June 8, 2017

, back in groove, but Cubs' rally falls short in 6-5 loss http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-marlins-spt-0608-20170607-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Pitching remains an emphasis as Cubs ponder draft picks at Nos. 27 and 30 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-draft-outlook-spt-0608-20170607-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs dig everything about Wrigley renovations, and are eager for new dugout http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-wrigley-field-changes-players-spt-0606- 20170607-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs' minor mistakes add up to loss http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-john-lackey-20170607-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, No hangover for Cubs over 's draft selection in 2014 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-kris-bryant-draft-20170607- story.html#nt=oft13a-6gp1

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs unveil plans, renderings for new Wrigley Field clubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-wrigley-field-clubs-cubs-spt-0608-20170607- story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Short story: Cubs better with Javy Baez at short than ? http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/short-story-cubs-better-with-javy-baez-at-short-than-addison-russell/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Runners beware: Engage in mind games at your own risk http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/runners-beware-engage-jon-lester-in-mind-games-at-your-own-risk/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Wow, is coming to the Cubs?! No. No, he is not. http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/wow-bryce-harper-is-coming-to-the-cubs-no-no-he-is-not/

 Daily Herald, Will make a change at shortstop? http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170607/will-chicago-cubs-make-a-change-at-shortstop

 Daily Herald, Pitching a draft need not a necessity for Chicago Cubs http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170607/pitching-a-draft-need-not-a-necessity-for-chicago-cubs

 Daily Herald, Cubs unveil themes for 3 new premium clubs http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170607/cubs-unveil-themes-for-3-new-premium-clubs

 Cubs.com, Statcast of the Day: Schwarber breaking out http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/235081560/cubs-kyle-schwarber-breaking-out-gets-3-hits/

 Cubs.com, Pair of HRs not enough as Cubs drop finale http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/234900504/pair-of-homers-powers-marlins-over-cubs/

 Cubs.com, Maddon keeps faith in Russell amid struggles http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/235002490/cubs-keeping-faith-in-addison-russell/

 Cubs.com, Cubs announce 3 new Wrigley clubs for '19 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/234939674/three-more-clubs-coming-to-wrigley-in-2019/

 Cubs.com, Lester takes mound vs. Rockies in opener http://atmlb.com/2rEVlc1

 Cubs.com, Cubs, Good Sports launch collaboration http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/234944740/cubs-associates-give-back-to-six-area-programs/

 ESPNChicago.com, Seventh-inning gaffe helps bring Cubs' winning streak to a halt http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/44521/seventh--gaffe-brings-cubs-winning-streak- to-a-halt

 CSNChicago.com, Cubs' : ‘It’s Not Like We’ve Been Scoring A Ton’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-john-lackey-its-not-weve-been-scoring-ton

 CSNChicago.com, How Teams Might Copy Cubs Way Blueprint In MLB Draft http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-teams-might-copy-cubs-way-blueprint-mlb-draft

 CSNChicago.com, Why Won’t Create A Cubs Shortstop Controversy With Javier Baez And Addison Russell http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/why-joe-maddon-wont-create-cubs-shortstop-controversy-javier- baez-and-addison-russell

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber back in groove, but Cubs' rally falls short in 6-5 loss By Mark Gonzales

Kyle Schwarber might have earned his way to more playing time after smacking a on the way to his first three-hit game of the season.

Schwarber's performance Wednesday night, however, wasn't enough as the Cubs' late rally fell short in a 6-5 loss to the Marlins that ended their winning streak at five games.

This marked the first multi-hit game since May 16 for Schwarber, who saw his playing time shrink nearly two weeks ago. When he has played recently, he has been hitting ninth.

Schwarber credited hitting coach and assistant for shortening his stride and swing, and that has provided more balance.

"It has allowed me to be more relaxed at the plate, just feel more comfortable," Schwarber said.

Maddon observed Schwarber's production Wednesday was reminiscent of what he has seen from him in the past.

"Every time he has hit the ball, he's able to stand there because his balance is so good," Maddon said.

Shortstop, however, remains unsettled as Javier Baez started for the fourth time in seven games in place of struggling Addison Russell.

Before the game, Maddon defused speculation Baez could replace Russell permanently in the same manner Russell displaced with two months left in the 2015 season when Castro was struggling in the field and at the plate.

