October 2, 2015

Chicago Tribune What happens if Cubs and Pirates finish season in a tie? By Tribune Report

If the Cubs and the Pirates finish the regular season with the same record, the Cubs would host the wild card game because they won the season series between the two teams.

The Cubs won 11 of the games in 2015 and the Pirates won 8, the first time the Cubs have won a season series against Pittsburgh since 2009.

“I know we know we can beat them, but they know they can beat us, too,” Cubs said after the Cubs won the last game between the two clubs on Sept. 27.

As of Friday morning, the Cubs are 2 games behind the Pirates with three games left to go. The Cubs finish out the year at the Brewers, and the Pirates are at home against the Reds.

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Chicago Tribune Managing Cubs could be toughest job in sports, but someone has to do it By Paul Sullivan

If success is measured by the number of championships won over a century, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has the most difficult job in sports.

None of Maddon's predecessors have won it all since guided the Cubs to back-to-back titles in 1907 and '08, and no one has even gotten them into the since in 1945.

With the Cubs preparing for their seventh postseason appearance in 70 years, the question again bears repeating:

Is managing the Cubs the toughest job in sports?

"Oh, I don't think so," said. "Actually it's a fun job. It's a demanding job. There are a lot of expectations. But when you manage and you can go to the ballpark on an everyday basis and play in front of a packed house in a wonderful atmosphere, you have to enjoy that situation immensely.

"We got to the postseason a couple of years and just didn't do well in the postseason."

Piniella is one of four living managers who have taken the Cubs to the postseason, along with Jim Frey (1984), (2003) and (1998). Piniella is the only one of the living former managers to do it twice, in 2007 and '08, when the Cubs won division titles but were swept in the Division Series.

Baker concurred with Piniella, saying the degree of difficulty isn't any more daunting than any other manager or head faces. Baker's six postseason victories in '03 puts him second on the Cubs' all-time postseason list to Chance's 11 (1906-08 and 1910), but he never returned in his last three years in Chicago.

After the Cubs' implosion in the 2003 NLCS and a late-season collapse in '04, Baker said the lack of resources from the owners in 2005 and '06 was their biggest obstacle.

"We were in a position to reload and try again, but then we started dismantling our team," he said. "I didn't know the problems (Tribune Co.) was having at the time. That was bad timing because the (company) was about to be sold and stuff that I had no clue was tied to us.

"I was like, 'Man, we need some players.' We got rid of Moises (Alou) and Sammy (Sosa) at the same time. That's 60-something homers and 225 RBIs. Not to mention (Mark) Prior and (Kerry) Wood (getting injured) after that. I was like 'Damn, the whole world was crumbling.'

"Oh well. It didn't happen. But I wish Joe well, big-time."

Cubs general manager said managing the Cubs doesn't have as many obstacles as many other teams, and is now one of the better jobs thanks to the resources Chairman Tom Ricketts has provided.

"Over the last 107 years it has proven to be the most difficult, and I think it's a job that certainly is challenging," Hoyer said. "You're in a major market. You have a rabid fan base. But I certainly think it's a doable job. It's a job that's attainable.

"You have to have the best team and you have to get hot in October. I don't think there are inherent obstacles. Maybe there have been in the past."

Before Tribune Co. was sold in April 2007, it increased the payroll for Piniella, whose '08 team won 97 games but lacked pitching depth and proved to be too right-handed in the postseason.

"We didn't face any left-handers in the two postseasons," he said. "That's unheard of. What I like about this year's team specifically is it has a really good combination of left-handed and right-hand hitting, and power from both sides."

Baker, who will be working the playoffs for TBS, and Piniella, who will be watching from his home in Tampa, both said the Cubs have a good shot at ending the drought, pointing to Maddon's leadership skills and the rise of .

"I don't think anybody knew Arrieta was going to be this good," Baker said.

Added Piniella: "Arrieta probably is the Cy Young winner."

Maddon doesn't need any unsolicited advice from Baker or Piniella, and neither offered any. But both stressed the need to play relaxed and to shut out the incessant talk about the Cubs' past.

Piniella knows Chicago will be on edge, as it usually is whenever the Cubs are playing in October.

"I would expect the expectations are quite high again," he said. "It's a shame the way they're playing they didn't win their division, but I would think Pittsburgh and the Cubs are better teams than St. Louis, which has been decimated by injuries. They did all they could to hang on."

Baker didn't have a good ending in Chicago, but he still has a soft spot for the fans.

"It'd be good for the city if they won," Baker said. "And once you get the young guys to believing they belong, it could be a similar situation like Atlanta when they were in the hunt every year."

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Chicago Tribune Austin Jackson offers playoff experience if he makes postseason roster By Mark Gonzales

CINCINNATI — Austin Jackson has three seasons of playoff experience but is careful not to make a big deal of it talking with his Cubs' teammates.

Jackson, battling for a spot on the wild-card roster, let his bat make a statement Thursday with a three-run homer to pace the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Reds.

"You can tell this is a loose group of guys who like to keep it fun, play hard and that's something I've always been a part of," said Jackson, 28, who played in 35 games over three consecutive postseasons with the Tigers (2011-13).

"You don't want to come in and try to act like this guy who knows it all and has been doing it for awhile. Everyone comes to the field with a smile on his face and it makes it that much easier coming from another team."

Since joining the Cubs on Aug. 31, Jackson has adjusted by playing right and left fields after playing center his entire career and is adjusting to spot duty while trying to earn a playoff spot.

"Time will really tell with that," said Jackson, who is batting .231 in 26 games since joining the Cubs from the Mariners. "I'm trying to do whatever I can do to help the team win."

If selected, Jackson believes he can be an asset.

"It's a different animal in the playoffs, but … these guys definitely have the composure to win."

Split decisions: If Jason Hammel pitches in the playoffs, he likely will face the Cardinals in the National League Division Series.

Hammel pitched six shutout innings before being charged with three runs in the seventh inning of an 8-5 victory Sept. 8 at Busch Stadium. That was one of his few impressive starts in an otherwise rough second half.

"A tale of two halves," said Hammel, who lasted only one inning in his last start of the first half against the Cardinals because of a knee injury. "Post-injury, I wasn't good. It's the honest view of it."

Hammel, who pitched five shutout innings Thursday to pick up the 5-3 victory over the Reds, had a 5-4 record and 2.86 ERA in the first half but his era was 5.10 in the second half though he went 5-3.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs busy crunching numbers and studying scenarios for wild-card roster By Mark Gonzales

"Anyone on roster (could) be in a huge spot because it (seems) the game finds that person." — Jed Hoyer

The importance of every spot on the Cubs' National League wild-card roster isn't lost on general manager Jed Hoyer, who recalls a must-win situation in the Championship Series with the Red Sox.

That's when midseason acquisition Dave Roberts stole second base and scored the tying run and Curtis Leskanic, pitching in his final major-league game, threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory in Game 4 of the ALCS. That triumph sparked the Red Sox to the first of eight consecutive postseason victories and their first World Series title in 86 seasons.

"Every little thing matters," Hoyer said Thursday as the Cubs assess multiple factors before their NL play-in game against the Pirates on Wednesday night.

"That's the nature of the rosters. You have to assume that anyone on the roster (could) be in a huge spot because it (seems) like the game finds that person."

Along those lines, the Cubs added Quintin Berry on Sept. 1 as a pinch-running option. And manager Joe Maddon hasn't ruled out rookie reliever Carl Edwards Jr. despite his having only four games of major-league experience.

With a low-scoring game expected at spacious PNC Park, outfield defense could be at a premium. But the Cubs would like to strike early against formidable Pirates ace Gerrit Cole.

That's why the Cubs are assessing all their options and scenarios with the help of their analytics department, which will provide manager Joe Maddon with various combinations before the roster is finalized.

In the fourth and ultimately deciding game of the 2013 AL division series, Maddon started for his Rays but pulled him after the first three Red Sox batters reached base in the second inning. Maddon ended up using eight relievers but the Rays were eliminated 3-1.

"All hands on deck," Maddon said. "Let's go. If you have to win a game, you have to win a game. You do those things. I'm not worried about it. I'm not concerned about our bullpen right now. With what (Trevor) Cahill, (Clayton) Richard and (Travis) Wood have done, you feel good about it if you had to do something.

But Maddon won't have the luxury of using that many relievers without sacrificing several pinch-hitters, which was a concern of his in the AL. The Cubs are expected to leave at least three of their starting off their wild-card roster.

The Cubs (94-65) are expected to add at least one back if they advance to the NLDS. Jason Hammel pitched five scoreless innings Thursday in a 5-3 victory over the Reds that extended their winning streak to five games.

A 5-0 lead after five innings also enabled Maddon to use six relievers — , Fernando Rodney, Richard, Cahill, and Hector Rondon — all of whom are expected to be on the Cubs' wild-card roster (along with Wood and probably to back up starter Jake Arrieta).

"I had that set up before the game," Maddon said of his plan to pull Hammel after five innings.

Maddon wanted to use only Grimm, Rodney, Strop and Rondon but said Richard and Cahill would be available to pitch Friday night against the Brewers.

"I thought (Hammel) did very well," Maddon said. "No reason to see him beyond that, but you have to keep pertinent bullpen guys in the loop, too."

When asked if he expected to start in an NLDS game if the Cubs advance that far, Hammel replied, "I'm going to prepare that way."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs' Javier Baez driven by memory of sister By Colleen Mastony and Mark Gonzales

He plays with a glove embroidered with her name.

Because every catch infielder Javier Baez makes, every and , is for his sister, Noely, who was 21 when she died in April from complications related to spina bifida.

"Her dream was for Javy to make it to the pros," says their older brother, Gadiel, 24. "Javy's dream was to make it to the pros and give her everything she ever needed."

From the time they were children, Noely watched her big brother Javier play baseball. No matter if he got a hit or struck out, she always cheered wildly.

Now, at , the spot where Noely once parked her wheelchair is empty. But Javier Baez says he still feels his sister's presence.

"Even though she's not with us right now," he says. "I'm sure that she's watching."

The 6-foot-tall, baby-faced Baez is a supremely gifted athlete who can seemingly do it all, hitting, running and fielding with agility and power. In the postseason and beyond, the Cubs are depending on him to be a big part of their future.

Drafted out of high school, he made his major league debut in 2014, but struggled with strikeouts and was returned to the minors. Now, the Cubs have again called him up to the big time and the 22-year-old Baez is seeking to prove his worth. He says he wants to help the Cubs win, not only for himself and his team, but also for his sister.

"I know she wanted me to keep going," he says. "I want to show her that I won't give up."

Born to a working-class family in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Javier and Noely, in most ways, couldn't have seemed more different.

Javier, the third of four kids, was a confident and outgoing child, who would grow into a preternaturally gifted athlete. When he was trying out for a local peewee baseball team in the mid-1990s, a coach stepped forward to show him how to hit.

According to family lore, Javier — then just a 4-year-old — waved the coach away. I don't need help, the preschooler told the coach.

Noely, the family's youngest, wasn't expected to live for more than a few hours after her birth. "The doctors said she wasn't going to make it for 24 hours. Two days later, they said she's not going to make it for a week," recalled Gadiel.

But the baby survived and grew into a determined girl. "She was a warrior," recalled Gadiel. She refused to allow anyone to push her wheelchair and said she could get around by herself.

All through her childhood, she wanted to experience everything her brothers did. She didn't play baseball, but she became a fixture on the sidelines at their games.

"At first, I didn't think she was going to get the game, because the rules are really hard. But she did. She was really smart," Javier Baez said. "It was kind of crazy and amazing how she understood and how much she enjoyed the game. Every time I was playing, she would go crazy. That made me keep playing more and more."

Of her three brothers, she was closest to Javier, who was older by just 11 months.

When he was 7 years old, their mother overheard him telling Noely: If God would let me, I would switch legs with you, so you could walk.

In 2004, their father, Angel, a lawn worker, died after falling in the bathroom and hitting his head. Their mom, Nelly, kept the family afloat by selling cakes from their home and eventually decided to move the kids to Jacksonville, Fla., in search of better medical care for Noely.

Javier had long dreamed of making it to the pros. His grandfather had been a in the Puerto Rican leagues. And in Florida, the then-teenager soared as a player, and eventually caught the eye of major league scouts.

The moment that would change everything came on June 6, 2011, the first day of the draft.

Dozens of friends and family packed into the Baez home to watch the results on TV. When the Cubs announced in the first round that they had selected Baez as the No. 9 pick, the crowd erupted with raucous cheers that seemed to shake the house. The deal would come with a $2.6 million signing bonus.

Baez, then an 18-year-old high school senior, turned to his sister and said: You will never have to worry again.

