May 6, 2016

Chicago Sun-Times Rizzo’s numbers started to turn last month when baseball luck did By Gordon Wittenmyer

Cubs first baseman doesn’t believe in baseball luck as much as he believes in the power of the long baseball season.

But good luck finding another way to explain his early numbers compared to the streak he’s been on the last two weeks.

“Part of it is he had to have better luck,” said, referring to Rizzo’s average on balls in play. “It was atrociously low, and that eventually comes back to you.”

Rizzo’s average on those balls in play (BABIP) through April 19: .139 (an average hitter will be around .300).

Until he went hitless with a walk Thursday, his BABIP (which excludes home runs and ) since then: .314.

In those 12 games after April 19 (through Wednesday), Rizzo was 17-for-47 (.362), with six homers, nine walks and 16 RBIs.

“Even when I hit the ball well, it was right at them,” said Rizzo, whose turnaround also coincides with opening his stance slightly. “The good thing is I know it’s a long season. So it’s not like I’m going to panic in April like I did four years ago. I know there’s a long way to go.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs beat Nats in opener of marquee matchup of MLB’s top teams By Gordon Wittenmyer

If these are the top two teams in baseball, as their records suggest, the Cubs made their biggest statement yet of the young season with a 5-2 victory over the in the opener of a four-game series at Wrigley.

“We played good ball tonight, and they got a taste of it,” said Cubs second baseman , who drove in the Cubs’ first four runs – including two in the eighth on his second homer in as many games. “Hopefully, we can continue to do that, but we’ve got three more games against them.”

Cubs starter (2-2) pitched six scoreless innings in his first start in nine days after rainouts and a rotation shuffle pushed him back.

“Outstanding,” manager Joe Maddon said.

The matchup played out as advertised until the last six outs, before the Cubs scored three off Felipe Rivero in the eighth, followed by Jayson Werth’s two-out, two-run homer off in the ninth.

“It’s good to say you match up,” Maddon said. “But my term is I like to see what it feels like against a team that’s playing well. What’s their attitude? How are they playing? How do they go after it? We got a feel for the Cardinals; we got a feel for the Pirates, and now we’re getting a feel for the Nationals.”

As he asks, he goes

Cubs center fielder was ejected for the first time in his career after he said he asked umpire Vic Carapazzo what his strike zone was following a called third strike in the third inning – his second looking in the game.

“He threw me out for asking a question,” Fowler said. “Never answered my question either.”

Fowler said he was respectful when he asked Carapazzo if the called strike indicated the top of the ump’s strike zone – and, if so, where he should expect the rest of the zone to be during the rest of the game.

“He walked away,” Fowler said. “I said, `You’re not going to answer me?’ He said, `That’s enough.’ “

And Fowler got tossed at that point, bringing an angry Maddon from the dugout.

“I was arguing that we are a team that does not expand our strike zone,” Maddon said. “That was my argument.”

Heyward sighting

Fowler’s ejection led to the return a day early for , who was out of the lineup for a fourth straight game because of a sore wrist.

Heyward took batting practice Thursday afternoon and reported feeling well enough to play, but Maddon said he planned to check back Friday morning before putting him back in the lineup.

He’s expected to start Friday, barring setback.

Heyward was hitless in both at-bats Thursday, extending his hitless skid to 0-for-19.

Notes: Reliever Neil Ramirez was placed on the bereavement list, which means a minimum of three days missed (maximum seven), because of a death in the family. …Right-hander Spencer Patton was recalled from AAA Iowa to take his place. Patton, who spent parts of the last two seasons with the , pitched 10 scoreless innings at Iowa, with 17 strikeouts. … The Cubs are 33-17 in Hendricks’ first 50 career starts. The last Cubs pitcher to enjoy as many team wins in his first 50 was Hank Borowy in 1945-47. … The Cubs’ run differential is plus-96 through 27 games – more than double MLB’s No. 2 team in that category (the Nationals, plus-47).

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Chicago Sun-Times $cherzer, Arrieta have more in common than Cy Young$, no-hitter$ By Gordon Wittenmyer

For all the impressive starting pitching on both sides during the Cubs’ 5-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night, the stars – and dollar signs – start coming out in earnest the next three games of this marquee series.

Consider all eyes on former Cy Young winner of the Nationals Friday afternoon at – including the eyes of the Cubs’ Cy Young winner.

“I watch him just because he’s one of the best,” said. “He threw two no-hitters last year, I think. Right?”

June 20 and Oct. 3, to be exact, with only 18 starts between them.

But, that’s nothing. Arrieta, who starts Sunday, had only half that many starts between his no-hitters, the most recent just two weeks ago in Cincinnati.

It’s no wonder that every time agent Scott Boras is asked about Jake Arrieta’s free agency future, the words “Max Scherzer” seem to be the first two out of his mouth.

Scherzer got the seven-year, $210 million deal that topped the free agent pitching class before last season (the class that also included $155 million lefty ).

And his process looks like the template Boras is using for Arrieta – the backdrop against which Scherzer’s start against the team with the best record in baseball and Arrieta’s against the team with the second-best might be compared this weekend.

“It’s a start,” Arrieta (6-0 with a 0.84 ERA) said of Scherzer and the seven-year deal that was eclipsed by and the Red Sox a few months ago ($217 million). “I think it’s maybe hard to compare me to a lot of guys, especially recently. I know the bar’s set high.”

Boras has equated Scherzer’s “low mileage” on his arm as a free agent to Arrieta’s and said they share similar workout and nutrition regimens. And just last month pointed out that “Every winner I know gets a seven-year [free agent] contract.”

“Obviously, Scott has compared Max and I as far as contractually, but the number continues to rise every year,” said Arrieta, who’s on a historic run over his last 26 starts. “The next free agent gets a little bit more the next a little more, and so on and so forth. We’ll see. But it’s so far out of my thought process right now.

“If I continue to do what I’m doing, which I intend to do, the money’s going to be good.”

Scherzer was in a similar position with the Detroit Tigers in the two years leading to his then-record contract.

Like Arrieta during this past off-season and again during , Scherzer turned down extension offers from the Tigers to avoid free agency.

The last one was for six years, $144 million, a sum that caused gasps across the baseball map when he turned it down in 2014.

“You just make a decision,” he said of that offer. “I had the things in front of me, injury risk factors and where I was at in my career. They appeared low. I just took care of the risk factor [mentally], and once I did that, I just said, `Hey, let’s go out there and compete and win,’ and that’s all that matters.”

That mental hurdle might be even lower for Arrieta, who seems as confident in his strength and durability as he is in his ability to shut down lineups these days.

And the Cubs weren’t going near the relative market numbers the Tigers did with Scherzer in recent talks, particularly in contract length.

Like Arrieta, Scherzer said he kept his focus on teammates and competing for a pennant when he was going through the process with the Tigers.

“If you just go out there and play to win the game, go out there with that mindset, everything takes care of itself, and it’s a beautiful thing,” Scherzer said. “Because everybody’s attention is on your free agent stuff, and the only thing you care about is winning. And when you win, everything falls right into place.”

The Cubs’ front office can’t project their ability to keep Arrieta off the free agent market at this point and spent the offseason bolstering this team – and structuring its near-term payrolls — to maximize the two-year window they’re assured of having him.

Arrieta, much like Scherzer with Detroit, enjoyed the team culture and teammates. Sources say Arrieta went so far as to urge his representatives to seek an extension last season.

In the end, Scherzer trusted Boras and wound up with a record contract, even though it meant leaving friends and a comfort zone.

“Yeah, the business side of the game can get ugly at times,” he said. “That’s how it is.”

Whether that’s how it ultimately plays out for the Cubs and Arrieta, the template is in place.

“If we’re talking financially, it’s going to work itself out,” Arrieta said. “I don’t put a whole lot of time and effort into that because at the end of the day I’m going to be compensated well regardless.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Why pushed Prior, Wood, other starters so hard By Gordon Wittenmyer

Is this Cubs team better than the one Dusty Baker managed to within a foul ball and botched double play of the ?

And could one of the differences between be at the root of some of the starting pitching breakdowns that plagued starters such as Mark Prior and Kerry Wood during that era?

Baker seems to think so in both cases.

In town this weekend as the first-year manager of the East-leading Washington Nationals, Baker compared what many believe were the best Cubs teams in 70 years or more to the team that took the best record in the majors into Thursday night’s series opener against the Nationals.

“I know they have more depth than we had,” said Baker, who managed the Cubs from 2003-06. “They have a better than we had then. It’s no consolation, but it’s why I had to stretch out my starters longer than I even wanted to because we didn’t have a bullpen like they have now. I’m not saying we didn’t have a great bullpen, but at that time we had to make a big trade in order to make that push.”

Baker has long been blamed by Chicago sports-talk pundits and fans for his pitchers’ injuries, based on the handling of those pitching staffs. Wood and Prior have, in turn, been outspoken in defense of Baker on the subject.

Cub fans continued expressing their displeasure with one of the most successful Cub managers in decades by chanting “Dusty sucks!” every time he stepped onto the field during Thursday night’s game.

With Prior, Wood and Carlos Zambrano anchoring the 2003 staff, that team became the Cubs’ closest to reaching the World Series since integration, until the infamous unraveling of an eighth-inning lead in would have been a Game 6 clincher in the National League Championship Series.

The 2004 team was considered even stronger.

“What kind of upset me was how much money they spent as soon as I left,” said Baker, who went on to manage the Reds during an eight-year stretch that included three playoff appearances. “But when I look back, I also had to realize that the Cubs weren’t spending money then because we were in the middle of the transition for the Tribune Company to be sold.”

Baker, who turns 67 next month, is focusing these days on what so far with the Nationals looks a lot like the sudden impact he had with that ’03 Cubs team.

“I think about the many times I wanted to be the guy who won it in Chicago, and we were close,” Baker said. “So now I’m in a similar situation in D.C. They haven’t been in existence long. but baseball’s been in D.C. for a long period of time.

“I’ve got a new goal to be the first guy [since 1924] to manage a team and take it to a World Series and win in D.C.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Fast starts by Chicago teams catch commissioner’s attention By Daryl Van Schouwen

Four first-place teams on one night playing in Chicago, including the White Sox and Cubs, doesn’t happen every day.

In fact, it’s never happened in any city, according to STATS.

The commissioner of baseball talking about a subway World Series doesn’t happen often, either, but with the Cubs and Sox both rolling to fast starts in 2016, Rob Manfred was asked about whether he’s thought about the possibility and what it would mean for the game.

“If I told you that hadn’t crossed my mind, you’d say they need to get somebody else to do this job,” Manfred said while discussing a variety of topics about Thursday at U.S. Cellular Field.