"As long as he's healthy and well, he's going to look (sharp) again," Maddon said of Russell, 23, who is batting .209 and is 1-for-11 on this homestand. "I saw it way too much over the past couple of years.

"I can't deny it. You're right. He has not played up to his standards at this point. You're right on. But I have a lot of faith in this guy because his mechanics and his fundamentals are that good to me."

Thanks to the talents of Baez, the best prescription for Russell's woes could be his work before games he's not starting "as opposed to just trying to push through it," Maddon said. "Without Javy, he would be pushing through it."

Despite Russell's six errors and several low throws first baseman has picked out of the dirt, Maddon still likes Russell at shortstop because of his ability to make routine plays.

"Watch how (Russell) plays through the ball consistently," Maddon said. "Javy will have his tendency to stay back on the ball. Addison is always playing through the ball."

Unfortunately for the Cubs, a 2-1 lead was wiped out in the fourth after John Lackey allowed four consecutive hits — starting with J.T. Realmuto's game-tying home run and ending with J.T. Riddle's two-run single that overcame Rizzo's two-run single in the bottom of the third.

The eventual winning run, however, occurred on a third strike from reliever Brian Duensing to Giancarlo Stanton that bounced away from .

Montero retrieved the ball and threw to first for the second out but was late in covering home plate, thus allowing the speedy Gordon to score from second base.

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Chicago Tribune Pitching remains an emphasis as Cubs ponder draft picks at Nos. 27 and 30 By Mark Gonzales

With the luxury of two first-round picks in next week's amateur draft, Cubs executives won't have the luxury of going to the beach for the second consecutive season to play over-the-line, a game popularized in Southern California.

"We had nothing to do but pull magnets off the board," Jason McLeod, the Cubs head of player development, recalled of waiting until the third round to make their first pick. "It really wasn't fun."

With the 27th and 30th picks in the first round Monday, the Cubs will look intently at pitching talent. While they may not go as strong for overall as they did last year in using 13 of their first 14 picks on them, pitching still will be a focus.

"We might be a little more focused on a particular type (of ), rather than cast a really wide net as we have the past couple of years," McLeod said. "But when you look up after Tuesday when we've gone through 20 rounds, you'll see a pretty good mix of pitching again."

McLeod emphasized the Cubs would spend their first two picks on players with the "most impact available" regardless of position.

"We're not going to try to invent a pitcher," he said. "I would love to be talking to you guys on Monday night and say, 'Hey, we really have a pitcher we're excited about,' but I don't know if it's going to fall that way. We'll take the two best players for the organization."

The Cubs could try to strike a deal with their first pick for less than the assigned value of roughly $2.37 million and use the savings toward their later picks as they did in 2014.

Many draft projections have linked the Cubs to shortstop Nick Allen of Parker High School in San Diego, but President declined last week in San Diego to comment on any draft eligible players.

Extra : Dylan Cease, the Cubs' top pitching prospect who hasn't pitched in nearly three weeks because of an ankle injury, could return to South Bend as soon as next week, McLeod said. ... During reliever 's stretch of nine consecutive scoreless appearances, he has cut down on his tendency to allow inherited runners to score. The biggest difference has been his fastball command," said manager Joe Maddon, who has been using Strop in shorter stints.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs dig everything about Wrigley renovations, and are eager for new dugout By Paul Skrbina

Like the construction crews that have been rehabbing Wrigley Field, Kris Bryant often wears a helmet.

Good thing, too, because the 6-foot-5 third baseman says he sometimes hits his head on the top of the dugout.

Bryant otherwise had nothing but praise for the upgrades to the 103-year-old ballpark: Giant video boards, a brand-new home clubhouse, bullpen relocation, "the Park at Wrigley" — Bryant says he loves all of it.

Well, almost all of it.

"It's really small," he said of the Cubs dugout. "You're hitting your head on everything. After you make an out, a frustrating at bat, you don't really want to come and hit your head."

The dugouts, Cubs spokesman Julian Green said, are scheduled for a facelift after this season.

As he talked, Bryant scanned the barely 1-year-old clubhouse in which he was standing and quickly went back to being thankful for what has been done.

"This place is so old," he said. "But it feels brand new."

Bryant said the 30,000 square-foot clubhouse was a "given" as his favorite improvement.

