said. “We’ll go with that. … The pitches they got hits on, I made [quality pitches], for the most part.”

Lester isn’t one to mince words. If he stinks, he’ll say so, and if he makes good pitches that get hit, he’ll say that as well. In reality, the Cubs didn’t need to see a masterpiece and Lester isn’t the type to throw many of them these days anyway. He’s a grinder. If he allows some baserunners but strands them, that’s about all you can ask for.

“Jon Lester was good,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He kept on getting better [with the] game in progress. … He has been searching command-wise. About the fifth inning it kicked in. He got through the first four and all of a sudden [innings] five and six were much better. We’ve seen that a couple times. I can’t give you an exact reason why.”

One curious note regarding Lester’s outing revolves around Chicago's game plan. The Cubs have unique scouting reports on the opposition and specific ways to attack hitters. As fellow lefty Jose Quintana has meshed learning that process with his own thoughts, he has had more and more success, but perhaps Lester thinks it was taking him away from what he does well. He said as much.

“I have to get back to being me,” Lester explained. “I have to get back to putting hitters in a defensive mode as opposed to trying to pitch to a scouting report from pitch one. That was a conscious effort tonight.”

Whatever the reason, it was better. Perhaps he’s not quite playoff-ready, but Lester gets the benefit of the doubt. He has come up big so many times, until he proves different he’ll get unquestioned support from his team. Maybe he’s not a Game 1 starter come a week from Friday, when the National League Division Series begins, but he won’t be too far down in the rotation. Monday was what everyone wanted to see. With one more start before the end of the regular season, perhaps Lester will put it all together.

“We need to get him out of the gate a little more on top of his game,” Maddon said. “He’s coming.”

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CSNChicago.com With no more drama left in division race, Cubs-Cardinals turns into Addison Russell vs. Nacho Man By Patrick Mooney

ST. LOUIS – The Cubs played with an all-out intensity that drove Addison Russell to sprint over from shortstop and dive headfirst into the front-row seats beyond the left-field line, kicking a tray of nachos out of some dude’s left hand.

The St. Louis Cardinals have sunk to the point where Nacho Man became their biggest star on Monday night, going viral on social media and getting interviewed by the Chicago Tribune and both CSN Chicago and Midwest during the in-game broadcasts.

Russell didn’t catch that foul ball in the second inning with a leap that left his right hand covered in cheese. He got booed when the Busch Stadium video board showed the replay of the nachos hitting the ground. He made amends by bringing out another order of nachos and taking a selfie with the Cardinal fan.

“He had a great night at the ballgame,” Russell said. “Initially off the bat, I was thinking that I could make the play. I didn’t see the fence and collided with it and got all nacho-d up.”

No, this didn’t feel like a playoff atmosphere at all, beginning with the 85-degree heat and ending with entire sections of empty seats. Jedd Gyorko actually homered during that at-bat, but it didn’t matter because the Cubs had already given Jon Lester a four-run lead before he threw his first pitch in what was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for October.

The Cubs will be there as the National League Central champions, eliminating the Cardinals from the division race with a low-stress 10-2 victory that sets up the chance for a blowout party late Tuesday night in the visiting clubhouse with another win or a Milwaukee Brewers’ loss.

“Woof,” catcher Willson Contreras said when asked what it would mean to clinch in St. Louis. “It always means a lot.”

Sensing the opportunity to bury the Cardinals, the Cubs jumped St. Louis right-hander Luke Weaver, a talented rookie who came in with a 7-1 record and a 2.05 ERA and lasted only three innings. Russell – who had been such a clutch performer late in last year’s playoff run – started it by driving a two-out, bases-loaded double into the right- field corner in the first inning.

Kris Bryant, the reigning NL MVP, drove Weaver’s 93-mph fastball beyond the left-field wall and into the visiting bullpen for his 29th homer and a 5-0 lead in the second inning. Javier Baez, the No. 8 hitter, launched a three-run homer that traveled 422 feet and slammed off an advertisement overhang above the bullpen in the third inning.

This is like a dream for Cubs fans enjoying this road trip to St. Louis and trolling Cardinal fans this week (with or without taking their nachos).

“I just want to win, honestly,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I understand all that. But I’m so contrary to coming to try to force those kind of thoughts in my methods. It’s about tonight’s game. And whenever we have this first chance to get there, let’s get there. You never want it to drag out. You want to be able to set things up, so it doesn’t matter to me.