Over the next few years, he kept his promise. He bought a new house for his mother and Noely and gave them a minivan, customized with a wheelchair ramp. The family traveled around the country to watch him play minor league ball.

In August 2014, he made his major league debut against the in Denver. In the 12th inning, he hit a game-winning home run and, as he rounded the bases, he pointed to Noely and his family in the stands.

Two days later, in the third game of his major league career, he hit two more home runs.

It was a jaw-dropping performance.

But it didn't last.

Baez struggled with strikeouts through the rest of the 2014 season, often swinging at bad pitches. In the spring of 2015, Cubs management shipped him back to Iowa.

As Baez's poise at the plate seemed to falter, so too did Noely's health. A respiratory infection and problems with her kidneys landed her in the hospital for several weeks. She recovered and the family thought she was all right.

But in April, as Baez was about to start the season with the , he received a phone call from Gadiel.

Noely had been hospitalized again.

"I said, 'We got to go home,'" recalled Gadiel. "And he started crying."

Baez rushed to the airport to catch a flight to Florida. By the time he arrived at the hospital in Jacksonville, Noely was gone.

For a time, Baez wondered how he would go on.

"I told my mom before (Noely's death), that if she goes away, I didn't want to play baseball. I didn't want to do anything," he recalled.

But he knew that Noely wouldn't want that.

"For me and my family, we never saw Noely as a handicapped person. We always treated her like she could do anything," he recalled.

For more than two decades, she defied the odds.

"She taught me and my family not to ever give up," he said.

In the following months, Baez had his determination tested.

He took two weeks of bereavement leave, returned to Iowa and promptly slid face-first into second base, breaking his left ring finger. That injury led to nearly seven weeks of rehab and more time away from baseball.

Coaches stressed the need to cut down on his strikeouts and make contact with the ball more consistently. Baez spent his rehab practicing his swing with one hand.

When he rejoined the Iowa Cubs in July, he said, "I came back stronger and with the swing that I wanted."

His effort impressed Triple-A Iowa manager Marty Pevey. "From the day he got back from his broken hand, his batting practice (sessions) were incredible," Pevey said. "I can remember we were in Salt Lake (City), throwing to Javy. … In his round of batting practice, he hit seven home runs in a row to right center. And they were all line drives."

On Sept. 1, the Cubs called Baez back to the big leagues to help in the run toward the playoffs.

Gadiel flew to Chicago and brought with him a mitt that had belonged to Noely. She had carried it to every game and tucked it beside her in her wheelchair.

"I said, 'You are going to play in the pros again,'" recalled Gadiel. "'Why not use it?'"

Baez continues to find comfort in the memories of his sister's life and accomplishments. She graduated high school, when many never thought she would. She rode a roller coaster too, much to the dismay of their mother. She even rode a jet ski a few summers ago, after insisting her brothers take her on a ride through the surf.

And, of course, Noely saw her big brother make the major leagues.

Though his playing time in September was sporadic, Baez proved his willingness to work hard and make improvements to his game, all of which bodes well for his future with the Cubs. A few nights ago, after a game at Wrigley, Baez and a group of friends left the field after midnight on bicycles. When they reached the lake, they stopped to take in the view.

Standing in the darkness, Baez spotted a shooting star.

"It was long and green and bright," he said. "As soon as I saw it, my sister came to my mind. It was like she was just letting us know that she is watching us."

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Chicago Tribune Jed Hoyer: Jon Lester had "great year" By Mark Gonzales

Jon Lester’s 11-12 record suggests he had a poor season.

But Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer, who was involved in the recruitment and signing of Lester last December to a six-year, $155 million contract, staunchly defendied his left-handr.

“I thought he had a great year,” Hoyer said. “He got off to a slow start. If people want to focus on his won-loss record, his won-loss record doesn’t tell the story of the season. He ended up among the top guys in the National League in quality starts, pitched 200 innings, 200 strikeouts, (183) hits, (47) walks – a very good season that unfortunately he pitched in bad luck in several games.”

Lester is known for performing at his best in big games, and he would like nothing more than to pitch in the post- season. Lester has a 6-4 record in the post-season, but he has a 3-0 record and 0.43 ERA in three World Series starts.

“He has a lot bigger goals in mind,” Hoyer said of Lester, who would pitch the first game of the National League Division Series at St. Louis if the Cubs win the NL wild-card game against Pittsburgh on Oct. 7. “That’s really important, having a guy with that perspective on the roster. This isn’t about making the playoffs. It’s about hoisting a trophy, and that’s what he’s all about because he’s done that before.”

Hoyer believed Lester was under a lot of pressure his first season in trying to live up to a big contract while adjusting to a new city, adding he pushed too hard in spring training that led to dead arm fatigue in mid-March.

“There’s a lot of pressure,” Hoyer said. “He handled it exceptionally well. A big part of why we were attracted to him is we knew he wouldn’t shy away from the responsibility of that kind of contract.

“To have a guy like that who has won is very valuable.”

Lester had 21 quality starts (pitching at least six innings and allowing three earned runs or fewer). He was 7-4 with a 3.04 ERA in the second half after posting a 4-8 record and 3.58 ERA in the first half that included a combined 0-5 mark in April and June.

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Chicago Tribune Series preview: Cubs at Brewers By Tribune Staff

Games Friday and Saturday on WBBM-AM 780, Sunday's game on WBBM-FM 105.9.

Season series: Cubs 11-5.

Friday: 7:10 p.m., CSN.

RH Jake Arrieta (21-6, 1.92) vs. RH Ariel Pena (2-0, 3.91).

Saturday: 6:10 p.m., CSN.

RH (7-7, 4.09) vs. RH Tyler Wagner (0-1, 11.74).

Sunday: 2:10 p.m., WGN-9.

RH (10-9, 3.67) vs. RH Jorge Lopez (1-0, 5.40).

Who's hot: Arrieta is 15-1 with an 0.89 ERA in his last 19 starts. is batting .319 in his last 21 games. Scooter Gennett is 7-for-18 (.389). Khris Davis is 5-for-11 (.455) with two home runs.

Who's not: is 5-for-23 since returning from the disabled list. is 0-for-16. Adam Lind is 2- for-16. Jean Segura is 3-for-16.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs' additions aren't just leftovers By Mark Gonzales

The credentials of Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley ignited optimism and encouragement from a large segment of Chicago Cubs followers believing they needed All-Star caliber players to get them to the playoffs.

But based on the developments since the July 31 trading deadline and the unheralded depth the Cubs have added, there’s a sense of pleasure and relief over the manner in which the roster was upgraded.

“You always want to improve your team and add depth, but it’s a house of cards all the time,” general manager Jed Hoyer said Thursday. “You don’t know which move is going to topple things or which move is going to bolster things. I’ve seen examples when it worked great. A team makes big changes at the deadline, and it takes off.

“I’ve seen examples where doing almost nothing or small things is the right thing, and it’s hard. In our situation this year, what we were able to do at the deadline and August is add depth.”

And avoid costly problems. Instead of acquiring Papelbon (who was acquired by the from Philadelphia that included the cost of guaranteeing his 2016 contract at $11 million), the Cubs fortified their bullpen with the likes of left-hander Clayton Richard and Trevor Cahill in minor deals and landed Fernando Rodney from the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 27.

Rodney has settled in extremely well as a late-inning reliever. Papelbon, meanwhile, has a 3.04 ERA in 22 appearances but gained greater notoriety recently for charging All-Star right fielder in the Washington Nationals’ dugout on Sunday and being suspended for the rest of the season.

“I’ve know Jonathan for a long time, so I’d never disparage him,” said Hoyer, whose association with Papelbon dates to their time in Boston. “He had some unbelievable seasons in Boston.”

But Hoyer didn’t deny the additions of Richard, Dan Haren (acquired from the on July 31), Tommy Hunter (from Baltimore), Cahill added depth.

“To a man, the guys we’ve added have brought something to clubhouse and on the field,” Hoyer said.

And Utley’s decision to accept a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers has allowed Starlin Castro to flourish at second base after losing his starting job at shortstop, and a healthy Tommy La Stella has provided offense as a left-handed hitter at that position.

Utley, 36, is batting only .205 with the Dodgers.

“You never know how those things have to play out,” Hoyer said.

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Chicago Tribune For Bears, White Sox, copying Cubs easier said than done By David Haugh

By the time Monday arrives, the Bears and White Sox could have more in common than just Cub envy.

The two Chicago sports teams furthest from the playoffs also could start preparing for their next meaningful game in 2016.

A loss to the Raiders would drop the Bears to 0-4 and, with consecutive road games looming before their open date, make it difficult to envision a victory in October. Any illusion coach John Fox still has about making the Bears competitive in his first year needs to start taking realistic shape Sunday at Soldier Field. If not, the Bears' planning for 2016 can take precedent over game-planning for any remaining opponents, if it hasn't already. Just in case Raiders quarterback Derek Carr ruins your weekend, remember the NFL draft begins April 28.

As for the Sox, their season mercifully will end after Game No. 162 against the Tigers amid all the broken promises and squandered potential. The moves general manager Rick Hahn made last winter that many of us hailed as shrewd or smart simply turned the Sox into one of the most disappointing teams in baseball, raising expectations never met as the franchise unacceptably missed the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.

Now what?

It sounds so easy to say copy the Cubs and completely start over, but it's harder than anybody realizes to follow through with such a bold plan. Cubs President Theo Epstein didn't just catch lightning in a bottle this season; he illuminated a franchise dimmed by a losing tradition with bright ideas about how to draft and develop prospects in an environment conducive to sustained success. Epstein systematically turned the 2015 Cubs into the 2009 Blackhawks, a team clearly on the verge of something special and potentially historic. He gave Sox and Bears fans, their noses perpetually pressed to the postseason glass, good reason to wonder why they can't do what the Cubs did — however impractical that sounds.

What Epstein did in orchestrating three seasons of losing after taking over in October 2011 represents the exception and not the rule in a major sports market, unprecedented in baseball and largely unrealistic for the Sox. The man immortalized in Boston got away with transparently announcing the tough times ahead because the two Red Sox World Series rings Epstein brought to town bought him the benefit of the doubt Hahn simply doesn't enjoy.

Hahn continues to navigate the Sox through that murky territory between rebuilding and reloading. A young core of quality starting pitchers led by again might persuade Hahn to avoid a total teardown and keep manager and the current philosophy intact — a tack likely to infuriate Sox fans. Consequently, the Sox reside uncomfortably in baseball limbo, stuck in a nebulous area that guarantees them little but angst.

In the NFL, a Cubs-like approach for, say, the Bears would be incompatible because of how flipping veterans for young players would affect the salary cap, which isn't a worry for baseball executives. But neither the Bears nor the Sox find themselves in position to read from the Cubbie blueprint until they start hitting on first-round draft picks the way the Cubs have in recent years. As much as any factor contributing to a surprising summer — Joe Maddon, Jake Arrieta, — drafting the right player drove the Cubs into the playoffs.

Consider that from 2011-14, the Cubs’ first-round draft picks were, in order, infielder Javier Baez, outfielder , Kris Bryant and catcher . Only Almora hasn’t been part of this magical season. Throw in shortstop , whom the A’s selected five spots after Almora at No. 11 and traded to the Cubs in the Jeff Samardzija deal, and you see how rare Epstein’s collection of high draft picks is.

The Cubs have fortuitously avoided the bust factor, something the Bears know well. Their first-round draft picks in the same four-year period were offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, linebacker Shea McClellin, offensive lineman Kyle Long and cornerback Kyle Fuller. To change the direction at Halas Hall, the Bears need 2015 first-rounder wide receiver Kevin White and whomever they draft first in April to have the type of impact Bryant and Schwarber did on the Cubs.

For a more direct comparison, look at the Sox's top first-round selection in the same four-year span: outfielder Keenyn Walker, outfielder Courtney Hawkins, shortstop and pitcher Carlos Rodon. Besides Rodon, a future ace, the major-league clock has yet to start on the Sox prospects. And the rookies that emerged most this season on the South Side — Trayce Thompson and Tyler Saladino — were drafted in 2009 and 2010, respectively. You have to wonder if either player would have spent one day in the majors this season if he was in a Cubs organization loaded with young talent.

That's not criticizing the Sox as much as complimenting the Cubs for elevating their standards to a level the non- playoff teams in town don't look close to meeting.

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Chicago Tribune Thursday's recap: Cubs 5, Reds 3 By Mark Gonzales

Austin Jackson continued his surge with a three-run homer with one out in the third inning and the Cubs held on for a 5-3 victory over the Reds at Great American Ballpark that completed a three-game sweep and extended their winning streak to five. At the plate

Jackson has eight RBIs in his last two games. Anthony Rizzo poked an opposite-field RBI double in the fifth.

