May 20, 2017

 CSNChicago.com, Cubs Fall Short In Sloppy, Rain-Soaked Game At Wrigley http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-fall-short-sloppy-rain-soaked-game-wrigley

 CSNChicago.com, Ends The Debate: 20-Strikeout Game's Hit Was Legit http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kerry-wood-ends-debate-20--games-hit-was-legit

 CSNChicago.com, Who's The Odd Man Out In Cubs Roster Crunch Once Jason Heyward Returns? http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/whos-odd-man-out-cubs-roster-crunch-once-jason-heyward- returns-maddon-ian-happ-tommy-la-stella

 CSNChicago.com, Embrace The Suck: Joe Maddon, Cubs Have A New, Perfectly-Timed Rallying Cry http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/embrace-suck-maddon-cubs-have-new-perfectly-timed-rallying- cry-wrigley-field-kris-bryant-us-army

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs out of control with 10 walks in 6-3 loss to Brewers http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-brewers-spt-0520-20170519-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Thought from a rainy day: Can anyone hit the center-field scoreboard at Wrigley? http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-sullivan-spt-0520-20170519-column.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs to activate Jason Heyward from disabled list Saturday http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-notes-cubs-brewers-spt-0520-20170519-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Would Cubs President Theo Epstein consider a job in an NFL front office? http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sullivan-around-baseball-spt-0521-20170519- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon hope Cubs ‘embrace the suck’ with latest t-shirt http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-joe-maddon-t-shirt-embrace-the-suck-20170519- story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Heyward expected back Saturday, but who will be sent down? http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-notes-heyward-back-on-saturday-johnson-makes-his-debut/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Butler struggles, Cubs’ staff walks 10 in 6-3 loss to Brewers http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/walk-this-way-butler-struggles-defense-lapses-in-6-3-loss-to-brewers/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Maddon unveils new mantra, T-shirt for Cubs: Embrace The Suck http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/maddon-unveils-new-mantra-t-shirt-for-cubs-embrace-the-suck/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Heyward to be activated Saturday, roster decision looms for Cubs http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/heyward-to-be-activated-saturday-roster-decision-looms-for-cubs/

 Daily Herald, Sloppy Cubs left out in the cold in 6-3 loss to Brewers http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170519/sloppy-cubs-left-out-in-the-cold-in-6-3-loss-to-brewers

 Daily Herald, Maddon's newest message: Roll with the punches http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170519/maddonx2019s-newest-message-roll-with-the-punches

 Cubs.com, Arrieta hopes to find form vs. Brewers http://m.cubs.mlb.com/chc/news/article/231184084/anderson-arrieta-set-to-duel-at- wrigley?topicId=26688732

 Cubs.com, Leather report: Schwarber shows hustle in rain http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/231193040/cubs-kyle-schwarber-lays-out-for-diving- catch/?topicId=27118368

 Cubs.com, Walks, 'feel' are Butler's Achilles' heel in loss http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/231255418/cubs-eddie-butler-struggles-with-walks-in- loss/?topicId=27118368

 Cubs.com, Cubs drop rainy opener despite early runs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/231182300/brewers-defeat-cubs-in-rain-delayed- opener/?topicId=27118368

 Cubs.com, Heyward itching to return to lineup http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/231185106/cubs-jason-heyward-likely-to-return- soon/?topicId=27118368

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CSNChicago.com Cubs Fall Short In Sloppy, Rain-Soaked Game At Wrigley By Tony Andracki

At one point, there were almost more seagulls (and ducks!) on the field than fans in the stands while the game was still being played.

That's how awful the weather got at Friday afternoon, where the Cubs dropped an ugly, rain-soaked game 6-3 to the .

The Cubs walked 10 batters, committed three errors (leading to two unearned runs), had only six hits and struck out 10 times in a game that took more than five-and-a-half hours to complete (including a two-hour rain delay).

Every ball in the air became an adventure for both teams.

"That was a very awkward day to play baseball," said Joe Maddon, who compared Friday's elements to some of the worst weather he's ever played/managed through.

The announced crowd of 36,923 never quite materialized thanks to a first-pitch temperature that felt like 37 degrees thanks to 17 mph winds. Throw in the constant smattering of rain and the conditions were downright miserable to watch a game in.

But with a ton of rain forecasted for Saturday, the Cubs and Brewers didn't want to take the chance they'd have to make up two games later in the season.

Things were tough for the Cubs from the outset as walked the first two batters of the game, both of whom came around to score on a two-out single up the middle by Milwaukee catcher Jett Bandy.

Butler — coming off an impressive debut (six shutout innings) in St. Louis over the weekend — only allowed those two runs, but also recorded just nine outs, needing 92 pitches to do so. The 26-year-old walked five batters and allowed three hits, striking out three.

He admitted he couldn't get a good feel on the baseball due to the conditions, but also didn't use that as an excuse.

"Both teams were playing in it," Butler said. "I needed to find a way to get it done and I didn't do that today."

The Cubs battled back in the third when Keon Broxton dropped Javy Baez's fly ball in center field, allowing the Cubs shortstop to motor into second base. Two batters later, Jon Jay singled Baez home.

Willson Contreras added a two-run single in the fourth and the Cubs held the lead as the rains started to pick up.

But Mike Montgomery struggled with his command in the top of the fifth, allowing two runs to score, giving the Brewers a 4-3 lead.

The conditions only continued to worsen and the game was finally delayed after had to range all the way into the infield dirt for a fly ball that clanked off his glove. He compounded the initial error by trying to get a force at second base, but his diving throw wound up in right field instead, leading to two errors on the same play.

As the Brewers runners settled into second and third to start out the sixth inning, the game was finally suspended and the tarp stretched out over the infield.

"That ball should never happen," Maddon said. "That's why they pulled the tarp. ... When a play like that occurs, that also points in the direction that probably the conditions weren't baseball-esque. Please don't blame Schwarber. That's very unjust. The wind and where that ball blew back to, he made a great attempt on it, actually. That's normally the shortstop's ball, but under the circumstances, it was up for grabs, basically."

But after the ball smacked off his glove, should Schwarber have tried to flip it to second?

"He doesn't practice a backhand flip from 40 feet away on a daily basis," Maddon deadpanned. "He was just trying to make a play. If he had made it, it would've been outstanding. But I'm not gonna criticize that."

When play resumed one hour and 59 minutes later, Domingo Santana greeted Cubs rookie — making his MLB debut — with another two-run single to close out the scoring in the afternoon/evening.

Johnson said he couldn't really tell how bad the conditions truly were since he was tucked away in the Cubs bullpen under the left-field bleachers. But when he walked through the doors onto the playing field, he was hit with the wind and rain and said his glasses/goggles actually fogged up initially.

Still, he was happy-go-lucky about the opportunity to make his big-league debut, even if the weather was dreadful.

"That's not how I drew it up," Johnson said. "What an amazing experience. That was so much fun to be out there and finally get out the for the first time and really kinda calm those nerves a bit. Had an absolute blast and got the first one out of the way."