“We are proud of all 30 of our markets,” Manfred said. “They’re all important to us. There is no doubt that our largest markets, when they are successful, they’re good for our overall business. I think the idea of having two really good teams in a major market like Chicago is particularly exciting. It creates the prospect of postseason play that could be compelling and it’s a great thing, a great thing for Chicago.”

White Sox manager Robin Ventura, who played on a New York Mets team that played the in the 2000 World Series, has talked before about how great that was for the city of New York. Ventura has been asked a few times about the Cubs fast start in conjunction with his team’s, and while he is a friend of Cubs manager Joe Maddon, Ventura hasn’t thrown many bouquets the Cubs’ way.

Asked about the Cubs playing the first-place Washington Nationals across town while his team was about to play the first-place Thursday, Ventura said, “I don’t care about the other game. I get it, that it’s cool for the city, but we care about playing the Red Sox right now. … Our concern is playing them and doing the best we can.”

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Daily Herald Zobrist powers past Nationals 5-2 By Bruce Miles

Big series? In May? Sure, go ahead and enjoy it.

Fresh off their three-game sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh, the Chicago Cubs returned to Wrigley Field Thursday night to take on the Washington Nationals, the first-place team in the .

The Cubs are way out in front in the NL Central, and this week is providing them their sternest test of the young season.

Ben Zobrist put the Cubs ahead 2-0 with a single in the fourth, and he added a 2-run homer in the eighth to help the Cubs to a 5-2 victory. Kyle Hendricks pitched 6 scoreless innings of 2-hit ball for the Cubs before giving way to the bullpen. The Nationals got their runs on a 2-run homer by Jayson Werth in the ninth. The Cubs improved to 15 games over .500 at 21-6.

"This is a really good team, and we play good baseball," said Zobrist, who hit his first career homer at Wrigley. "Tonight was another good example of that. We're focused on winning tomorrow now. It's over. We're going to celebrate for a half-hour, and that half-hour is about up."

The Cubs have a staggering run differential of plus-96. The Nats are no slouches either, with a record of 19-9. In addition to fans enjoying this series, Zobrist said it's a good measuring stick.

"Every day, we're measuring ourselves," he said. "We're not taking teams for granted that have a tougher record. The Braves beat us (one game of two) last weekend. The Nationals are a great team. They're going to continue to be good the rest of the season. We played good ball tonight."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon also said it's OK for fans to get excited about a series in May.

"If you're a major-league baseball fan, I want to believe you're going to be looking in our direction the next four days," he said. "It's good stuff. But from our perspective, the way you get to the playoffs and win a World Series is by taking it one moment at a time."

The Cubs got going in the fourth against Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross. Tommy La Stella led off with a single. then hit one over the head of center fielder Michael Taylor. The ball stuck in the vines for a ground-rule double, forcing La Stella to stop at third.

The Nats walked Anthony Rizzo intentionally before Zobrist singled to right.

Maddon went with relievers Clayton Richard and in a 1-2-3 seventh. got himself into trouble with a hit batter and a walk in the eighth, but quickly worked out of it with a strikeout and a double-play ball.

Hendricks (2-2) hadn't pitched since April 26, but he said he felt sharp.

"It felt good, honestly," he said. "It didn't really feel like I missed anything. I threw a lot in between (starts). I think that helped, keeping up with the reps, trying to do a little more., almost, in between to keep sharp. But I felt good, really good."

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Daily Herald Chicago Cubs Heyward returns sooner than he expected By Bruce Miles

Jason Heyward had his right wrist taped Thursday, but he headed out to the field to take batting practice.

The Chicago Cubs right fielder said he might be able to start Friday against the Washington Nationals, but he returned sooner than expected as he replaced Dexter Fowler in the fourth inning of Thursday's game after Fowler was ejected for arguing a called third strike to end the third.

Heyward missed all three games this week at Pittsburgh, the result of lingering soreness in the wrist. He said he first suffered the ailment swinging the bat in the cage during the early-April series at Arizona.

"I'm feeling a lot better," said Heyward, who entered Thursday 0-for-17 over his last four games. "I'm going to push myself by taking a lot of swings in the cage, do a lot on the field BP-wise, get after it. I should get pretty good feedback to day and see how I feel after the game."

Bullpen roster move:

The Cubs placed Neil Ramirez on the bereavement list and recalled pitcher Spencer Patton from Class AAA Iowa. A player can be on the bereavement list for a minimum of three days and maximum of seven. Ramirez left the club because of the death of his grandmother.

Patton worked 10 scoreless innings in 10 games with 4 saves in as many chances at Iowa.

Always a party:

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Joe Maddon had a mariachi band serenading the Cubs in the clubhouse before batting practice.

"Good vibe going," said . "Before you guys got in here, we had some 'Tequila' going -- the song."

Ben Zobrist played for Maddon in Tampa Bay and has seen this before.

"It was in 2012 or something," he said. "We had a mariachi band come after an extra-inning loss, if you can believe it"

Then and now:

Nationals manager Dusty Baker led the Cubs from 2003-06. He said he likes this year's version of the Cubs.

"I haven't really seen them, but I know that they have more depth than we had," Baker said. "They have a better bullpen than we had then, which is no consolation, but that's why I had to stretch out my starters longer than even I wanted to, because we didn't have the bullpen they have now, not saying we didn't have a good bullpen."

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Daily Herald Back in town, Baker hopes he had impact on Cubs By Bruce Miles

Dusty Baker still draws a crowd.

It's been 10 years since he last managed the Chicago Cubs, but he still packed 'em into the new Wrigley Field interview room Thursday as his new team, the Washington Nationals, are in town for a big four-game series.

The room itself was enough to wow Baker.

"This is an improvement," he said. "Look at this place. Before, I was kind of like in the dungeon."

Things did not end well for Baker in Chicago, as he was fired after the 2006 season. His short-lived moment of glory came in 2003, when he got the Cubs to within five outs of the World Series before the team lost Games 6 and 7 to the Florida Marlins in the National League championship series.

Baker took some heat for the Game 6 collapse as well as the Cubs frittering away a seemingly safe wild-card spot with a better team in 2004.

Love him or not, most people don't forget Dusty Baker, whether it was in San Francisco, Chicago or Cincinnati, where he managed teams into the playoffs but never to a World Series title -- the Giants lost the World Series in seven games to the Angels in 2002, when current Cubs manager Joe Maddon was a coach in Anaheim.

"I like to think I had an impact," Baker said. "I kind of wish at the end that I felt like I had a positive impact. Sometimes people appreciate you more when you're gone than when you're there. I think about many times that I wanted to be the guy that won it in Chicago. We were close. Now I'm in a similar situation in D.C."

Maddon and Baker are similar types of people. Both are well read and have interests outside of baseball. Cubs catcher David Ross has played for both.

"I wish I had a chance to play for Dusty when I was doing better and we had a better team," said Ross, who was with Baker at Cincinnati for part of 2008. "It's hard to compare (managers). Both are laid-back, 'Let's have some fun. Let's do things the right way and have some fun while we do it.' I didn't get to know (Baker) as well, and he was trying to change the culture in Cincinnati. I know that a lot of my friends loved playing for him."

Maddon said he knows Baker mostly through others.

"Always easy to converse with," Maddon said. "Always upbeat. We have a lot of common friends, and they always speak really well of him. I've not been around him a lot -- the World Series in 2002. Prior to that, the fall league. Just a good man. His players really do play well for him."

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Daily Herald Constable: Smokeless tobacco ban, Cubs both "awesome" By Burt Constable

As the Chicago Cubs' starting shortstop, 22-year-old is building a reputation as a complete ballplayer. An elite fielder with a reliable arm, Russell got two hits Wednesday to help the 20-6 Cubs sweep the . Russell also has driven in 14 runs and contributed clutch, game-winning hits. But he's missing something that first became part of his game during high school.

In the season's home opener, Russell, playing without a wad of cancer-causing chewing tobacco in his mouth for the first time at Wrigley Field, cracked a 3-run that propelled his Cubs to an amazing 5-3 win.

"Which I think is awesome," says South Barrington dentist Katina Spadoni, who is glad Russell is helping the Cubs compile the best record in baseball but uses her "awesome" to describe Chicago's upcoming ban on smokeless tobacco at sports venues. "I think this whole ban on smokeless tobacco is a great start."

The ban doesn't take effect until June, but Russell, as fans might expect, got the jump on snuffing out the deadly habit. The shortstop, who tells Daily Herald Cubs beat reporter Bruce Miles that he's chewing gum instead now, smashed a key triple in one of last week's victories against the .

Smokeless tobacco causes oral, esophageal and pancreatic cancer, and it may play a key role in heart disease, gum disease and other oral lesions, according to the National Institutes of Health. Baseball Hall of Famer died in 2014 at age 54, and he blamed his salivary-gland cancer on his 20-year habit of chewing tobacco. Somewhere between a quarter and a third of MLB players still chew tobacco, according to most estimates.

Unlike cigarettes, which harm others with secondhand smoke, chewing tobacco is a self-destructive addiction. But Chicago's ban, pushed by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, aims to protect children.

"I say hurray, not only as a dentist, but as a mom," says Spadoni, who will celebrate Mother's Day with Isabella, her 18-year-old daughter. In a 2015 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette use dropped from 31.5 percent to 19.5 percent from 2001 to 2013 among high school students, while use of smokeless tobacco increased from 10 percent to 11.1 percent among teen athletes.

"I see it in my young athletes, as young as high school," says Spadoni, 55, who lives in South Barrington and also serves as the dental director of Delta Dental of Illinois, a member of the largest dental benefits carrier in the nation.

One of her patients, who plays lacrosse in college, chews tobacco and tries to dismiss the risk.

"Well, I move it around," he told Spadoni, explaining how he didn't let the wad sit in one spot on his gums all game.

"Well, that's not the answer. By moving it around, you're just creating more areas where you could get cancer," the dentist responded. "Your mouth is like a sponge. The mouth is so vascular, it (the carcinogens) can be absorbed very quickly."

Having picked up his smokeless tobacco habit in high school, the Cubs' Russell embraces the ban.

"I think it's a good thing for baseball," the shortstop told ESPN. "At the end of the day, it's going to better our health. I'm all up for it."

A good example changes behavior, says U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

"When kids see their baseball heroes using spit tobacco on the field or in the dugout, they're more likely to pick up the habit themselves," Durbin says in an online post praising the ban.

"People forget that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body," says Spadoni, who shares the South Barrington Dental practice with her sister, Rosella Spadoni. "Infection in the gum is going to be carried throughout the body."

Dentists often are the first to suspect oral cancer.

"Get to know what's normal. Pull your tongue and look for things," Spadoni says.

Baseball players, whether pros at Wrigley or teens in high school, need to quit chewing tobacco, the dentist says. Bans can help make that happen.

