October 1, 2017

 CSNChicago.com, With playoffs looming, is back where he needs to be? http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/playoffs-looming-jon-lester-back-where-he-needs-be-nlds- nationals-mlb-hendricks

 CSNChicago.com, Regardless of when he gets the ball in NLDS, Jose Quintana is living out his dream with Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/regardless-when-he-gets-ball-nlds-jose-quintana-living-out-his- dream-cubs-nationals-arrieta-world-series

 CSNChicago.com, Cubs still finalizing a plan for this weekend and beyond http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-still-finalizing-plan-jake-arrieta-weekend-and-beyond-nlds- nationals-postseason

 CSNChicago.com, proves at least one part of his game is postseason ready http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kyle-schwarber-proves-least-one-part-his-game-postseason-ready

 Chicago Tribune, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester lead way as Cubs stars come back out to play http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-reds-spt-1001-20170930-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, makes some Cubs history with 150th start http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-kris-bryant-150-games-cubs-notes-spt-1001- 20170930-story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Dominant Jon Lester makes case for starting Game 1 in playoffs https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/dominant-jon-lester-makes-case-for-starting-game-1-in-playoffs/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Kyle Schwarber heats up just in time for Cubs’ playoff https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/kyle-schwarber-heats-up-just-in-time-for-cubs-playoff-run/

 Daily Herald, Some clues on ' NLDS rotation http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170930/some-clues-on-chicago-cubs-nlds-rotation

 Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' Maddon positively a big factor http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170930/chicago-cubs-maddon-positively-a-big-factor

 Daily Herald, Jerseys seen in the seats: A Cubs writer's favorite pastime http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170930/jerseys-seen-in-the-seats-a-cubs-writers-favorite-pastime

 Cubs.com, Lester sharp in tuneup as Cubs blank Reds http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/256866310/jon-lester-cubs-shut-out-reds

 Cubs.com, Schwarber peaking at right time for Cubs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/256915508/cubs-kyle-schwarber-hits-30th-home-run/

 Cubs.com, Arrieta, Quintana slated for sim game http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/256867676/jake-arrieta-jose-quintana-to-toss-sim-game/

 Cubs.com, Montgomery starts finale as Cubs prep for NLDS http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/256866336/montgomery-starts-finale-as-cubs-prep-for-nlds

 Cubs.com, Before they were postseason bound: Cubs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/256090328/before-the-cubs-were-postseason-bound/

 ESPNChicago.com, Predicting the Cubs' NLDS lineup and roster http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45971/predicting-the-cubs-nlds-lineup-and-roster

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CSNChicago.com With playoffs looming, is Jon Lester back where he needs to be? By Tony Andracki

If Jon Lester is going to continue the recent tradition of taking the ball for every Game 1 of a Cubs postseason series, he's in a good spot.

The veteran southpaw tossed five Saturday in a 9-0 win over the at in his final tune-up before the playoffs.

That now makes just one on nine hits and a pair of walks in 11 innings over the last week for Lester, a far cry from the 14 earned runs he gave up in 21.1 innings in his first four starts since returning from the disabled list on Sept. 2.

Lester struck out seven Reds and walked none, using 75 pitches to get through the five innings, a total Cubs manager believes is a "theoretically perfect" number.

So is Lester back to where he needs to be?

"I feel good," he said. "The last two have been a lot better as far as being able to repeat and command the baseball and throw those different pitches. Kinda got back to throwing a lot more fastballs. But obviously, the teams and the guys that you face dictate that as well with what you're trying to do.

"It feels good to be crisp. ... Good to have good command. Mixed in all our pitches and threw some pitches in different counts that we normally don't throw. So it was good. Had some weak contact. They hit a couple balls hard, but guys made some good plays on'em, so that was good."

The Cubs are still mulling over who their Game 1 starter is Friday in Washington D.C., but it appears as if Lester and are the two options with Maddon already confirming Jake Arrieta would be pushed back and Jose Quintana joining Arrieta in Wednesday's simulated game.

"I don't make those decisions," Lester said. "I told somebody the other day, if they so choose to make me Game 1, obviously that's a huge honor, a huge responsibility to put on your shoulders and go out there and try to get your team off to the best start.

"But if I'm in any of the other games, go out there and compete, just like I would any other start."

Maddon said there are still a "couple moving parts" to nail down before the Cubs make their final decision.

"I hope it's not complex. I don't like complex; I just like simplex," Maddon said, smirking.

Lester finishes the season with a 4.33 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, his worst yearly totals since 2012 (4.82 ERA, 1.38 WHIP). 2017 also marked only the second time over the last decade Lester has not reached the 200- plateau in a season.

But even for a guy who has a career 2.63 ERA in 133.2 postseason innings spanning 22 games, Lester admits he has some anxiety before every start.

Whether he goes Game 1 or Game 2 next weekend in D.C., he'll have Sunday through Thursday to go through his normal between-starts routine.

"I don't really get anxious until the day of," Lester said. "I think I'm so engrossed in my routine and what I'm doing and what I'm trying to prepare for.

"And then when you get to that day, it's kinda 'OK, I don't know what to do.' And then I have to pitch. That's when the anxiety and the nervousness kicks in."

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CSNChicago.com Regardless of when he gets the ball in NLDS, Jose Quintana is living out his dream with Cubs By Tony Andracki

Nobody has to tell Jose Quintana to take time to stop and smell the roses.

The 28-year-old southpaw is living his best life with the Cubs right now, making the playoffs for the first time in his six-year MLB career and ready to help his teammates with what he hopes is another march toward the .

Quintana couldn't contain his glee in chatting with CSN's Kelly Crull after the Cubs clinching the Central title Wednesday night in St. Louis.

"I enjoy this," a champagne-and-beer-soaked Quintana said. "I want three more rounds [of celebration]. I'm so happy and I'm gonna enjoy this moment. I'm living the dream; I'm so excited.'

Quintana has talked a lot over the last two months about how much he wanted to make the postseason for the first time and knows this could only be the start. He's under contract through 2020 and could spend the next three years pitching in front of all those young Cubs hitters with the championship window wide open.

But for right now, Quintana is content with where he is, finishing up his 2017 regular season Friday with 4.2 innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He retired the first 11 hitters he faced before running into some trouble in the fifth as a slew of groundballs found holes and led to four Cincinnati runs.

That followed the best start of Quintana's career, when he tossed a , three-hit shutout against the Brewers in Milwaukee last Sunday, all but eliminating the Cubs' rivals from division contention.

Even though he posted the highest ERA of his career (4.15), 2017 marks the fifth straight season Quintana has made at least 32 starts. He struck out a career high 207 batters in 188.2 innings and racked up 98 Ks in just 84.1 innings since being traded to the Cubs during the All-Star Break.

The Cubs have yet to announce their rotation for the National League Division Series showdown against the Washington Nationals, but they will toss Jake Arrieta and Quintana in a simulated game Wednesday at Wrigley Field. That likely indicates that duo will throw in some order in Games 3 and 4, leaving Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester to start the first two games in D.C.

While Quintana hasn't yet pitched in October in his MLB career, he got a little taste of the big atmosphere when he went up against a stacked U.S. lineup in the World Baseball Classic in March. Pitching for Colombia, Quintana held a lineup that featured , Paul Goldschmidt, Buster Posey and Giancarlo Stanton hitless for 5.2 innings and left with the lead before eventually getting tagged with a no decision.

"Huge. I think that game against U.S. was like a playoff game," Quintana said. "Especially when you go out in the tournament showing."

Quintana will stay ready in the 9-10 days between starts with the sim game and making sure he gets his time in the bullpens.

Whenever the Cubs call his number, he'll be waiting.

"I'm excited. I can't wait," Quintana said. "I'm gonna do my job. It's the first time I've gotten this opportunity, so it's really special."