On the mound

Jason Hammel, in his final start of the regular season, scattered five hits over five innings. Hammel weaved in and out of trouble in three innings, but he came through on consecutive strikeouts to Brandon Phillips and in the first and whiffed with a runner at second in the third.

In the field

Third baseman Javier Baez made a diving backhanded stop to retire Brennan Boesch for the first out of the ninth.

Key number

75 — Pedro Strop's appearances this season.

The quote

"When you're in the role I'm in, when you get in there, you want to do whatever you can to contribute to a win. I've been getting some good pitches to hit, and I'm doing my best when I get them." — Jackson

Up next

At Brewers, 7:10 p.m. Friday, CSN.

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Chicago Sun-Times Those Rays and these Cubs`2 different worlds' for seasoned Maddon By Gordon Wittenmyer

CINCINNATI – Jason Hammel said Joe Maddon is the same manager now in Chicago as he was when Hammel debuted with Tampa Bay during Maddon’s debut season as a manager.

But it’s doubtful that Joe Maddon in 2006 could have pulled off in 2015 what this Joe Maddon has with these fast- rising young Cubs – whose 94th victory Thursday in Cincinnati gave them a major-league-best 21-game improvement over last season with three to play.

“It was so different,” Maddon said Thursday, when the Cubs beat the Reds 5-3 for a series sweep and a fifth straight victory overall. “The very first day with the Devil Rays and the very first day with the Cubs – two different worlds entirely.

“I didn’t have the same credibility in the sense that first two years there.”

As the Cubs prepare for an Oct. 7 wild-card playoff date with the Pirates, they do it with as many as 18 players in the mix for a postseason roster for the first time in their careers, including seven rookies.

They also do it with six players who have World Series experience, including three from Boston’s 2013 champion.

And they do it with a manager who surprised veteran starters Hammel and Jon Lester this year with early hooks from starts, who benched a three-time All-Star shortstop in August, demoted his closer after a first-batter walk in June, turned his veteran left fielder into a platoon second baseman, played his rookie third baseman in all three outfield spots and all but eliminated batting practice in September.

A manager who never was drafted, never played in the majors and spent nearly 30 years after a brief minor-league career earning his big break with Tampa Bay.

“That’s where the experience comes in, especially with as young of a team as we have,” said Hammel, whose scoreless five innings Thursday was a strong finish to a roller-coaster 10-7 season (3.74 ERA) – and may have assured a Division Series start in St. Louis if the Cubs beat the Pirates Wednesday.

Hammel understands as well as anyone on the team the difference in authority and resonance that Maddon’s voice brings to Chicago after his heralded, playoff-heavy tenure in Tampa, having butted heads with Maddon over early hooks following his July 8 leg injury. The pitcher also seemed to always stop short of challenging Maddon’s authority or intentions.

“At some point the character comes out in the team,” Hammel said,”where you second-guess, or you don’t second-guess and check your ego, and then you’re like, `What’s the ultimate goal here? It’s to win.’ ”

The fact the Cubs hired this 61-year-old version of Maddon – the one whose often unorthodox methods had a successful nine-year trial run with the Rays — almost certainly eliminated the kinds of clubhouse skepticism and grumbling that might have otherwise slowed this year’s rapid ascent.

“There was a lot of tough conversations that first year [in Tampa] with guys that really weren’t very good major league players that thought they were,” Maddon said. “Wow. That was like some really delusional stuff you had to deal with, behind closed doors.”

It got better over time with communication, turnover and some success, he said.

“I can’t disagree that I think it’s somewhat easier to get my point across now,” he said. “I’m sure they were questioning me a lot more behind my back then than maybe they do now.”

Even with the occasional veteran eye roll over pajama-themed charters or magic shows, this mix of ages and backgrounds in the clubhouse has seemed to uniquely buy in as a whole to the play-in-the-moment, reach-for-the- grail, expect-the-unexpected-from-the-manager ethos brought by Maddon.

The sudden-impact rookie talent and October-veteran influence of guys like Lester and haven’t hurt, either.

“I just know that he’s more confident in [his methods] than he was probably in ’08 and ’09, just because the credibility might not have been there because he’d never really had the manager’s role,” Hammel said.

“Still, at some points you don’t get it, when you’re coming out of games early,” Hammel said. “But we can question and be disappointed as much as we want. It’s all about the ‘W,’ and we’ve done a lot of that this year, so you really can’t question it.”

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Chicago Sun-Times July Cubs target Papelbon proves 'house of cards' risk in deadline deals By Gordon Wittenmyer

CINCINNATI – When Jonathan Papelbon clamped his hand around Nationals teammate Bryce Harper’s throat on Sunday, the choke was on Papelbon and the Nats’ front office.

But among those who had no trouble breathing – especially when it came to sighs of relief – were a few baseball executives watching from more than 500 miles away, in the middle of baseball’s happiest construction zone.

“I’ve known Jonathan for a long time. I certainly won’t disparage him,” said Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer, talking Thursday about the powder keg the Cubs may have avoided when they failed to make a trade-deadline deal for Papelbon work within their payroll limits.

Whether the closer would have clashed with any would-be Cubs teammates the way he did with Harper, Sunday’s dugout incident in Washington at least provides a flashing-neon reminder of how fragile the balance between chemistry and talent can be when trading for playoff-run help in July and August.

“He had some pretty unbelievable seasons in Boston,” Hoyer said of the All-Star closer for the Red Sox’ 2007 World Series champion, “but it does say a lot about that. I think that’s one of the things you really wrestle with a lot at the trade deadline. You always want to improve your team; you always want to add depth to your team.

“But it’s a house of cards all the time. You don’t know which move is going to topple things or which move is really going to bolster things.”

The Nationals, a preseason World Series favorite, who already had a teetering clubhouse mix and manager, are 28- 33 since acquiring Papelbon from Philadelphia on July 28.

The Cubs – who got more after settling for less during the trading season – are 42-19 over that same stretch.

Mostly out of necessity and a resource-gap, none of the Cubs’ summer acquisitions were anything close to as headline-worthy as the Papelbon trade – or those involving , Johnny Cueto, Troy Tulowitzki, Chase Utley, , Yoenis Cespedes or even Aramis Ramirez and Mat Latos

Yet when the Cubs were done sweeping the Reds in Cincinnati with a 5-3 victory on Thursday, August acquisition Austin Jackson had eight RBIs in the last two days – three on a homer Thursday – and three relievers acquired in July and August bridged the game to the late innings.

Among them: left-hander Clayton Richard, who was acquired from Pittsburgh’s AAA team for $1 in July, and August minor-league free agent Trevor Cahill – both of whom are expected to be on the playoff roster.

“Sometimes it’s not just about this big name,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s how does he fit? How does he fit in with what we’re doing here?

“They’ve all contributed. They’re all part of it.”

According to multiple sources, financial limitations at the deadline frustrated some of the efforts the front office made, especially in the case of Papelbon, who went to the Nationals for essentially salary relief (the Nats taking on $11 million in contract commitment while giving up one low-level minor-leaguer).

Unwilling to move some of their more prized young players in other potential deals, the Cubs settled for volume and depth over more certain impact players.

With remarkable good fortune and results.

“In our situation this year, what we were really able to do at the deadline and in August is add depth,” Hoyer said. “To a man, the guys that we’ve added have really brought something to the clubhouse and brought something to our team.”

They’re 39-18 since the July 31 non-waiver deadline – 20-9 since the Aug. 31 deadline for acquiring playoff-eligible players.

In the process they’ve become the first third-place team in major-league history to win 94 games – with three to play.

“You don’t want to come in and try to act like this guy that knows it all and been doing it for awhile,” said Jackson, a six-year veteran with 35 postseason games on his resume. “When you come in here, these guys are great. They’re a great bunch of loose guys. They keep it fun.”

Even the Cubs’ failure to get Chase Utley from the Phillies in August to help at second base – with Utley leveraging his no-trade rights into a deal to the Dodgers – has become an accidental boon.

While Utley has been a non-factor in Los Angeles, Starlin Castro was the major league’s leading hitter (.426) in September, getting the bulk of time at second base.

“You never know how those things are going to play out,” Hoyer said. “Maybe it affects Starlin. Maybe it affects how much Javy [Baez] has been able to come up and contribute. Maybe it impacts [Tommy] La Stella, who has been a really exciting player to watch over the last month or so.

“This is the hard part,” Hoyer added. “You have to make decisions at a time not knowing what ripples in that pond are going to happen based on that move.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs go where no third-place team has ever gone before: 94 wins By Rob Ogden

With a 5-3 win over the on Thursday, the Cubs made a bit of history.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Chicago became the first third-place team to reach 94 wins in a season since the divisional era began.

The Cubs were previously tied with the 1978 Brewers and 2002 Mariners as third-place teams to reach 93 wins.

Without the benefit of a second wild card, neither of those teams made the playoffs.

Chicago’s third-place standing is a testament to the strength of the NL Central, which is home to the three best records in baseball.

St. Louis clinched the division with its 100th win of the season on Wednesday night against the Pirates. At 96 wins, Pittsburgh is two games ahead of the Cubs in the wild card standings.

Despite owning the third-best record in baseball, the Cubs are considered somewhat of a long-shot to win the World Series because, as a wild-card team, they’re forced to face Pittsburgh in a one-game playoff.

The Cubs and Pirates both currently hold +1200 odds to win it all, according to Sportsbook.com.

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Chicago Sun-Times Kris Bryant had more hits in September than any Cubs rookie since 1985 By Rob Ogden

Since batting .168 in July, Cubs rookie Kris Bryant has found his swing and finished September with 36 hits.

That’s the most hits by a Cubs rookie in a single month since had 37 in 1985.

Dunston, a two-time all star who batted .260 his rookie season, went on to play 18 MLB seasons before retiring in 2002.

Bryant’s average is up to .279 after going 36-for-107 with 19 RBI during September.

The third baseman is the favorite to claim NL Rookie of the Year honors.

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Daily Herald North: Baseball magic not easy to duplicate By Mike North

I can't help but talk Cubs baseball as we get ready for the one-game playoff game against the .

I feel good about playing a wild-card game against the Pirates, a playoff tested team that would be more difficult to beat in a best-of-seven series than the battle-weary and injured St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cubs are a loose bunch and manager Joe Maddon has been the tonic, but animals, magicians and balloons won't matter in the one-game playoff.

Ace pitcher Jake Arrieta hopefully will start the game for the Cubs, and if he pitches like he's capable the Cubs should move on.

The quiet excitement with this team and the fan base right now continues to surprise me a bit, but I like the attitude. If the Cubs manage to get past this game, then the frenzy will probably kick in and I just hope their collars don't start to get tight.

This young team doesn't realize how difficult it is to get back to this point. How many times have the fans thought there was a dynasty in the making? In 2003 with the home-field advantage the Cubs, led by Dusty Baker and pitchers Kerry Woods and , took on the Florida Marlins for the National League Championship. Even though the Cubs were up 3-1, they ended up losing the seven-game series. Still with two ace pitchers, I think most fans believed the Cubs would return to win a World Series, but of course that didn't happen.

In 1998, the Cubs faced a tiebreaker against the San Francisco Giants and won that game, but eventually were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division series. The 1984 Cubs managed by Jim Frey looked unbeatable after Cy Young winner won the National League Championship opener 13-0 against the . But the five-game series was lost to slugger Tony Gwynn and NLCS Most Valuable Player .

I certainly can't skip over the glorified 1969 team that was in first place until mid-September only to lose 17- of its next 25 games to finish the season eight games back of the . At the time, fans expected clear skies all the way to the World Series led by the lovable , , Ron Santo and Fergie Jenkins, yet that team never even tasted playoff champagne once.

My point: repeating a magical year is much harder than it seems, because something always seems to get in the way.

Maddon is a difference-maker and though I heavily criticized Theo Epstein in the past for his 66-96 season in 2013, several of his subsequent moves have proved successful.

This team now looks poised for big things, but we've heard that before and the Pirates and Cards aren't going anywhere. That said, I'll still take my chances with this Cubs team for the next five years.

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Daily Herald Spiegel: Championship or not, Cubs season ruled By Matt Spiegel

I want to collect them.

A surprisingly great team in an unexpectedly successful season delivered hundreds of memorable moments. Our urge to experience them together led us to ballparks, televisions, radios, broadcast apps, Twitter, game recaps, newspapers, and talk shows.

And I don't want to forget them.

This Cubs season could continue through to early November. Or it could all be over by 11 p.m. on Oct. 7

But these seven months will not, and cannot, be taken away. We all know that championships are the goal. But baseball is a companion sport like no other, and we were escorted from March to October in style.

A mix of veterans and rookies, the grizzled and the gawking, has won 94 games and counting. Along the way, nearly every player has provided an enduring moment.