"There's definitely going to be withdrawal," Spadoni says. "It's not so easy to do. That's another reason to stop these kids before they start."

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Cubs.com Cubs swat Nats as Zobrist's bat logs 4 RBIs By Carrie Muskat and Jamal Collier

CHICAGO -- Ben Zobrist helped the Cubs win Game 1 of their showdown with the Nationals, hitting a two-run single in the fourth inning and a two-run homer in the eighth in a 5-2 victory on Thursday night in a battle between first-place teams.

"The Nationals are a great team and they'll be good for the rest of the season," Zobrist said. "We played good ball tonight, and they got a taste of it. But we've got three more games against them."

Right-hander Kyle Hendricks, pitching on 10 days' rest, held Washington to two hits over six scoreless frames for the win. The Cubs improved to 21-6, their best start through 27 games since the 1907 team went 23-4.

Nats starter Joe Ross took the loss, giving up two runs over 6 2/3 innings. He'd given up two runs over 22 2/3 innings in his four previous starts combined. Jayson Werth launched a two-run homer -- his sixth of the season -- off Travis Wood in the ninth to break up the shutout. Closer Hector Rondon came on and got Wilson Ramos to line out to end the game.

"We didn't do quite a few things well tonight," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "It's probably the worst overall game we've played in a while, but we were still in the ballgame."

In the showdown between Las Vegas buddies Kris Bryant and Bryce Harper, the Cubs' right fielder went 1-for-4 with a double, extending his hitting streak to a season-high 11 games, while Harper hit a single, drew three walks and was picked off at first.

Thursday was the first time four first-place teams played in the same city on the same day. Besides the Cubs-Nats game at Wrigley Field, the White Sox entertained the Red Sox eight miles away at U.S. Cellular Field.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Hide and seek: The ivy at Wrigley Field isn't quite green, but it's thick enough to hide a baseball. Tommy La Stella singled to open the Chicago fourth and Bryant then lofted a ball to center that sank into the ivy covering the outfield wall. Nationals center fielder Michael Taylor couldn't find it, and signaled by holding up both of his arms. Bryant was awarded a ground-rule double, and after Anthony Rizzo was intentionally walked, Bryant and La Stella scored on Zobrist's single.

"I couldn't tell if [Taylor] pushed it into the ivy," Maddon said. "Nevertheless, apparently it's OK to push the ball in the ivy. Once it's in there, you can't reach in and grab it. I told the umpires -- I didn't say 'my bad' because I don't like that phrase. I said, 'I don't know what I'm talking about,' and I left."

Another strong outing: In what Baker called one of the worst games of the season for his club, one bright spot for the Nats was another strong start from Ross. He fed the Cubs a heavy dosage of sliders and fastballs en route to nine strikeouts, but the offense couldn't pick him up. Ross now owns a 1.23 ERA, third in the National League behind Jake Arrieta and Gio Gonzalez.

"He works the strike zone," Baker said. "Good sinker, good slider, this guy's going to be good for a long time."

Escape artist: Cubs reliever Pedro Strop survived a scary eighth. The right-hander hit Danny Espinosa and then walked pinch-hitter Clint Robinson. Strop struck out Taylor, and escaped when he got to ground into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play to leave Harper on deck.

"We pitched out of some jams," Maddon said.

Taylor said he had a pitch to hit, but fouled it straight back before striking out. Although Taylor has struggled at the plate, Baker said he did not consider having Taylor bunt.

"It's easy to say now, but do you play for the tie on the road or do you play for the win?" Baker said. "I went for the win."

QUOTABLE

"We celebrate well together, we battle well together. It's great on May 5 to get that feeling already. Sometimes you don't get that feeling of a good team until later in the season. I think our identity is pretty good. We're going to have to weather some storms -- we know that -- but right now we're playing great baseball and we're doing well." – Zobrist

"Yeah, you're always seeing how you stack up against everybody. They're obviously a good team and they're playing good. I think between the two teams right now, I'm not sure where everybody else is, but I'm pretty sure we're the two top teams in the NL as of right now. A lot can change as the season goes on. Series in early May aren't as big a series as in September." -- Werth, on this series

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

This was Hendricks' 50th career start, and the Cubs are 33-17 in those games. The last time the Cubs won at least 33 of a pitcher's first 50 starts with the team was 1945-47 when they went 35-15 for Hank Borowy's first 50 outings. With Hendricks' outing, Chicago starting pitchers now boast a 2.12 ERA (41 earned runs over 174 1/3 innings).

"I don't look at the actual numbers, but I know what guys are doing," Hendricks said of the Cubs pitchers. "We just keep pushing each other. It's every next guy -- they've got to pass the baton and keep it going. No losing streaks. It's just each guy pushing each other."

EJECTIONS

Dexter Fowler was ejected in the Cubs' third inning after arguing a called third strike with home-plate umpire Vic Carapazza. Jason Heyward, who had not started since Sunday because of a sore right wrist, took over in center field.

REPLAY REVIEWS Rizzo was called out at third trying to advance from first on Zobrist's single to right in the fourth. The Cubs challenged, and after a review, the call was ruled as stands.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Nationals challenged whether La Stella was safe at first after a botched rundown, and the call was ruled as stands.

WHAT'S NEXT

Nationals: Right-hander Max Scherzer (3-1, 3.55 ERA) will get the ball for the rematch in this four-game set against the Cubs on Friday at 2:20 p.m. ET. Scherzer is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three career starts at Wrigley Field. The Nats are also expected to activate Ben Revere, who has missed a month with a strained right oblique, from the disabled list prior to the game.

Cubs: Right-hander (3-1, 4.32) will make his sixth start of the season in the second game of this series on Friday at 1:20 p.m. CT. He's coming off an outing against the Braves in which he threw eight shutout innings, giving up three hits. The Cubs hope to have Heyward back in the starting lineup. He had not started four straight games because of a sore right wrist.

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Cubs.com Cubs turn to Lackey in rematch against Nationals By Jamal Collier

Both the Cubs and Nationals have built strong starts on the backs of their pitching staffs. Chicago leads the Majors with a 2.31 ERA, while Washington is second at 2.45.

And the second of a four-game set at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon will feature a marquee pitching matchup between Nats ace Max Scherzer and Cubs righty John Lackey.

The Cubs are riding a four-game win streak after a 5-2 victory in Thursday's series opener. Lackey was one of Chicago's biggest free-agent acquisitions this offseason and threw eight innings during his last start against the Braves. His history against the Nationals actually dates to 2003, when they were still the Montreal Expos. In four career starts against the franchise, Lackey is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA.

Scherzer is coming off his best start of the season. He had a slight mechanical issue that he fixed ahead of his previous outing -- seven shutout innings with a season-high nine strikeouts against the Cardinals. Scherzer is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three career starts at Wrigley Field, and threw seven shutout innings here last May.

"It's just a deep lineup. Top to bottom, they're going to give you quality at-bats and threaten you with power at any time," Scherzer said. "That's always difficult as a pitcher because that just puts an onus on every single pitch you throw. Has to be there. You can't make a mistake because they'll clap it and hit it for a home run just like that. "That's what makes it fun, you have to mentally be there at that level to go out there and compete against these guys and it's a challenge, but it's a fun challenge at the same time."

This series could be considered a potential postseason preview and not just because of the chilly temperatures at Wrigley Field on Thursday night.

The Nats and Cubs own the two-best records in baseball. They feature the reigning NL Most Valuable Player in Washington's Bryce Harper; reigning NL Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year in Chicago's Jake Arrieta and Kris Bryant, respectively; and two of the most respected managers in the game in Dusty Baker and Joe Maddon. "If you're a fan, I want to believe you'll be looking in our direction for the next four days -- it's good stuff," Maddon said.

Things to know about this game

• The Nationals are 5-2 on this 10-game road trip against three teams -- the Cardinals, Royals and Cubs -- that made the postseason last year, providing a Washington with a bit of a measuring stick.

"You're always seeing how you stack up against everybody," outfielder Jayson Werth said. "[The Cubs are] obviously a good team and they're playing good. I think between the two teams right now, I'm not sure where everybody else is, but I'm pretty sure we're the two top teams in the NL as of right now. A lot can change as the season goes on. Series in early May aren't as big a series as in September. "

Meanwhile the Cubs have downplayed any significance of this series: "We don't feel this is a test -- we have to win this game, this series," catcher David Ross said. "Win or lose, we'll learn a lot in this series."

• The Nats are expecting outfielder Ben Revere to return to the lineup on Friday. Revere has been on the disabled list for a month with a strained right oblique, but he participated in a full pregame on Thursday and is expected to be activated for Friday's game.

• Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward had not started in four straight games because of a sore right wrist before he entered Thursday's game in the fourth inning after Dexter Fowler was ejected for questioning the strike zone. Heyward should return to the starting lineup on Friday afternoon.

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Cubs.com Zobrist hits the power switch to spark offense By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- On Wednesday, Ben Zobrist hit a three-run homer while batting left-handed. On Thursday night, he belted a two-run shot from the right side.

"It's a good sign for me," said Zobrist, who drove in four runs in the Cubs' 5-2 win on Thursday over the Nationals. "It takes me a while, being a switch-hitter, to get the feel. It's definitely felt better the last couple days, driving balls. Sometimes driving it takes a while to find that stroke."

Zobrist got the Cubs' offense started with a two-run single in the fourth against Joe Ross, and connected on his third home run of the season with two out in the eighth.

"Offensively, it was Zo's night," manager Joe Maddon said.

The home run was Zobrist's first at Wrigley Field, and the first time he's done so in back-to-back games since Aug. 1-2 of last year while with the Royals. He now has seven RBIs in his last two games.

"I feel pretty good," said Zobrist, who ranks second on the Cubs with 20 RBIs. "I think the reason I've had so many RBIs is I'm finally starting to get some hits behind [Anthony Rizzo]. Riz is getting on base, and they're pitching around him to get to me. If I can get some more hits, he'll get better pitches to hit. He's such a great hitter -- I'm trying to do the best I can to protect him."

Maddon's plan this season has been to flip flop Zobrist and Kris Bryant in the three- and five-holes around Rizzo, creating what Maddon likes to call a "Rizzo sandwich." Zobrist expected to be batting high in the Cubs' order, but not in the heart of it.

"I've been at the top, but I've also been in the middle of the lineup," he said. "I think the way it's worked out at this point, flipping [Bryant] and myself in the three- and five-hole, we've been playing well so that's probably why [Maddon] has kept it there. That doesn't mean he won't change it tomorrow.

"I know Joe, and he likes to keep it fresh and keep us on our toes," Zobrist said. "If he has a feeling and he might change it, we'll find out when the lineup goes up. He definitely has his reasons for why he does it. I'm not privy to it. I just show up and bat where I am in the lineup."