But Bryant didn't limit his preferences to inside the stadium.

"You look outside at the plaza, the Park at Wrigley, where (Hotel Zachary) is being built, it looks like a fun place where everybody can come and enjoy their time here," he said.

Then there are the bullpens.

They were moved from foul territory to under the bleachers before this season to make room for four rows of premium seating along the foul lines. Wrigley had been one of four stadiums with its bullpens in foul territory, along with those in San Francisco, Oakland and St. Petersburg, Fla,, where the Rays play.

"There have been mixed opinions on it," pitcher said of the pens.

Reliever Mike Montgomery, who recorded the final out of Game 7 of the , said at first the new bullpens were not well received.

"We were all like, 'This is terrible,'" Montgomery said.

But now he says the new location "is growing on me."

The pitchers' new home was too quiet, too confined, Montgomery said.

"You go from being on the field, part of the game, to underneath the bleachers," he said. "It felt weird. It was a big transition."

One of the biggest gripes pitchers had, along with not being able to interact with fans and feel like they were part of the game, had to do with grip. Because the new bullpens are climate-controlled, and originally lacked open air, adapting to sometimes drastic difference in temperature affected the feel of the ball for pitchers going from the bullpen to the field.

"I still favor being outside," Montgomery said. "But after a while you get used to it, for sure."

Montgomery said the Cubs front office has consulted with pitchers and made some changes, including the installation of netting so sound and air can flow freely through the bullpen.

There also are televisions throughout the new digs, which Montgomery said he likes, save for the delay between the broadcast and the live game, something Montgomery said he plans to talk with the front office about.

The next request, though, might be the installation of dance floors.

Members of the Cubs and Brewers bullpens used the televisions in the pens to engage in an impromptu dance-off between relievers during Friday's 1-hour, 59-minute rain delay.

Carl Edwards Jr., who drew two thumbs up from the Brewers' crew for his rendition of "The Worm," called the new bullpen "good" but "unordinary, because we're inside."

The opinions about the dugout, though, are pretty standard: Cool, usable, but could be bigger.

"Everything else couldn't get any better," Hendricks said. "The dugout can be (cramped). We've gotten used to it. It's not terrible. It keeps the team together in a way. There are positives and negatives to it.

"They have a plan to expand it a little bit. ... I'm pretty excited to see what it looks like."

One other item on the players' wish list: a passageway from the bullpen to the clubhouse.

"I wouldn't mind that at all, just being able to come back and hang in here (the clubhouse) and get ready," reliever said. "It doesn't matter to me, either way. But I wouldn't rule anything out here. it's pretty unbelievable what they do with all of this. It's beyond my imagination when I saw (the clubhouse). I wouldn't rule out (a tunnel), for sure."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs' minor mistakes add up to loss By Mark Gonzales

The Cubs nearly rallied all the way from a three-run deficit Wednesday night, but two mishaps lingered in a 6-5 loss to the Marlins that snapped their five-game winning streak.

John Lackey shouldered some of the blame by allowing a two-run single to J.T. Riddle with pitcher Jose Urena on deck that capped a three-run fourth inning.

“That at-bat to (Riddle) with two runners on with the pitcher coming up, I wasn’t really trying to throw a strike there,” Lackey recalled. “I was trying to throw a chase slider in and hung that pitch a little bit.

“It probably was the difference in the game.”

Lackey allowed solo home runs to J.T. Realmuto that started the three-run fourth and a solo shot to Marcell Ozuna in the fifth. But, “if I manage the game better in that one inning, it shouldn’t have killed us. But the hit to the shortstop was the one that got me the most, for sure,” Lackey said.

But at least Lackey managed to last six innings and 94 pitches despite his rough fourth. However, in the seventh, Dee Gordon managed to score all the way from second base on a wild pitch on a third strike to formidable Giancarlo Stanton.

Catcher Miguel Montero, who entered the game in the sixth as a pinch-hitter, retrieved the errant pitch from reliever Brian Duensing and threw to first base to retire Stanton.

But Montero was late in covering home plate, allowing Gordon to score and extend the Marlins’ lead to 6-3.

“(Montero) made the play, and we were yelling,” Maddon said. “(Montero) didn’t get back. He thought about it but didn’t get all the way back. Riz tried to lead him with the throw. I also believe their runner (Gordon) thought there were two outs.