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CSNChicago.com Cubs still finalizing a plan for Jake Arrieta this weekend and beyond By Tony Andracki

Jake Arrieta will not take the ball Sunday for the Cubs in the final regular season game of 2017.

The Cubs have officially announced Mike Montgomery as the starter for the final regular season game, opting to give Arrieta some rest instead of pushing his hamstring in game action. That also means he may not pitch again until Game 3 or 4 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals and the Cubs have no concerns at the moment that Arrieta won't be ready to go in the postseason.

The Cubs locked up the division Wednesday night in St. Louis, so this weekend's three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field has a very spring training feel to it.

Arrieta admitted he came back a little too soon on Sept. 21, when he helped the Cubs beat the with five innings of one-run ball. That was just over two weeks after he walked off the mound in Pittsburgh clutching the back of his right leg.

"I wanted to be out there as soon as I could," he said Friday morning inside the Cubs Wrigley Field clubhouse. "I was able to go out there, but a couple more days would've been nice for recovery. We were in a spot where we needed to win some games and I wanted to be out there to do everything I could to help that out."

Arrieta is planning on throwing a simulated game at some point this weekend and the Cubs will go for a bullpen day Sunday after Montgomery, manager Joe Maddon said.

Arrieta said his mechanics are good, his arm feels fine and his strength is there, so he's not really focused on needing more time in bullpens. He wants to face hitters, but do it more in a controlled environment of a simulated scenario rather than in a live game.

He's still not 100 percent, though he's close.

"Really the only time I feel [the hamstring] is max effort on the mound," Arrieta said. "So it's good to get a couple extra days off, especially in the situation we're in — we're already in the playoffs.

"Any time you're in the game, put a hitter in there, it's hard to take a step back. Especially at the time, we were still fighting to kinda secure our playoff spot. It's nice now to have a few days just to completely do nothing, work with the trainers, do some stuff for recovery, do some cryo, some hyperbaric chamber, all these different laser lights we have that promote healing and regenerate cell growth.

"That's kinda what we're gonna focus on the next couple days and then get out there for a sim game and get everything tightened up. But other than that, I feel great. When my time comes, I'll be ready, regardless of when that is."

Arrieta isn't worried about his max effort, knowing he's in control of his body and has enough strength and knowledge to know how to back off his hamstring if need be and rely more on his arm. Like he said, it's not like he's trying to throw the ball through a brick wall.

By taking the rest route, the Cubs also have ruled out Arrieta to start Game 1 of the NLDS in Washington. In fact, the way things are shaking out now, he wouldn't get his first postseason start until Games 3 or 4 back in Chicago on Oct. 9 or 10.

"Part of the deal that we're doing would be to gain more time to make Jake well and then push him in the latter part of the rotation," Maddon said. "So it would not impact the front part of it."

Maddon didn't announce who his Game 1 starter would be in D.C., but Kyle Hendricks may be emerging as the favorite, especially after throwing five shutout innings Thursday against the Cardinals in his final start of the regular season.

However with Arrieta, there is no concrete plan beyond just making sure he gets some rest and back as close to 100 percent as possible.

That will mean at least the one sim game over the next week before the NLDS begins.

"You gotta exert yourself a little bit to make sure that it's well," Maddon said. "That's the tricky part of it - you have to push it a little bit. We're trying to extend the rest period before he does it again.

"And then when he does it again, he's gotta actually go out there and pitch. We'll see. Listen, I don't have any solid answers other than that's what we're thinking about doing right now.

"We'll see how it all plays out. And then if it plays well, everything's cool. And if it doesn't, then you have to make another plan."

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CSNChicago.com Kyle Schwarber proves at least one part of his game is postseason ready By Tony Andracki

Kyle Schwarber is ready for October baseball.

That's a funny sentiment given the guy with a 1.178 postseason OPS has always looked ready for October baseball.

The Cubs left fielder had a huge day at the plate Saturday, nearly hitting the championship flag in center field with a two-run shot and then later added a two-run single and a walk.

But forget about his play on the field. Schwarber proved he's ready for primetime with some slick dance moves when "YMCA" came on the loudspeakers at Wrigley Field during a Cincinnati Reds pitching change:

Even if he's not playing every day this October, Schwarber reminded everybody he'll at least provide entertainment value in the dugout.

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester lead way as Cubs stars come back out to play By Paul Skrbina

Kyle Schwarber broke a baseball — and a Cubs record — with his 437-foot to left-center field in the second inning Saturday, prompting another impromptu dance performance from the bullpen.

The left fielder broke his bat — and Reds Jackson Stephens' will — the next inning with a bloop single to center that scored two more during the Cubs' 9-0 victory over the Reds at Wrigley Field.

Schwarber admired his 30th home run of the season from just outside the left-handed batter's box as it zoomed 110.9 mph into the glove of a daring fan who leaned over the back railing in the left-center field bleachers. In the process, it made him and the team's first left-handed hitting duo to reach 30 home runs in the same year.

"It has been an up-and-down year," said Schwarber, who was sent to the minors for a spell to get his swing in order. "It's a cool accomplishment but I'm more focused on the bigger picture — the postseason coming up."

And his dance moves.

Schwarber started the four-run sixth inning with a walk, ended it with a and grooved to "YMCA" in the dugout during a pitching change in between.

"I didn't realize it was on the video board," he said. "Having fun."

Schwarber hardly was the only star to come out for the mid-afternoon game, which was also the Cubs' 15th victory in 18 games and put manager Joe Maddon 100 games above .500 since taking over the club in 2015.

Rizzo's right foot straddled the second-to-last step in the Cubs dugout before he took the field for the first time since the Cubs clinched the on Wednesday. Jon Lester was next, followed closely by Kris Bryant, and , who all also had the last two games off.

Everything went according to script, too.

Lester was done after the fifth inning, having allowed no runs on four hits with no walks and seven in 75 pitches, the number the Cubs had targeted.

"I knew it was going to be a shorter day, but I try to take the mindset you give me the ball and I try to finish the game," Lester said. "It was good to be crisp."

Two strikeouts and three innings after he took the field, Rizzo was back in the dugout as Victor Caratini went out to first base in the fourth.

Bryant, whose headfirst slide on an infield single in the third rekindled flashbacks of the sprained little finger he suffered earlier this season sliding the same way into third, played four innings. Javier Baez hit the bench after five. Russell was removed in favor of a pinch-runner in the sixth.

"Jonny was really good," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Schwarber, that ball was properly struck. At-bats were gotten and we played a really good game."

Lester further squelched concerns about the health of his left shoulder heading into the playoffs. The left-hander missed a couple of starts at the end of August with soreness there but said he's ready for the postseason, no matter which game he starts against the Nationals in the National League Division Series that begins Friday in Washington.

Lester, who finished September with a 4-1 record and 4.94 ERA in 27 1/3 innings, said he would be honored to start Game 1, but it matters little to him, really, when he goes.

"I don't make those decisions," Lester said. "If I'm (starting) any of the other games, I'm going to compete (as always)."

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Chicago Tribune Kris Bryant makes some Cubs history with 150th start By Paul Skrbina

When Kris Bryant took the field against the Reds on Saturday after a rare two games off he became the first Cub in franchise history to play in at least 150 games in each of his first three seasons with the team.

"That's really impressive," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Most of the time when guys come up, they're not really able to handle that number of games or they're not good enough to be put in the lineup that many times.

"You can't underestimate how difficult it is to be an every-day player in this league."

Reaching that number this year has proven more difficult, thanks to a sprained little finger he suffered in July while sliding headfirst into third base and a sprained right ankle he endured in late June.

Bryant is trying to savor the end of the regular season, which concludes Sunday against the Reds, before turning his attention to the Nationals and the National League Division Series.