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CSNChicago.com Kerry Wood Ends The Debate: 20-Strikeout Game's Hit Was Legit By Mark Strotman

While no one debates that on May 6, 1998, Kerry Wood completed one of the finest pitching performances in MLB history, Wood said Friday that the lone hit he allowed in his 20-strikeout game - that could have been ruled an error - was legitimate.

The rookie, making his sixth career start, struck out 20 batters, allowed just one hit and went the distance in a 2-0 Cubs victory. Wood needed 122 pitches to slice through the Astros lineup, which included a pair of future Hall of Famers in and .

But it's that lone hit - a seemingly meaningless Ricky Gutierrez single in the top of the 3rd - that some Cubs fans still debate to this day. Gutierrez, batting 7th, took a Wood pitch and grounded it in between third base and shortstop. Third baseman ranged to his left on the well struck ball, and it caromed off his glove into left field.

Gutierrez got to third base on a sacrifice bunt and later on a Wood balk, though Wood got Biggio to ground out to end the inning.

There's some thought that Orie's stab at the grounder - a diving attempt could have stopped the ball - could have been ruled an error. It wound up being the only hit Wood gave up that day, and a ruling of an error would have given the 20-year-old a no-hitter.

But Wood, filling in Friday for Jim DeShaies on the CSN broadcast of Cubs-Brewers, put the debate to rest.

"Hit all the way, as soon as I saw it," Wood said. "Never crossed my mind that that was an error or they were going to give him an error. Never glanced at the scoreboard. It was a hit all the way."

There you go. Case closed.

Also, Wood was of course impressed with striking out 20 batters in a single game. But to him, walking zero batters on an Astros team that led the league in on-base percentage was what impressed him most. Check out the entire interview in the video above.

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CSNChicago.com Who's The Odd Man Out In Cubs Roster Crunch Once Jason Heyward Returns? By Tony Andracki

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Jason Heyward will rejoin the Cubs Saturday afternoon at Wrigley.

But whose spot will he take on the Cubs' 40-man roster?

The apparent choice is Tommy La Stella, who has already been sent down to Triple-A this season as part of the ongoing roster crunch at the big league level. La Stella intially refused a demotion to the minors late last season but has taken a different stance this year, playing in 12 games during his last stint with Iowa.

A week ago, would've been the easy call to go back down to Triple-A once Heyward returned. But the rookie — one of the game's top prospects — has been turned heads in his first week in The Show.

Happ has started six straight games since being recalled, hitting second twice before moving to the cleanup spot and providing protection to Kyle Schwarber, and Anthony Rizzo in the lineup.

But would it be best to send the 22-year-old switch-hitter back down to the minors to play every day?

"Not if he's playing regularly in the majors...," Joe Maddon said Friday, smirking.

Maddon conceded Happ is definitely not the kind of player the Cubs want to sit around with only 26 Triple-A games under his belt. But when the guy entered Friday's game with a .353/.500/.824 slash line, it's not hard for Maddon to find playing time for Happ.

"Of course, [the roster decision] is very tough," Maddon said. "That's what happens when you're good — you have tough decisions. You have a lot of different options.

"The fact that Ian's come up and done so well makes it even more difficult. We'll try to figure it out and make our best guess."

However, it's not like La Stella is struggling, either. In a part-time role, the left-handed hitting infielder boasts a .318 batting average and 1.028 OPS, both the best numbers on the Cubs after Happ.

Heyward has been out since May 6 with an injured finger, but made a brief rehab stop in Class-A South Bend Thursday night and felt fine — "[the finger is] good enough."

Heyward went through pregame warm-ups and batting practice Thursday before singling home a run. It was also the first time he didn't wear a splint on his finger since first suffering the injury.

On the season, Heyward is hitting .253 with a .697 OPS, three homers and 17 RBI while continuing his run of stellar outfield defense.

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CSNChicago.com Embrace The Suck: Joe Maddon, Cubs Have A New, Perfectly-Timed Rallying Cry By Tony Andracki

You might've heard, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon moonlights as a T-shirt salesman.

The team that leads in T-shirts just added a new one to the batch Friday afternoon, though the mid-May 44-degree day did not make for great T-shirt weather.

Embrace the Suck is a blend of two phrases Maddon used as rallying cries during the championship 2016 season: "Embrace the Target" and "Try Not to Suck."

It's also a military term that the Cubs have been hoping to employ since ever since Joshua Lifrak — the organization's director of mental skills program in the minor leagues — brought it to the manager's attention.

"[It means] exactly what it says," Maddon said. "... It's been a military phrase for probably the last 20 years. I had never heard about it before. It also includes Embrace the Target, Try Not to Suck — it's a morphing of those two phrases and we've been working with the military in order to be able to utilize it where we can sell it and use it for our team phrase."

Maddon and the Cubs are teaming up with KorkedBaseball.com again to sell the shirt and will split the proceeds with the military as well as Maddon's Respect 90 charitable foundation.

"Embrace the Suck" originated from the U.S. Army and is linked to the Navy Seals. It's also being used as a rallying cry for the Atlanta Falcons as of this week after head coach Dan Quinn used it to refocus his team this offseason following a collapse in the Super Bowl.

For the reigning world-champion Cubs, the phrase is remarkably applicable during the first 40 games of a season that has not lived up to expectations set forth by a team that won 200 games across the last two years.

"The message could not be more appropriate than it is right now regarding the start of the season," Maddon said. "We're embracing the suck, we're trying to continue to move forward.

"Militarily speaking, I would imagine if you're fighting or in a difficult situation, it's never any good. But nevertheless, you have to embrace the moment somehow."

The Cubs spent last year embracing the target on their backs as the preseason favorite to win it all. They're still getting everybody's best shot as they were in 2016, but the 2017 team has yet to click on all cylinders and is still trying to settle into a groove.

So how, exactly, do the Cubs Embrace the Suck?

"It's never going to be the same path," Maddon said. "To this point, it's not run exactly the way we've liked it to. But again, to really expect utopia on an annual basis in the baseball industry is difficult and not really a good method.

"I want our guys to understand: Maybe we haven't done our best work to this point, but that's a good thing. To really stay focused and understand that the better days are coming.

"More recently, we've had three good days, but it's gonna take a lot more than that to get back to where we want to be. So the concept of embracing the target, try not to suck and then embracing the suck, to me makes all the sense in the world."

Of course, the Cubs are coming off a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, their first sweep since Sept. 19-21 of last season (also against the Reds at Wrigley Field).

The panic is gone — for now, at least — surrounding a Cubs team that is now 21-19 and has a chance to knock the first-place Brewers out of the top spot in the NL Central this weekend.

"We're over .500," Kris Bryant deadpanned, "so everybody can stop freaking out now."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs pitchers out of control with 10 walks in 6-3 loss to Brewers By Paul Skrbina

Kyle Schwarber's unplanned cameo in the infield Friday ended with him lying belly-first in the mud between second and third base.

It also immediately preceded an overdue, 1-hour, 59-minute rain delay during the Cubs' 6-3 loss to the Brewers that was filled with walks at Wrigley Field.

Schwarber was charged with two errors on one play after he charged from left field during a soggy sixth inning, trying to catch Jonathan Villar's tricky popup. The ball bounced off Schwarber's glove and fell between him and shortstop Javier Baez.