“I don’t think he really was trying to score. I think he was running off the field. And so we had more time than we thought. Had he known the number of outs, he probably wouldn‘t have tried in the first place, which would have worked in our favor, which would have worked in our favor.”

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Chicago Tribune No hangover for Cubs over Kris Bryant's draft selection in 2014 By Mark Gonzales

Tuesday marked the fourth anniversary of the Cubs' selection of Kris Bryant with the second pick in the 2013 draft.

The selection of Bryant, which came after the Houston Astros picked Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, is regarded is one of the biggest steals in draft history as Bryant won the National League rookie of the year and most valuable player awards in his first two seasons, while Appel struggled and was subsequently traded to the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

But Jason McLeod, the Cubs' senior vice president of scouting and player development, isn't gloating over the Cubs' fortune as he's aware of the Astros' surge to the top of the West standings.

"It’s easy to look back," McLeod said Tuesday. "You look at their team now and how great they are right now and what they could be with Kris there or if (Kyle) Schwarber was on that team.

"They’re a dominant team. We’re obviously happy that Kris is here, and it’s kind of weird to think it’s been four years already."

Ironically, the Cubs thought they had a shot at Carlos Correa with the sixth overall selection in the 2012 draft after performing an impressive hitting display in a private workout at Wrigley Field prior to the draft.

But the Astros selected him with the first pick, and Correa won 2015 AL rookie of the year honors.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs unveil plans, renderings for new Wrigley Field clubs By Chris Kuc

The evolution of Wrigley Field will continue when the Cubs begin construction on three premier clubs shortly after the final out of the season.

The team announced Wednesday plans for three additional "premier experiences" that require another gutting of the ballpark during the offseason and ultimately will accommodate approximately 900 season ticket holders beginning with the 2019 season.

The "Maker's Mark Barrel Room" that will be located just behind the visitors' dugout down the first-base line, "The W Club" on the third-base side and the "Catalina Club" in the upper level behind home plate will join the "American Airlines 1914 Club" that is on schedule to open on 2018 and give fans exclusive access to clubs that feature food, drink and other amenities.

"As we've worked through the designs of each of these spaces they've really all developed a unique personality and unique set of features that really set them apart from each other while staying in line with the traditions of Wrigley Field and Chicago," said Cale Vennum, Cubs vice president of ticketing.

The addition of the clubs — as well as improving and expanding the ballpark's suites and creating a "VIP Entrance" — isn't expected to significantly alter the look of the ballpark, and seating capacity should remain level.

"Our tone all the way through is to update these amenities and elevate the experience for our fans coming to the game while making sure we don't disrupt what makes iconic Wrigley Field great," Vennum said.

Much like with the "1914 Club," season ticket holders who will be displaced by the new clubs will have the option to buy in or be relocated to another part of the ballpark. The Cubs declined to reveal the cost of the season tickets until a later date.

The price of a ticket for the new clubs will include food, soft drinks, beer and wine (and in the "Maker's Mark Barrel Room" liquor). Vennum said cost of the tickets will be lower than the "1914 Club," which average $495.

When offseason construction continues on that club and begins on the new ones, the home and visiting dugouts will be moved down the lines "about one section's worth" beginning with the '18 season, according to Vennum. The dugouts are also expected to be expanded.

The "Maker's Mark Barrel Room" and "The W Club" will feature views of the visitors' and Cubs' batting tunnels, respectively, and will each accommodate around 250 season ticket holders.

The "Catalina Club" name comes from the spring training home of the Cubs from most of 1921 through 1951 on Santa Catalina Island in California, and the indoor/outdoor space is designed to give fans views of the field and the lake to the east and the skyline to the west. Currently, the Jim Beam Patio that is open to all seating-bowl ticket holders occupies much of the space.

"When the "Catalina Club" opens in 2019 we will actually open at the exact same time multiple concession stands, just moved outside of where they are today, which all have patios facing back away from the field similar to the Jim Beam patio," Vennum said.

Because of the Cubs' historic run to the championship, construction on the "1914 Club" had to wait until nearly November. Vennum hopes to have a similar problem this season.

"Maybe we can only make it Game 4 and save ourselves some stress," he said with a laugh. "As soon as we're done playing baseball they really get right to the construction work to make sure they have enough time to get everything done."