Jorge Soler hit two homers into empty bleachers on April 13, the second of which tied the game and led to his very sheepish curtain call.

Matt Szcur had a walk-off moment on May 15 when the Pirates' Gregory Polanco fell down on a routine pop-up.

Kyle Hendricks threw a 5-hit shutout on May 21 in San Diego.

David Ross pitched a little, helped calm Jon Lester a lot, but also finished off a 1-run win in Washington on June 4 with an amazing pick-off, and a memorable scream.

Chris Denorfia had a walk-off home run in the last home game of the year. But we'll also remember him getting the Superman carry after a game-ending sac fly against the Dodgers on June 23.

It was an eventual loss, but Miguel Montero's bases-clearing double in the sixth inning on July 8 was as loud as the ballpark could get.

Kyle Schwarber owned much of late July, and what will stick is his night in Cincinnati on July 21 with family in the stands. One home run tied it in the ninth, the other won it in the 13th.

There was the Taylor Teagarden game on July 22, when the seldom-used catcher had a game-winning RBI against .

Kris Bryant's first of 2 walk-off home runs against Colorado on July 28 is made into a team commercial, replete with a theoretically hefty soprano's aria.

Anthony Rizzo had big hits all year, but this is what lasts: he jumps on to the tarp, steps on the wall, and makes a catch in Wrigley's first row on Aug. 12.

An emotionally charged series against the White Sox was highlighted by Pedro Strop's Aug. 14 fist-pumps to end the eighth inning. I will probably most remember him running alongside Bryant's walk-off homer on Aug. 24 that got them both on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Jake Arrieta's historically brilliant season was highlighted by a national TV no-hitter at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 30. That was the night some think he secured the Cy Young Award.

Lester saved his best for September, most notably a dominant complete game shutout in Pittsburgh on Sept. 15 to stop a losing streak.

Starlin Castro won three games with clutch hits early, but the best moment came long after his benching. A 2 homer, 6 RBI game on Sept. 18 brought him a well-deserved curtain call.

Addison Russell's defense was a huge part of the climb to excellence, best exemplified by his game-ending dive in that same game.

Earlier this week, I wondered aloud when Austin Jackson might have his time. Then came the sweep in Cincy, and Jackson's 8th RBI in two days.

So who's going to own the night on Oct. 7? What if it's not a Cub?

You'll always have these moments.

Didn't we have some fun?

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Daily Herald Rozner: Maddon's power play sent Cubs skyrocketing By Barry Rozner

Joe Maddon raised a lot of eyebrows when he pulled Jason Hammel in the fifth inning of a game against the Giants on Aug. 6.

This was, after all, a veteran pitcher he was yanking with his starter on the verge of picking up a win. This was a guy Maddon knew from his time in Tampa. And it was a game in early August.

But Maddon wanted this particular game. The Cubs had walked out to an early 5-0 lead in the first game of what would be a crucial series between two teams fighting for a wild-card berth, and San Francisco entered the night with a half-game lead.

"I felt like I'd earned the right to kind of get out of that situation," Hammel said after the game. "It is what it is. He leveled with me. We're on the same page.

"I understand the magnitude of the situation and I don't want to make a big deal of it, but as a competitor I want to be out there and clean up my own mess."

Hammel handled it well, considering the circumstances, and considering what a lot of veteran starters might have done in that situation.

There are probably two dozen big league managers who would have been shown up by their pitchers on the mound that night, or at the very least after the game with postgame comments.

Joe Maddon is not one of those managers.

On his side is his credibility, but as much as anything it's that he just began a five-year contract worth $25 million.

And that's the big difference.

Real power is having it and yet not having to use it, and Maddon doesn't have to throw his weight around and stare down a player on the mound or in the clubhouse.

Where do you think management would side if Maddon told those above him to get Hammel out of the clubhouse?

See, that's where the power is. In 90 percent of these situations, Maddon would have had to deal not just with that pitcher, but also with what that veteran pitcher would say to other pitchers and players in the dugout and in the clubhouse.

This isn't to suggest Hammel is one of those guys. Not at all. But this goes on every day in locker rooms around baseball. It's a distraction and an aggravation for those managers who don't have the power.

Maddon, on the other hand, doesn't have to worry about it. So he managed that game -- with two months left in the season -- as if it were the last week of September, never fearing the consequences.

"I didn't want to let them back into the game right there," Maddon said of yanking Hammel early. "I thought it was really important.

"It's been my experience that when you get to the playoffs, there's some really great work done in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings by relievers who don't get any credit for it."

You can treat early-August games like playoff games when you have the hammer, and Maddon did precisely that.

"You get off to such a quick lead," Maddon said. "To relinquish that and lose that game would've been a very difficult loss. We did not want to let it slip away tonight."

The Cubs won the game 5-4, moved ahead of the Giants, swept the four-game series, went on a nine-game win streak and never looked back.

Maddon decided the season was on the line in that inning that day. He sensed a potential turning point -- and he was right.

"That was really the moment I think that these guys understood how good they were and that we could really make the playoffs this year," Maddon said last weekend after the Cubs clinched a postseason berth. "We kind of stepped on the gas there and never let up after that."

It began on a night when so many managers would not have had the capital to spend on a single game, when so many managers would not have risked losing veteran pitchers with such a bold move.

But he wanted that game and had no fears of taking a stand, regardless of what his pitcher -- or catcher -- thought.

"I think Jason was still doing a good job," said catcher Kyle Schwarber. "I felt they were putting some good swings on some balls. The home run they hit wasn't a bad pitch. It was a good piece of hitting."

But Hammel quickly defused any hint of a problem.

"I would've liked to have worked through it," Hammel said. "I was able to talk to Joe and we're on the same page. Bottom line is we won the ballgame."

And won the series and cruised from there. It was a huge moment in what has become a remarkable season, but it's not a move a manager without control dares to make with a veteran pitcher and a young clubhouse not sure yet what to make of a big league confrontation.

Maddon can do it because he has full backing of the front office and the players know it.

He has that authority and doesn't even have to play the card.

That's real power.

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Cubs.com WC at Wrigley? Jackson's HR helps Cubs gain on Bucs By Carrie Muskat and Mark Sheldon

CINCINNATI -- The Cubs continued their bid to host the National League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser by posting a soggy 5-3 win Thursday afternoon over the Reds, who lost their 12th in a row.

Austin Jackson smacked a three-run home run and Anthony Rizzo added an RBI double to back Jason Hammel, who scattered five hits over five innings for the win in his final regular-season start. Cubs manager Joe Maddon planned on shortening Hammel's outing, but he didn't tell the right-hander until after the fifth.

"I was surprised," Hammel said. "I think the only way I wouldn't make a stink about it was that I felt so good." With the Pirates idle Thursday, the Cubs picked up a half game in the race for home-field advantage in the Oct. 7 game, and they now are two games back. The Pirates' magic number to play the game at PNC Park is two. The Cubs hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Pirates, but any combination of Pirates wins or Cubs losses adding up to two would guarantee the Pirates finish a game ahead of the Cubs and earn the right to host the NL Wild Card Game. If they finish with identical W-L records, the Cubs would host the game by virtue of their going 11-8 against the Pirates this season.

"We're good and we know it," Hammel said. "It was nice to see it come together so quickly. It was something I saw the last couple weeks I was here last year before I got traded. Obviously, that's one of the reasons I came back was because I thought we had a good chance to win."

John Lamb took the loss, which extended the Reds' skid to 12, the longest streak since they dropped a dozen, Sept. 10-22, 1993. Lamb allowed five earned runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and had three walks, including two just before Jackson's homer.

"A couple of walks leads to a home run, it hurts," Lamb said. "It's just the way the game goes. I don't know how or why things happen the way they happen. But I know when I am falling behind, it's not going to help me put myself or the team in the position to up the probability of success."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Action Jackson: Making his 11th start since joining the Cubs, Jackson continued his hot streak from Wednesday, when he drove in a career-high five runs. The outfielder, acquired Aug. 31 from the Mariners, smacked a three-run homer in the third and also made a nice running catch in right to rob Brandon Phillips of a potential hit and end the third.

"When you're in the role that I'm in, when you get in there, you just want to try to do whatever you can to contribute to a win," Jackson said. "I've been getting some good pitches to hit and doing my best not to miss them when I get them."

The streak continues: One day after being rested because of an upper back and shoulder injury, Joey Votto kept his on-base streak alive with an RBI single through the middle off of Clayton Richard in the seventh that made it a 5-2 game. Votto now has reached base safely in 47 consecutive games, one shy of 's 1978 single-season Reds record. The last player in the Majors to have a streak this long was Kevin Millar, who reached in 52 straight games in 2007. Phillips followed with an RBI single that bounced off of third baseman Javier Baez to make it a two-run game. Representing the tying run, Jay Bruce struck out to end the inning.

"It doesn't look like he's any worse off after that injury," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Votto.

Start me up: Hammel struck out five and did not walk a batter. Cubs starting pitchers have given up one earned run over 33 1/3 innings in their five-game winning streak. Whether Hammel will be considered to start in the postseason will depend on whether the Cubs advance past the Wild Card game, and who Maddon picks between Hammel, Kyle Hendricks and Dan Haren.

"Hammel did a great job today," catcher Kyle Schwarber said. "He had his command and mixed in an occasional and changeup. Everything was good there. It was a quality team win right there."

Down and out: Phillips hit a leadoff double in the sixth and stole third base with no outs. Bruce hit a popup to short left field that was caught by Baez. In a moment that seemed to sum up the day, Phillips feigned tagging up and danced up and down the line, but fell down on the wet grass. That was all the Cubs needed to get him into a rundown before Phillips was out in a double play that kept Cincinnati down 5-0 at the time.

"I think [Phillips] was trying to draw a throw," Price said. "There was no one at third base, so he had kind of the freedom to work his way down the line and see if he could encourage one extra throw. The problem with that in a 5-0 game is you can't lose your footing, which he did."

QUOTABLE

"I knew it was coming. I just didn't know when. I'm going to wear it with pride." -- Schwarber, after being squeezed into a blue and white gingham checked dress with an apron and red hair bow, part of the Cubs' rookie hazing. WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: Jake Arrieta will try for his 22nd win on Friday when the Cubs open their final regular-season series in Milwaukee against the Brewers. The right-hander is the first Cubs pitcher with at least 21 wins since Fergie Jenkins went 24-13 in 1971. Arrieta is riding a streak of 19 straight quality starts. He was 4-0 with a 0.45 ERA in September. First pitch from Miller Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT.

Reds: The final series of 2015 begins at 7:05 p.m. ET Friday when the Reds play the first of three games at Pittsburgh. Keyvius Sampson, who is 0-5 over his last eight starts, will try to end his year on a high note against the Pirates' .

Watch the game live and for free on MLB.TV.

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Cubs.com Facing Crew, Arrieta leads Cubs in WC home-field push By Mark Sheldon

Heading in different directions when the weekend is done, the Cubs and Brewers will meet Friday at Miller Park for the start of the final three-game series of the season. Chicago has a date with the Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser, while fourth-place Milwaukee will disperse for its offseason.

With their win on Thursday, the Cubs are two games behind the Pirates for home-field advantage in the one-game playoff. The Bucs open a three-game set at home against the Reds.

Friday's game in Milwaukee will provide Cubs 21-game winner Jake Arrieta with a final tuneup before he faces Pittsburgh on Wednesday. In his previous start on Sunday at Pittsburgh, he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning. He allowed one hit with nine strikeouts in seven innings for the 4-0 victory.

Arrieta is 10-0 with a 0.44 ERA since Aug. 1 and 15-1 with a 0.89 ERA in his 19 starts since June 21.

Ariel Pena will pitch for the Brewers, and he will be facing the Cubs for the first time. In his fifth big league game (fourth start) on Friday, Pena worked a five-inning no-decision vs. the Cardinals with three earned runs, six hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

Things to know about this game:

• The Cubs have the season series advantage, 11-5, after they took two of three in the last series between the two clubs at Wrigley Sept. 21-23.

• With sitting out the rest of the season, there aren't many Brewers with a decent track record vs. Arrieta. Jonathan Lucroy hasn't fared well in his limited encounters and is 3-for-15 (.200) with one double.

• Arrieta is 3-3 with a 2.63 ERA in eight career starts vs. the Brewers, including 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts this season. He threw a three-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts to beat the Brewers, 4-0, on Sept. 22.

The game is available to stream free out of market on MLB.TV. Blackout restrictions apply.

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Cubs.com Jackson heating up at just the right time By Carrie Muskat

CINCINNATI -- You never know who can be a hero in the postseason. For the Cubs the last two days, Austin Jackson has provided the runs needed, including hitting a three-run homer on Thursday in a 5-3 victory over the Reds.