"I thought I had it the whole time," Baez said. "I messed up."

Schwarber compounded the miscue when, after retrieving the ball, he botched a flip to second while trying to force out Eric Thames. Both Thames and Villar eventually scored.

And so it went on a 46-degree day fit more for late October than late May, a day when Cubs pitchers walked 10, the Cubs defense made three errors and the few fans who braved the conditions were treated to a replay of postseason highlights from 2016 for a couple of hours until play resumed.

"That ball should never happen," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the popup. "That's why they pulled the tarp. … The conditions weren't baseball-esque.

"Please don't blame Schwarber. That's very unjust. The wind and where that ball blew back to, he made a great attempt at it."

Save for inning-ending, run-saving, diving catches from second baseman Ben Zobrist to end the first and Schwarber in left to end the third, there were few highlights for the Cubs.

Starter Eddie Butler and first reliever Mike Montgomery were really out of control, throwing 140 pitches between them while issuing eight walks in five innings.

Butler averaged a pitch every 30 seconds during the top of the first, which took 20 minutes and 40 pitches to complete.

Three walks, two runs, one hit, two and Zobrist's play later, the Cubs found themselves in a familiar hole. The team's starters have allowed 45 runs in the first inning, worst in baseball with a 1.10 average.

"Just couldn't get a good feel of the baseball," said Butler, who threw 92 pitches, half of which were balls. "I sprayed the fastball around, never really was able to establish it."

In the process, the Central-leading Brewers (25-18) upped their baseball-best average of first- inning runs to 1.05.

Butler lasted three-plus innings, forcing the Cubs to go to the bullpen yet again for extended innings.

"Our inability to get longer starts really has put us in a bind with that extra guy in the bullpen," Maddon said. "Today really typifies that."

The Cubs (21-20) took around three minutes to go down in order in their half of the first against Paolo Espino, who was making his major-league debut, and the Brewers lowered their MLB-best first-inning runs-allowed average to 0.28.

In the fifth, Montgomery allowed a double, a single and three walks, the last of which forced home Brewers catcher Jett Bandy with the go-ahead run.

Bandy, who reached via walk, drove in two teammates who did the same in the first with a single for an early 2-0 lead.

Four straight singles in the fourth, including Willson Contreras' two-run knock, kept the Cubs in the game.

But Eric Thames sent the seagulls in center field scurrying with a single off Pierce Johnson to start the sixth in Johnson's big-league debut. Schwarber's error followed, putting Brewers on second and third before the delay. Domingo Santana singled them both home when play resumed, and the Brewers held the Cubs hitless the rest of the way.

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Chicago Tribune Thought from a rainy day: Can anyone hit the center-field scoreboard at Wrigley? By Paul Sullivan

Wrigley Field can be a warm, inviting place when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing out, as it was Thursday during their 9-5 victory over the Reds.

It also can be a cold, miserable place when it's raining, the wind is blowing in and the wind chill is 37 degrees, as it was Friday during their 6-3 loss to the Brewers.

One day after Cubs hitters tried to hit the center-field scoreboard during batting practice and Kris Bryant hit the roof of the batter's eye in center, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber watched would-be, mammoth home runs turn into routine warning-track flyouts.

Wrigley yin. Wrigley yang.

That's one of the beautiful things of playing in or watching a game at Wrigley Field. You just never know what to expect until you show up that day.

But before the rain-marred game Friday, after a few days of midsummer-like conditions in which the wind was blowing out at gale force, the question arose as to whether anyone actually could hit the iconic, 70-year-old center-field scoreboard on the fly.

"We were putting our best shots at it, with the wind howling out like that," Schwarber said. "Some guys were hitting it up in the (upper-center) stands, but (the scoreboard) seems pretty unrealistic. I'd like to get a rangefinder on it. It would be impressive."

Bryant, who hit one over the video board in left field during b.p. Wednesday night, agreed with Schwarber that there was "no chance" it ever could happen.

"How far would that be?" he asked. "Like 650 feet? At least."

The media surrounding Bryant began speculating the distance, guessing from 550 to 650 feet.

"Can we get a number on that?" Bryant said.

According to the Cubs, the center-field scoreboard is about 490 feet, horizontally, from home plate. But they didn't have an estimate of the distance of a ball hitting the board without knowing its exact height. The board is higher than the three-story apartment buildings on Waveland and Sheffield avenues. Only one ball — a Glenallen Hill — has landed on top of one of the buildings.

Only one person has hit the center-field scoreboard from home plate, and it was golfer Sam Snead, using a 4-iron on opening day, April 17, 1951. Snead then smacked a 2-iron that sailed over the scoreboard and into the street.

"Yeah, but can he hit a curveball?" Reds manager Luke Sewell sniffed afterward.

Pirates star Roberto Clemente and Cubs right fielder Bill "Swish" Nicholson reportedly came close to hitting the center-field board during games. Cubs star Hack Wilson hit the scoreboard in 1926 when it was at ground level, then reportedly went out for a few beers and got arrested for violating Prohibition.

Bryant said the wind Wednesday and Thursday was "the hardest I've ever seen it blow here" at Wrigley, and even then they couldn't hit it.

"And I hit two or three ground balls, so that's fun," he said. "I don't know. If we have a number on that (distance), then I'll give you a better answer."

Manager Joe Maddon guessed it was "not impossible," though highly improbable. He said Schwarber might be able to do it, but added Bryant "seems to hit the ball there with the most authority," like his 452-foot shot Thursday.

"It has to be like, the perfect everything," Maddon said. "The wind, getting that ball up high enough ... kind of taking the ball Schwarber hit on the (right-field video board in the 2015 playoffs) and hitting it to dead center. (It) might have a shot, I would think. But watching b.p. ( Wednesday and Thursday), the ball was flying and guys got up close to it but didn't get to it."

Schwarber's shot against the Cardinals in the 2015 NL Division Series landed on the right-field board and the Cubs encased it under Plexiglas. On Wednesday night he hit the Budweiser sign on top of the board and knocked out the lighting in the first few letters. Last year in Mesa, Ariz., Schwarber broke a car windshield with a batting-practice home run that an auto window repair company fixed free.

"I didn't have to pay for the Bud sign," Schwarber said. "I got lucky. I think (Budweiser) was actually pretty happy about it, kind of like a reverse effect."

Still, for all of the prodigious shots from Schwarber and Bryant, the center-field board remains the final frontier, the place where no man has gone before.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs to activate Jason Heyward from disabled list Saturday By Paul Skrbina

While playing for the Rome (Ga.) Braves in 2008, Jason Heyward frequently ate at Applebee's.

The outfielder's dining choices improved Thursday in South Bend, Ind., where he spent a one-game rehab assignment with the Cubs' Class A Midwest League affiliate and discovered a Ruth's Chris Steak House.

"We didn't have that in Rome," said Heyward, whom the Cubs will activate from the 10-day disabled list before Saturday's game against the Brewers.

Heyward was 1-for-3 with an RBI on Thursday while testing the bruised knuckle on his right index finger. He hasn't played for the Cubs since injuring the finger May 5 against the Yankees. He's batting .253 with three home runs, 17 RBIs and a .697 OPS.