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Chicago Sun-Times Short story: Cubs better with Javy Baez at short than Addison Russell? By Gordon Wittenmyer

Could Javy Baez become the Cubs’ starting shortstop? Should he?

With Addison Russell struggling at the plate and in the field, Baez has joined him in a job share.

The stronger-armed, flashier Baez has started at short in half of the Cubs’ last 12 games as Russell (.209, three home runs) has concentrated on extra work with coaches and gotten a mental break.

But manager Joe Maddon said he’s not planning to change his middle-infield alignment.

“I’m not looking to do that,” he said before the Cubs’ 6-5 loss Wednesday night against the Marlins that snapped their five-game winning streak.

Maddon, however, acknowledges the deepening struggles of Russell, an All-Star starter in his first full big-league season last year. Those struggles include a recent trend of poor throws and a hard-hit ball he allowed to play him for an error in Tuesday’s victory over the Marlins.

Maddon also raved about Baez’s elite arm as a middle infielder, wondering aloud whether he or catcher has the strongest non-pitching arm on the team. And he compared an acrobatic play Baez made Tuesday on a ball up the middle to the skills of Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar and seven-time All-Star Robinson Cano. “[Russell’s] not on top of his game now; I cannot defend that,” said Maddon, who also didn’t have an explanation for Russell’s downturn after two seasons of growth.

But he also said he believes in Russell’s “no-chrome” steadiness in the field as the better fit as his long-term shortstop.

“As long as he’s healthy and well, he’s going to look like that again. I saw it way too much over the last two years,” Maddon said. “I can’t deny he has not played up to his standards at this point. But I have a lot of faith in this guy because his mechanics, his fundamentals are that good for me.”

By all accounts, Russell is not hampered physically. Whatever the cause of his two-way inconsistency, Russell has rarely been the best shortstop in the game when the Cubs have played.

Meanwhile, Baez has surged since a rough April. Even after his 0-for-3 performance, he’s hitting .296 with eight homers and 22 RBI in 30 games since the start of May.

Schwarbusting out

Remember Kyle Schwarber, the fireplug slugger whose only three hits since May 17 were home runs?

Schwarber snapped that 3-for-44 trend in the third inning with a tailing, opposite-field double off the glove of Marcell Ozuna. Then he homered into the basket in left-center in the seventh and drove in another run with a double to the right-center gap in the eighth.

It was his first three-hit game of the season and just his third multihit game since April 24.

“It’s more just staying within myself and not trying to go out there and try to get hits after hits after hits,” said Schwarber, who added that he has been working with hitting coaches John Mallee and Eric Hinske on shortening his swing. “It’s allowing me to be more relaxed at the plate and just feel more comfortable in the box.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Runners beware: Engage Jon Lester in mind games at your own risk By Gordon Wittenmyer

Jon Lester doesn’t want anybody to know his secret.

“I’d rather lay under the radar on it,” he said.

But it’s too late.

As Lester takes the mound for his start Thursday against the Rockies, the real story can finally be told about his long-standing when throwing to bases and holding runners.

In the ultimate baseball irony, his yips issue might be more in opponents’ heads than his.

“You can tell,” Lester said.

Just ask , who ventured 20 feet off first base in the fifth inning of a one-run game Saturday and got picked off on an easy throw to first by Lester.

“He hasn’t made a successful pick in who knows how long,” a shocked Pham said after Lester’s 5-3 win during a sweep of the Cardinals.

Lester’s first in two years might have looked like an aberration. But he has become anything but easy to exploit the last few years.

Part of that is a 1.1-second time to the plate that’s among the best in baseball. Another part is catcher Willson Contreras, who has one of the best arms in the league.

And no small part is a perception that might have planted a misleading seed in opponents’ minds.

“I know the Dodgers made a big deal about it because they talked about it so much,” Lester said. “It was almost in their head more so than in ours.

“They were out there, but instead of going toward second base with their secondary [leads], they were going back to first because they were worried about getting back-picked [by Contreras]. They were almost doing us a favor by, yeah, you’re out that far, but you’re momentum’s going back, so you’re giving our infield an opportunity to turn the double play.”