Jackson had two RBIs in 24 games with Chicago prior to Wednesday; he's driven in eight in the last two games, including a career-high five runs on Wednesday, and then three more Thursday.

"It's good to get some [at-bats]," Jackson said. "When you're in the role that I'm in, when you get in there, you just want to try to do whatever you can to contribute to a win. I've been getting some good pitches to hit and doing my best not to miss them when I get them."

Jackson is one of a handful of acquisitions the Cubs made this season that were under the radar. The bullpen was bolstered with the additions of Clayton Richard, Trevor Cahill and Fernando Rodney. Jackson was needed because right fielder Jorge Soler was injured. Tommy La Stella had battled injuries all season, and now gives manager Joe Maddon a left-handed-hitting infielder.

"Sometimes it's not just about this big name, but how does he fit, how does he fit into what we're doing here?" Maddon said. "What exactly do you need? The bullpen has been augmented, and A.J. has done a great job."

Even though Jackson, Richard, Cahill and the others haven't been with the Cubs since Opening Day, they feel they've contributed to the successful season. Chicago now is two games behind idle Pittsburgh in the National League Wild Card standings. It's been an easy transition for Jackson,

"You can tell this is a loose group of guys, and they like to keep it fun and they work hard and go out and play hard," said Jackson, 28, who was batting .272 with the Mariners before he was acquired Aug. 31. "That's something I've always been a part of and enjoy being a part of now."

Think about the deals the Cubs were linked to but didn't make this year. They were supposedly close to getting reliever Jonathan Papelbon, who is now home following his incident with Bryce Harper, and also infielder Chase Utley. If Utley were playing, would Starlin Castro have had a chance to get his season back on track and end up leading the NL in batting in September?

"Our best attribute our last 45 games was depth," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said. "We're running out a really deep team, and Joe can mix and match the lineups well. To a man, the guys we've added have brought something to the clubhouse and brought something to the team."

What Jackson also provides is experience. He reached the World Series in 2012 with the Tigers, and has played in the postseason in '11, '12 and '13.

"I'll do whatever I can do to prepare them for a situation," Jackson said. "It's a different animal in the playoffs."

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Cubs.com Smart trade proves to be win-win for Cubs, Astros By Phil Rogers

There were bigger trades last winter, maybe even dozens of them. There were trades with much bigger implications, like the one that sent American League MVP candidate to the Blue Jays.

But was there a better trade than the one that the Astros and Cubs executed on Jan. 19?

The deal sent center fielder to Chicago for infielder Luis Valbuena and right-hander Dan Straily. While Straily did make a few starts for the Astros this season, and could still contribute in the future, let's forget for the moment he was in the deal. Just consider what Fowler has meant to the Cubs and what Valbuena has meant to the Astros.

Both had become surplus pieces for their old teams and were perfect fits for the teams that landed them. This is exactly what general managers talk about when they say they hope a trade helps both teams, even though few actually do.

This one's worth examining as the Cubs prepare to play the Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser and the Astros work frantically to validate their remarkable season by landing a spot in the AL Wild Card Game.

Maybe the Cubs are still a playoff team without Fowler (there was a huge gap between them and the other Wild Card contenders), but it's worth noting how well he's done as the leadoff man and center fielder. His. 2.1 WAR is fourth among the team's position players, behind only MVP candidate Anthony Rizzo, likely Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant and rookie shortstop Addison Russell.

There's probably no way that the Astros are still fighting for a Wild Card spot without the upgrade they made when Valbuena took over at third base, and he's remained valuable since moving over to first base in an infield that has Jed Lowrie at third and at shortstop. His. 1.8 WAR is sixth among the team's position players, behind Jose Altuve, Correa, , Colby Rasmus and .

A year ago, with as the manager, the Cubs tried seven center fielders, with Arismendy Alcantara getting the most starts there. Likewise, they used seven leadoff hitters, with Emilio Bonifacio getting the most at- bats.

This worked about as well as you'd think. The leadoff spot was 13th in the NL with a .303 on-base percentage and 14th with 85 runs scored; the center fielders managed a combined .610 OPS, which ranked 14th. So Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and their staff had no problem identifying these two areas of need.

Where they hit the jackpot was finding one man who could fill both needs.

Fowler, who was thrilled to join the Cubs after playing against Triple-A Iowa while on a rehab assignment last year, has 17 home runs, a .343 on-base percentage and ranks third in the NL with 102 runs scored. He's been solid defensively and avoided injuries, playing a career-high 154 games.

Cubs hitting coach , who spent two years with the Astros before joining the Cubs last winter, encouraged Epstein and Hoyer to acquire Fowler, saying his disciplined approach "can cause pitchers to get out of their comfort zone.'' The Cubs have seen that since the All-Star break, with Fowler's .384 on-base percentage fueling an offense that is average 4.8 runs per game, second only to the Mets in the NL.

Valbuena, whom the Cubs claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays in the first week of the 2012 season, thrived in the three painful seasons of Epstein's rebuilding program. He was a consummate professional with a good approach at the plate, and it always seemed surprising he didn't hit for a higher average (.227 career). He was as productive as any long-term Cubs hitter except Rizzo.

With Bryant, Russell and Javier Baez in the wings, Valbuena became expendable. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow was willing to move Fowler because he wanted to open center field for the 24-year-old Marisnick, whom he had acquired for right-hander .

As a bonus for the Astros, the difference in salary between Fowler ($9.5 million) and Valbuena ($4.2 million) would essentially cover one of the two relievers he'd signed, Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek.

Along with Lowrie, Valbuena helped set a different tone for the young Houston lineup during an extremely productive Spring Training. You could see good things starting to happen if you watched the Astros play in Florida, and Valbuena has done his part to get them to the doorstep of postseason play.

Valbuena, who delivered 53 extra-base hits for the Cubs last year, is hitting only .219 but has set career highs with 24 homers and 54 RBIs. Along with Rasmus, rookie Preston Tucker and the switch-hitting Marwin Gonzalez and Lowrie, the left-handed-hitting Valbuena balances the Astros' lineup against right-handers. He's been a great fit for the Astros, just like Fowler with the Cubs.

Credit Luhnow and Epstein for putting together a trade that could serve as a template for teams trying to improve this winter.

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Cubs.com Hoyer, Cubs considering WC roster options By Carrie Muskat

CINCINNATI -- The Cubs will have discussions Sunday and Monday about finalizing the postseason roster for next Wednesday's National League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser, and they are trying hard not to overthink the process.

"Your decisions are fairly defined," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Thursday. "There's only so many things you can do with the roster. Because it's one game, you can spend a lot of time thinking through it. There's a tendency to overthink it and think about every permutation. When you get too far in the weeds, you try to remember that."

Hoyer said he recalled adding Curt Leskanic to the Red Sox's roster in 2004, even though the reliever had not been used in high-leverage situations. Yet, there was Leskanic on the mound in an extra-inning game with the score tied, and the Red Sox facing elimination if they lost.

"That's the nature of these rosters -- you always have to assume anyone you put on the roster will be put in a huge spot," Hoyer said. "It feels the game always finds that person."

The Cubs have had preliminary discussions regarding the roster, but the final configuration does not have to be submitted until the day of the game.

"We're just doing one thing at a time, man," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Thursday. "That's how I'm looking at it."

Jake Arrieta will start the Wild Card game against the Pirates, and the Cubs will likely have one more on the roster. Then, it will come down to how many position players compared to how many relievers. The Cubs also know their opponents well, having played their playoff-bound Central Division foes 19 times each.

"You take every series real seriously in the postseason, and you try not to leave any stone unturned," Hoyer said. "When it's one game, it consolidates all of that decision making into nine innings."

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Cubs.com Maddon's 'team first' approach has sunk in with Cubs By Carrie Muskat

CINCINNATI -- When Theo Epstein joined the Cubs as president of baseball operations in October 2011, one of the first things he did was create a manual defining the "Cubs' Way" that outlined how they wanted to teach the game in the organization. This year, manager Joe Maddon's emphasis has been on elements that need to be added, such as checking one's ego at the door.

The Cubs' focus on "team first" has helped propel them to a Wild Card spot as much as the physical talent on the roster, and Maddon credited veteran players such as David Ross and Jake Arrieta for enforcing that.

"I like to believe we're flipping that [attitude], and we'll feel this for the next several years," Maddon said Thursday, "but you cannot take it for granted on an annual basis. You have to continue to nurture it, and what's the best way to do that? By having the appropriate veterans in the clubhouse, or you get guys who are ascending for the first time, and they'll carry the message and they'll become the young veterans who will eventually teach the 'Cubs' Way' -- the way we want to do things here based on this year. That's the cool part about it."

It took Maddon two years to get the Rays to the playoffs. He's guided the Cubs there in his first season at the helm, and he's quick to credit the coaching staff and players.

"In a sense, you have to subjugate your own numbers for that altruistic method of being part of a team," Maddon said. "I think a lot of guys haven't been in that position before and like what's going on now. I totally believe the veterans on this team help a lot in regards to making that play."

It took some time for Maddon to change the Rays' culture.

"That was the biggest rap publicly [with the Rays] was that some people thought I was too positive," he said. "I can live with that."

Extra bases

• September was quite the month for the Cubs. They finished 19-9, the best record in the Majors, and it's the first time they've won that many games in the month since September 2003 (19-8). Starlin Castro led the Majors with a .426 batting average, while Jake Arrieta went 4-0 with a 0.45 ERA in five starts. Arrieta's ERA is the lowest by any pitcher in September since the Twins' Johan Santana posted a 0.45 ERA in 2004.

Kris Bryant ranked third in the NL with 36 hits, the most by a Cubs rookie in September since Shawon Dunston had 37 in 1985. Bryant's 19 RBIs in September were the second most by a Cubs rookie for the month in franchise history, behind Rray Grimes, who drove in 22 in 1921.

• After Wednesday's game, "Entourage" actor Adrian Grenier and his group joined in the handshake line to celebrate the Cubs' win over the Reds. Grenier was in Cincinnati to film a movie with Bruce Willis. Grenier's entourage also got to watch the Cubs' post-win clubhouse celebration.

"They're really nice people, big baseball fans," Maddon said.

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ESPNChicago.com Loose Cubs keep rolling into final weekend By Jesse Rogers

MILWAUKEE -- After five straight wins, the Chicago Cubs find themselves in Milwaukee for the last regular-season series of the year. Reaching 97 victories is a real possibility as the Brewers, like the Cincinnati Reds before them, have turned the page on 2015. Not so for the Cubs. Their incredible season just keeps going.

The sweep of the Reds was capped off by “rookie dress-up day,” which certainly was more fun after Jason Hammel righted his own ship by throwing five shutout innings. File that for the division series if the Cubs get that far.

The sight of the favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year award, Kris Bryant, wearing an Elsa costume from the movie "Frozen" ranks right up there with Cy Young candidate Jake Arrieta wearing a onesie at his post no-hitter press conference as most memorable off-field moment of 2015. But neither of those things go down as all that surprising. Not on a Joe Maddon/Anthony Rizzo-led team. These guys know how to have fun.

It’s why general manager Jed Hoyer’s comments before Thursday’s game ring true. Hoyer was talking about trade deadline moves and team chemistry. For whatever reason, the team didn’t trade for reliever Jonathan Papelbon, who could have been a nice fit at the back end of the bullpen. The front office knows Papelbon well, as he had some huge years in Boston when Hoyer was one of his bosses. Papelbon imploded this week, choking Washington Nationals teammate Bryce Harper after hitting the Orioles' Manny Machado on purpose earlier in the week. He was suspended for each incident.

“It’s one of the things you wrestle with at the trade deadline,” Hoyer said. “It’s a house of cards all the time. You don’t know which move is going to topple things or which move is going to bolster things.”

Maybe it’s not fair to pick on Papelbon, because we don’t know how he’d react in the Cubs clubhouse. It’s a different vibe in there. Maddon is most impressed with the leadership of his club. It took some time to develop in Tampa Bay, but the first-year Cubs manager found what he was looking for right away in Chicago. Bottom line, there’s no room for anyone to go off on his own.

“The veterans on this team help a lot in regards to making it all play in that way,” Maddon said. “This is human being stuff. We have really good human beings that relate to others and keep them in line. The group within the clubhouse has done a wonderful job.”

At the deadline, the Cubs picked up Austin Jackson, Trevor Cahill and Dan Haren. They’ve fit in and performed as well. So the camaraderie is great, as is the play on the field. With every passing victory, the Cubs continue to blow by any reasonable expectations for themselves. Even the staunchest, most die-hard fan could not have seen this coming. Nearly 100 wins? C’mon.