"Just some minor soreness, which is good," Heyward said. "It's at a point where we can control it and not (have it go) in a bad direction as far as making anything worse. It sucks missing time, but fortunately it's in May and I like where we're at."

To make room for Heyward on the 25-man roster, the Cubs will have to option another player to the minor leagues, though that player likely will not be Ian Happ, who has started six straight games and is batting .333 with two home runs in 21 at-bats.

Manager Joe Maddon acknowledged Happ could benefit from playing every day in the minors, unless ...

"He's playing regularly in the majors," Maddon said. "He's the kind of guy you don't want sitting around."

T-shirt time: First Maddon urged the Cubs to embrace the target. Then he encouraged them to try not to suck.

Now he is hoping his team will "Embrace the suck."

Maddon sported a camouflage green T-shirt Friday with those words on it, the latest in a line of shirts he has pushed since arriving in Chicago before the 2015 season.

The phrase, commonly used in the military, first came to Maddon's attention during spring training, when minor- league mental skills coordinator Josh Lifrak suggested the slogan.

Maddon said a deal was worked out in which Maddon's Respect 90 foundation and the military will split proceeds from sales of the shirts.

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Chicago Tribune Would Cubs President Theo Epstein consider a job in an NFL front office? By Paul Sullivan

When former baseball executive Paul DePodesta took over as chief strategy officer for the Cleveland Browns last year, owner Jimmy Haslam said DePodesta's "approach and ambition to find the best pathways for organizational success transcend one specific sport."

It was a bold move by the Browns, who were inviting more ridicule by turning to a well-known baseball analytics geek to fix a perennial NFL loser.

DePodesta, a longtime front-office executive who briefly served as Dodgers general manager, mostly was known for his role as a stats-junkie A's underling in the book "Moneyball," which was made into a Brad Pitt movie.

Unfortunately for DePodesta, Pitt played A's GM Billy Beane, while Jonah Hill played a round, nerdish, DePodesta- like character. DePodesta didn't allow his name to be in the movie, though thanks to Hill, "Peter Brand" was the most interesting character.

DePodesta's name came up during a recent conversation with Cubs President Theo Epstein regarding his post-Cubs future.

Epstein has ruled out running for political office and said on David Axelrod's podcast in January he ultimately wants to own a team. Sounds like a plan.

But what if the NFL called in the meantime?

Would Epstein have any trouble "doing a DePodesta" and switching sports, going from high-profile baseball president to NFL GM?

"I know how long you have to be around the game of baseball before you can develop the right kind of instincts and intuition," he replied. "I wouldn't presume to be able to do that in another sport. I think that would take 10 years to get up to speed."

Maybe, but if DePodesta succeeds in turning around the Browns, perhaps the worst franchise in pro sports, look for copycat NFL owners to order their headhunters to search for analytically driven MLB executives to call their own.

Epstein, a longtime New England Patriots fan, would have the ear of coach Bill Belichick, whom Epstein reached out to in 2004 for advice on how to handle success after the Red Sox won the .

"You're (bleeped)," Belichick told Epstein, according to ESPN The Magazine.

Epstein has won two more World Series rings. A Super Bowl ring might provide the perfect ending, but we'll likely never know.

Extra innings: The Indians called up outfielder Dan Robertson last week and gave him No. 99, making him the team's first player with that number, not including Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn in "Major League." ... Cardinals pinch hitters entered the weekend with a .385 average, best in the majors. Their 20 pinch hits were third behind the Dodgers (25) and Cubs (23). ... The Astros had the best 40-game start in the majors at 28-12. Three of the last four teams to win 28 of their first 40 went on to win the World Series: the 2005 White Sox, 2007 Red Sox and 2016 Cubs. ... The minor-league St. Paul Saints have a pig mascot named Alternative Fats.

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Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon hope Cubs ‘embrace the suck’ with latest t-shirt By Paul Skrbina

There was the target, which Cubs manager Joe Maddon urged the Cubs to embrace.

There was the “suck,” which Maddon encouraged the Cubs to try not to do.

Now, Maddon is hoping his team will “Embrace the suck.”

Maddon sported a camouflage green T-shirt Friday with those words on it, the latest in a line of shirts Maddon has pushed since arriving in Chicago before the 2015 season.

The phrase, commonly used in the military, first came to Maddon’s attention during spring training, when minor- league mental skills coordinator Josh Lifrak suggested the slogan to Maddon.

Maddon said a deal was worked out in which Maddon’s “Respect 90” foundation and the military will split proceeds from the sale of the shirts.

Maddon also thought it appropriate to marry two popular phrases that graced his T-shirts in the past — “Embrace the target” and “Try not to suck” — especially given the team’s slow start compared to last season.

“The message cannot be more appropriate than it is right now,” Maddon said before Friday’s game against the Brewers. “I thought it was perfect the moment I heard it in camp.

“I want our guys to understand we haven’t done our best work to this point, but that’s a good thing. To really stay focused and understand the better days are coming.”

Maddon said to expect “utopia” like the Cubs’ 25-6 start last season is unrealistic, so he wants his team to learn from its 21-19 start — and its mistakes.

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Chicago Sun-Times Heyward expected back Saturday, but who will be sent down? By Jeff Arnold

Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward needed to get to the point where his jammed right index finger wasn’t an issue before he could declare himself ready to play.

On Friday, he did just that.

“I’m playing tomorrow,” Heyward said before the Cubs’ 6-3 loss to the Brewers on Friday at Wrigley Field.

Heyward went 1-for-3 with an RBI single for Class A South Bend on Thursday. Heyward, who has been out since May 5, when he injured himself against the Yankees, is expected to be activated from the disabled list Saturday.

The Cubs face a difficult decision about whom to send to Class AAA Iowa to make room for Heyward. Heyward said he still is experiencing some minor soreness but feels good enough to return without worrying about the injury worsening.

Heyward said the minor-league start went better than expected.

“I needed to go up there and swing the bat and do that worry-free and play the game and adjust,” Heyward said. “Just go up there and worry about timing, things like that, get comfortable and then play the game and not think about my hand at all, which I was able to do.”

Manager Joe Maddon said no decision has been made regarding whom the Cubs will send down. Ian Happ went 1- for-4 and scored as he continued his impressive run since being called up. The other logical candidate to be sent to Iowa, Tommy La Stella, was inserted as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and walked in his only at- bat.

Maddon, who said the roster move likely won’t involve a , said the decision won’t be easy.

“That’s what happens when you’re good — you have tough decisions,” he said. “We have a lot of different options. The fact that Ian’s come up and done so well makes it more difficult. We’ll try to figure it out and make our best guess.”

Maddon was asked if it makes more sense to send Happ to Iowa, where he could play daily.

“He could benefit from playing regularly in the majors,” Maddon said. “He’s definitely the kind of guy you don’t want sitting around.”

First-timer

Reliever Pierce Johnson made his major-league debut, allowing two unearned runs and two hits in one inning. He entered in the sixth inning, which was interrupted by a rain delay of 1 hour, 59 minutes.

Johnson tried to stay loose by riding an exercise bike during the delay, which came after he emerged from the bullpen not knowing how bad the weather was.