Lester’s base-throwing trouble goes back to high school. It’s part of how he wound up with as a personal catcher over a four-year stretch for the Red Sox and Cubs.

But since getting to the National League, Lester has been especially expert at varying his hold times in the stretch, his leg kicks and his pitches, and mixing in slide steps.

“When we first got him, there were all these numbers out there about him being run against and that he can’t throw to first and all that crap,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Well, let’s emphasize what he does well. His strengths are that he can be quick to the plate.”

Said Lester: “You can’t be long to the plate if you can’t do another thing. If you’re not good at doing one thing, you’ve got to work on being better at another.”

It’s something he developed to an elite level during his years with Ross.

The transition to Contreras this year has been seamless. And their continued progress in that area could be an important, if under-the-radar, part of the team’s success.

Contreras is fourth in the majors in throwing out attempted base-stealers (nine), and no catcher has more than his eight pickoffs the last two seasons.

He takes the Lester issue personally.

“I feel like other teams try to show up Lester because he ‘cannot’ throw to first base,” Contreras said, making air quotes with his fingers. “That’s one thing that offends me because I’m a catcher, and he’s my pitcher. If they want to show up Lester, they better make sure they get to second base or they get back safe to first. Because if they’re going to show up Lester, and he has a good time to home plate, and I make a good throw to first or second, I will show them up.”

When the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson crouched in a starting-blocks stance while leading off against Lester in a game in April, Contreras fumed.

“That pissed me off,” he said. “I was hoping that he went to second base to see what happens.”

Contreras didn’t get his chance that game. And since everyone saw Lester throw out Pham, he might not get a lot more against anybody.

“Now we got a ball over there,” Lester said. “Maybe we’ll get another ball over there the next start, and then we’ll completely shut it down.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Wow, Bryce Harper is coming to the Cubs?! No. No, he is not. By Rick Morrissey

Imagine someone yelling out in a theater full of teenage girls: “Surprise! One Direction is back and here to perform for you!”

Now you’re starting to get an idea of the reaction from Cubs fans when respected baseball analyst Peter Gammons recently told WSCR-AM, “I have people tell me that Bryce Harper really would prefer to play for the Cubs.’’

Gammons’ next sentence could have been, “I’m growing another head on my right shoulder,’’ and no one in the vast sea of Cubs fans would have heard it. All anyone could process in the moment was that the Nationals star wanted to play for the Cubs and that of course Harper would want to play for the Cubs because who wouldn’t?

You know you’ve arrived as a fan base when you start acting like Yankees fans. You sound like this: (Your superstar here) will become a free agent in a few years, and he’d be a freaking idiot if he didn’t want to join our team! This is the God’s honest truth: If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!

The Harper-to-the-Cubs possibility is a wonderful thought, except for the small matter of how to pay both Harper and Cubs star Kris Bryant, who also will be in line for a monster contract when he becomes a free agent after the 2021 season. And, you’re right, if this were the Yankees, they might find a way to have both players on the roster.

But these are the Cubs, who exceeded the luxury tax in 2016 for the first time in franchise history. Even though they are making gobs of money and might be able to afford Bryant, Harper and the reincarnation of the 1927 Yankees, it’s not going to happen. I don’t see the Cubs putting all their eggs in two baskets.

The chatter is that Harper will get a $500 million contract when his current deal expires after next season, when he’ll be 26. That’s a lot of money even by Ricketts family standards. Bryant, while not the movable hot button that Harper is, will be worth a boatload whenever he signs his next contract. The rest of what Gammons said in The Score interview would have been the airplane dropping water on the forest fire if, you know, anyone had heard it.

“Somehow I don’t think it’s going to be affordable to have Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant on the same team,” he said. “It’s a great idea, I’d love to see it because I respect them both so much, personally and professionally, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen.”

You might have mentioned that first, Peter.

The Yankees are a better landing place for Harper, and not just because of the team’s willingness to open its wallet for marquee players. He loves attention, New Yorkers love anyone who loves their attention and it sounds like a match made in baseball heaven (or back-page hell).

But for any team that wants Harper, there is the small matter of his uneven production. He has had an excellent first two months to this season, hitting .322 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI. In 2015, his National League Most Valuable Player season, he hit .330 with 42 homers and 99 RBI. That’s the great stuff. In his other four seasons, he hit .270, .274, .273 and .243 and didn’t hit more than 24 home runs in any of those years, though injuries sometimes played a role. That’s the average stuff.