Zobrist has done just fine so far, and is enjoying the postgame celebrations that involve confetti, smoke and water flying everywhere.

"Fortunately, we've had a lot of those fun moments and we hope to have a lot more," Zobrist said.

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Cubs.com Russell admires the strong women in his life By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- When Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was little, he would make cards or origami for his mother, Milany, on Mother's Day. This Sunday, Russell will celebrate not only his mother but his wife, Melisa, who gave birth to their son, Aiden, last August.

"To see their eyes twinkle whenever they look at each other and they look at you -- I didn't think I could have anything so beautiful," Addison said of Melisa and Aiden.

Russell, 22, one of the youngest players in the Major Leagues, said he and Melisa were both prepared for parenthood. The oldest of four children, Russell had to help his parents while growing up in Pensacola, Fla.

"With my mom and dad being so young, and having to go through a lot of struggles and overcoming a lot of struggles together, I think that's what has driven me to this point," he said. "They were just trying to live their lives, and not for themselves but for their kids. They were a loving family."

The Russells -- both the parents and the kids -- had to grow up fast.

"[My parents] worked a lot and they were away from us, and we had to step up on our own a little bit and had to be a little street smart and raise ourselves," Addison said. "I helped raise my brother and sisters. I knew at a very young age that whenever I got on my feet, I would have children at a young age."

When Addison and Melisa found out she was pregnant, they were excited.

"We look back and see how things unfolded, and we're glad we're at the point we are today," he said.

Melisa faced down the challenge of not only becoming a mother at a young age, but also being the wife of a big league ballplayer.

"She had a lot of things to overcome herself -- being brought into this lifestyle and being a mother and in this lifestyle are two different things," Addison said. "It's hard to get used to at first. She's here, we're married and we're going to have each other's back."

They met through a mutual friend in Pensacola. Melisa was on break and they had lunch. Both Addison and Melisa are 50 percent Filipino and proud of their heritage.

"She made a great first impression on me, but we didn't meet again until the following year," Addison said. "Sparks just flew then."

In late April, Melisa participated with other Cubs wives in a 5K charity run that started and finished at Wrigley Field. It was her first race.

"That's something that I've always admired about her is that she always tries," Addison said.

Now their focus is on Aiden, who is very active and almost walking.

"Aiden is starting to say 'Daddy' now," Addison said. "To watch him transform day by day is awesome."

Russell also has a daughter, Mila, and when he's not at the ballpark making plays at shortstop, he's busy with family. Milany has helped the young couple.

"My mom has always given some of the best advice that I can remember," Addison said. "She told me -- and I'm pretty sure she told Melisa, too -- that a marriage is this thing you take care of. You have to protect it and treat it with such care. You have to be able to grow it. My mom puts it in a way I can't bring to life, but that's basically what she says."

It's a good message to share this Mother's Day.

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Cubs.com Fowler ejected for asking about strike zone By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler knew he had a few more at-bats in Thursday night's 5-2 win, and after being called out on strikes for the second time against Nationals starter Joe Ross, he asked home-plate umpire Vic Carapazza for a clarification of his strike zone. Fowler never got one. Instead, he was tossed.

Fowler was ejected for the first time in his career in the third inning for questioning a called third strike.

"It was a key question," Fowler said. "I just asked what the strike zone is. I was curious what the strike zone is, and he threw me out for asking a question and never answered my question either.

"He just walked away and said, 'That's enough,'" Fowler said. "I said, 'You're not going to answer my question?' And he threw me out. I figure I've got two more at-bats, so I want to know the strike zone. Just let me know, that's all."

Fowler had reached base in his previous six games, and boasted a Major League-leading .542 on-base percentage coming into the series opener at Wrigley Field. After Fowler was tossed, manager Joe Maddon had a few words with Carapazza.

"I was arguing that we are a team that does not expand our strike zone -- that was our argument," Maddon said. Fowler said he's never been ejected from a game at any level.

"I'm always respectful," he said. "I asked, 'Is that the top of the zone?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Are you going to call it away and down?' I want to know the strike zone. He said, 'That's enough.' I said, 'Enough of what? I'm asking you a question.'"

Jason Heyward, who had not started four straight games because of a sore right wrist, took over in center field for Fowler, who was called out on strikes in the first as well.

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Cubs.com Heyward back in action after Fowler's ejection By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward, who had not started four straight games because of a sore right wrist, did everything on Thursday as if he was starting in hopes that he could return to the lineup on Friday. However, Dexter Fowler moved up Heyward's return.

Fowler was ejected at the end of the third inning for arguing a called third strike with home-plate umpire Vic Carapazza. Heyward then took over in center field as the Cubs earned a 5-2 win.

Heyward hurt his wrist during the Cubs' series on April 7-10 in Arizona while taking some swings in the batting cage.

"I was doing some work off the tee and doing a drill with a donut on the bat, swinging, trying to stay through the middle, and I put more emphasis on [his wrist] and strained it from that," Heyward said on Thursday. "It's been awhile. I'm not ever going to make excuses one way or the other. I don't like to not play. It just got to the point where I should say something. Now it's good, because I can come in and get treatment."

Heyward went 0-for-17 in four games during the last homestand, and was batting .211 overall. As far as he was concerned, he'll be in the lineup on Friday.

"I'm going to do everything as if I'm playing today," he said of his pregame work on Thursday. "If I have no issues here, you'll see me in there tomorrow."

What's encouraging is that the Cubs went to Pittsburgh and swept a three-game series against the Pirates without Heyward in the lineup.

"To have other people come up and step up is awesome," Heyward said. "I feel those are building blocks for what can make to be a very special season. When people go down and other guys get reps when they don't expect to get reps, they don't take it for granted. To get everybody involved is a good thing."

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Cubs.com Ramirez to bereavement list; Patton fills spot By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Cubs reliever Neil Ramirez was placed on the bereavement list on Thursday to attend his grandmother's funeral, and right-handed reliever Spencer Patton was called up from Triple-A Iowa. Ramirez will miss a minimum of three games, and a maximum of seven.

Patton, 28, appeared in 36 games in the big leagues for the Rangers over 2014-15, and has a career 6.75 ERA, giving up 25 earned runs in 33 1/3 innings. The Cubs acquired him on Nov. 20, 2015, in exchange for Minor League pitcher Frandy De La Rosa.

In 10 games at Iowa this season, Patton had given up five hits, walked four and struck out 17 over 10 scoreless innings.

"I just tried to carry over from spring into the Triple-A season," Patton said. "It's not the best circumstances to come up, but I'm here to help the team for the next couple days until Neil comes back."

Patton said Cubs pitching coach got him on track in Spring Training by making some mechanical adjustments.

"There have been some outings when I've gotten away from that, and then I get right back into it and things start to work out," Patton said. "I've been trying to keep those things in mind."

• Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was in Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field for the White Sox game against the Red Sox and addressed recent allegations regarding Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta and performance enhancing drugs. A story in late April said some unnamed sources questioned his emergence.

"I think a player being put in a position where he has to defend himself against allegations that have absolutely no basis is a really unfortunate circumstance," Manfred told reporters Thursday. "The one thing, and I've talked about this occasionally in the context of Hall of Fame balloting from my own experience and what I've learned about performance enhancing drugs, is that you can't tell who's using performance enhancing drugs by things based on things like personal experience, outstanding performance -- they're just not accurate predictors. If someone is using performance enhancing drugs, our testing program is the one sure way to know that is happening."

• , on the disabled list with lower back tightness, had a good batting practice session and is making progress, manager Joe Maddon said on Thursday. Montero is eligible to come off the DL on May 10. Maddon was not sure if the catcher would need to go on a rehab assignment.

"It depends," Maddon said. "If it's the minimum amount of time, possibly not. He's right on that cusp where sometimes you don't [need a rehab assignment]."

• Javier Baez was not in the Cubs' lineup on Thursday, but that was because of matchups, not his defensive play. Maddon planned on using the versatile Baez in the game.

"I always love having Javy on the field," Maddon said. "I think he's one of the best defensive players in the National League, and probably in all of baseball."

• The Cubs celebrated Cinco de Mayo by inviting a mariachi band to the clubhouse on Thursday.

"I was serenaded in the video room," Maddon said. "The favorite moment was their solid rendition of 'Tequila' that was resonating throughout the entire clubhouse. It's something I'll probably never forget."

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Cubs.com Arrieta proving historic second half was just a start By Mike Bauman

Conventional wisdom said that Jake Arrieta could not possibly repeat the historically great performance that he put up in the second half of the 2015 season.

So far in 2016, Arrieta is taking a big lead over conventional wisdom.

Arrieta was at the center of the Cubs' 97-victory rebirth last season. He enjoyed a second half for the ages en route to winning the National League Cy Young Award. Arrieta's 0.75 ERA after the All-Star break was the lowest by any pitcher since the Midsummer Classic was instituted in 1933.

On the surface, that appears to be the kind of thing that can't be duplicated, closely imitated or otherwise repeated. But Arrieta appears to be on a very similar level in 2016.

Small sample size? Of course, but Arrieta has already established his credentials as a pitcher who can perform at an extraordinarily high level over an extended period of time. When we consider his numbers, the comparison is greatness vs. greatness.

Arrieta's ERA in six starts this season is 0.84, just a tick above his second-half work in 2015.

Arrieta's WHIP is 0.744 as opposed to .727 in the second half of 2015, when he gave up 4.6 hits per nine innings. This season, he has given up even fewer hits per nine (4.2).

There has been some erosion in Arrieta's strikeout numbers. He averaged 9.5 K's per nine innings after the All-Star break last season. This year, Arrieta is averaging 7.7 per nine innings. Thus, his strikeout-to-walk ratio has also decreased, from 4.91 to 3.08.

But if you look at the hits per nine innings allowed by Arrieta, that decline in strikeouts doesn't mean that the Cubs' ace is getting knocked around this season.

And, of course, Arrieta thew one no-hitter in the second half of last season, and he has thrown one so far this year. Last Aug. 30, he no-hit the Dodgers, walking one and striking out 12. Just a couple of weeks ago, on April 21, Arrieta no-hit the Reds, walking four and striking out six. Anybody who wants to note that last year's no-hitter was a more dominant performance is welcome to that observation, but let's not tarnish any no-hitter.

On four occasions this season, Arrieta has not given up a run. In fact, he has given up a combined total of one run in five of his six starts. After Arrieta's last outing, in which he blanked the Pirates on two hits over seven innings, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said:

"It's rare that you're around somebody that's pitched as well as he has for that extended period of time. But I think he's doing a great job of handling the whole thing. He's the same guy. There's no false sense of humility; I think he's a very confident person, and I like that. His work ethic is impeccable. Honestly, he's going to continue along this path."