“I think everyone would be a little surprised at that,” Hammel said Thursday. “Not to say it wasn’t in the cards. We’re good and we know it. It’s nice to see it come together so quickly.”

So what could derail them? As with any team, there are a few question marks. Can they play small ball if they need to? Will the back end of the bullpen, which has never performed on the postseason stage, hold up? And what about all the youngsters playing in the biggest games of their lives? Well, if that was going to be a problem it would have reared its ugly head by now, right? Have you seen Addison Russell or Bryant overwhelmed?

“I’d be surprised if our guys went in that direction,” Maddon said. “I think we’ve built up a nice method of operation this year that our guys have adhered to. I want us to do less preparation. Less everything. Just go play. You rely on your abilities and instincts. The trap is to overthink it. That’s the worst thing you can possibly do. Whoever we play, we’ve played them 19 times this year. They know us, we know them. If you turn your players loose and let them play, that’s your best chance at winning that particular game.”

It’s another version of Maddon’s message to play October like it’s March or April. In fact, those were his exact words back in spring training. Who knew they would ring true all these months later?

Maddon wants his guys to do what they’ve done all season come next week -- no more, no less. He’s delivered that message all season, even to the point where people might wonder if they’ll take batting practice before a playoff game. They will. But only because they’ll be off a couple of days before the game. Less is more for Maddon, and it’s worked.

The other gem of the Cubs right now is their depth. No single player is being relied on. Starlin Castro and Jackson this week are just the latest heroes, but we’ve seen each regular on the roster do damage to help the Cubs to where they are today -- 94 wins with three games to play.

“I think our best attribute these last 45 games or so has been depth,” Hoyer said.

And it might be their biggest advantage starting next week. Maddon has a choice of some dangerous hitters he can call upon off the bench no matter who’s in the starting lineup. But first things first. Arrieta is on a Cy Young Award mission, which means the Brewers could be in for a long night on Friday in his last regular-season start. And Bryant needs one more RBI to reach 100. First come the individual milestones, then come the playoffs.

The Cubs are confident but loose. Rested but not rusty. And they look good in a dress.

“I knew it was coming,” Kyle Schwarber said of dress-up day for the rookies. “I just didn’t know when.”

He could have been talking about the Cubs this season. And the answer appears to be now.

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ESPNChicago.com Jason Hammel shuts down Reds in final playoff prep By Jesse Rogers

CINCINNATI -- So has Chicago Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel shown you enough? More importantly has he shown his manager enough to start him in a playoff game if it comes to that?

Hammel had one more chance to make a lasting impression in the regular season after more than a month of struggles. He came through in fine fashion.

“It’s been a little while,” Hammel said after beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Thursday. “The execution was so much better today.”

Hammel only went five innings but that was by design as manager Joe Maddon wanted to get his bullpen some work. The Cubs righty gave up five hits but no runs -- and he didn’t walk anyone. That’s big. Hammel’s success starts and ends with his fastball command. He was locating it on Thursday better than in most of his second-half starts.

“His command was better today than the last game,” Maddon said. “He was very sharp.”

If you had been watching closely, this had been coming for a while even though Hammel had been regularly scored upon in previous outings. His walk totals over the last five times on the mound tell the story: Four, three, one, zero and zero. Those last few games show the kind of control he was having in the first half of the season, when he was near the top of the league in several categories, including WHIP (walks plus hits to innings pitched).

“It was so close just a few starts ago to getting back on track,” he said.

Is he there completely? We won’t know until his next outing, which can only come in the playoffs if the Cubs advance past the wild-card game. It means he would take the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals, most likely in St. Louis. Not an easy task.

One key to Hammel’s turnaround has been his attitude. At first, he was angry at Maddon for some early hooks, then he got down on himself. But a few weeks ago, he took on a different vibe.

“Sometimes when you get off track, it takes a while to get back on track,” Hammel said. “Sometimes you just have to trick yourself into thinking you’re doing better than you are. Get yourself in a positive frame of mind. I was able to do that.”

He needed to do something because his July (4.03 ERA) was followed by a worse August (4.88) and an even worse September (6.46). Maybe October will be his month.

“It’s kind of a tale of two halves,” Hammel said. “Post-injury I wasn’t very good.”

Hammel’s hamstring strain just before the All-Star break set him back, but history has shown he’s not as effective in the second half as he is to start the season anyway. Maddon has the wild-card game to worry about, so he’s not making any declarations about the division series. Hammel wants to believe he’s the guy.

“That’s how I’m preparing,” Hammel said.

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ESPNChicago.com September's Defensive Player of the Month: Addison Russell By Mark Simon

Looking for someone who could be a defensive difference-maker in the postseason? How about Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell?

Russell might not have hit to expectations this season, but he's been fantastic in the field, and we're recognizing that by making him our Defensive Player of the Month for September.

Russell's nine defensive runs saved ranked second in baseball, trailing only 's 10. They were one more than defensive wizard and fellow shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

It hasn't mattered where the Cubs put Russell this season, whether it be second base or shortstop. He's performed remarkably well at both. Entering Thursday he ranked fourth in the majors in defensive runs saved for the season at both second base and shortstop. He might not win a Gold Glove, but he will be a legitimate candidate for The Fielding Bible's annual award for multi-positional excellence.

What Russell has done best, regardless of where he's been put, is cover the ground in the middle of the diamond. Baseball Info Solutions' defensive charting rates him as highly above average at fielding balls hit to the right of where the second baseman would traditionally play, and highly above average at fielding balls to the left of where the shortstop would traditionally play.

The highlight-reel play for Russell this month was a game-ending diving stop and flip to get a force play on 's ground-ball, preserving a one-run win.

Cubs radio broadcaster Ron Coomer was effusive in his praise of Russell's defensive work and anticipation on that play, and the team's coaching staff concurred with that assessment.

"He's fundamentally sound," said Cubs infield coach . "He works his tail off. He's in tune with every pitch. His preparation, pitch by pitch, is as good as I've seen. His first step quickness [is good]. The quickness is a part of it, but it's the anticipation that helps that quickness."

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ESPNChicago.com Rookie dress-up latest in loose atmosphere for Cubs By Jesse Rogers

CINCINNATI -- It felt as if the entire Chicago Cubs team was wearing dresses after Thursday afternoon's 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, but in fact it was only the rookies. The Cubs have so many of them, it made the annual rookie dress-up more fun than usual as the many first-year players donned their costumes for the plane ride back to Chicago.

"I knew it was coming," Kyle Schwarber said. "I didn't know when but I'll wear it with pride."

Schwarber was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, while rookie of the year favorite Kris Bryant had on an Elsa costume. Carl Edwards, Matt Szczur, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell also wore dresses.

"It's great," Edwards joked. "I feel sexy."

Rookie dress-up is a tradition for many teams, but for the Cubs it's just one of several days this year that manager Joe Maddon has taken advantage of to keep things loose. He had a magician perform for the team before a game in New York, and instituted "pajama night" on an overnight flight home from California. Then came "zoo day" at Wrigley Field.

"It means we're in the big leagues," Edwards said.

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ESPNChicago.com Rapid Reaction: Cubs 5, Reds 3 By Jesse Rogers

CINCINNATI -- The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Thursday afternoon, winning their fifth in a row and sweeping the Reds while picking up their 94th victory of the season. Here’s a quick look at the game:

How it happened: Austin Jackson continued a hot stretch, hitting a three-run home run in the third inning to give the Cubs an early lead. They added two more runs in the fifth on an Anthony Rizzo RBI double and run-scoring single before the Reds finally scored in the seventh. That was long after Jason Hammel left the game, as he pitched five scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out five. An error by Addison Russell opened the door for three unearned runs by the Reds, who scored on a Joey Votto single, the 47th consecutive game in a row he’s reached base. Hector Rondon earned his 29th save of the season for Chicago.

What it means: Hammel has slowly been coming around, as he’s found his control again. He’s walked just one batter over his last two starts after walking seven in his previous two. That’s huge, as fastball command is where it all starts for the Cubs righty. It bodes well for him in terms of a playoff outing in the division series, if the Cubs get there, though Joe Maddon is likely to have a quick hook for him. Still, it was a needed performance as he navigated out of some jams with some big pitches.

Jackson has come alive at the plate, producing eight RBIs over the last two games and reaching base five times. Jackson also made a nice running catch in right field, providing yet another option for Maddon as the Cubs head to the wild card game next Wednesday. He’s not likely to start the game, but Maddon won’t hesitate using him both at the plate and in the field.

What’s Next: The Cubs begin their final series of the regular season in Milwaukee on Friday night as Jake Arrieta (21-6, 1.82) faces Ariel Pena (2-0, 3.91).

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ESPNChicago.com Cubs playoff roster update: A few decisions still to be made By Jesse Rogers

CINCINNATI -- Playoff questions won’t get complete answers until after Sunday’s regular season finale but let’s tackle a few as the Cubs start their final weekend of the regular season:

What will a Cubs wild card roster look like?

General manager Jed Hoyer called a wild card roster “unusual,” considering there is no need for an entire starting staff. Remember, the Cubs can reset it before the division series, so don’t expect more than two starting pitchers to be available on Wednesday.

The Cubs will take either 16 position players and nine pitchers or 15/10. In 2013 with the Rays, Joe Maddon took 16 position players -- that’s the most likely scenario for the Cubs. It means only one current position player would not make the roster as the Cubs have 17 non-pitchers in the dugout right now. The final cut could come down to Matt Szczur or Jonathan Herrera. Both have played sparingly down the stretch.

As for the pitching staff, Neil Ramirez and Fernando Rodney along with Carl Edwards and Zac Rosscup are on the bubble, as only one of the four is most likely to make it after Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Justin Grimm, Trevor Cahill, Clayton Richard, , Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon. That’s based on performance. The Cubs could always add or subtract someone based on a matchup, while Maddon would like to see more of Grimm this weekend as he’s been struggling.

“That’s the nature of these rosters,” Hoyer said Thursday before the Cubs played the Cincinnati Reds. “You always have to assume everyone put on the roster is going to be put in a huge spot.”

Why would Lester be on the roster if Arrieta is starting the game?

In case of an early game injury, the Cubs want to have a competent starter behind Arrieta. Lester would only be used in an emergency situation -- say, if Arrieta was injured in the first couple innings. Hoyer actually stopped short of saying it would be Lester on the roster backing up Arrieta, but that’s the most likely scenario.

What about a starting lineup for the game? Have the Cubs decided on one?

Far from it. Maddon and the front office have their stat guys running “simulations” with offensive-oriented lineups and then defensive ones. The biggest decisions might come in the outfield as PNC Park in Pittsburgh -- most likely where the game will be played -- has a lot of room to roam.

“The ballpark is a unique configuration,” Hoyer said. “That’s one of many factors we’re going to talk about.”

The other tough decision is at second base where Maddon has three capable players in Starlin Castro, Javier Baez and Tommy La Stella. Each bring a unique set of skills to the game.

When does all this have to be figured out?

The Cubs will meet on Monday before traveling to Pittsburgh but final rosters for the wild card game don’t have to be submitted to the league until the morning of the game on Wednesday. The starting lineup will follow.

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ESPNChicago.com How Jake Arrieta finally tapped his potential By Jerry Crasnick

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta has routinely summoned magic this summer with the flick of a wrist. As a surprise bonus, the prelude to the show is frequently as riveting as the show itself.

The anticipation mounts when Arrieta stares in for the catcher's sign, with a look of grim foreboding. As his eyes blaze beneath a cap brim flatter than the Texas plains, you half expect a tumbleweed to go rolling across the infield. On the rugged-hero stoicism scale, think Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven."

Jim Richardson, the scout who signed Arrieta out of Texas Christian University eight years ago, saw that relentless focus on display long before Arrieta grew a beard, made his first All-Star team and embraced the "late bloomer" tag at age 28. Richardson has driven past a lot of mesquite and buffalograss through the years in search of power bats and big arms, so a specific image springs to mind.

"It's kind of like those old gunfighters in those westerns," Richardson said. "There's a confidence in his eyes. He's transmitting something to the hitter, like, 'Hey, I'm not afraid of you, but you better be afraid of me.' It's always been there."

During a recent road trip, Arrieta sat in the visiting dugout at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and pondered the scouting report of the longtime talent evaluator.

Jake Arrieta leads the majors in wins (21) and is second in ERA (1.82). Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports "I like that," he said.

Richardson isn't alone in his assessment. Arrieta's wife, Brittany, recently expressed a similar sentiment about his mound countenance, although it wasn't quite as fraught with O.K. Corral imagery.

"She looked at different photos from several of my starts, and then she looked at me and said, 'You're scary out there,'" Arrieta said. "I told her, 'It's a different mindset.' The aggression out there is completely opposite how I am off the field. Something pretty much takes over in a competitive battle against the best players in the world. That's what I feel is necessary to be great, for me."