“Believe me, man, I just want to win tonight.”

Or, as 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist said: “The testosterone probably raises a little bit this time of year.”

Get your goggles and trash bags ready. The Cubs are the type of team that designed a Party Room into their state- of-the-art clubhouse as part of the $600 million Wrigleyville development and stretched out their World Series victory lap across Disney World, “Saturday Night Live,” and countless talk shows, commercials and ring ceremonies.

Anthony Rizzo – the only player left from the 2012 team that lost 101 games and a consultant on that Party Room project – insisted that celebrating in front of their rivals at a stadium that used to give the Cubs nightmares wouldn’t make a difference.

“I really would love to be able to do it at Wrigley and use our new facilities even more,” Rizzo said. “But St. Louis is a good baseball city. They appreciate good baseball.

“If it was there, if it was in , it doesn’t matter where we clinch. Our goal was to win the division.”

Even if it took until Sept. 26.

“It’s starting to smell like playoff baseball,” Russell said. “I know that these guys are amped up. It’s definitely feeling like playoff baseball."

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CSNChicago.com Get off my lawn: Jon Lester breaks down big Cubs win By Patrick Mooney

ST. LOUIS – Jon Lester went into get-off-my-lawn-mode, tired of math nerds and people being famous for no reason and the questions about whether or not he will be ready for the playoffs.

Lester is actually a great talker when he gets going, introspective, self-deprecating and a voice of authority after winning three World Series rings with the Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

But Lester didn’t exactly sound ready to pop champagne bottles after Monday night’s 10-2 win at Busch Stadium eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals from the National League Central race and guaranteed at least a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers for the division title.

Whether it was Lester’s brutal honesty, simmering frustration or high expectations for himself, he downplayed a quality start against a team still battling for a wild-card spot. He also took a subtle jab at the team’s sophisticated game-planning system and ripped the culture that brought us “Nacho Man.”

“I got to get back to being me,” said Lester, who had given up 27 hits and 12 walks in his previous four September starts since coming off the disabled list with what the Cubs termed left lat tightness/general shoulder fatigue. “I got to get back to putting the hitters on a defensive mode, as opposed to trying to pitch to a scouting report from pitch 1.

“That was a conscious effort going into tonight, and I felt a lot better with everything, based off of that.”

Lester attacked the Cardinals with fastballs, working with 4-0, 5-0 and 8-1 leads across six innings. Once again, he found his rhythm later, giving up two walks in the fourth, getting his only 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth and maxing out at 103 pitches.

The Cardinals scored their only run off Lester in the second inning when Jedd Gyorko launched a ball 410 feet out toward left field and “Big Mac Land” – in the same at-bat where shortstop Addison Russell almost made a Derek Jeter catch and turned “Nacho Man” into an instant celebrity.

“I’m laughing more at the fact that the guy’s taking pictures and signing autographs,” Lester said. “I really don’t know what he did. A guy fell into him and got nacho cheese on his arm and now he’s taking pictures and signing autographs. I guess that shows you where our society is at right now with all that stuff.

“I really didn’t think it was that far foul. I thought it was a pretty routine play that just kept going. And I think it surprised Addie as well. So great effort, but I don’t understand the other stuff.”

Classic Lester, who changed the clubhouse vibe and fundamental nature of this rivalry when he decided to sign with a last-place team after the 2014 season and will be 3-for-3 in playoff seasons as a Cub.

“I don’t know,” Lester said three times when asked if those command issues are rooted in taking more than two weeks off in the middle of the season. “I haven’t had stuff like this before, so figure it out as we go.”

How close are you to where you want to be?

“I don’t know,” Lester said. “I was good tonight, so let’s go with that.”

The Cubs trusted Lester enough to give him $155 million guaranteed and make him their Game 1 starter in all three playoff rounds last year. But the team’s inner circle of decision-makers had to be breathing a sign of relief, knowing that plans will take shape before Lester’s final regular-season start, what should be a meaningless Game 161 against the at Wrigley Field.

“He’s just been searching, command-wise, (and) I can’t give you an exact reason why,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We just need to get him out of the gate a little bit more on top of his game. Again, I can’t give you a solid reason. He’s well. The numbers on the gun are good. It’s just a matter of executing his pitches and finishing them.”