“The wind hit me and the rain, and I think my glasses fogged up a little bit,” Johnson said. “It was definitely interesting. I said, ‘Well, this is how it’s going to happen.’ But I embraced it.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Butler struggles, Cubs’ staff walks 10 in 6-3 loss to Brewers By Jeff Arnold

Long before the rains and the walks arrived, manager Joe Maddon spoke of the difficulties that can come during the long grind of the regular season. But perhaps more than his words, Maddon’s choice of pregame fashion told the same story.

His T-shirt was emblazoned with his latest slogan, ‘‘Embrace the Suck.’’

The mantra, printed atop an image of his signature black-framed glasses, serves as a reminder that if the Cubs are to remain among baseball’s elite, they’re going to have to endure their share of adversity.

On Friday, the difficulties arrived in the form of 10 walks issued by the pitching staff in a 6-3, rain-soaked loss to the first-place Brewers at Wrigley Field.

The loss, which included a rain delay of 1 hour, 59 minutes, snapped a three-game winning streak and dropped the Cubs to 21-20.

“Today, it just wasn’t happening,” Maddon said. “The game was swung on the fact we weren’t able to throw strikes more consistently.”

Eddie Butler, making his second start with the Cubs, was Exhibit A. He struggled with his command throughout his three-plus innings, in which he gave up only three hits but walked five. He threw 92 pitches, including 40 in the first inning, when he surrendered three walks and gave up a two-out, two-run single to Jett Bandy.

Butler walked two more hitters before reliever Mike Montgomery entered and yielded three more walks in two innings. His final walk came in the fifth against pinch hitter Jesus Aguilar with the bases loaded, breaking a 3-3 tie.

“It’s unacceptable to do that out there,” Butler said. “I need to go out there and give them five innings and keep them in the game.”

The Cubs scored two runs in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead when they strung together singles by Anthony Rizzo, Ian Happ, Ben Zobrist and Willson Contreras against Brewers starter Paolo Espino, who was making his major-league debut.

The Cubs trailed by a run when umpires stopped the game in the sixth after left fielder Kyle Schwarber was charged with two errors on the same play.

Schwarber charged a windblown Jonathan Villar pop fly that kept blowing back toward shortstop Javy Baez. After the ball slipped out of his glove, Schwarber attempted to throw out Eric Thames at second base with a backhanded toss. The throw sailed wide, allowing Thames to advance to third and Villar to reach second.

“[The conditions] were tough, man. It’s tough, it’s dangerous. Anything can happen,” Baez said.

After the delay, Domingo Santana extended the Brewers’ lead with a two-run single. The Cubs never threatened after that, getting only two baserunners in the final four innings.

“Right now, I want our guys to understand we haven’t done our best work to this point, but that’s a good thing,” Maddon said. “[We have] to really stay focused and understand the better days are coming. More recently, we’ve had three good days, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to get to where we want to be.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Maddon unveils new mantra, T-shirt for Cubs: Embrace The Suck By Jeff Arnold

Two years ago, Cubs manager Joe Maddon wanted his team to embrace the target.

During last year’s run to a World Series championship, Maddon asked the Cubs to try not to suck.

This year’s mantra arrived in the form of another catchy phrase – and another T-shirt, this one which bears Maddon’s signature black-framed glasses with a pair of dog tags hanging from them.

Embrace The Suck, the shirt reads.

Maddon arrived at his pregame press conference Friday morning wearing the camouflaged-color T-shirt, which will benefit both Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation and the United States military.

Asked what the phrase – which has been used in the past by the military – meant, Maddon kept it simple.

“Exactly what it says,” Maddon replied. “There’s a difficult situation and it’s never any good, but nevertheless you have to embrace the situation.”

The Cubs entered Friday’s game against the first-place Brewers two games over .500 and in third place in the . A year after the Cubs started 25-6 and won the division running away, they have muddled through the first 40 games of the season.

Maddon said one reason for introducing the T-shirts now is to get his players to understand that they must find a way to play through adversity.

“To really expect utopia on an annual basis in the baseball industry is difficult and really not a good method,” Maddon said. “So right now, I want our guys to understand we haven’t done our best work to this point, but that’s a good thing (and) to really stay focused and understand the better days are coming.

“More recently we’ve had three good days, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to get to where we want to be.”

Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward said while the Cubs’ three-game sweep of the Reds this week and gotten things moving in the right direction, he and his teammates must realize that the season is a long one. Over the long haul, Heyward said, the Cubs must find a way to persevere.

“You have to make your adjustments on a daily basis, but we’re going to continue to do a good job of that,” Heyward said. “I feel like we saw ourselves do that (against the Reds). (We) just have to keep plugging away, keep having fun, enjoy the process – good and bad – and get healthy and keep having fun, keep having fun.”

It’s exactly the message Maddon is trying to convey through his newest piece of baseball wisdom fashion.

“The concept of embracing the target and trying not to suck and then embracing the suck, to me, makes all the sense in the world,” Maddon said.

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Chicago Sun-Times Heyward to be activated Saturday, roster decision looms for Cubs By Jeff Arnold

Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward needed to get to the point where his jammed right index finger wasn’t an issue before he was prepared to declare himself ready to play.

On Friday, he did just that.

“I’m playing tomorrow,” Heyward said before Friday’s game against the Brewers at Wrigley Field.

Heyward went 1-for-3 with an RBI single for Class A South Bend in six innings on Thursday. Heyward, who has been out since injuring his hand on May 5 against the Yankees, is not in the lineup Friday, but is expected to be ready to go Saturday.

Heyward it hitting .253 with three home runs and 17 RBIs this season. The Cubs won’t activate Heyward until Saturday, which provides the Cubs another day to determine who will be sent down to make room for Heyward.

Heyward said Friday he is feeling some minor soreness, but feels good enough to return without worrying about the injury worsening. He said that Thursday’s minor league start, when he hit lead-off for South Bend, went better than expected. Heyward said he went through a normal pregame routine and go through batting practice and then had his three at-bats without wearing any protection on his finger.

“I needed to go up there and swing the bat and do that worry-free and play the game and adjust,” Heyward said. “Just go up there and worry about timing, things like that…get comfortable and then play the game and not think about my hand at all, which I was able to do.”

Manager Joe Maddon said before Friday’s game that no decision has been made in regard to who the Cubs will send down. Ian Happ, who hit cleanup spot Friday, continues to impress after going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk in Thursday’s 9-5 win over the Reds.

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Daily Herald Sloppy Cubs left out in the cold in 6-3 loss to Brewers By Bruce Miles

Winter made a rude re-entry at Wrigley Field on Friday after a cameo appearance by summer earlier this week.

The Cubs couldn't cope, and they left themselves out in the cold during a 6-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

The loss ended a mini three-game winning streak for the Cubs, who fell to 21-20. The surprising Brewers, the first- place team in the National League Central, improved to 25-18.

The Cubs made 3 errors -- all in the sixth inning with 2 by Kyle Schwarber on one play that helped turn a 4-3 game to 6-3. The game was delayed almost 2 hours in the top of the inning by a cold, driving rain.