That's the whole point. Arrieta is on a path of sheer excellence, and he doesn't seem to be inclined toward finding a lesser route.

How can a pitcher follow up such a magnificent second half? In Arrieta's case, by putting together a fantastic beginning to the next season.

Over the past 103 seasons, Arrieta is the only Cubs pitcher to have at least six starts through the team's first 25 games with an ERA as low as 0.84.

And while it is no longer fashionable to measure a pitcher's work in victories alone, Arrieta's work in that area is impressive and more. With his 6-0 record this year, Arrieta has become the first pitcher to win 17 consecutive decisions since Jose Contreras of the White Sox achieved that feat from 2005-06.

The all-time record for consecutive winning decisions is 24 by lefty Carl Hubbell. "King Carl" put together his streak from 1936-37, ironically picking up the 24th victory in a rare relief appearance. On his way to the Hall of Fame, Hubbell posted a second-half ERA of 1.99 in 1936.

It is not too soon to suggest that Arrieta's work in the second half of 2015 was not an aberration, but instead was an indication of excellence to come.

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ESPNChicago.com Dusty Baker can relate to path Joe Maddon has Cubs on now By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO – Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and Washington Nationals skipper Dusty Baker are piloting the top teams in the National League. They don’t know each other very well, but they have a lot in common as both are considered players' managers who know how to connect.

“I can relate to almost anybody,” Baker said Thursday before falling to Maddon’s Cubs. “They know I like to win. I expect my teams to put in the work to be competitive.”

Baker followed Maddon in the interview room to speak to reporters before their teams squared off for a four- game series to determine bragging rights in the National League.

The Cubs took Game 1, as they also have a manager who knows how to bring a group together.

“Trust is No. 1,” Maddon has said often. “They have mine. I have to earn theirs.”

Baker had that trust of both Chicago and his players in 2003 when he nearly guided the Cubs to the World Series in his first year managing the team. He got closer than Maddon did last season, coming within five outs of winning the NL pennant. But then Steve Bartman happened as did an and few other hard to understand moments and the rest is history. The Cubs faded the next year and Baker was eventually run out of town. He and Maddon both came to Chicago with a lot of hype. Baker is hoping for a better fate for Maddon.

“They [his players] hold him in high esteem,” Baker said. “I talked to some players and they say they like playing for him and respect him.

“The city has embraced him, naturally, because he won when he first came here and so he’ll probably be here a long time.”

Baker thought the same, but it’s well documented how things fell apart for him. Maybe the difference between the managers is best illustrated in remembering the 2004 fade by the Cubs and the start by the 2016 team. There’s a relaxed feeling within the team these days, but back then Baker managed a team wound way too tight. He came to the Cubs with such hope but left in 2006 with a bad taste.

“I’d like to think I had an impact,” Baker said smiling. “I kind of wish at the end, I wish I felt like I had a positive impact. Sometimes people appreciate you more when you’re gone than when you’re here.”

That’s not a problem for Maddon right now as he’s considered the latest savior by Cubs fans. So far he’s proving them right following up a playoff season with an historic start to the next one. He might very well do what Baker dreamed of doing a decade ago.

“I think about it many times. I wanted to be the guy that won it in Chicago,” Baker said. “We were close.”

Baker has a real chance to win with the Nationals while Maddon is doing everything he can to avoid the same fade which haunted Baker for years. They may not know each other well, but Maddon has heard enough from mutual friends to appreciate what Baker has meant to the game for so many years.

“Just a good man,” Maddon said. “A nice fellow and his players play well for him.”

The same can be said of the Cubs skipper.

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ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Ben Zobrist is happy right where he is By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- With all this talk of run differential, you would think some of the Chicago Cubs sluggers would be putting up some huge numbers, but guess who’s second on the team in RBIs after driving in four in a 5-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday?

It’s not Jason Heyward, who returned mid-game when Dexter Fowler got ejected. And it’s not Fowler, who has hit everything in sight. Kris Bryant is the easy answer, of course, but he, too, lags behind 34-year-old Ben Zobrist after Zobrist drove in the winning run for the second straight day. He also went deep on consecutive days as he’s starting to heat up.

“It’s a good sign,” Zobrist said after the game. “It takes me a while sometimes to get the feel. I’ve definitely felt better the last couple days driving a couple balls. Sometimes driving it takes a while. See if we can continue that the rest of the weekend.”

Zobrist thought about signing with these Nationals in the offseason, and considered the New York Mets, too, but his heart was always in his native state. So when the Cubs made the right offer -- four years, $56 million -- he jumped at the chance to join his former manager. The Mets and Nationals aren’t bad right now, but they’re not the Cubs, who improved to 21-6 thanks in large part to Zobrist at the plate.

“Offensively it was Zo’s night,” Chicago skipper Joe Maddon said. “He was fabulous.”

His 20 RBIs -- half coming in the past four games -- are second among Cubs only to Anthony Rizzo. Zobrist sliced a single to right with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to bring home two, then turned around to hit right- handed and smash a two-run shot in the eighth.

“It’s nice to get RBIs and be in that situation a lot,” Zobrist said. “I have to do a better job of coming through.”

That’s the bad news. The Cubs are getting on base for Zobrist so much his batting average doesn’t look very good with men in scoring position -- it’s just .200 after Thursday’s game. He and Rizzo lead the team with 40 at-bats in those situations, but Rizzo is hitting .325, hence his seven more RBIs. Then again, Zobrist wasn’t thought of as a middle-of-the order guy when the Cubs signed him, but Maddon has him hitting third or fifth. The manager forecast that configuration in spring training, but everyone thought Zobrist would end batting higher or lower in the lineup.

“I guess it surprised me a little bit, but I have done that in the past before, too,” Zobrist said. “We’ve been playing well -- that’s probably why he kept it there, but that doesn’t mean it won’t change tomorrow.”

And even though it takes time for Zobrist to find his groove, he still has a lofty on-base percentage of .377. And while that .200 average with men in scoring position doesn’t look pretty, it’s the total number of runs batted in that matters, right? Assuming he plays 150 games, Zobrist is on pace for 111 RBIs. No one will care what that batting average is if he comes anywhere close to that.

“There’s something to be said about getting the ball rolling in the right direction early,” Zobrist said of the team and himself.

Though he flirted with the Mets and Nationals, the Cubs were always where he wanted to be. He noted that it all worked out in the end, with Daniel Murphy off to a good start for Washington and Neil Walker in a similar groove for New York. Zobrist is doing his part for the best team in baseball and finds himself right in the middle of it all.

“Rizz is getting on base and they’re pitching around him to get to me,” he said. “If I get some more hits, he’ll get some better pitches to hit. I’m doing the best I can to protect him.”

Who would have thought Zobrist would be called upon to protect Rizzo? He’s been a much more valuable piece of the Cubs puzzle than perhaps people realize, and from the sound of it, that includes even him. There have been so many contributors already to the Cubs' success; the past couple of days have been Zobrist’s turn, and he’s come through.

“It was another good game tonight all the way around,” Zobrist said. “Right now we’re playing great baseball and we’re doing well.”

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ESPNChicago.com Cubs shut down Nationals as winning streak reaches four By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs pitching continues to be the storyline of the early season as the numbers are plummeting for the starting staff. And now they’re doing it against marquee opponents.

On Thursday, Kyle Hendricks shut down the Washington Nationals' offense that one day earlier scored 13 runs against the World Series champion . In throwing six scoreless innings in a 5-2 win, Hendricks helped lower the rotation’s ERA for the season to 2.12, best in the majors. He gave up two hits and two walks, facing little danger in becoming the ninth straight Cubs starter to allow two or fewer runs.

Hendricks is No. 5 in the rotation and was recently skipped in favor of keeping stars Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta on normal rest. No worries. He simply took the ball and outpitched the Nationals starter, Joe Ross, who owned a lower ERA (0.79) than even Arrieta coming into the game.

But Ross couldn’t keep the Cubs off the board as Ben Zobrist singled home two runs in the fourth inning, then hit a two-run homer off reliever Felipe Rivero in the eighth.

Hendricks probably could have kept going but Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided to pull him after 87 pitches, allowing the bullpen to throw the final three innings. Some might wonder why Hendricks was taken out. How good could the Cubs bullpen be with a starting staff like that? Well, they came into the game on top of the National League in ERA as well. They hit a bump when Travis Wood gave up a two-run homer to Jayson Werth, but Hector Rondon got the last out to seal the win.

The best starting staff and the best bullpen in the league are big reasons the Cubs are 21-6 with four consecutive wins against top NL opponents including the Pirates and Nationals.

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CSNChicago.com Why Duty Baker believes these Cubs are better positioned than his Kerry Wood/Mark Prior teams By Patrick Mooney

The Washington Nationals PR guy made sure a red backdrop spelling out the team’s website and handle framed Dusty Baker’s pregame media session for the TV cameras. But you could still see an even bigger blue screen covered with Cubs logos and Wintrust advertising inside this corporate conference center.

There are so many layers to Baker, so much history with a guy who’s spent almost 50 years in , building a resume that’s probably one bullet point away from the Hall of Fame and shouldn’t be defined by Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

“Boy, this is different than the old interview room,” Baker said Thursday at Wrigley Field. “Look at this place. Before, I was in kind of like the dungeon over there around the corner. And then I walked in here and I saw the lights and stuff and I was ready to ‘Saturday Night Fever.’”

Inside their state-of-the-art clubhouse, the Cubs now have a Celebration Room, which they got to use after a 5-2 victory over the Nationals that pushed their best-in-baseball record to 21-6 with an absurd plus-96 run differential.

Back managing a star-studded first-place team after two seasons away from the game, Baker knows all about huge expectations after guiding the 2003 Cubs to five outs away from the World Series, and then missing the playoffs with a 2004 team that won 89 games and might have been even better on paper.

So far, the 2016 Cubs are even better than the hype, and Baker believes they will be better positioned to withstand the attrition that wrecked what once looked like a great foundation.

“I know they have more depth than we had,” Baker said. “They have a better bullpen than we had then, which is no consolation, but that’s why I had to stretch out my starters longer than I even wanted to, because we didn’t have the bullpen. Not to say we didn’t have a good bullpen, but at that time we had to make a big trade in order to make that push.”

A media/fan-driven narrative unfairly labeled Baker as a bad caretaker for young pitchers, and the way it ended with a last-place finish in 2006 probably helps explain the occasional shouting from the stands on Thursday night: “Dusty sucks!”

“What kind of upset me a little bit is how much money they spent as soon as I left,” Baker said. “But I had to also realize that the Cubs weren’t spending money then because we were in the middle of the transition for the Tribune Company to be sold.

“When you look back on things, ‘How come you didn’t do this?’ Or, ‘How come we didn’t do that?’ And then again, baseball takes a backseat to baseball business.”