"I still find myself at times thinking ahead to certain series," Bryant said. "That's when I lose it and things don't go my way.

"A good characteristic of a good team is to stay where you are, stay in the moment, enjoy it."

Step up, Mike: Jake Arrieta is resting his right hamstring and won't make his scheduled start Sunday in the regular- season finale. In his place will be Mike Montgomery, who has a 4.34 ERA in 13 starts this year.

"It's satisfying they have that confidence in me, but that doesn't change anything I do," Montgomery said.

Extra innings: Jose Quintana will throw a simulated game Wednesday, along with Arrieta, ahead of the National League Division Series against the Nationals. ... The Cubs have won eight in row at home and lead the majors with 422 runs scored since the All-Star break. … Their 19 victories in September is their most in a calendar month this season.

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Chicago Sun-Times Dominant Jon Lester makes case for starting Game 1 in playoffs By Tom Musick

Jon Lester added an impressive finishing touch on his case to start the Cubs’ playoff opener with a dominant performance Saturday against the Reds.

In five scoreless innings, Lester walked none and struck out seven. Manager Joe Maddon pulled him after 75 pitches in his final tune-up before the playoffs, where he or Kyle Hendricks figures to start Game 1.

“If they so choose to make me Game 1, obviously that’s a huge honor and a huge responsibility to put on your shoulders and go out there and try to get your team off to the best start,” Lester said. “But if I’m in any of the other games, I’ll go out there and compete just like any other start.”

Lester enters the postseason on a hot streak. In his last two outings, he has allowed one run in 11 innings.

“I feel good,” Lester said. “The last two [starts] have been a lot better as far as being able to repeat and command the baseball and throw those different pitches. It feels good to be crisp.”

The Cubs announced Jake Arrieta and Jose Quintana each would pitch Wednesday in a simulated game, which suggests they could start later in the series. Veteran could be the odd man out.

“You can draw your conclusions if you like,” Maddon said.

Maddon plans to speak with each of his starters before announcing his plans for the rotation.

“When it comes to stuff like this, you want to have your meeting, you want to talk to guys specifically,” Maddon said. “You don’t want guys to read about things like this in the paper before you’ve actually had a chance to speak with them. There’s always a pecking order. We’ll go with our pecking order.”

Mr. Dependable

Kris Bryant achieved yet another milestone Saturday when he became the first player in franchise history to play at least 150 games in each of his first three seasons in the majors.

Only 10 other players in big-league history have accomplished that feat. Bryant joins Ichiro Suzuki, Albert Pujols and Hideki Matsui as the only players to do so since 2000.

“That’s impressive,” Maddon said. “Most of the time, when guys come up, they’re not able to handle that number of games or they’re not good enough to be put in the lineup that many times. Give him credit.”

Feeling better

Albert Almora Jr. finished 1-for-2 with a and a run scored in his first action since crashing into the outfield wall and bruising his right shoulder Tuesday in St. Louis.

The 23-year-old came off the bench in the fifth inning and played center field. shifted from center field to third base to replace Bryant, who received an early break.

Almora has not yet allowed himself to daydream about the postseason.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” he said. “Once the off day is over Monday and we come back Tuesday, then it’s full speed ahead for the playoffs.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Kyle Schwarber heats up just in time for Cubs’ playoff run By Tom Musick

As the Village People’s hit song “Y.M.C.A.” blasted through Wrigley Field’s speakers during a break in Saturday’s game, Kyle Schwarber could not help but dance.

The 6-foot, 235-pound slugger sat in the dugout and formed his arms into each letter as he sang along. When a camera caught him and showed him dancing on the video board, fans laughed and cheered.

“I didn’t realize that was on the video board,” Schwarber said with a sheepish grin.

It was a rare oversight from the big man during a memorable day at the plate. Schwarber crushed a 437-foot home run and drove in four runs as the Cubs cruised to a 9-0 win over the Reds.

Rene Rivera also homered as manager Joe Maddon used 21 players in the game. Many starters received an early rest with the playoff picture already set for the Cubs (92-69).

Schwarber’s blast marked his 30th home run of the season, a number that might have seemed impossible earlier this year as he scuffled at the plate and was demoted to Class AAA Iowa. He was hitting .171 with 12 home runs, 28 RBI and a .673 OPS in 64 games at the time of his June 22 demotion.

Since returning to the majors July 6, he has hit .256 with 18 home runs, 31 RBI and a .907 OPS in 64 games.

“Pretty crazy, isn’t it?” Maddon said when asked about Schwarber’s wild journey to 30 homers. “Good for him. Bully for him. That shows you the kind of talent that he has. He came back and really reconstructed himself.”

Schwarber is heating up at the right time as the Cubs prepare for their playoff opener Friday against the Nationals. He has six home runs in his past 15 games, during which time he is hitting .318 (14 of 44).

The long ball over the center-field ivy allowed Schwarber to join Anthony Rizzo as the only left-handed duo to hit 30-plus homers in a single season for the Cubs.

Personal accomplishments pale to what Schwarber hopes to achieve in October.

“Thirty homers is cool and everything,” Schwarber said. “I think it’d maybe be different if we weren’t in the playoffs or something like that. But I’m focused on trying to ramp up for the playoffs and be ready for that.”

Maddon is not surprised by such sentiments. He described Schwarber as a fighter.

“Give the guy real high marks for perseverance,” Maddon said. “I think maybe my expectations that I portrayed early on were maybe a little bit too high and I should have considered maybe more that he did not play at all last year. When you talk about [him], you don’t even think about that. You just think about postseason.”

By this point, Schwarber’s early season struggles seem to be behind him.

“This is my favorite time of year,” Schwarber said. “This is when it brings out the best in everyone.”

The Cubs’ lineup is deep, and Schwarber is not guaranteed a starting spot in every playoff game. He said he would be ready regardless of his role.

“It’s not going to affect my preparation at all,” Schwarber said. “I’m going to prepare like I’m in the lineup until I’m told that I’m not. And then, when I’m not, I’m going to prepare like the way I would be coming off the bench. This is that time of the year where you can’t get surprised by anything.”

Except maybe a camera while you dance in the dugout.

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Daily Herald Some clues on Chicago Cubs' NLDS rotation By Bruce Miles

In an otherwise meaningless game, there were a couple of interesting developments for the Chicago Cubs during Saturday's 9-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.

Kyle Schwarber hit his 30th home run of the season, a blast to center field, to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

Starting pitcher Jon Lester worked 5 shutout innings as he tuned up for a Game 1 or Game 2 start in the National League division series at Washington.

The Cubs' playoff rotation became clearer -- if not crystal clear -- Saturday when manager Joe Maddon said left- hander Jose Quintana and right-hander Jake Arrieta would pitch in a simulated game Wednesday. Game 1 of the NLDS is Friday, and Game 2 is Saturday.

The only thing left to decide now is who pitches Game 1. Maddon has talked up Kyle Hendricks as one the best in baseball during the second half. Hendricks would be able to pitch a Game 5. But with built-in off-days in the series, so would Lester.

"We're not ready," Maddon said of announcing the order. "You can draw your conclusions if you like. When it comes to stuff like this, you want to have your meeting. You want to talk to guys specifically. You don't want guys to read about things like this in the paper before you've actually had a chance to speak with them.

"There's always a pecking order. So we'll go with that pecking order. Of course your job is to do what you do. Draw your own conclusions and write your stories. But I don't want to be in advance of having one-on-one conversations."

Lester took the team approach.

"I don't make those decisions," he said. "I told somebody the other day if they so choose to make me Game 1, obviously that's a huge honor, a huge responsibility to put on your shoulders and go out there and try to get your team off to the best start.

"If I'm in other games, I'm going to go out there and compete just like I will any other start."

Arrieta will be testing his right hamstring. He injured it on Labor Day in Pittsburgh. He did not pitch again until Sept. 21.