On top of that, Cubs pitchers walked 10. Starting pitcher Eddie Butler walked five in 3-plus innings as he wound up throwing 92 pitches (only 46 strikes) in another short outing by a Cubs starter, a season-long trend that's taking a toll on the bullpen.

"Just couldn't get a good feel of the baseball," said Butler, who was touted as a strke-thrower when he came up last weekend in St. Louis. "Sprayed the fastball around, never was really able to establish it. Both teams are playing in it (the weather), so I need to find a way to get it done, and I couldn't do that today."

The game began with a temperature of 46 degrees and a north wind at 18 mph, making for a windchill of 37. For this past Tuesday night's opener against the Reds, it was 87 degrees.

There has not been a crispness to the Cubs' game in the early part of the season, and any hint of crispness wilted in the wet weather Friday.

Case in point was the sixth, when rookie reliever Pierce Johnson made his big-league debut for the Cubs. Eric Thames led off with a single, and as the rain intensified, Jonathan Villar lofted a high popup into short left field.

As the wind blew the ball back toward the infield, Schwarber ran in from left field to make the play ahead of shortstop Javier Baez. Schwarber dropped the ball as he came close to reaching the infield dirt. That was 1 error. He tried to flip the ball toward second base to get Villar and threw it away. After the rain delay, Domingo Santana drove the two runners home.

"That ball should never happen," manager Joe Maddon said of the Schwarber play. "That's why they pulled the tarp. The 2008 World Series, there was a fly popup hit to second base that they did not call the infield-fly rule for, meaning that it wasn't routine, meaning that we shouldn't have been playing in the first place. So when a play like that occurs, it also points in the direction of the conditions probably weren't baseball-esque.

"Don't blame Schwarber. Please don't blame Schwarber. Whatever you do, don't do that. That's very unjust. The wind and where that ball blew back to, he made a great attempt at it, actually. That's normally the shortstop's ball. But under the circumstances, it was up for grabs, basically."

Here was Baez's take: "I thought I had it the whole time. But after Schwarber dropped it, I was really far from where the ball landed. It was tough. As soon as he called me off, I got off. With the ball moving up there and him, obviously at full-speed forward, it was kind of hard to catch it."

Baez was involved in an offensive play that could have cost the Cubs some runs. They put together 4 straight singles to score twice in the fourth. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Baez popped out to the catcher trying to bunt. Butler struck out, and No. 9 hitter Jon Jay grounded out to end the inning.

Turns out Baez was bunting on his own, with the pitcher up after him.

"Actually, I thought about doing it with the bases loaded," he said. "I kept my same plan, but obviously, I kind of forgot about the pitcher, that he was going to hit behind me. I can't do anything about it. Just learn from it."

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Daily Herald Maddon's newest message: Roll with the punches By Bruce Miles

If you can't fight it, you might as well roll with it.

That seems to be the message of the latest T-shirt rolled out by manager Joe Maddon on Friday.

The shirt reads "Embrace the Suck."

What does it mean?

"Exactly what it says," Maddon replied. "This happened in spring training. We've been waiting on it. Josh Lifrak, our mental skills coach in the minor leagues, brought it to my attention. And I said that's absolutely perfect. It includes "embrace the target" and "try not to suck."

"It's a military phrase for probably the last 20 years. I had never heard about it before. It's a morphing of those phrases, and we've been working with the military in order to be able to utilize it where we can sell it, use it for our team phrase, sell it through korkedbaseball.com and split some of the proceeds with Respect 90 (Maddon's charitable foundation) and also the military."

The Cubs have not gotten off to the start they had wanted, so Maddon wants his players to embrace that and roll with it.

"The message could not be more appropriate than it is right now, regarding the start of the season," he said. "We're embracing the suck. We're trying to continue to move forward. Militarily speaking, you can understand, I would imagine, if you're fighting in a difficult situation, it's never any good. But nevertheless you have to embrace the moment somehow."

The Cubs got off to a 25-6 start last year on the way to a world championship. They haven't been able to quite get over the hump this season.

"The point is, it's never going to be the same path," Maddon said. "To this point, it's not run exactly the way we've liked it to. To really expect utopia on an annual basis in the baseball industry is difficult and really not a good method. Now I want our guys to understand maybe we haven't done our best work to this point, but that's a good thing, to really stay focused and understand the better days are coming.

Heyward ready to roll:

Right fielder Jason Heyward returned to the big club Friday after going 1-for-3 in a rehab game Thursday at Class A South Bend.

Heyward expects to come off the disabled list Saturday. He he went on the DL May 8 with a sprained index finger, an injury he suffered diving for a flyball against the Yankees on May 5.

"It feels good," he said. "Just some minor soreness, which is good. It's a point where we can control it and not go in a bad direction as far as making anything worse.

"It was good on all levels. It felt better than I thought it would feel."

Heyward also said he enjoyed the day in South Bend, home of a lively ballpark and a good atmosphere.

"That was cool," he said. "It's always humbling to go back, to just kind of relive that moment and process. They've got a good group of guys down there. People are always great -- staff, trainers, clubbies (clubhouse attendants), coaches, fans. That's cool, to be that close again and get that feel. Remember the path you took to get here and just kind of cross paths with some guys and hearing their stories, where they're from, things like that."

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Cubs.com Arrieta hopes to find form vs. Brewers By Scott Chasen

Weather permitting -- and that's no certainty -- the National League Central leaders will get their next shot against the 2016 World Series champions, as the Brewers and Cubs clash for the second game of a three-game set at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon.

"Believe me, you know how I feel about cold weather," Cubs manager Joe Maddon joked Friday, asked about the chances of a rainout. "Sometimes you just have to suck it up to make it better later."

While the two sides brave the elements, it'll be Cubs righty (4-3, 5.44 ERA) battling against Brewers right-hander Chase Anderson (2-0, 3.43 ERA). Arrieta has yet to find his form this year, allowing three or more earned runs in seven straight contests, but his Milwaukee counterpart got off to a strong start, allowing three earned runs through his first four outings.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell noted Friday that Anderson's "velocity is a little up this year," adding he's improved his curveball and added a cutter to his arsenal that's helped him put together a few strong outings already.

Things to know about this game

• Saturday's game will likely mark the return of Jason Heyward, who has missed 12 games after injuring his right index finger. Heyward was back in the Cubs' clubhouse Friday, and barring any setbacks, Maddon said he should be ready to go Saturday.

• Arrieta has already pitched against the Brewers once this year, giving up three runs in seven innings in a 7-4 win. However, it hasn't been all quality starts for the right-hander, whose May ERA (6.89) would mark the highest he's had for a month since June 2013 (9.64).

• Anderson has also made a start against the Cubs this season, working around seven hits and allowing just two earned runs in five innings in a 6-3 win on April 17. The righty has pitched well against the Cubs in his career, posting a 2.66 ERA in four outings.

• While Maddon credited the Brewers for a "tremendous leap in their pitching," he also had praise for their power. Entering the series, Eric Thames was tied for second in the NL with 13 home runs, while the Brewers had the highest total of any team in the Majors (65).