I’d love to hear what Cubs president Theo Epstein thinks of Harper and his worth. Baseball executives aren’t allowed to talk about other teams’ players, so we don’t know what he thinks of the bouncing ball that is Harper’s career so far. Would he give someone like Harper (or even Bryant) a 12-year contract, betting on the early to middle years being profoundly good? It wouldn’t be like giving a 10-year, $240 million contract when he was 31, the way the Angels did in 2012.

To some extent, it could be beside the point.

The question might not be how good Harper is or will be. It might be, does it matter? His fame has surpassed his ability — and he has a ton of ability. Fans pay to watch him play. He fills seats. He’s the face of baseball right now, and if not that, then certainly the hair of baseball.

When he fought Giants reliever Hunter Strickland in late May, he came out the winner, even though the fight looked like a draw. Public sentiment was with the player who had taken a long look at a couple of home run balls he hit off Strickland in the 2014 playoffs, not with the pitcher who remembered those homers three years later and hit Harper with a 98 mph fastball. The clip of the fight got huge airtime because it involved Harper.

People love to watch him, even the people who hate him. He seems to resonate with younger viewers. Before the start of the 2016 season, he called the game “tired’’ because tradition frowned upon hitters celebrating home runs. Lots of people agree.

Wherever he goes, a whirlwind follows. Don’t expect it to settle in Chicago, unless it can pitch too.

A few days after mentioning that Harper would prefer to play for the Cubs, Gammons said that, if he had to guess, Harper would end up signing with the Yankees.

Sure, now he tells us.

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Daily Herald Will Chicago Cubs make a change at shortstop? By Bruce Miles

Early in the Chicago Cubs season, a flavor-of-the-day topic was that Javier Baez soon would be the everyday second baseman.

That didn't pan out, even though Baez has made the most starts of anybody on the team at second.

Nowadays, Baez is alternating days at shortstop with Addison Russell.

By the seventh inning of Wednesday night's 6-5 loss to the at Wrigley Field, neither Baez nor Russell was at short, as manager Joe Maddon moved there from second as part of a flurry of moves.

With Russell struggling at the plate, the question came up as to whether Baez could take over as the everyday shortstop.

Maddon wasn't going there.

"I'm not looking to do that, honestly," he said. "The one thing Addison really has and does well is that he does the routine routinely. He normally doesn't make any mistakes, which I really appreciate about him.

"Javy's got all the flair in the world. I think he's really good. I'm not denying that. But when it comes down to nuts and bolts, for me, I think I talked about that the first time I saw Addison take groundballs in spring training a couple years ago, I was kind of like going crazy. I asked him, 'Who taught you,' because his mechanics were so good."

Russell has a hitting line of .209/.291/.335 with 3 homers and 19 RBI. He experienced shoulder soreness earlier this season, but Maddon says he expects him to return to his better form.

"As long as he's healthy and well, he's going to look like that again," the manager said. "I saw it way too much over the last two years. I can't deny it: He has not played up to his standards at this point. But I have a lot of faith in this guy because his mechanics, his fundamentals, are that good for me."

John Lackey was the starting pitcher for the Cubs on Wednesday and he worked 6 innings, giving up 7 hits and 5 runs as the Cubs had a five-game winning streak snapped.

Another positive development for the Cubs was the night at the plate enjoyed by left fielder Kyle Schwarber. He had a pair of doubles, including an RBI double in the eighth that brought the Cubs within 6-5.

Schwarber also hit his 10th home run of the season, a high drive to the opposite field in left-center in the seventh. It was Schwarber's first 3-hit game since Aug. 13, 2015. Schwarber is batting .175 for the season but has looked better lately. He credits work with hitting coaches John Mallee and Eric Hinske.

"I want to keep it going," he said. "I think it's more of staying within myself and not trying to go out there and try to get hits after hits after hits. It's all a process. If you can take a walk, it's good.

"I just feel like the work I've been doing (with the coaches), just trying to shorten everything up is allowing me to be more relaxed at the plate and just feel more comfortable in the box."