This past week at St. Louis, Arrieta lasted 3 innings and admitted the injury has forced him to change things in his delivery. If he cannot pitch in the NLDS, John Lackey would be ready to go.

As for Schwarber, he has 6 home runs in the last 15 games and is 14-for-44 (.318) in that span.

"It's been an up-and-down year," he said. "I'm happy about (30 homers), but I'm not really too focused on it at all. It's a cool accomplishment, but I'm more focused on the bigger picture here, which is the postseason coming up."

Carrying the workload:

Kris Bryant has played in 150 games this season. He is the first in franchise history to play at least 150 in each of his first three major-league seasons. He is only the 11th player in big-league history to do so.

Since 2000, three other players have done it: Ichiro Suzuki (eight seasons), Albert Pujols (five) and Hideki Matsui (three).

"That's really impressive," Joe Maddon said. "Most of the time when guys come up, they're not really able to handle that number of games or are not good enough to be put in the lineup that many times.

"Just give him credit. I've talked about this often, and you really can't underestimate how difficult it is to be an everyday player in this league. It's not easy."

A Maddon milestone:

The Cubs are 92-69. Joe Maddon is 292-192 as Cubs manager, making him the fifth manager in club history to have a record of at least 100 games over .500.

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Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Maddon positively a big factor By Bruce Miles

Over three baseball seasons, has the method or the madness or the Maddon changed at all?

The short answer is no.

The more nuanced answer is that Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon has remained the same guy who came to Chicago in November 2014, but from talking to those around him, he may have tweaked a thing or two.

The risk with any manager as gregarious and outwardly positive as Maddon is that the players will tune him out.

But as they say back East, from where Maddon hails: fuggedaboutit.

"Obviously it's pretty easy for that not to happen here, almost averaging 100 games won a year," said first baseman and team leader Anthony Rizzo, letting the numbers validate his boss' approach.

If anything, Maddon has altered his approach, based on his players and the stage of the team's development.

When he first got here, he talked of "never letting the pressure exceed the pleasure." Last year, on the way to the Cubs' first World Series title in 108 years, it was "embrace the target."

This year in spring training, Maddon talked of "the heartbeat" and of being "authentic" and "uncomfortable," so as not to become complacent.

Same guy. Just variations on a theme.

"I think he kind of created something each year that best represented the team that we had that year," said third baseman Kris Bryant, a rookie in 2015. "I just think he's good at communicating with us and getting the best out of us just by being ourselves, and he's always let us do that.

"There's never a part where you're going to tune out your manager. We're always going to listen to him. He's been a great leader for us, obviously. It's shown on the field. Whatever he's doing is working, and we've bought into it."

Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks enjoyed his first full season of big-league ball under Maddon in 2015. Last year, he started Game 7 of the World Series and was third in balloting for the Award after having the best in the big leagues.

A cerebral sort, Hendricks says the approach has evolved, but ever so slightly.

"I think so, a little bit," he said. "When he first came over here, we had maybe a little more talking from him. He would get his philosophies and his ideas out, all the one-liners: 'Don't let the pressure exceed the pleasure,' all those kinds of things. I'd say we heard all of that a little more.

"Now, this year especially, it's a little different. It's more taking the accountability on yourself, but you can tell his methods, as far as playing guys, he's always keeping guys on their toes. You're never going to get too many days off. You're going to get your ABs. You never know where you're going to be playing.

"For position players, if you're not used to it, it can be tough because some guys like knowing their roles, when they're playing. Once you get in the system and you get used to it and you get playing this way, I think it helps.

"It keeps you lively. It keeps you on your toes. You never know what to expect. You just go out there and play the game whenever your name is called. It's morphed a little bit, but the bones of it for the most part always stay the same. It's the environment he creates."

For Maddon, the hallmark always has been positivity, even if he didn't realize it. In a recent story on bleacherreport.com, former player Carl Crawford expounded on his feelings for Maddon from when Maddon managed him at Tampa Bay.

"We went from last to first, we had come up with slogans and all type of stuff," Crawford said. "Mentally getting in our head, 'This is what we're going to do.' A lot of stuff we thought was corny at first, but it actually turned out to be the driving force for us winning. It was cool.

"It was attitude. We just brought that culture of being positive and winning. I try to add that to my everyday life. Joe Maddon was the most positive person I've ever been around. I saw how that can rub off on people."

Maddon seemed touched by those remarks.

"Listen, truth be told, I did not even know I was a positive person.," he said. "I'm going back to the early '80s. I've told you guys that before, (former pitching coach) pointed that out to me, and I didn't even realize I had portrayed that kind of whatever, that I was positive.

"So since Marcel brought it to my attention, I became more aware of it.

"I think when it comes to coaching or teaching, you want to put out a positive message among your group, especially talking about the grind of 162 games. I've never understood intimidation or negativity as a method of teaching. I've never understood that, never."

"I'm aware of what CC said, and I really do appreciate that. Carl and I had a great relationship like that. It grew over the course of time … so that's like one of the highest compliments I think I've ever gotten that Carl would have said that."

Maddon said that if anything, the last three seasons with the Cubs "have validated the teaching principles I've learned in this game and how to go about it from the people that I learned from."

But as far as trying to bury his players in verbiage, he says that's the quickest way to get them to tune out.

"That's why I don't talk to them that much," he said. "Seriously, they will turn you off if you keep saying the same stuff all the time. You can't meet with them all the time. The coaches can. And that's the thing. Before the first game of every series, they talk about the different components. That's the way it should be.

"They shouldn't hear from me all the time. I think that's the best way to keep your message fresh, by not wearing them down with your dialogue. So when we talk one on one, a lot of it's not about baseball at all. It's about something entirely different, about their family, where they're from."

If Maddon is modest about his methods, his top boss isn't shy about singing his praises.

"Joe's one of the best managers in the game," said Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts. "Great guy. The one thing that I think we can take away from Joe is when we were 5 (games) out July 1, July 3, whenever it was, he didn't say, 'Oh, my God. We're 5 out on July 3.' He said, 'Hey, we have a good team. We're going to keep playing. And it's a long season.'

"One of the things that will always be the hallmark of Joe Maddon, when he's in the Hall of Fame, people will talk about a guy who managed his teams for the whole season and not just for June."

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Daily Herald Jerseys seen in the seats: A Cubs writer's favorite pastime By Bruce Miles

It started as a whim.

During my daily rounds at Wrigley Field covering the Cubs, I see all manner of jerseys being worn by fans. Of course the most popular these days have RIZZO 44 or BRYANT 17 or SCHWARBER 12 on the back.

And players from the past are always well-represented, including Derrek Lee, Sammy Sosa, Ryne Sandberg and .

But every now and then I see something obscure, such as a CEDENO 5, as in former infielder Ronny Cedeno, who once was thrown out going from first base to second on a walk (he overslid the bag and was tagged out.)

So a year or so ago, I started taking photos of the odd jersey and posting them on Twitter and Facebook. It seemed to be a hit, with fans tweeting others back at me. One guy sent me a FOX 5, as in former catcher Jake Fox.

This year alone, I've seen fans wearing SOTO 18, NORTON 50 and GONZALEZ 8.

The oddest, a BIITTNER 26.

The wearer? Former Cubs outfielder Larry Biittner himself. Turns out Larry was a guest of the Cubs that day.

Here is a selection of some of the more recent posts I made on Facebook, edited for space.

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Cubs.com Lester sharp in tuneup as Cubs blank Reds By Carrie Muskat and Mark Sheldon

CHICAGO -- Jon Lester tuned up for next week's postseason play. Jackson Stephens is already looking ahead to 2018.

Kyle Schwarber drove in four runs, including a pair on his 30th homer, and Rene Rivera added three more RBIs to back Lester and lead the Cubs to a 9-0 victory Saturday over the Reds at Wrigley Field.