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Cubs.com Leather report: Schwarber shows hustle in rain By Scott Chasen

CHICAGO -- While Kyle Schwarber's Friday might be remembered for one play, Joe Maddon wanted to make something else painfully clear.

"Don't blame Schwarber. Please don't blame Schwarber," Maddon said following the Cubs' 6-3 loss to the Brewers at Wrigley Field. "Whatever you do, don't do that."

The play in question? Schwarber stood in left field with the wind blowing back toward home plate. Jonathan Villar was batting with a runner on first and nobody out. The Brewers led 4-3, and the rain was starting to pick up.

Villar connected on a pitch from right-hander Pierce Johnson, lifting it high in the air toward left, but the wind blew it back toward the infield.

The ball hung in the air for a long time, leaving Schwarber with plenty of time to call shortstop Javier Baez off and cover the 60 feet needed to make the catch -- Statcast™ gave him a 99 percent catch probability given only the distance and opportunity time as factors -- but it wasn't that simple.

"I thought I had it the whole time, but after Schwarber dropped it, I was really far from where the ball landed," Baez said. "It's tough, man. It's tough."

Fighting the wind and the rain, Schwarber got a glove on the ball, but it bounced away. He made a great effort afterward, snatching the ball barehanded and attempting a diving throw to get the runner at second, but the ball sailed past the bag.

Immediately after, the umpires called for the tarp. Following the ensuing one-hour, 59-minute rain delay, both runners eventually scored, pushing the one-run margin to three.

But even then, it'd be hard to assign too much blame to the left fielder, especially given that just a few innings earlier he made one of the best catches of his career.

Trailing 2-0 after a Brewers first-inning flurry, the Cubs were looking for a way to get out of the top of the third inning with one on and two out.

At the plate, Keon Broxton ran the count full and smacked a curveball into left field. The knock left Schwarber with just seconds to react -- the opportunity time on the play from when it left the pitcher's hand to when it was projected to land was just 3.0 seconds, according to Statcast™ -- but he got a perfect jump on the ball and came away with the spectacular snag.

"That was a great play," Maddon said.

According to Statcast™, there was just a 26 percent catch probability on the play, making Schwarber's effort his first four-star catch of the season. He covered 37 feet before laying out on the catch, which seemed to spark the team the other way. The Cubs answered with one run in the bottom of the third and took the lead with two more in the fourth.

In the end, though, it was the other play that proved bigger -- however you want to describe it. And on a day when the wind swirled and the weather conditions seemed to worsen and improve in chaotic fashion, there was one constant: what Maddon viewed as the culprit of a play he said should never have happened in the first place.

"That was a very awkward day to play baseball," Maddon said. "When a play like that occurs, it also points in the direction [that] the conditions weren't baseball-esque."

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Cubs.com Walks, 'feel' are Butler's Achilles' heel in loss By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- One of the things Cubs manager Joe Maddon liked about Eddie Butler when he saw him in Spring Training was the right-hander's ability to throw strikes. That didn't happen on Friday.

Making his second start for Chicago, Butler walked five over three-plus innings in a 6-3 loss to first-place Milwaukee. They were half of the season-high 10 walks issued by Cubs pitchers in the game, which was played in less than desirable conditions. After three days of near summer-like weather, it was 46 degrees at game time, and rain stopped play for nearly two hours.

"I couldn't get a good feel for the baseball and sprayed the fastball around and wasn't able to establish it," Butler said. "I needed to find a way to get it done, and I didn't do it."

In his first start one week ago against the Cardinals, Butler needed 28 pitches to get through the first inning, and he blamed nerves. On Friday, he faced seven batters and threw 40 pitches total. The five walks were the second most in his career.

"I felt pretty good," Butler said, dismissing any butterflies. "I just couldn't find the feel once I got out there and couldn't attack the zone the way I'd like to."

The conditions were partly to blame.

"That was a very awkward day to play baseball," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Even in Spring Training, he was a real heavy strike-thrower there.

"Today, it just wasn't happening," Maddon said. "We walked at least 10 guys overall, and that was a big part of the game."

Play was halted in the sixth inning for 1 hour 59 minutes because of rain. Butler used that time to talk to his teammates about how to get back on track.

"That's unacceptable to do that out there," Butler said. "I have to go out and give them five innings and keep them in the game. I just have to throw strikes."

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Cubs.com Cubs drop rainy opener despite early runs By Carrie Muskat and Adam McCalvy

CHICAGO -- The only thing that dampened the Brewers' 6-3 win over the Cubs on Friday -- besides the rain that interrupted play for nearly two hours -- was that Paolo Espino did not get the win.

Espino, 30, was making his big league debut after spending 11 years in the Minor Leagues, but he was lifted after four innings and Wily Peralta picked up the win after striking out five over two innings in his first relief appearance since 2012. First-place Milwaukee now has won 10 of its past 12 games, and it opened a three-game lead over Chicago in the National League Central.

"It's guys stepping up. That's how you win games," said Brewers manager Craig Counsell. "A lot of guys do good things, and today was another example of that. Wily is kind of moving into a different role, but he was outstanding for two innings there. The dugout was fired up, for sure.

"So, yeah, it's not necessarily what you expected, but the guys adapt. Guys are doing whatever it takes in whatever role they're put in."

Jett Bandy and Domingo Santana each hit two-run singles for the Brewers, who bounced Chicago starter Eddie Butler early. The right-hander, making his second start, walked five over three-plus innings, half of the 10 issued by Cubs pitchers in the game.

"I couldn't get a good feel for the baseball and sprayed the fastball around and wasn't able to establish it," Butler said.

Espino knew the feeling.

"The wind, the cold weather, it was a little hard for me to get a good grip of the ball, too," Espino said. "It was definitely tough out there, but in the end, the team got the win. That's the key."

Rain halted play in the Milwaukee sixth with the Brewers leading, 4-3. Eric Thames singled to open the inning against the Cubs' Pierce Johnson, who was also making his Majors debut. Thames reached third on a double error by left fielder Kyle Schwarber, who scrambled to try and catch Jonathan Villar's popup but dropped it, then made a poor throw to second. Home-plate umpire Tim Timmons then stopped play, and the game was delayed for 1 hour, 59 minutes.

"The conditions weren't baseball-esque," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

Espino, who has been in the Minors in the Indians and Nationals organizations, gave up three runs over four innings. The Panamanian right-hander's father, Alex, made the trip to see his son's debut. The Brewers are hoping Espino could become another Junior Guerra, who emerged as the team's best starter last year at age 31.

The Cubs erased the Brewers' 2-0, first-inning lead as Jon Jay hit an RBI double in the third, and Willson Contreras delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the fourth. But the Brewers loaded the bases in the rainy fifth, tying the game at 3 on Orlando Arcia's infield single and taking the lead when Mike Montgomery walked pinch-hitter Jesus Aguilar.

It wasn't all bad for the Cubs. Schwarber ended the third inning with a four-star diving catch, according to Statcast™. There was just a 26 percent catch probability on the play.