It's impossible for Arrieta to stand head-and-shoulders above the pitching pack this season when Los Angeles Dodgers twin towers Zack Greinke and are doing such wondrous things every five days. But with his monumental second-half run, he might have a forehead lead over Greinke and two earlobes on Kershaw in the National League Cy Young Award race.

The most noteworthy moment of Arrieta's season came on Aug. 30 at Dodger Stadium, when he threw the first no- hitter by a Cubs starter since Carlos Zambrano in 2008. By punching out , and Chase Utley to close it out, Arrieta became the first pitcher to conclude a no-no by striking out the side in the ninth inning since whiffed the final six hitters to seal his perfect game against the Cubs in 1965.

Shortly thereafter, Arrieta took the podium in a pair of jammies and shared a bedtime story with the media before hopping on a charter flight in conjunction with Cubs manager Joe Maddon's "onesies" trip.

When Arrieta isn't partaking in fun team rituals, he's making the Elias Sports Bureau folks scurry for historical comparisons. He recently joined Orval Overall and Ferguson Jenkins as the third Cubs pitcher since 1900 to register 20 wins and 200 strikeouts in a season, and logged 18 straight quality starts to surpass the Cubs franchise record of 17 set by Lon Warneke in 1933.

In August, Arrieta became the first pitcher to go 6-0 with a sub-0.75 ERA in a single calendar month since Jim Kaat of the 1974 achieved the feat. And during one mind-bending stretch, he joined of the 1968 St. Louis Cardinals as the second pitcher in 100 years to go 8-0 with a sub-0.50 ERA in an eight-start span.

Astonishingly, Greinke could finish as Cy Young runner-up despite a 1.68 ERA, which would be the fourth best in baseball since the start of divisional play in 1969. Only (1.53 ERA in 1985) and Greg Maddux (1.56 in 1994 and 1.63 in 1995) have done better. Kershaw, with his garden-variety 2.16 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 294 strikeouts, appears to be the laggard in the conversation.

The current state of affairs comes as no surprise to Cubs catcher David Ross, who ranked Arrieta and White Sox lefty Chris Sale as the two nastiest pitchers he faced a year ago during his time in Boston.

"I look back at this season and I think, 'This guy is single-handedly carrying us to the playoffs,'" Ross said. "He's pitching in the best division in baseball and facing teams that have been in a playoff atmosphere, and he's dominating them.

"Calling a game for him is so easy. It's like reaching into a grab bag and pulling out a pitch. It's so good, you know it's probably going to work."

Escape from Baltimore

With his breakout performance in 2015, Arrieta joins a proud tradition of hard-throwing Texas right-handers who've made hay in the big leagues. Nolan Ryan passed the torch to Roger Clemens, who gave way to , who preceded Arrieta, Corey Kluber, Homer Bailey and many others who grew up wanting to be Ryan and Clemens.

The Cincinnati Reds selected Arrieta out of Plano East High School in the 31st round of the 2004 draft, but he opted to attend Weatherford College in Texas and re-enter the draft. After Milwaukee selected him in the 26th round in 2005, Arrieta headed to TCU to play for coach Jim Schlossnagle and the Horned Frogs.

Once his body began to fill out, Arrieta's fastball spiked from 88-90 to 93-97 mph. He complemented the heat with a hard curve and an occasional slider, and threw the ball past college competition with such ease that he never needed to incorporate a changeup into the mix.

All the raw materials for success were in place. But when Arrieta had a disappointing junior year for the Horned Frogs, it raised some yellow caution flags about him as a prospect.

When then-Baltimore scouting director Joe Jordan decided to take the plunge in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, Richardson felt a tinge of excitement mixed with uncertainty. Like most players under the amateur umbrella, Arrieta was a mystery man to interested teams. Unlike most draft advisers -- who engage in lots of back- channel talk as a prelude to pre-draft arrangements -- Boras puts his clients in witness protection and gives clubs no inkling of their price points or their intentions.

When the Orioles reached out and tried to determine what it would take to sign Arrieta, "it was crickets," according to Richardson. "On draft day Joe walks back into the room, and says, we're taking Arrieta if he's still there," Richardson said. "I said, 'Joe, I haven't been able to get anybody to return a phone call on signability.' Joe just looked at me and said, 'Do you not want him?' And I said, 'Yes, I just don't know what the money is.' Looking back, I have to give Joe a lot of credit. For Jake to still be there in the fifth round, that was lucky for us."

The Orioles selected Arrieta 159th overall and paid him a well-above-slot $1.1 million bonus. Then the hype began. In 2009, ranked Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Arrieta as the franchise's Nos. 2-3-4 prospects behind catcher , and observed, "The Orioles will be happy if they can build their future rotation around the trio."

Arrieta portended greatness in bits, pieces and tantalizing glimpses during his time in Baltimore. His fastball jumped, his breaking ball snapped and scouts routinely would peer over their sunglasses after two innings and observe that he had "no-hit stuff." Then Arrieta would come out and walk the leadoff man, lose his focus and quickly unravel. Two hours later, he would stand at his locker stall in front of reporters and gingerly sift through the wreckage. Over time, it had become increasingly apparent that he was not going to reach his ceiling in Charm City.

"I liked Jake as a teammate and I liked him as a person, but he needed a change of scenery here," said Orioles outfielder Adam Jones. "Sometimes you just need a change of scenery to go figure it out."

How significantly had Arrieta's star faded by the end of his run with the O's? When the Cubs sent Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger to Baltimore in a July 2013 trade for Arrieta and Pedro Strop, the ESPN.com headline read, "Scott Feldman traded to Orioles."

Multiple sources said that Arrieta's problems in Baltimore stemmed in part from a strained relationship with former Orioles pitching coach Rick Adair, an old-school type who was not particularly receptive to young pitchers with free-thinking orientations. "Rick was hard on young pitchers," said one current Orioles player who declined to be named.

Another person familiar with the situation referred to Adair as a "my-way-or-the-highway guy with a cookie-cutter approach" that didn't resonate with Arrieta. Pitcher and pupil butted heads over hand positioning and numerous other subtleties of the craft.

In hindsight, Arrieta declines to single out Adair for his travails with the Orioles. But he acknowledges that his mind was cluttered with too much unproductive advice in Baltimore. He wasn't unlike dozens of other prospects who wind up feeling stifled and confused when an organization spends too much time dictating and not enough time trying to find a middle ground.

"It's not like a pity-me kind of thing," Arrieta said. "There are players in those type of situations every day, in the minors and at the big league level, whose careers are set back because of different individual circumstances.

"It's been that way forever, unfortunately. Maybe it's based on an overload of information or a constant focus on the wrong things. It's hard to have success here in the major leagues, let alone consistent success, if you're worried about variables that you cannot control."

Free thinker

Cubs pitching coach and others in the organization have received a lot of credit for allowing Arrieta to go back to square one and get on the right path. He's back to throwing with his natural cross-body delivery and slightly lower arm angle and making life hell on hitters with his deception.

Arrieta also has a touch of the tinkerer in him. He's developed a slider/cutter hybrid since his arrival in the big leagues, and he's thrown it about 30 percent of the time this season and held opponents to a .186 average against the pitch.

Beyond the obvious changes, Arrieta has continued to explore different training methods and technological advances. If Ross and fellow catcher Miguel Montero spot a hole in a hitter's swing and convey the news to Arrieta, chances are he's already spotted it on video.

"Jake has a very strong constitution and a belief structure that he's going to get better every day," said Boras. "The fit between him and the Cubs is a product of a team understanding a person, more so than what they've done with him physically. They've encouraged him to grow. The Cubs let Jake be Jake."

Arrieta's commitment and work ethic are evident in his regular between-starts regimen. Each new profile of Arrieta duly notes his fondness for Pilates, TRX training, foam rolling and kale juice.

Meanwhile, the embodiment of the new-age baseball player/physical specimen seems baffled that his constant quest for an edge should brand him as novel in some way.

"This is the highest level of professional sports," Arrieta said. "Why wouldn't you put all your time and energy into being as strong and healthy and mobile and flexible and explosive as you can? It's part of my lifestyle, so it's kind of an easy thing for me to do."

Beyond the diet and nutrition lessons and intricacies of navigating an opposing lineup, the biggest lesson Arrieta has embraced during his journey can't be measured by his SIERA or his body fat percentage.

"I've learned to be my own coach and trust my gut, instead of trusting everybody I come in contact with," he said. "I knew for a long time I could pitch my way and have success, but it was hard to do that. You want to be coachable and try to listen and learn from people, but everybody normally doesn't have all the information. Sometimes you have to be your own coach and try to figure it out on your own."

Arrieta has grown off the field as well, through parenthood and its smorgasbord of love, laughs and unexpected adventures. Jake and Brittany Arrieta have two children, 3-year-old son Cooper and 21-month-old daughter Palmer, and he routinely shares slices of his family life on social media.

Judging from the Twitter narrative, Cooper is quite the inquisitive and discerning little man. One of Arrieta's favorite father-son interactions occurred during a quiet family evening at home in the offseason.

"It was late at night, and Palmer was cranky and Cooper was tired and he was watching TV," Arrieta said. "Palmer walked up to him and just hit him in the forehead twice. So Cooper walked over to me and Brittany and said, 'Maybe we can donate her.' We looked at each other and tried not to burst into laughter. Then I politely explained to him, 'That's not an option.'"

Soon enough, Cooper will learn from watching his dad that failure and mediocrity aren't options, and all of life's obstacles can be overcome through a strong internal compass. Ask Jake Arrieta why he's so partial to wearing that flat cap brim, and he says it's because it allows him to see the field of play so clearly, without obstruction. He can also see a bright future beckoning, and it's getting more promising by the day.

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CSNChicago.com Cubs: Jake Arrieta gets one more shot to make Cy Young case By Patrick Mooney

CINCINNATI – Jake Arrieta has meant so much to the Cubs that he should be in the National League MVP discussion and not just a Cy Young Award frontrunner.

With a questionable rotation and as many as four rookies in the everyday lineup, the Cubs have won 75 percent of Arrieta’s starts (24-8), making the leap from fringe wild-card team to 94-win contender during his second-half transformation.

Arrieta (21-6, 1.82 ERA) will get the chance to make a final impression on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park (7:10 p.m./CSN).

Arrieta has made 19 consecutive quality starts, going 15-1 with a 0.89 ERA. He’s hit as many homers (two) as he’s given up (two) during that stretch. His 0.80 ERA since the All-Star break would be the lowest in major-league history.

Arrieta – a great talker and a deep thinker – might be preparing his acceptance speech if not for the Los Angeles Dodgers and their 1-2 punch.

Zack Greinke is 18-3 and leads the majors in ERA (1.68) and WHIP (0.85). Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.16 ERA) – the reigning Cy Young/MVP winner – leads the majors in innings (229) and strikeouts (294).

“I know what (Greinke’s) doing,” Arrieta said. “He’s pitched at a super-high level his whole career. The same thing with Kershaw. It’s fun to see, because you have such a great deal of respect for Kershaw and Greinke. You understand how difficult it is to do what they’ve done for such a long period of time. It’s been a great year for those guys, absolutely.”

This will be a final tune-up for Arrieta before next week’s wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Cubs planning to limit their ace to around 85 or 95 pitches before unleashing him in the playoffs.

Whatever happens, Greinke and Kershaw will get the chance to answer, making their final starts on Saturday and Sunday against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium, with a division title already won.

And Arrieta is envisioning a much bigger prize – a World Series ring.

“The individual awards are nice,” Arrieta said. “But when you’re a part of a group of guys like this, and you’re able to win for the team and perform at a high level to propel your team forward (into) a playoff environment, that’s more meaningful to me, because that’s an experience that we’ll all receive together as a group.

“Those types of things are rare. Not a lot of people get to be in an environment like this even once in their career. So that’s what I want all of us to take advantage of and really, really focus on.”

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CSNChicago.com House of cards: What if Cubs had traded for Jonathan Papelbon? By Patrick Mooney

CINCINNATI – Jonathan Papelbon choking Bryce Harper became the perfect billboard for the Washington Nationals and their dysfunctional season.

And perhaps a sign the Cubs got another break in a magical year where almost everything seems to have gone right.

While the Cubs crunch numbers against the Pittsburgh Pirates and run through scenarios for the National League wild-card game, they can’t rely on a closer with six All-Star selections, 349 career saves and a 2007 World Series ring from the .

The Cubs also haven’t had to deal with that many clubhouse headaches or the “Cinco Ocho” alter ego.

There are factors that have nothing to do with computers and can’t be seen on spreadsheets. There’s no doubt this overall vibe has contributed to what has become a 94-win team.