Lester, expected to start either the first or second game against the Nationals in the National League Division Series presented by T-Mobile, struck out seven and scattered four hits. The left-hander finished the month 5-1, and he is now 13-3 with a 2.25 ERA in September since joining the Cubs in 2015.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he'll meet with the staff this week to decide who will start Game 1. Lester and Kyle Hendricks are the leading candidates.

"I don't make those decisions," Lester said. "If they chose to make me Game 1, that's a huge honor, huge responsibility to put on your shoulders and go out there and try to get your team off to the best start. If I'm in any of the other games, I'll go out and compete just like I would any other start."

Is it a complex decision?

"I hope it's not complex -- I like simplex," Maddon said. "When we get together in a couple days, we'll figure it out. There's a couple moving parts -- just a couple, not a whole lot."

Schwarber homered in the second and added a two-run single in the third, while Rivera smacked a two-run single in a four-run sixth and hit a solo homer with two outs in the seventh.

"Schwarber has hit 30 in 400 at-bats. He hits homers -- he can do that," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "The two walks and then you give up a bloop hit to center that scores two runs, that's kind of the back-breaker. Those are things you can control."

The Cubs seem to be peaking at the right time. With the win, they're now a season-high 23 games over .500 and have won 15 of their last 18 games.

"I think we're in a good place," Lester said. "Guys are playing solid baseball now. We just have to keep that mindset and keep going."

Stephens took the loss in his seventh career appearance and fourth start. The right-hander, vying for a spot in the Reds' rotation next year, struck out five and gave up four hits over four innings. Cincinnati now has lost 10 of its last 11 games and was shut out for the eighth time this season.

"Just trying to come out here and do my best, try to compete and execute some pitches," said Stephens, who finished 2-1 with a 4.68 ERA. "I'll go into the offseason wishing that I wouldn't have made a few pitches, obviously. Just coming out here and being with these guys, it was fun. I've got to do some stuff in the offseason to get better."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

-30- : singled to lead off the Chicago second, and Schwarber launched the first pitch he saw from Stephens to center field for his 30th home run. According to Statcast™, the ball had an exit velocity of 110.9 mph and traveled 437 feet. It's been quite a comeback season for Schwarber, who was sent down to -A Iowa on June 22 when he was batting .171. He returned on July 6, and he has been on a tear recently, with six home runs in his last 15 games.

"It's been an up-and-down year, and it is what it is," Schwarber said. "I'm happy about [reaching 30], but I'm not too focused about it at all. It's a cool accomplishment. I'm more focused on the bigger picture here, which is the postseason coming up."

With Anthony Rizzo at 32 homers, this is the first time the Cubs have ever had two left-handed hitters reach 30 in a single season.

Marathon man: In the fifth inning on Sept. 22 against the Brewers, Jon Jay had a 15-pitch at-bat, which ended with a single. Pinch-hitter topped Jay with a 17-pitch at-bat in the Cubs' fifth on Saturday against the Reds' Asher Wojciechowski. Jay had fouled off 10 straight pitches; La Stella fouled off six after he got to a full count. But Wojciechowski struck out La Stella on a to end the marathon at-bat.

"It was something, it really was. La Stella battles. He's a scrappy player," Price said. "It seems like whenever they put him in against us, he does something good for them."

Kudos to Wojciechowski.

"It was actually pretty fun, even though I punched out," La Stella said. "[Wojciechowski] was just throwing strike after strike, and then he back-doored the breaking ball, which was an awesome pitch. Honestly, after however many fastballs in a row, it looked like it was in the other batter's box. It was an awesome pitch."

QUOTABLE

"I'm glad that he's had some opportunity to be here in the big leagues this year. I think we've got a kid that just recently turned 23 years old. I think he's going to be good. Now he's had an opportunity to get his feet wet up here, get some repetitions, get some starts and some relief opportunities. He'll be better for the experience heading into next season." -- Price, on Stephens

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Lester finished the regular season with 180 2/3 innings, only the second time in the last 10 seasons that he did not reach 200. The other time, in 2011, he came close, totaling 191 2/3 innings with the Red Sox.

"There's always next year," Lester said.

The Cubs lead the Majors with 422 runs scored in 73 games since the All-Star break. It's the franchise's second most prolific second half since 1933, when the All-Star Game began. In 1935, the Cubs scored 487 runs in 82 games after the break.

VOTTO MVP WATCH

A candidate for the NL Most Valuable Player Award, Reds first baseman Joey Votto was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. Votto has reached base in a season-high 31 consecutive games, 60 of the last 61 and in 149 of his 161 games this season. It was just his second three-strikeout game of the season, with the other coming on Aug. 18 in Atlanta.

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: The 2017 season comes to an end for the Reds as they play the Cubs in Sunday's 3:20 p.m. ET finale. Deck McGuire will make his second big league start and pitch for the sixth time overall since he was a September callup.

Cubs: Mike Montgomery will start in the regular-season finale on Sunday. The lefty is subbing for Jake Arrieta, and he will be making his 14th start of the season. Montgomery is 1-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 10 games, including two starts, against the Reds in his career. First pitch will be 2:20 p.m. CT.

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Cubs.com Schwarber peaking at right time for Cubs By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- The calendar turns to Oct. 1 on Sunday, and the postseason is right around the corner. It's Kyle Schwarber's favorite time of year.

"He loves this time of year," manager Joe Maddon said of the slugger, who drove in four runs, including a pair on his 30th homer, in the Cubs' 9-0 victory Saturday over the Reds.

After watching Schwarber struggle to bat .171 in the first 2 1/2 months of the season, get sent down to Triple-A Iowa and come back in early July and contribute to the Cubs' run to the NL Central title, it's fitting that he would be peaking now. His homer Saturday was his sixth in his last 15 games, and he's batting .318 (14-for-44) in that stretch.

"Having been sent down during the course of the season, things not going his way, give the guy high marks for perseverance," Maddon said. "I think overall, the year has been very successful for him. It's not easy being sent back after all the success he had. I think maybe my expectations I portrayed were too high, and I should've considered that he did not play at all last year."

Schwarber tore two ligaments in his left knee in the third game of the 2016 season, but he got the go-ahead to play in the World Series as the . He's now reached the postseason in each of his three big league seasons, and he has a career .364 average in the playoffs.

"This guy is a big part of our present and future," Maddon said.

"It's been an up-and-down year, and it is what it is," Schwarber said. "I'm happy about [hitting 30 homers], but I'm not too focused about it at all. It's a cool accomplishment. I'm more focused on the bigger picture here, which is the postseason coming up."

Schwarber homered in the second and added a two-run single in the third. With Anthony Rizzo at 32 homers, the Cubs now have two left-handed hitters with 30 each for the first time in franchise history.

"Schwarber has hit 30 in 400 at-bats. He hits homers -- he can do that," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

And Schwarber can't wait for the postseason to start. Game 1 of the National League Division Series presented by T-Mobile is Friday in Washington against the Nationals.

"This is my favorite time of the year," Schwarber said. "This is when things come to the nitty-gritty. This brings out the best in everyone. You saw when we were playing Milwaukee and St. Louis, those were some hard-fought games. It was a playoff atmosphere. We're going to be going into Washington, and it's going to be some hard- fought games, two really good pitching staffs going at it, and two really good offenses and defenses and good bullpens. You're going to be in for a grinder series, and it'll be fun."

How much fun is Schwarber having? He was caught on camera dancing in the Cubs' dugout to "Y-M-C-A" between innings.

"It's a hit. It's a kids' hit," Schwarber said of the song. "You've got to love it. We're a bunch of kids out there."