"We didn't play badly," Maddon said. "We just walked too many guys."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

First things first: Butler needed 28 pitches to get through the first inning in his first start a week ago. This time, he threw 40 in the first, walking three, and he served up a two-run single to Bandy. Espino, on the other hand, retired the Cubs in order on eight pitches in the first. Butler was lifted after Arcia's infield single to lead off the Brewers' fourth. He finished with 92 pitches over three plus innings.

"Their guy was struggling throwing strikes, and with the wind howling in like that, we get six runs. That's a good day, I think," Counsell said.

Fourth-inning rally: The Cubs loaded the bases in the fourth on three straight singles by Anthony Rizzo, Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist. Contreras followed with a two-run go-ahead single, but Javier Baez ended the rally with an oddly timed bunt attempt. On the second pitch of his at-bat, Baez tried to bunt, and he popped up to catcher Bandy. Espino then struck out Montgomery and got Jay to ground out.

"I forgot the pitcher was hitting behind me," Baez said. "You can't do anything about it, just learn from it." Said Maddon: "That was on his own. With the pitcher coming up next, that was the part of the play that was tough. Yes, I would prefer that he swung right there."

QUOTABLE

"After we started again, I still thought runs were going to be hard to come by because of the wind, and they were. To get a three-run lead, I think, took a lot of that comeback wind out of [the Cubs'] sail." -- Counsell, on the importance of Santana's two-run single after play resumed in the sixth

"I was hanging out out there with them. They were enjoying the cold with me. They looked like they were having a good time. Hopefully they had a good experience at Wrigley Field." -- Jay, on a pair of mallard ducks that were in right field most of the game

PERALTA GETS SURPRISE WIN

Peralta, bumped from the rotation this week in light of a 6.08 ERA, admitted he was nervous in the buildup to his first relief appearance since his April 2012 Major League debut. He didn't know that he had been credited with the win until a reporter informed him after the game.

"It felt a little bit different, but it's a job," Peralta said. "It's easier, because you can let it go right away. You know you're not going to throw that many pitches. But you still have to make your pitch. … From now on, I'm in the bullpen, so I'm thinking about it like [that]."

WHAT'S NEXT

Brewers: Chase Anderson seeks his second Wrigley Field win of the season when he starts Saturday afternoon at 1:20 p.m. CT on MLB.TV. Anderson, who was the pitcher of record in the Brewers' April 17 win at the Friendly Confines after allowing three runs (two earned) in five innings, has a 3.09 ERA in three career starts at Wrigley, and a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs.

Cubs: Jake Arrieta will start Saturday in the second game of this weekend series on MLB.TV. He's coming off a loss to the Cardinals, in which he threw two poor pitches, and both resulted in two-run homers. He beat the Brewers on April 9 at Miller Park, giving up three runs over seven innings.

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Cubs.com Heyward itching to return to lineup By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Jason Heyward is expected to be activated Saturday and back in the Cubs' lineup. Just ask him.

"I'm playing tomorrow. With us," Heyward said Friday in the clubhouse, returning after a one-game rehab stint with Class A South Bend in which he was 1-for-3 with an RBI single.

"It's to the point where we can control it and not go in a bad direction as far as making anything worse," said Heyward, who has been on the disabled list since May 6 with a sprained right index finger.

Heyward did not wear any protective padding on his right hand, which was encouraging.

"I just needed to swing, I did not need to walk," Heyward said. "I needed to go up there and swing the bat and make sure I could do that worry-free."

The Cubs will have to decide if they want to keep rookie Ian Happ and send someone else to the Minors to open up a roster spot for Heyward. Happ, 22, has started every game since he was called up from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, and he was 6-for-17 heading into Friday's game.

"That's what happens when you're good is you have tough decisions," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The fact that Ian has come up and done so well makes it even more difficult. We'll try to figure it out and make our best guess."

Whatever the Cubs do, they want to make sure Happ can continue to play on a regular basis to further his development.

"He's definitely the kind of guy you don't want sitting around," Maddon said.

Happ, the Cubs' first pick in the 2015 Draft, has handled the transition from the Minors to the Majors with ease. Kris Bryant, who was Chicago's first pick in 2013, said the Cubs' front office does its homework.

"It just seems like they've nailed every pick for a while now," Bryant said. "I think there's a trend there with position players. I think when you go to college and you get to experience that type of level of competition under an environment like that, I just think that it certainly helped me become a better player and be more responsible, mature, make good decisions. So it's no surprise to me that Ian's doing what he's doing, and the rest of the guys are doing what they're doing, too."

• Speaking of Bryant, the home run he hit to center field on Thursday was well struck, projected at 450 feet by Statcast™.

"It felt great, great swing, just because it was an inside pitch, too," Bryant said. "To hit it right of center, that was one of my best swings of the year. Looking at the video of it, it was a great swing. That's a lot of what I did in the Minors. Even when I first got called up, take that inside down-and-in pitch and hit it to right-center, especially off a lefty. That one felt really good."

What felt weird was Wednesday's game when Bryant broke a bat in the first inning, and the largest part became stuck high up in the netting behind home plate.

"Usually when you break a bat, it goes toward the field and not behind you," Bryant said. "I was running back and didn't know where the bat was. I looked up when I was on the field and thought, 'Oh, man, that's pretty high up there.'"

The Wrigley Field staff tried to shake the netting to dislodge the bat, but it eventually brought out a 20-foot ladder to get the bat down during the game.

• Heyward was only in South Bend for one day, but it was a good experience.

"It's always humbling to go back," he said. "You remember the path you took to get here."

Heyward had plenty to talk to the young players about.

"It's baseball," he said. "You always have something in common to talk about. Some guys told me they played against my brother in high school, college."

Heyward also got to scout Dylan Cease, No. 3 on MLBPipeline.com's Cubs' Top 30 Prospects list. The right-hander started for South Bend, but he had to leave with an apparent ankle injury.

"He threw well," Heyward said of Cease. "In my eyes, he threw really well. A lot of guys down there felt bad for him because he seems to have bad luck regarding injuries. He got ahead of guys. What I got to see was impressive. He attacks the strike zone and felt comfortable with all of his pitches."

• Maddon modeled a new T-shirt on Friday, "Embrace the Suck," which is a combination of two slogans he used last year, "Embrace the Target" and "Try Not to Suck." Apparently, it's also a popular saying in the military. Proceeds from sales of the T-shirts will be split between Maddon's Respect 90 Foundation and a cause designated by the military.

"The message cannot be more appropriate than it is right now, regarding the start of the season," Maddon said. "We're embracing the suck, we're trying to continue to move forward.

"I would imagine if you're [in the military and] fighting in a different situation, it's never any good, but nevertheless, you have to embrace the moment somehow," Maddon said. "I thought it was perfect the moment I heard it in camp."

Cubs mental skills coordinator Joshua Lifrak apparently told Maddon about the military connection.

This season has been tougher for the Cubs than 2016, when they won 103 games and posted the best record in the Major Leagues. That's another reason for Maddon's motivational message.

"It's never going to be the same path," Maddon said. "To expect utopia on an annual basis in the baseball industry is difficult and not a good method. Right now, I want out guys to understand maybe we haven't done our best work to this point, but that's a good thing, to stay focused and understand the better days are coming. We've had three good days [against the Reds], but it's going to take a lot more than that to get back to where we want to be."

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