Baker is a three-time Manager of the Year who has won 1,690 games and already guided three different franchises to the playoffs. Cubs-Nationals would be a fascinating matchup in October.

“Sometimes people appreciate you more when you’re gone than when you’re there,” Baker said. “On the other hand, I think many times about how I wanted to be the guy that won it in Chicago. We were close.

“Now I’m in a similar situation in D.C. (The Nationals) haven’t been in existence that long. But baseball’s been in D.C. for a long period of time. This is the third try at baseball in D.C. since I’ve been alive. So now I got a new goal – to be the first guy to manage a team, take it to the World Series and win in D.C.”

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CSNChicago.com Cubs vs. Nationals: Max Scherzer sets $200 million baseline for Jake Arrieta By Patrick Mooney

Roughly 48 hours before the no-hitter and the onesie press conference that introduced his client to a national audience, Scott Boras sat in his luxury suite explaining the pitching odometer and equating Jake Arrieta to Max Scherzer.

By Aug. 28 last year, Arrieta still hadn’t completed a start-to-finish season in the big leagues, much less won a Cy Young Award. The Cubs had only won six consecutive Arrieta starts, a streak that has now reached 19 in a row, including a second no-hitter for the hottest pitcher on the planet.

That’s why the Cubs have to be looking at this as a two-year window to win a World Series with their ace, because Arrieta can become a free agent after the 2017 season. That’s when Jon Lester will be in his mid-30s, John Lackey will probably be retired and maybe the farm system will have produced an actual big-league pitcher by then.

Boras Corp. almost always pushes its talent onto the open market. And as the super-agent likes to say: “Every Cy Young Award winner I know got a seven-year contract.” Like Scherzer, who reportedly turned down a six-year, $144 million offer to stay with the Detroit Tigers and later scored a $210 million guarantee from the Washington Nationals in January 2015.

“All the free-agent stuff, that just takes care of itself,” Scherzer said Thursday, sitting at his locker inside Wrigley Field’s cramped visiting clubhouse. “If you just play to win the game – and go out there with that mindset – everything takes care of itself.

“It’s a beautiful thing, because everybody’s attention is on your free-agent stuff, but the only thing you care about is winning. And when you win, everything falls right into place.”

Scherzer, who will attack a dangerous Cubs lineup on Friday afternoon in Wrigleyville, went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in his walk year, helping Detroit win its fourth consecutive division title in 2014.

At that point, the mileage on Scherzer’s right arm had almost reached 1,240 innings in the big leagues. By comparison, Lester had thrown 1,596 innings by the time he signed a six-year, $155 million megadeal, weeks before Scherzer finalized his contract in Washington.

Arrieta is now only at 838-plus innings after an up-and-down beginning to his career with the Baltimore Orioles. He’s 22-1 with a 0.85 ERA in his last 26 regular-season starts, making $10.7 million this year and setting himself up for another huge payday through the arbitration system.

But Arrieta will also be 32 years old on Opening Day 2018. As much as the Cubs respect his work ethic and fanatical approach to fitness and nutrition, ’s front office will also have to account for the aging curve, all the unknowns and how much risk to stomach.

“I had the (information) in front of me,” said Scherzer, who took out an insurance policy that would have covered him in the event of a serious injury. “The injury risk factors – where I was at in my career – appeared low.

“As a pitcher, you understand that the nature of this business is that you can get injured from pitching with your elbow or shoulder. But I made sure I took certain precautions to minimize that risk factor.

“Once I had that peace of mind, I just went out there and pitched and competed and tried to win. That’s all that mattered to me.”

If the idea of moving on from a place where you’re comfortable and successful sounds difficult, well, “the business side of the game can get ugly at times,” Scherzer said. “That’s how it is.”

So Cubs fans should enjoy this ride with Arrieta, wherever it leads and however long it lasts, appreciating the chance to see history every time he takes the mound.

“He’s fun to watch,” Scherzer said. “He goes out there and competes and he does it with an assortment of pitches as well. That’s what makes him one of the best in the game right now. He really seems to be locked in.

“When you can find the mechanical thing where you can keep your delivery, I know for myself that’s when I feel my best. I’m sure that’s probably how he feels, too. He just feels locked in, that if every time I do this, I can locate the ball exactly where I want to.”

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CSNChicago.com Ben Zobrist, Daniel Murphy and a new Mr. October for Cubs? By Patrick Mooney

Ben Zobrist never made it to the sit-down his camp had scheduled with the Washington Nationals at the winter meetings, which took place at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, not far from his offseason home.

The Cubs were quietly hitting their multiple bank shot, trading to the New York Yankees for Adam Warren and getting Zobrist to Chicago for the physical to finalize a four-year, $56 million contract.

The Nationals found their Plan B for second base by Christmas Eve, agreeing to a three-year, $37.5 million deal with Daniel Murphy, the new Mr. October who crushed the Cubs during the National League Championship Series.

Murphy and Zobrist intersected again on Thursday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs winning Round 1 of this four- game series between National League heavyweights by a 5-2 score.

The fans booed Murphy for last year’s NLCS MVP performance with the New York Mets, while Zobrist drew first blood with a two-run single in the fourth inning and a going-for-the-jugular two-run homer in the eighth. At 21-6, the Cubs are dominating every phase of the game after winning the offseason.

“We knew that we were going to be good,” Zobrist said, “but sometimes you start slow. We got off well the first week and we kept it going. There’s something to be said for getting the ball rolling in the right direction early. And that makes a huge difference.”

The Cubs wanted Zobrist’s steady presence on defense, his leadership in the clubhouse and a different dimension for their lineup. Zobrist earned his championship ring with the Kansas City Royals, handling New York’s power pitching in the World Series.

Murphy cooled off by that point after a ridiculous four-homer power surge during the NLCS sweep, which included his memorable momentum-shifting swing against Jake Arrieta in Game 2. Murphy reached so far down for that Arrieta curveball that his left knee almost scraped the dirt, lifting it out toward Citi Field’s right-field seats for a two-run homer and a 3-0 first-inning lead.

“There’s not enough adjectives to explain how good Jake has been over the last year-and-a-half,” Murphy said. “I think he just put together – I was reading – (something) like the best 25-game stretch of anybody ever. So I was able to get a pitch that he probably felt like he executed pretty well.

“I didn’t hit it great. I just happened to wrap it around the pole. With Curtis Granderson and David (Wright) in front of me, they had really good at-bats, and our pitching was throwing the ball really well. Fortunately, that kind of ended up being enough for us.”

Something clicked for Murphy, who after an 0-for-4 night is still hitting .382 with four homers and 17 RBI for a first- place Washington team (19-9) the Cubs might face in the playoffs.

But the Cubs now believe they might have their own Mr. October, who didn’t go that far down the road negotiating with the Nationals. Zobrist turned down four-year, $60 million offers from the Mets and for the chance to make history in Chicago.

“There’s a great mix of the way guys are playing,” Zobrist said, “the way they’re feeling, the way they’re having conversations with each other. It’s the way that they’re just out there having a good time. We celebrate well together. We battle well together.

“That’s great on May 5th to get that feeling already. Sometimes you won’t get that feeling of a good team until later in the season. We’re going to have to weather some storms. We know that. But right now, we’re just trying to play great baseball.”

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CSNChicago.com Cubs’ Dexter Fowler still steaming after first-inning ejection By Tony Andracki

Three hours after being ejected, Dexter Fowler was still fuming.

Fowler - who leads Major League Baseball in on-base percentage - only got two at-bats Thursday night against the Washington Nationals before he was directed to hit the showers by home plate umpire Vic Carapazza.

Fowler struck out looking in his first two times to the plate and expressed his frustration with Carapazza on the field after his third-inning at-bat.

It didn't take long for Carapazza to give Fowler the boot.

Here's the rundown of the conversation, according to the Cubs's leadoff hitter:

Fowler: Was that pitch at the top of the zone? Carapazza: Yes. Fowler: Are you going to call them away, too, and down? What are we doing? I wanna know the strike zone. Carapazza: That's enough. Fowler: Enough of what? I'm asking you a question.

"And he threw me out," Fowler said. "I was surprised he didn't answer the question. He just walked away and said, 'That's enough.' I said, 'You're not gonna answer my question?' And he threw me out.

"I figure I got two more at-bats; I wanted to know the strike zone. Are you gonna call them up? Are you gonna call them away? Whatever. Just let me know. That's all."

Fowler said he has never been ejected from a game in his life at any level.

He admits he's said more than that before and hasn't gotten tossed. And he's also occasionally asked umpires where their strike zone is.

"People have answered my questions and I walked off," Fowler said. "That's all you want is an answer. ... Everybody knows I'm respectful. I wasn't being disrespectful at all. I just asked a question. It sucks I got thrown out of the game."

Fowler has been the Cubs' most productive offensive player this season, but his teammates still found a way to earn a 5-2 victory over the Nationals in his absence.

Joe Maddon was on his way out to argue when Fowler was tossed, but the Cubs manager wasn't as interested in getting into the whole ordeal after the game like his centerfielder was.

"I was arguing that we are a team that does not expand our strike zone," Maddon said. "That was my argument."

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CSNChicago.com Ben Zobrist channels ‘Zorilla,’ leads Cubs over Nationals By Tony Andracki

The Cubs were due for a close game and they almost got it Thursday evening.

After steamrolling the second-place Pirates over the three-game series in Pittsburgh, the Cubs looked ticketed for a nail-biting victory over the Washington Nationals in the series opener at Wrigley Field.

Instead, Ben Zobrist channeled his "Zorilla" alter-ego and smashed a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers with two outs in the bottom of the eighth en route to a 5-2 Cubs victory in front of 37,564 fans.

The Cubs were leading 5-0 with two outs in the ninth before Travis Wood served up a two-run shot to Jayson Werth, making those "jug runs" (Cubs manager Joe Maddon likens late inning insurance runs to stepping on the jugular of their opponent) all the more important.

"That's big right there," Maddon said of Zobrist's home run. "The jug runs in the eighth - they're always big when you have a lead. Two outs, to go from two to four kinda hurt [the Nationals] a little bit. Then we get another run, the extra tack on.

"Now, of course we would've worked the ninth inning differently had we not scored those runs, so you never know the outcome if Werth would've hit the home run."

Zobrist drove in the first four runs in the game - he also had a two-run single through the right side in the fourth inning to plate Tommy La Stella and Kris Bryant) - and is now second on the Cubs with 20 RBI on the season.

Two batters after Zobrist's blast, Addison Russell drove home Ryan Kalish with a double to left field, pushing the Cubs' run differential to a ridiculous +96 on the season.

"We're off to a good start," Cubs catcher David Ross said, "but we don't sit on the bench and talk about run differential or on-base percentage. We try to have good at-bats.