The rookies had to squeeze into ridiculous dresses after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds with Thursday afternoon’s 5- 3 victory at Great American Ball Park. Let the good times roll.

“I’ve known Jonathan for a long time, so I certainly would never disparage him,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “He had some pretty unbelievable seasons in Boston. But it does say a lot about (chemistry).

“That’s one of the things you wrestle with a lot at the trade deadline. You always want to improve your team. You always want to add depth to your team. But however you want to say it, it’s a house of cards all the time.

“You don’t know which move is going to topple things, or which move is really going to bolster things.”

With their bullpen in flux throughout the season, the Cubs had extensive talks with the and tried to trade for Papelbon before the July 31 deadline, but they didn’t have the financial muscle to beat the Nationals.

The Cubs have so many Red Sox connections inside their front office and within the clubhouse. Jon Lester publicly vouched for Papelbon, saying his ex-teammate would be more than a WWE villain/cartoon character. Manager Joe Maddon has an open mind and can relate to all kinds of players.

The Cubs had less than $5 million to play with at the July 31 deadline and wound up making smaller deals with the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles, acquiring a veteran No. 5 starter (Dan Haren) and an intriguing/inconsistent reliever (Tommy Hunter).

Three days earlier, the Nationals added Papelbon to a combustible mix, giving up a Double-A pitcher and getting the Phillies to kick in $4.5 million to help cover his salary. Washington also reportedly convinced Papelbon to rework next year’s option, getting it guaranteed at $11 million instead of $13 million, with $3 million deferred to 2017.

The Washington Post just published an excellent three-part series on the rise and fall of the Nationals, a team that won 96 games last year and began this season as a World Series favorite on paper.

It exposed Matt Williams as an overmatched, tone-deaf manager and revealed the insecurities inside the clubhouse, what it did to homegrown closer Drew Storen, who got bumped out of the ninth inning and wound up breaking his thumb while slamming his locker in frustration.

The headline to the third story in that ambitious Washington Post project: “In Jonathan Papelbon, Nationals got their closer – and their kiss of death.”

“It’s hard,” Hoyer said. “I’ve seen examples when it worked great – a team makes big changes at the deadline and they take off. And I’ve seen a lot of examples where doing almost nothing or doing small things is the right thing.”

Hoyer once interviewed for the job that went to Chicago guy Mike Rizzo, an old-school scout at heart with strong convictions and a sharp eye for talent.

The Nationals have gone from being a rebuilding blueprint to a cautionary tale for a Cubs franchise that is feeling pretty, pretty good about itself these days and will have to guard against the institutional arrogance rooted in Washington.

But Theo Epstein’s front office should get credit for all the smaller moves that have added up to the third-best record in baseball and a 21-game improvement from the year before.

It’s getting Clayton Richard for one dollar from Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate. It’s signing Trevor Cahill to a minor- league deal. It’s dealing with the Seattle Mariners to get Fernando Rodney and Austin Jackson – who blasted a three-run homer to give the Cubs the lead in the third inning on Thursday, the day after putting up five RBI – as insurance policies.

It’s allowed Maddon to play mix-and-match with the lineup and push whatever buttons he wants in the bullpen. Since getting no-hit by Cole Hamels and swept by the worst team in baseball in late July, the Cubs have gone 43- 19.

“We’ve been able to add quite a bit of depth,” Hoyer said, “and that’s really helped us as guys have struggled or as guys have gotten hurt.

“To a man, the guys that we’ve added have really brought something to the clubhouse and brought something to our team.”

Keep playing it out: What if Chase Utley hadn’t been so focused on going home to the West Coast and directing the Phillies to make a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers?

The Cubs tried to get the six-time All-Star second baseman in August for his postseason experience and lead-by- example qualities.

But with Utley, would Starlin Castro have gotten buried and never come close to his red-hot September (1.202 OPS)? Could Javier Baez have showcased his all-around ability, either for the playoff roster, an offseason trade for pitching or the 2016 Opening Day lineup?

“You never know,” Hoyer said. “That’s the hardest part. You have to make decisions at the time not knowing what ripples in that pond are going to happen based on that move.”

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CSNChicago.com Jason Hammel sees Cubs ready for playoffs: ‘We’re good and we know it’ By Patrick Mooney

CINCINNATI – Jason Hammel had always been optimistic about the rebuild, twice signing with the Cubs as a free agent, first on a flip deal and then the multiyear contract that was supposed to help bridge the team into contention.

But to win 94 games and have the third-best record in the majors by 2015?

“I think everybody would be a little surprised at that,” Hammel said after Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. “But that’s not to say it wasn’t in the cards. We’re good. And we know it."

The rookie hazing meant franchise-level players – Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler – had to put on dresses and pose for a group photo inside Great American Ball Park’s visiting clubhouse.

The youth movement accelerated this year, but to make a long postseason run, the Cubs will need a veteran starter like Hammel to step forward.

For five scoreless innings, Hammel (10-7, 3.74 ERA) shut down a last-place team that has lost 12 games in a row. Hammel looked sharper against a Reds lineup that still included Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier, finishing with five strikeouts and zero walks.

Manager Joe Maddon – who has frustrated Hammel at times with the quick hook – worked off a pregame script and wanted to give his bullpen some work.

“I was obviously surprised,” Hammel said. “I think the only way I wouldn’t have made a stink about it was because I felt so good. I wanted to continue to go out there and feel it. It’s been a little while.

“Any time you’re working yourself out of a funk, you want to keep doing it and keep doing it.”

Hammel might have needed that boost of confidence for October. A leg injury clearly disrupted his rhythm and impacted his performance before (2.86 ERA) and after (5.10 ERA) the All-Star break.

“A tale of two halves,” Hammel said. “Post-injury, I wasn’t very good. That’s the honest view of it, but sometimes those things can derail you a little bit. Not to make excuses, but I battled and did the best that I could with what I had.”

If the Cubs survive the wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and advance to face the St. Louis Cardinals, do you expect to be a playoff starter?

“I’m going to prepare that way,” Hammel said.

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CSNChicago.com Cubs fan starts GoFundMe campaign to send Steve Bartman to wild-card game By Tony Andracki

Of course.

A true Steve Bartman reference was the only thing this magical Cubs season was missing.

With Kobayashi eating a goat to try to help reverse the curse, now a Cubs fan wants to try to atone for all the Bartman hate from 12 years ago.

Keque Escobedo wants to raise money for Bartman to get to the National League wild-card game next Wednesday (likely in Pittsburgh).

Here is what Escobedo describes:

Lifelong Cubs fan wants to make amends for 2003, lets make it happen. First we need to find him to get him to the big game. If anyone knows where he is at, tell him we are looking for him. The money would pay for his expenses including his ticket, hotel room, flights and a little spending money.

If he cannot be found by time of the big game all the proceeds raised will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association.

First off, good move at the end to throw in the qualifier of "if he cannot be found by time of the big game." That's a very real possibility.

There's a reason Bartman hasn't shown his face in over a decade. A lot of Cubs fans made his life absolutely miserable in 2003 after that fateful foul ball.

I highly doubt Bartman would ever accept this offer by Cubs fans, but it's a valiant attempt from Escobedo, nonetheless.

My favorite part of all this: (see link for image)

Classic.

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CSNChicago.com Behind Jackson's homer, Cubs win fifth straight, sweep Reds By CSN Staff

After driving in five runs in Wednesday night's win, Austin Jackson smacked a three-run home run to help the Cubs complete a sweep of the Reds with a 5-3 win Thursday in Cincinnati.

Jackson broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with his longball, which plated Addison Russell and Dexter Fowler and gave the team's relative newcomer his sixth, seventh and eighth RBIs in the past two games.

Anthony Rizzo drove in a run with a double in the fifth, and Chris Denorfia's infield single brought home a run later in the same inning to make it 5-0.

Cubs starter Jason Hammel pitched five scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out five to earn his 10th win of the season.

The Cubs bullpen allowed three runs in the seventh, though none of the runs were earned. After Fernando Rodney allowed back-to-back singles to leadoff the inning, a Russell error loaded the bases. Two batters later, a run scored on a fielder's choice. Rodney yielded to Clayton Richard, and another run scored on a single. Trevor Cahill then came in, and another Cincinnati single resulted in a third run. All the runs were credited to Rodney, though none were earned.

Pedro Strop struck out three in the eighth, and Hector Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 29th save of the season.

The Cubs earned their fifth straight win and swept this three-game series with the Reds. The Cubs went 13-6 against the Reds this season. Just three games remain in the regular season, a weekend series against the Brewers at Miller Park.

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CSNChicago.com Kaplan: As predicted, judge dismisses rooftops' lawsuit against Cubs By David Kaplan

The Chicago Cubs scored a major victory Wednesday in their decade-long battle with the Wrigley rooftop owners when a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought against the team by two of the rooftop owners. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall dismissed all nine counts in the suit filed in January by the Skybox on Sheffield and the Lakeview Baseball Club.

Kendall ruled in favor of the Cubs based on the word expansion in the original contract between the Cubs and the rooftop owners. Kendall also agreed with the team that the renovation of the bleachers and the addition of the scoreboards constituted an expansion, which was allowed in the contract.

Kendall also sided with the Cubs ability to install additional signage because the contract allowed it based on "governmental approval" which came from the City of Chicago and Mayor Rahm Emanuel who helped steer the project towards a successful conclusion once the Ricketts family agreed to fund the project themselves, rather than asking for public help to subsidize the renovation plans.

In January 2014 we broke the story on the rooftop contract in a Comcast SportsNet Chicago exclusive. No one had publicly revealed the wording used in the agreement until we acquired a copy of the contract from an impeccable source and had it reviewed by multiple attorneys.

After talking with those lawyers we came to the conclusion that the Cubs would win a protracted legal fight because of the word expansion and the subsequent governmental approval that the contract spelled out and the Cubs obtained.

Wednesday, when Judge Kendall issued her ruling those were the linchpins of her decision. Kendall's ruling essentially ends any hope that the rooftop owners had to defeat the Cubs and win monetary relief from the franchise. They can still appeal the decision but with the cost of legal fees continuing to mount, sources close to the rooftops situation do not expect them to pursue further legal maneuvering.

As one rooftop owner said to me on Thursday, "the case is over. I can't see anyone wanting to continue to pour money into a battle that they probably have very little chance if any of winning."

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CSNChicago.com Posnanski: Why Cubs' Jake Arrieta would get my Cy Young vote By Joe Posnanski

Let’s start with the obvious: All three pitchers are having Cy Young seasons.

Zack Greinke will finish with the National League’s lowest ERA and WHIP in 20 years, since Greg Maddux in 1995.

Jake Arrieta has more wins, more innings, three more shutouts and more strikeouts than Greinke, all while pitching in a tougher home ballpark for pitchers.

Clayton Kershaw, by several very significant measures, is having the best season of his entire career, and he has won three Cy Young Awards.

It’s tempting to say that there is no wrong choice here — but, of course, in sports there is ALWAYS a right choice and a wrong choice. That’s the allure of sports, right? Sports talk radio probably wouldn’t hold much of an audience with the hot topic — “Tom Brady and Peyton Manning: They’re both really good, right?”

This year, I don’t have a Cy Young vote. But if I did, as much as it pains me to say it — everyone knows I’ve been in the tank for Zack Greinke since he was a teenager — I would vote for Jake Arrieta.

Why? Well, I could give you lots of reasons why I would vote for any of those guys, but in the end the decisive factor for me would be how well they’ve pitched on the road. Dodger Stadium is a better pitchers’ park than Wrigley Field (though Wrigley, unexpectedly, does lean toward pitchers). It has been a huge advantage for pitchers going back to Drysdale and Koufax, and this year, Greinke has a 1.48 ERA there and Kershaw (as usual) has been almost unhittable there.

What about on the road, though?

Arrieta: 12-1, 1.68 ERA, 4.9-to-1 strikeout to walk, 4 homers allowed

Greinke: 9-2, 1.88 ERA, 4.2-to-1 strikeout to walk, 6 homers allowed

Kerhsaw: 5-4, 2.60 ERA, 6-to-1 strikeout to walk, 9 homers allowed

Road numbers are not everything, of course. But Arrieta’s road ERA is the lowest for any regular starter in the last decade (Greinke’s is fourth lowest, so he’s no road slouch either). All year, Arrieta has gone into some of the toughest ballparks in baseball and pitched incredibly well. His one time in Dodger Stadium, he threw a shutout.

Arrieta has been amazing at home too, let’s not forget that: His 1.97 ERA at Wrigley is the best for a Cubs starter since Greg Maddux in 1992. But in what I think is the closest and most fascinating Cy Young race perhaps ever, the difference for me is just how good Arrieta has been on the road. He’d be my Cy Young choice.

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