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Cubs.com Arrieta, Quintana slated for sim game By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Both Jake Arrieta and Jose Quintana have made their final regular-season starts, and the two will pitch in a sim game on Wednesday at Wrigley Field as the Cubs prep for the National League Division Series presented by T-Mobile.

Arrieta's status for the NLDS remained uncertain because of a hamstring injury sustained Sept. 4. Manager Joe Maddon was not ready to reveal the Cubs' NLDS rotation on Saturday. The best-of-five series begins in Washington next Friday against the Nationals.

Arrieta has made two abbreviated starts since the Sept. 4 outing and had been scheduled to start Sunday in the regular-season finale, but the Cubs chose to give him time to rest and get treatment.

Maddon said they wanted to talk to all of the pitchers before announcing the order.

The Cubs will take Monday off, then have workouts both Tuesday and Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Tuesday's sim game will feature the relievers.

Worth noting

• On Saturday, Kris Bryant became the first Cubs player to play 150 games in each of his first three Major League seasons. He's the 11th player to do so in Major League history.

"That's really impressive," Maddon said of Bryant's feat. "Most of the time when guys come up, they're not able to handle that number of games or aren't good enough to be put in the lineup that many times. Give him credit."

Bryant won the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year Award in his first season and last year was named the NL Most Valuable Player Award winner. This year, he was bothered by hand and ankle injuries, yet he recovered quickly and did not need to go on the disabled list.

"You really can't underestimate how difficult it is to be an everyday player in this league," Maddon said. "Just posting 150 times matters to your team. It takes a lot of mental strength to do that. You're going to have your bad days, you're going to have bumps and bruises, you're going to be hurting, you're not going to want to play, you've got a cold, you've got a cough. It's quite an achievement in our game to be able to do that."

• Could the Cubs carry three catchers on the NLDS roster?

"It's not impossible," Maddon said.

Willson Contreras is the primary catcher, but both veterans Rene Rivera and Alex Avila have made contributions in the short time they've been with the team.

"I'm a big fan of both of those guys, Alex and Rene," Maddon said. "These guys are so solid about what they do. They feel like they've been here all year -- I'm certain of that. They're both very worthy of being there."

The Cubs acquired Avila from the Tigers at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and they claimed Rivera off waivers from the Mets on Aug. 19.

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Cubs.com Montgomery starts finale as Cubs prep for NLDS By Mark Sheldon

As the Cubs fine-tune their roster and let some players rest, heal and get ready for postseason baseball, the Reds will be playing them in the final regular-season game of 2017 on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

With Jake Arrieta scratched and instead throwing a simulated game Wednesday because of a right hamstring injury, lefty Mike Montgomery will make the start for Chicago in what is expected to essentially be a bullpen day. Rookie Deck McGuire will start for Cincinnati.

Montgomery will be making his 14th start of the season, but his last two appearances have come from the bullpen. He last pitched on Tuesday in St. Louis, allowing one run and two hits over two innings. In his past two outings vs. the Reds, Montgomery tossed 10 1/3 scoreless innings.

For McGuire, this will mark his second big league start and sixth game since his a September callup from Double-A Pensacola. He began with 5 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in four outings, but he struggled in his first start on Tuesday at Milwaukee. The right-hander was roughed up for six runs (four earned) and six hits over three innings with two walks and five strikeouts in a 7-6 Reds loss.

Cubs regulars are expected to be in the starting lineup, but they will likely not play the full game.

Meanwhile, Sunday is expected to be first baseman Joey Votto's 162nd start of the season, making him the first Reds player to start every game of a non-strike season since Pete Rose in 1975. Billy Hamilton, who has 59 steals, will look to overtake Miami's Dee Gordon, who leads MLB with 60, for his first stolen-base crown.

Things to know about this game

• Cubs outfielder Jr., who bruised his right shoulder crashing into the outfield wall at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, entered Saturday's game in the fifth and went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored. Almora also had some soreness in his back from the collision, which had limited his ability to hit.

• After he was out of the starting lineup on Saturday, Reds shortstop Zack Cozart (right quadriceps) is expected to start what could be his final game with the team. Cozart will be a free agent for the first time this offseason.

• The Wrigley Field grounds crew will continue the tradition of singing the seventh-inning stretch for the regular- season finale.

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Cubs.com Before they were postseason bound: Cubs By Manny Randhawa

Here is everything you need to know about the National League Central champion Cubs, who are returning to the postseason after winning the World Series in 2016.

Albert Almora Jr., CF Born: Hialeah, Fla. DOB: 4/16/1994 HS: Mater Academy Charter School (Fla.) Minors: AZL Cubs (R), Boise (A-), AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Kane County (A), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • Almora's father, Albert Sr., played baseball in Cuba before he defected with his family to the United States. Albert Jr. began playing baseball with his father when he was 3 years old, after watching a local baseball game and wanting to start playing himself. Albert Sr. built a training facility in the family's backyard where his son trained from age 4 to 15.

Jake Arrieta, RHP Born: Farmington, Mo. DOB: 3/6/1986 HS: Plano East High School (Texas) College: Texas Christian University Minors: AZFL Phoenix (R), Frederick (A+), Bowie (AA), Norfolk (AAA) • Arrieta's 1.77 ERA in his 2015 National League season was the lowest by a Cubs qualifying starting pitcher in 96 years, dating to Pete Alexander's 1.72 in 1919. Before etching his name in the Cubs history books, he was a member of the U.S. National Team at the 2006 FISU World Championships in Havana. There, he was the No. 2 starter behind fellow future Cy Young Award winner .

Alex Avila, C Born: Hialeah, Fla. DOB: 1/29/1987 HS: Archbishop McCarthy High School (Fla.) College: University of Alabama Minors: West Michigan (A), Eerie (AA) • Avila's father, Al, is the executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager of the Tigers. Avila's godfather is former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.

Javier Baez, 2B/SS/3B Born: Bayamon, Puerto Rico DOB: 12/1/1992 HS: Arlington Country Day School (Fla.) Minors: AZL Cubs (R), Boise (A-), AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Peoria (A), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • Symbolic of his exciting style of play, Baez stole home during Game 1 of the 2016 NL Championship Series against the Dodgers, becoming the first Cubs player to steal home in a postseason game since in 1907. Baez was named co-MVP of the NLCS, along with left-hander Jon Lester.

Kris Bryant, 3B Born: Las Vegas DOB: 1/4/1992 HS: Bonanza High School (Nev.) College: University of San Diego Minors: AZL Cubs (R), AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Boise (A-), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)

• Bryant was selected second overall in the 2013 Draft by the Cubs. The Astros actually had a shot to draft him that year, with the first overall pick. Houston selected right-hander Mark Appel, who is now in the Phillies organization, has not appeared in a Major League game and has a 5.06 ERA in five Minor League seasons. Bryant, meanwhile, was the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year and the 2016 NL MVP, making the final play of the at third base.

Willson Contreras, C Born: Puerto Cabello, Venezuela DOB: 5/13/1992 Minors: Boise (A-), Kane County (A), Daytona (A+), AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Tennessee (AA) • While in the Cubs' farm system, Contreras played every position on the field except for shortstop, center field and pitcher. In his first Major League at-bat, on June 19, 2016, Contreras homered on the first pitch he saw from Pirates reliever A.J. Schugel.

Wade Davis, RHP Born: Lake Wales, Fla. DOB: 9/7/1985 HS: Lake Wales High School Minors: Appalachian League Princeton (R), Hudson Valley (A-), Southwest Michigan (A), Vero Beach (A+), Montgomery (AA), Durham (AAA) • Davis is the second cousin of former All-Star catcher Jody Davis, who also played for the Cubs, from 1981-88. Davis himself has been an All-Star each of the past three seasons, including 2015-16 with the Royals.