Lester always seems to be so hard on himself on the mound, and that competitive fire has made him one of the best big-game pitchers of his generation. The Cubs expect to see that guy show up in October against the Washington Nationals.

“Everything was just a little bit sharper today than it has been in a little while, so that’s good, moving in the right direction,” Lester said. “There’s a few things in there that I need to clean up. But as far as overall, it’s definitely a positive."

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CSNChicago.com Jason Heyward knows how sweet it will be for Cubs to clinch in front of Cardinals By Patrick Mooney

ST. LOUIS – Even Jason Heyward – a thoughtful player who chooses his words carefully – admits the Cubs would particularly enjoy clinching a division title in front of the St. Louis Cardinals and partying at Busch Stadium.

“But I want to wreck the American League clubhouse or Wrigley at the end of the year,” Heyward said before Monday’s 10-2 win eliminated the Cardinals from the National League Central race and guaranteed at least a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers. “That’s what’s most important.

“So, yeah, that could be fun here. It will be fun. Celebrating’s fun, regardless. But we got to take care of some business. That will be a fun step to where we want to be.”

This is exactly where Heyward wanted to be, because he saw one window opening and another one closing when he switched sides after the 2015 playoffs where the Cubs dismantled a 100-win Cardinals team.

The Cubs have only 12 players left from the 25-man roster for that NL Division Series roster, amassing young talent and building out a deep organization on the verge of a third 90-win playoff season in a row.

Heyward signed the biggest contract in franchise history: before Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez played a wire-to-wire season in the majors; before Willson Contreras and Albert Almora Jr. made their big-league debuts; and the same year the Cubs drafted Ian Happ.

“Signing with Chicago, people would always say: ‘Oh, how do you feel about the rivalry?’” Heyward said. “When I got to the Cubs, I made it kind of clear that I feel like we got some catching up to do, as far as that goes, playoff wins and world championships and things like that.

“This is another opportunity to take a step in that direction. And we want to continue to be known as a team that’s expected to be in the playoffs.”

Heyward may never live up to the offensive expectations set by an eight-year, $184 million megadeal. But he is at least a more productive hitter this season with a .259 batting average (up almost 30 points) and a .705 OPS (a 74- point jump) to go along with his contact skills, game-changing instincts on the bases and Gold Glove defense in right field.

There are also the intangibles that might make Heyward the most respected player in the clubhouse for his day-to- day attitude, sense of calm and leadership style. (See: World Series Game 7 Rain Delay Speech.)

After getting swept by the Brewers on Sept. 10 – which left Milwaukee and St. Louis only two games back – it was Heyward who reminded reporters at Wrigley Field that no one would remember what happened during the regular season as long as the Cubs got into the playoffs. The defending World Series champs have gone 11-2 since then, finally looking like a team ready for October.

“We’re on a rollercoaster of a baseball season,” Heyward said. “Every year’s different and you got to be able to handle each blow.

“You can’t ever say ‘back on track’ or whatever. I don’t feel like we’ve gotten ‘on track.’ We’re in first place. We’ve been in first place for a while now. And here we are with a chance to clinch our division. To me, we’re on track.”

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CSNChicago.com The Cardinals set off fireworks for a Kris Bryant home run By Dan Santaromita

There may be a sleeper cell Cubs fan working the fireworks at Busch Stadium.

Kris Bryant homered in the second inning of the Cubs-Cardinals game on Monday and surprisingly fireworks went off in St. Louis. Bryant made it 5-0 and he was almost at second base when the bang of a set of fireworks was audible on the CSN broadcast.

"And somebody set off some fireworks," play-by-play announcer said.

Jim Deshaies also chimed in on the broadcast with a crack about a Cubs spy.

"There's a mole." Deshaies said. "There's a Cubs spy in the fireworks department here."

A Cubs win eliminates the Cardinals from contention in the NL Central so this is just insult to injury.

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CSNChicago.com Say cheese: Addison Russell smothered in nachos, delivers new batch to fan By Tim Goldrick

Addison Russell went from shortstop to waiter on Monday night.

During the second inning of the series opener between the Cubs and Cardinals, Russell went headfirst into the stands to attempt a Jeter-esque catch, but wound up only with a chip on his shoulder.

In a classy move, Russell then delivered a brand new plate of nachos to the fan.

Hope that fan tipped 20 percent.

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