"Guys are going up there and doing their thing pitching. Everybody's out to do their best on a daily basis and I think that's the sign of a good team."

Despite the Nationals' late comeback attempt, Zobrist still provided all the offense Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs bullpen needed.

Hendricks spun six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and a pair of walks, striking out four.

"Outstanding," Maddon said. "He was really good. I complimented him on it as I was taking him out of the game. ... Really sharp with everything."

It was the first start for Hendricks in 10 days as the Cubs essentially skipped his turn in the rotation when they were handed two rainouts last week.

"It felt good, honestly," Hendricks said. "It didn't really feel like I missed anything. I threw a lot in between those 10 days. I [threw] off the mound every other day, almost. I think that helped just keeping up with the reps to keep sharp, but I felt good. Really good."

The Cubs are now 33-17 in Hendricks' first 50 career starts, the best record in a pitcher's first 50 starts since 1945- 47 (Hank Borowy).

Clayton Richard, Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop combined for two shutout innings and Hector Rondon recorded the final out as the Cubs kicked off this crucial four-game series by flying the "W" flag at Wrigley.

The Cubs now lead the majors with 21 victories, but because they've been winning by such lopsided scores, they only have four saves.

Zobrist said he's never been on a team that was 15 games over .500 this early in the season.

"This is a really good team," he said shortly after Thursday's victory. "We've played good baseball. Tonight was another good example of that. But we're focused on winning tomorrow now. It's over. We're gonna celebrate for a half hour, and that half hour is about up, so it's time to focus on tomorrow and try and win a day game tomorrow."

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CSNChicago.com Cubs: Jason Heyward ready to put wrist issue behind him By Tony Andracki

Jason Heyward's name wasn't in the starting lineup Thursday, but he said he was preparing for the game as if he were playing, testing his injured right wrist with batting practice and cage work.

Apparently batting practice went well.

Heyward entered Thursday's game before the fourth inning, taking over in center field after Dexter Fowler was thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes with home-plate umpire Vic Carapazza.

Joe Maddon said the Cubs' plan was to see how batting practice went and evaluate from there, but all parties were planning on a return to the lineup in Friday's game before extenuating circumstances precipated a change Thursday evening.

Heyward missed the entire three-game series in Pittsburgh, but watched his teammates dominate the second- place Pirates without their Opening Day right fielder, left fielder () and catcher (Miguel Montero).

"When we lose guys, having other people come up and still do that, that's awesome," Heyward said. "I feel like those are building blocks for what can make a very special season — when people go down and other guys get reps when they're not expecting to get reps. They don't take 'em for granted. Getting everybody involved is a good thing."

Heyward said he initially hurt his wrist while doing tee work in spring training and had just been dealing with it since then.

The 26-year-old outfielder entered play Thursday hitting just .211 with a .573 OPS, but refused to use his wrist as an excuse.

"I don't like to not play," Heyward said. "It just got to a point where I was like, 'Hey, I should say something and get some extra help.' Now it's good because I can come in and get treated for it."

Heyward is playing under the biggest contract in Cubs history (eight years, $184 million) and undoubtedly wanted to prove himself to a new team and new city.

He missed just 21 games across the last two seasons, hitting .281 with a .766 OPS in the process.

Heyward had been hitting better of late, going 10-for-20 with two doubles and five RBI in the last five games of the Cubs' road trip in late April.

But then he went hitless in the rain-shortened homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers and , going 0-for-17 with two walks. However, he did have a bunch of hard-hit balls, just right at defenders.

Still, he and the Cubs deemed it time to get some rest.

"It's tough [to know when to take a couple days off]," Heyward admitted. "But I know it's not a ligament [issue]. You know your body. The way I did it — it wasn't running into a wall or anything like that. It was just working hard in the cage.

"I want to play. I know I needed to play, especially at that time — it was so early. I know it's still early, but at that time, we weren't 20-6.

"It was just a matter of — is it going to help the team? Is it going to help me to get it calmed down sooner? I think it was a good time to do so."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs reach deep to pull out resourceful 5-2 victory over Nationals

By Mark Gonzales

It might have been just an appetizer for the Cubs' full plate of goals, but Thursday night's 5-2 victory over the Nationals was a nice morsel on the way to their main course.

Kyle Hendricks showed no signs of rust in pitching six shutout innings in his first outing since April 26.

And the offense mustered support against Joe Ross to help the Cubs to their fourth consecutive victory.

In improving to 21-6 — the Cubs' best 27-game start since the 1907 team started 23-4 — the Cubs now have won six of seven games against the National League playoff-worthy Cardinals, Pirates and Nationals.

"Every day we're measuring ourselves," Ben Zobrist said after hitting a two-run single and a two-run homer. "We're not taking teams for granted that have a tougher record. The Braves beat us (Sunday), and we got to play well every day. It's the major leagues.

"The Nationals are a great team and will continue to be good the rest of the season. We played good ball (Thursday). They got a taste of it, and hopefully we can continue to do that. But we have three (more) games against them. "

The Cubs have expanded their lead in the NL Central to 6 1/2 games with a mix-and-match lineup because of injuries. Thursday they were forced to reach further into their depth after plate umpire Vic Carapazza ejected Dexter Fowler for arguing a called third strike to end the third inning.

"I was curious as to what the strike zone was, and he threw me out for asking a question," said Fowler, who said he was ejected for the first time in his professional career. "He never answered my question, either."

Jason Heyward, who didn't start for the fourth consecutive game because of a sore right wrist, was inserted as Fowler's replacement.

"We don't have Miggy (Montero) and (Matt) Szczur, but to have other people step up is awesome," Heyward said before the game. "That's a building block for what can make a special season, when people go down and guys get reps when they're not expecting to get reps."

The Cubs collectively acknowledged the success of the Nationals (19-9). But after sweeping the Pirates earlier this week, they didn't put any extra importance on this series while welcoming the challenge from the NL East leaders.

Because of the rash of injuries, manager Joe Maddon didn't write out a weekend's worth of lineups for this series.

But he did place heavy significance on Ross having limited right-handed batters to a .128 batting average entering Thursday.

Despite Javier Baez's three-hit game Wednesday, left-handed hitter Tommy La Stella started at third base and collected two of the five hits off Ross in his 6 2/3 innings. Ryan Kalish, who was promoted Tuesday to take the place of the injured Szczur, chipped in with a single.

"It's amazing to watch these guys up here," said reliever Spencer Patton, who was called up Thursday from Triple-A Iowa. "They're doing a great job. It's a lot of fun to watch them winning games and playing baseball the right way.

"We're trying to model ourselves (at Iowa) the same way and have a good time so when we come here, it's no shock."

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Chicago Tribune Ben Zobrist providing protection, balance to Cubs' lineup

By Mark Gonzales

On the same night that Anthony Rizzo’s hitting streak ended at eight games, Ben Zobrist continued his climb toward hitting at a productive rate.

Zobrist drove in four runs with a two-run single from the left side, and then hit a two-run home run from the right side in the eighth inning that provided enough cushion Thursday night for the Chicago Cubs in a 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals.

This was Zobrist’s first four RBI game since June 2, 2015, at Detroit while playing for the Oakland Athletics. In the past two games, Zobrist has driven in seven runs. And since batting .212 on April 20, Zobrist’s batting average has climbed in the past 11 games to .261.

“I feel pretty good,” Zobrist said. “I think the reason I’ve had so many RBIs is I’m finally starting to get some hits behind Riz. Riz is getting on base, and they’re pitching around him to get to me. So if I get more hits, he’ll get better pitches to hit.

“He’s such a great hitter, and I do the best I can to protect him. I did a good job of that (Thursday), so hopefully he’ll get some pitches (Friday).”

Zobrist also is showing signs of balancing his production. He hit a three-run home run on Wednesday at Pittsburgh and his two-run single in the fourth also came from the left side against Joe Ross.

“It’s a good sign for me,” said Zobrist, who has hit home runs in consecutive games from both sides of the plate but is batting .235 from the left side and .333 from the right side. “It takes me a while sometimes, being a switch hitter, to get that feel. It’s definitely felt better the last couple days, driving a couple balls.

“I’m always getting my hits and finding a way to get on base. But sometimes driving it takes a while to find that stroke, and it’s felt good the last couple days and we’ll go with it and see if we can continue that the rest of the weekend.”

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Chicago Tribune Dexter Fowler's question answered with 1st Cubs' ejection By Mark Gonzales

Dexter Fowler joked that his young daughter probably was laughing at the first ejection of his professional career.

But the Chicago Cubs' center fielder was baffled Thursday night after getting tossed without receiving an explanation from home plate umpire Vic Carapazza after getting called out on strikes for the second consecutive time in the third inning of a 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals.

"I asked him, 'is that the top of the zone?' " Fowler said. "And (Carapazza) said, 'yes.' I said, 'are you going to call it away and down? What are we doing? What are we going to call? I need to know the strike zone?

"(Carapazza) said, 'that’s enough.' I said, 'enough of what? I’m asking you a question.' And he threw me out."

"Everyone knows I’m respectful. I wouldn’t be disrespectful at all. I just asked a question. It sucks to get thrown out of a game like that. You want to keep playing. I’m a competitor. I had two more at-bats."

Manager Joe Maddon continued the argument after Fowler was ejected.

“I was arguing that we are a team that does not expand our strike zone," Maddon said. "That was my argument."

This was the first ejection involving the Cubs this season.

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Hendricks more than Cubs' good luck charm By Mark Gonzales

Kyle Hendricks pitched so well Thursday night it was hard to tell whether he hadn’t pitched since April 26.

“It felt good,” Hendricks said after throwing six innings of two-hit ball in helping the Chicago Cubs seize a 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals. “Honestly. It didn’t feel like I missed anything during those 10 days (off). I threw a lot in between (starts). I threw off a mound almost every other day.”

During the same time, Hendricks took note of the achievements of the pitching staff, which took over the lead for the best ERA in the majors with a 2.31 mark. Hendricks had his turn pushed back after two rainouts so that Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester could continue to pitch on schedule.

“I don’t look at the actual numbers, but I know what some of those guys are doing,” Hendricks said. “It’s unbelievable. We keep pushing each other like we’ve talked about. It’s every next guy. They got to pass the baton and keep it rolling.

“Even if a guy has a bad start, we want to stop it with the next one right way. No losing streaks. It’s each guy pushing each other.”

Hendricks has carved a niche as a starter who has given his team a chance to win. In his 50 major league starts, the Cubs are 33-17. The last time the Cubs won at least 33 of a pitcher’s first 50 starts was in 1945-47 when they went 35-15 in Hank Borowy’s first 50 starts.

"He really pounded the zone and didn’t give them a lot of good looks," manager Joe Maddon said.