Brian Duensing, LHP Born: Marysville, Kan. DOB: 2/22/1983 HS: Millard South High School (Neb.) College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln Minors: Appalachian League Elizabethton (R), Beloit (A), Fort Myers (A+), New Britain (AA), Rochester (AAA) • Duensing was teammates with Royals left fielder , and former Major League pitcher Joba Chamberlain, at the University of Nebraska. He helped Nebraska reach the College World Series in 2002 and '05.

Carl Edwards Jr., RHP Born: Newberry, S.C. DOB: 9/3/1991 HS: Mid-Carolina High School (S.C.) Minors: AZL Rangers (R), AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Spokane (A-), Hickory (A), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • Edwards wasn't highly acclaimed out of high school, and according to Columbia, S.C.'s The State newspaper, decided solely based on his friendship with Will Bedenbaugh (his catcher in high school who was playing at Charleston Southern University) to go to Charleston Southern. But Bedenbaugh tragically died in a car accident in December 2010. That's when Edwards decided to pursue . He was drafted in the 48th round of the 2011 Draft by the Rangers before being traded to the Cubs, for whom he posted a 2.84 ERA in the 2016 postseason.

Justin Grimm, RHP Born: Bristol, Tenn. DOB: 8/16/1988 HS: Virginia High School (Bristol, Va.) College: University of Georgia Minors: Hickory (A), Myrtle Beach (A+), Frisco (AA), Round Rock (AAA), Iowa (AAA) • Grimm became the 68th pitcher in MLB history to record four strikeouts in a single inning, achieving the feat on Aug. 29, 2014, against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. In the ninth inning, he struck out Oscar Taveras looking, Daniel Descalso swinging ( resulted in Descalso reaching first base), Matt Carpenter swinging and Kolten Wong looking.

Ian Happ, 2B/OF Born: Pittsburgh DOB: 8/12/1994 HS: Mt. Lebanon High School (Pa.) College: University of Cincinnati Minors: Eugene (A-), South Bend (A), AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Myrtle Beach (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • Happ is one of two active Major League players to come out of the University of Cincinnati; the other is the Pirates' Josh Harrison.

Kyle Hendricks, RHP Born: Newport Beach, Calif. DOB: 12/7/1989 HS: Capistrano Valley High School (Calif.) College: Dartmouth College (N.H.) Minors: Spokane (A-), Daytona (A+), Myrtle Beach (A+), Frisco (AA), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • Hendricks, the MLB ERA champion in 2016 (2.13), attended Dartmouth College, an Ivy League school also attended by former big league catcher and Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.

Jason Heyward, RF Born: Ridgewood, N.J. DOB: 8/9/1989 HS: Henry County High School (Ga.) Minors: Gulf Coast League Braves (R), Appalachian League Danville (R), Rome (A), AZFL Peoria Saguaros (Fall League), Myrtle Beach (A+), Mississippi (AA), Gwinnett (AAA) • Heyward and Giants catcher Buster Posey, who finished second and first, respectively, in the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year voting, faced off in the 2005 Georgia Class AAAA state championship game. Heyward and Posey both homered in Game 2 of that series; Heyward hit a three-run homer that traveled 400 feet in the sixth inning to tie it, and Posey hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh. Heyward's Henry County High School beat Posey's Lee County High School in the best-of-three series. Heyward's younger brother, Jacob, was drafted by the Giants in 2016, and just finished his first season at Augusta.

Jon Jay, OF Born: Miami DOB: 3/15/1985 HS: Christopher Columbus High School (Fla.) College: University of Miami Minors: Quad Cities (A), Gulf Coast League Cardinals (R), Palm Beach (A+), Springfield (AA), Memphis (AAA) • Jay played for Tony La Russa from 2010-11 while La Russa was in his final two seasons as Cardinals manager. La Russa has a law degree from Florida State University, and Jay shares a name very similar (only the first name is spelled differently) to the United States' first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay. Under La Russa, Jay and the Cardinals won the over the Rangers.

John Lackey, RHP Born: Abilene, Texas DOB: 10/23/1978 HS: Abilene High School (Texas) College: Grayson County College (Texas), University of Texas at Arlington Minors: Boise (A-), Cedar Rapids (A), Lake Elsinore (A+), Arkansas (AA), Salt Lake (AAA) • There are only two active pitchers that have thrown more innings than John Lackey's 2,833 1/3 (as of Sept. 26): CC Sabathia (3,311 1/3) and Bartolo Colon (3,308).

Tommy La Stella, 2B/3B Born: Westwood, N.J. DOB: 1/31/1989 HS: St. Joseph Regional High School (N.J.) College: Coastal Carolina University (S.C.)

Minors: Rome (A), Gulf Coast League Braves (R), Lynchburg (A+), AZFL Scottsdale (Fall League), Mississippi (AA), Gwinnett (AAA) • La Stella's alma mater, Coastal Carolina, faced teammate Jake Arrieta's TCU Horned Frogs in the College World Series last year, and the two made a bet as to which team would win. After Coastal Carolina defeated TCU, Arrieta tweeted a picture of him keeping his word by getting a tattoo that read "CCU '16 champs."

Jon Lester, LHP Born: Tacoma, Wash. DOB: 1/7/1984 HS: Bellarmine High School (Wash.) Minors: Gulf Coast League Red Sox (R), Augusta (A), Sarasota (A+), Portland (AA), Pawtucket (AAA) • Lester overcame a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a blood cancer, which he was diagnosed with at age 22. He is a wine aficionado, and together with former teammate Clay Buchholz, released a wine label through Longball Cellars to benefit charities in 2011. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from Lester's "CabernAce" wine went to the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Leonys Martin, CF Born: Villa Clara, Cuba DOB: 3/6/1988 Minors: AZL Rangers (R), Frisco (AA), Round Rock (AAA) • Two of Martin's 38 career home runs came against pitchers who are now teammates of his on the Cubs, and they both came within about a month of each other in 2015: On May 19 of that season, Martin homered off Koji Uehara when Uehara was with the Red Sox, and on June 21, Martin hit a solo shot off White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana.

Mike Montgomery, LHP Born: Mission Hills, Calif. DOB: 7/1/1989 HS: William S. Hart High School (Calif.) Minors: AZL Royals (R), Burlington (A), Wilmington (A+), Northwest Arkansas (AA), Omaha (AAA), Durham (AAA), Tacoma (AAA) • Entering the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field, Montgomery did not have a single save in his career (204 ). He faced one batter, Michael Martinez, whom he got to ground out to third to complete the Cubs' victory and clinch the franchise's first World Series championship in 108 years.

Jose Quintana, LHP Born: Arjona, Colombia DOB: 1/24/1989 Minors: Gulf Coast League Yankees (R), Charleston (A), Tampa (A+), Birmingham (AA) • Quintana made 33 starts for the White Sox in 2013 and received only 16 decisions, with a record of 9-7. He and the Rays' Jake Odorizzi (2016) are the only pitchers in baseball history since 1913 to make 33 starts in a season and receive fewer than 17 decisions.

Anthony Rizzo, 1B Born: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. DOB: 8/8/1989 HS: Stoneman-Douglas High School (Fla.) Minors: Gulf Coast League Red Sox (R), Greenville (A), Salem (A+), Portland (AA), Tucson (AAA), Iowa (AAA) • Rizzo, who crowds the plate with his stance when hitting, has been hit by a pitch 97 times in his career, sixth most among active players. Only (198), Rickie Weeks Jr. (134), Matt Holliday (124), Shin-Soo Choo (122) and Albert Pujols (102) have more. All of them have played at least six more seasons than Rizzo.

Hector Rondon, RHP Born: Guatire, Venezuela DOB: 2/26/1988

Minors: Gulf Coast League Indians (R), Lake County (A), Kinston (A+), Akron (AA), Columbus (AAA) • The Indians signed Rondon as an undrafted free agent in 2004, when he was just 16 years old. The Cubs selected him from the Indians in the 2012 Rule 5 Draft. Despite growing up as a third baseman, he was converted to a pitcher as a professional, and has posted a career 3.24 ERA and 77 saves for Chicago over five seasons.