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Chicago Tribune Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred inspires confidence in future of game By David Haugh

Not that Chicagoans would blame him, but Commissioner Rob Manfred didn't spend Thursday in town working out logistics for a potential Red Line World Series.

"If I told you that hadn't crossed my mind, you'd say they need to get somebody else to do this job,'' Manfred kidded at U.S. Cellular Field before the White Sox-Red Sox game on a beautiful, historic night for baseball.

With the Cubs playing host to the Nationals eight miles north at Wrigley Field, it marked the first time four first- place teams had played in the same city on the same day, according to STATS. Manfred made no secret how thrilled he would be if the Cubs and Sox stayed atop the standings so he can return in October to witness more history.

"There is no doubt our largest markets, when they're successful, are good for our overall business,'' he said.

Baseball fantasy aside, Manfred addressed the reality of baseball's aggressive drug-testing program that already has suspended six offenders in 2016, most notably Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon. An ESPN report that the league will suspend a player after detecting Turinabol, a steroid linked to 1970s East German athletes, suggests how sophisticated MLB's system has become.

"We have made improvements in terms of lengthening the windows of detection (and) the science is getting a little better,'' Manfred said.

Here's the rub for Manfred, a common-sense communicator: The more advanced baseball's testing for performance-enhancing drugs gets, the more embarrassment his sport risks as players learn the hard way. But Manfred understood the road to deterrence will contain its share of bumps.

"We're always disappointed when a player makes a bad decision,'' Manfred said. "Having said that, we think we're doing the right thing by protecting the integrity of the sport.''

In his second season replacing Bud Selig, Manfred came across as a guy you want to buy a beer in the bleachers. His words possessed more candor than pretense. Unlike commissioner counterparts Gary Bettman in the NHL and Roger Goodell in the NFL, Manfred showed an ability to relate to how real people think, such as when he claimed baseball fans care about PED violations more than fans in other sports.

"Quite frankly, I embrace that higher standard,'' Manfred said. "It drives me. It drives us to be the best we possibly can be to prevent the use of performance-enhancing drugs.''

Asked about Jake Arrieta openly addressing rumors of PED use, Manfred felt driven to take a swing at supporting the Cubs' ace. And he connected.

"A player being put in a position where he has to defend himself against allegations that have absolutely no basis is a real unfortunate circumstance,'' Manfred said. "What I've learned about PEDs, you can't tell who's using based on personal appearance or outstanding performance. They're just not accurate predictors. If somebody is using (PEDs), our testing program is one sure way of knowing that's happening.''

Regarding other happenings in baseball, Manfred anticipated a Friday announcement on the status of the upcoming Pirates-Marlins series in Puerto Rico in jeopardy because of the Zika virus. Manfred proudly called the spring-training game in Cuba "baseball at its best,'' and reiterated hope Cuban players eventually can come to the United States freely and without damaging their country's baseball-obsessed culture.

The commissioner chuckled dismissing the tanking issue, pointing out that two of the “alleged tankers” woke up Thursday with records above .500. He applauded league-recommended changes made in protective netting fueled by “fundamental concern about fan safety” but acknowledged hearing more from fans who prefer the game without the nets.

What came most refreshing was Manfred's willingness to see the need for improvement and compromise in certain aspects of his game, an open mind never assumed in sports executives so powerful. On the need for MLB to catch up to other leagues in social media to engage young fans — which is why the commissioner posted a live Facebook video Tuesday and sponsored Snapchat day in spring training — Manfred welcomed the nudge.

"You can criticize us for being a little slow in that regard,'' he said.

On improving the pace of the play, which improved by six minutes per game last season, Manfred sounded unwilling to offer bad weather as an excuse.

"We'd like to see it a little better than it has been,'' he said of the pace.

But the moment Manfred most humanized himself came when he admitted enjoying Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista's bat flip in Game 5 of last year's Divisional Series. It came up in the context of Manfred agreeing, generally, with Nationals star Bryce Harper's stated desire to let baseball's new wave of brash young players freely determine what is and isn't acceptable.

"This generation of players, just like generations before, are going to define what the unwritten rules are on the field,'' Manfred said. "This generation should have the right to do that and probably going to make a little different judgment … but I'm 100 percent confident that whatever judgment they make will be respectful of the game.''

With respect to the game, Manfred has given the league reason to have just as much confidence in his own judgment.

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Chicago Tribune Jason Heyward likes Nationals' playoff potential, but not as much as Cubs' By Mark Gonzales

Much of the attention surrounding Jason Heyward's free agency surrounded the Cubs and the Cardinals.

But Heyward acknowledged the Nationals were an attractive option because they contend annually for playoff berths and possess young talent, to a certain extent.

"I wouldn't say as much young talent as this team," said Heyward, who turned down more lucrative offers from the Nationals and Cardinals to sign with the Cubs. "I don't think any team was like the one I'm on as far as young guys having an impact immediately in the playoffs. That's a different ball game.

"(The Nationals) have some young players, but they also have some vets as well. They're one of the teams that expects to go to the playoffs every year. So I feel that's attractive enough to anybody.''

Heyward didn't start his fourth consecutive game Thursday in the first of four with the Nationals because of a sore right wrist but did enter in the fourth inning after Dexter Fowler was ejected for arguing a called third strike.

Youthful impact: Cubs manager Joe Maddon marveled over the long list of young players making an impact in baseball, including his own.

"If you're a young man or young woman who wants to follow a team, it's easy to like our guys, the way they project, the way they're good on the field and beyond that," Maddon said. "They're affable, gregarious and interesting.

"There are different words to describe our guys beyond being good baseball players. Hopefully we'll be able to participate or help out in regaining younger fans in the game today."

Extra innings: Reliever Neil Ramirez was placed on the bereavement list after the passing of his grandfather. Spencer Patton, who didn't allow a run in 10 appearances at Triple-A Iowa, was promoted. … Catcher Miguel Montero (lower back tightness) hit the ball with authority during an early batting practice session. Maddon isn't sure if Montero will need a minor-league rehabilitation assignment. Montero is eligible to be activated off the 15- day disabled list Tuesday. … Maddon hasn't given up on outfielder , who didn't start for the fourth time in five games. "Just what's going on, it's not a developmental process," Maddon said. "We're trying to win games right now. And he's going to play a lot this year. He's a big part of our future."

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Chicago Tribune Dusty Baker at his happiest back where he belongs at the ballpark By Chris Kuc

Dusty Baker looked around the sparkling new interview room at Wrigley Field, his eyes wide in amazement.

"Look at this place," Baker said. "Before I was in kind of like a dungeon around the corner. And now I walked in here and saw the lights and stuff (and) I was ready for 'Saturday Night Fever.'"

The former Cubs manager was back at Wrigley on Thursday, this time as leader of the Nationals as the two teams residing in first place in their respective divisions kicked off a four-game series. It put the 66-year-old in a reflective mood. Baker managed the Cubs from 2003-2006, compiling a 322-326 record and guiding the team on a magical run to the 2003 National League Championship Series, where they fell to the Marlins. Three seasons without reaching the postseason later, Baker was gone. He wasn't forgotten, however, as he exchanged pleasantries with those around the Cubs organization on and off the field Thursday.

"I'd like to think I had an impact," Baker said of his time with the Cubs. "I kind of wished at the end I would have felt a little more … that I had had a positive impact. Sometimes people appreciate you more when you're gone than when you're there.

"On the other hand, I think a lot of (how) I wanted to be the guy who won it in Chicago and we were close," he added. "Now, I'm in a similar situation in (Washington). (The franchise hasn't) been in existence that long but baseball has been in D.C. for a long period of time. Now I have a new goal to be the first guy to manage (this) team and take it to the World Series and win in D.C."

Baker appears to be enjoying his first season with the Nationals that much more after being away from the game since the Reds fired him after the '13 season.

"Maybe God wanted me to be off for a particular reason, you know, to get some things back together," Baker said. "There were some things in my heart that I didn't know why I was out in the first place that I had to dispel."

During the time away from baseball (he did serve as a TV analyst for the '15 playoffs), Baker said he traveled — including fishing trips to Montana and Vancouver — and spent time with his family. But the lure of the game had him yearning to don the uniform again.

"I've been in pro ball since I was 18 and I've been in ball, period, since I was born it seems like," Baker said. "This is where I feel most comfortable, at the ballpark."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs players, Joe Maddon enjoy a 'shot' of mariachi music By Mark Gonzales

The Chicago Cubs players enjoyed wearing “minimalist” suits earlier this week that ranged from Clayton Richard’s “Riddler” costume to Tim Federowicz’s leopard suit borrowed from manager Joe Maddon.

And the fun continued Thursday as the Cubs were treated to a mariachi band in their clubhouse in observance of Cinco de Mayo.

“It’s something I’ll never forget, hearing a mariachi band play 'Tequila,' and your boys participating pre-game,” Maddon said. “It was kind of fun.”

David Ross clarified the meaning of “participating.”

“A good vibe in here,” Ross said. “Before you guys got in, we had ‘Tequila’ going. We were all yelling in here - the song, the song. Well, we wouldn’t do that (drink shots), but you never know (with Maddon).

“I think Joe just is consistent. Whether we were in first or in last, I think the mariachi band would probably be here.”

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Chicago Tribune Numbers support Cubs' convincing 20-6 start By Mark Gonzales

The Chicago Cubs’ current dominance is reflected by their 20-6 record in which they’ve posted a +93 run differential -- tops in the majors.

There is some historical caution, as the 1997 San Francisco Giants managed to win the with a 90-72 record despite getting outscored 793-784.

Nevertheless, here are some convincing statistics that have contributed to the Cubs’ fast start and holding a six- game lead in the .

The Cubs are 13-2 when scoring first. The early leads, thanks largely to leadoff batter Dexter Fowler, has allowed their starting pitchers to work with a margin for error.

They’re also 19-1 when scoring four runs or more, and that was essential after reliever Adam Warren – who usually is immune to allowing home runs – surrendered a two-run shot to Matt Joyce in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s 6-2 win at Pittsburgh.

The endurance of the starting pitchers has allowed manager Joe Maddon to maintain a fresh bullpen, as the relievers have thrown only 64 1/3 innings – fewest in the majors.

The Cubs are 17-0 in games in which they don’t commit an error, a tribute to their defense and the quality of their versatile players like Kris Bryant and Javier Baez.

The Cubs are expected to face a stiff challenge in a four-game series against the Washington Nationals as their approach another historical distinction. They’ve yet to lose consecutive games this season. The last team to avoid a two-game losing streak to start the season was the 1999 Atlanta Braves, who didn’t lose consecutive games until the 30th and 31st games of that season, according to STATS, Inc.

The last time the Cubs went this far without losing consecutive games was in 1907, when that team didn’t lose back-to-back games until its 34th and 35th games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

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