Addison Russell, SS/2B Born: Pensacola, Fla. DOB: 1/23/1994 HS: Pace High School (Fla.) Minors: AZL Athletics (R), Vermont (A-), Burlington (A), AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Stockton (A+), Midland (AA), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • Russell was a running back for his high school football team, and actually thought football was his stronger sport before deciding to play baseball exclusively. The player he was part of a 2014 trade package for when he was acquired by the Cubs from the A's -- right-hander -- was a wide receiver at Notre Dame.

Kyle Schwarber, LF Born: Middletown, Ohio DOB: 3/5/1993 HS: Middletown High School (Ohio) College: Indiana University Minors: Boise (A-), Kane County (A), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • During the 2015 NLDS against the Cardinals, Schwarber crushed a home run that landed on top of the new Wrigley Field scoreboard in right field. The ball was later encased in Plexiglass and still resides on top of the scoreboard today. In that postseason, Schwarber hit five home runs, setting a new Cubs career postseason home run record.

Pedro Strop, RHP Born: San Cristobal, Dominican Republic DOB: 6/13/1985 Minors: Pioneer League Casper (R), Asheville (A), Modesto (A+), Tulsa (AA), Frisco (AA), (AAA), Round Rock (AAA) • Strop was originally signed by the Rockies as a shortstop. But he hit just .208 in Colorado's farm system before being released in 2008. The Rangers then signed him and converted him to a pitcher. In nine Major League seasons as a reliever, he has a 3.19 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.

Koji Uehara, RHP Born: Osaka, Japan DOB: 4/3/1975 HS: Tokai University Gyosei (Osaka) College: Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences Minors: Bowie (AA), Norfolk (AAA) • Uehara owns the MLB record for lowest WHIP in a single season for a pitcher throwing more than 50 innings, at 0.57 in 2013. That eclipsed Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley's 0.61 for the A's in 1989.

Justin Wilson, LHP Born: Anaheim DOB: 8/18/1987 HS: Dr. Floyd B. Buchanan High School (Calif.) College: Cal State Fresno Minors: AZFL Mesa (Fall League), Lynchburg (A+), Altoona (AA), (AAA) • In 2012, while with Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates' farm system, Wilson tossed the first 7 1/3 innings of a combined no-hitter on April 29 against Durham, and then eight no-hit innings in a rain-shortened game on Aug. 9 against Charlotte.

Rob Zastryzny, LHP Born: Edmonton, Canada

DOB: 3/26/1992 HS: Calallen High School (Texas) College: University of Missouri Minors: Boise (A-), Kane County (A), Daytona (A+), AZL Cubs (R), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA) • Zastryzny's nickname of "Friday" originated when he became the University of Missouri's Friday night starting pitcher midway through his freshman year in 2011. As a junior in 2013, he helped lead Missouri to a Big 12 tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tucson Regional.

Ben Zobrist, INF/OF Born: Eureka, Ill. DOB: 5/26/1981 HS: Eureka High School (Ill.) College: Dallas Baptist University, Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) Minors: Tri-City (A-), Lexington (A), Salem (A+), AZFL Phoenix (Fall League), Corpus Christi (AA), Durham (AAA) • When he wasn't recruited by college or pro scouts out of high school, Zobrist thought his baseball career was over, according to the Tampa Bay Times. But his high school coach encouraged him to participate in a nearby showcase event for college recruiters. Zobrist paid the $50 fee to attend, and ended up getting a scholarship to play at Olivet Nazarene. Had he not gone to that event, he said he would have pursued a career as a Christian youth minister.

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ESPNChicago.com Predicting the Cubs' NLDS lineup and roster By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- It’s becoming an annual tradition for Chicago Cubs fans: predict the playoff roster and opening night lineup. Rosters aren’t due until the morning of Game 1 against the Washington Nationals, which is Friday, and the starting lineup can come even later in the day. But that won’t stop us from breaking it down now, knowing that things could change, especially with the health status of righty Jake Arrieta.

Let’s start with the roster composition. On Friday, manager Joe Maddon indicated that the baseline breakdown for position players and pitchers in a best-of-five series is 14 and 11, respectively. Those were the numbers the Cubs kept last season against the in Round 1. Let’s start there.

Position player locks: Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Alex Avila, Tommy La Stella, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Jay, Jason Heyward, Albert Almora Jr., Ian Happ and .

The 13 above names make the playoff the roster, leaving one spot open -- if the Cubs indeed take 14 -- for either catcher Rene Rivera or outfielder Leonys Martin. Even without his game-saving catch Thursday in St. Louis, Martin is the favorite. A pinch runner who can play excellent outfield defense is simply more needed than a third catcher, especially considering that Schwarber could go behind the plate in an emergency.

Pitcher locks: Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Jake Arrieta, Mike Montgomery, , Hector Rondon, , Carl Edwards Jr. and Wade Davis.

After the sure things, there is room for one more pitcher between starter John Lackey and relievers and Justin Wilson. In a perfect world, this would be Wilson’s job -- and it still might be -- though Maddon isn’t ruling Lackey out.

“It’s definitely possible to see all of them involved,” Maddon said Friday. “Somebody would have to be folded into the bullpen to do that, but it’s possible.”

The only problem with that sentiment is that over the course of the season, Maddon has repeatedly shot down the idea of having Lackey pitch out of the bullpen. Of course, that notion could change. But considering Lackey's age and need to warm up properly, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Some believe the injury to Arrieta could be the reason to keep Lackey, but Montgomery would likely be the first arm out of the bullpen in a short start for any of the top four. If the Cubs have a need for more than one long reliever in a short series, then they have bigger problems than who their 11th pitcher should be.

The struggling Wilson might still be the favorite to make the roster, with the understanding that he would be used only as a last option. Then again, the Cubs could change course and take 12 pitchers, allowing Wilson and Lackey to make it while keeping Martin off. It’s a small thing, but the Cubs don’t have an obvious pitcher who can help at the plate or in the field in a pinch like they did last season, when was around. That’s another potential reason to keep 14 position players.

Opening night lineup: Maddon has given us clues over the final weeks about who could be in his go-to lineup, at least against a right-handed starter. The Cubs could face righties and in Games 1 and 2, though with Scherzer leaving the Nats game early on Saturday with an apparent injury, his availability in the first two games may be in question. Maddon could use similar lineups for both games:

Jay, CF

Bryant, 3B

Rizzo, 1B

Contreras, C

Zobrist, LF

Russell, SS

Heyward, RF

Baez, 2B

Pitcher

The actual batting order is less important than who is in it. This lineup doesn’t include Happ or Schwarber. It simply doesn’t feel like Happ would start over any of the above names, nearly all of whom had a part in last year’s World Series win. Schwarber is also the odd man out based on the matchups, even after he hit his 30th home run of the season on Saturday. It comes down to one thing: high fastballs. Both Scherzer and Strasburg live up there, especially when there are two strikes on the hitter.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Schwarber has a .213 batting average in at-bats ending on upper-half fastballs and 29 percent miss rate on fastballs in the upper half of the zone. Zobrist hits .245 with just a 7 percent miss rate on fastballs in the same place. Against that type of pitcher, Zobrist gets the edge.

In fact, considering that Strasburg throws high fastballs more often than Scherzer, combined with some reverse splits, Almora could get a look in Game 2. He has a .407 batting average in at bats ending on high fastballs combined with an 8 percent miss rate. Those numbers could play, even against a righty.

Two things are certain when it comes to the roster and lineup: The Cubs have several choices to make because they have a deep team, and whatever they decide, they’ll be second-guessed. It’s the nature of the game.

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