Scouting report

Cubs vs. at Wrigley Field

TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus Thursday; Comcast SportsNet Friday; ABC 7 Saturday; WGN Sunday

Radio: WSCR 670-AM

Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Jon Lester (3-3) vs. Tyler Chatwood (5-7) Thursday at 7:05 p.m.; Kyle Hendricks (4-3) vs. German Marquez (4-3) Friday at 1:20 p.m.; Eddie Butler (3-1) vs. (3-0) Saturday at 1:20 p.m.; (6-4) vs. Antonio Senzatela (8-2) Sunday at 1:20 p.m.

At a glance: The Rockies took two of three from the Cubs in May at Coors Field. Colorado comes to town with a road record of 21-10, and they lead the NL West. The Rockies' 37 victories through their first 60 games were most in team history. Charlie Blackmon entered Thursday with a line of .331/.370/.608 with 13 homers and 47 RBI. Mark

Reynolds was at .299/.368/.564 with 16 homers and 51 RBI, both team highs. Nolan Arenado had 14 homers and 39 RBI. Rockies pitching was seventh in the NL in ERA (4.15), while the Cubs were fourth (3.97).

Next: at Citi Field, Monday-Wednesday

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Daily Herald Pitching a draft need not a necessity for Chicago Cubs By Bruce Miles

As hard as it may seem to believe, the current Chicago Cubs baseball regime will preside over its sixth amateur draft beginning Monday.

First-round picks Jr., Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and are on the major-league roster.

As has been the case for several years, pitching remains an area of need in the organization.

"It's exciting for all of us to see all the guys that are up here now that we've been able to draft and develop since we've been here," said Jason McLeod, the Cubs' senior vice president of scouting and player development. "Our challenge, I feel like I say to you guys every single year, is on the pitching side of things.

"Now, looking at some of the guys who are performing this year down in the minor leagues, it makes us feel good.

"We're going to still try to identify guys in this year's draft that we feel be impact starting pitching for us."

The Cubs have the 27th and 30th overall picks in the first round this year. Last year they did not pick until the 104th selection overall.

Will the Cubs stick with the cliché of "best player available?"

"Most impact available," McLeod said. "We're not going to try to invent a pitcher there. I'd love to be talking to you guys Monday night and say, 'Hey, we really got a pitcher that we're really excited about, but I don't know if it's going to fall that way. We're going to take the two best players for the organization. If one of them is a pitcher or if both of them are pitchers, that will be great."

Remembering Stan Zielinski:

The Cubs have not forgotten their late scout, Stan Zielinski. Far from it. Zielinski, who resided in Winfield, died in early January.

Zielinski's son Zach will represent the Cubs at the draft along with former Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall.

Jason McLeod said Zach Zielinski also will do some work for the Cubs this summer.

"We were talking about Stan today," McLeod said. "We always talk about Stan. We had another one of his Stan- isms as we like to say, things that we hadn't even seen before. We were reading a follow report on a kid and it was along the lines of, 'We have to treat this kid like a student driver. He's new to this, and we just hope that it's not a bumpy road and that it's a smooth ride.' We all got a chuckle about it."

Among the players recommended by Zielinski was Kyle Schwarber.

Game times set:

The Cubs have announced the Sunday Aug. 6 game against the at Wrigley Field, currently listed as "TBD," and the Sunday Sept. 3 game against the , originally listed as "TBD," are scheduled to begin at 1:20 p.m. Both will air on CSN Chicago.

The Cubs' next Sunday night game is July 23 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

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Daily Herald Cubs unveil themes for 3 new premium clubs By Jake Griffin

Themes for three planned premier clubs at Wrigley Field were unveiled by the Chicago Cubs today.

The new clubs, which are expected to open at the start of the 2019 season, will only be available to those in premium seats.

Clubs along the first and third baselines in the 100 level are expected to hold up to 250 fans, while a 400-seat club in the 400 level behind home plate and underneath the press box will replace concession stands and an open-air terrace that currently exist.

The Maker's Mark Barrel Room will be built under the seats along the first-base side, the W Club will be housed under the seats along the third-base side and the Catalina Club will be added to the 400 level, Cubs officials announced.

The effect of the new clubs on ticket prices wasn't released.

"Each of these has been done to enhance the fan experience while preserving the beauty and charm of Wrigley Field," said Cale Vennum, vice president of ticketing. "We sent an email to season ticket holders who sit in these seats today to have a discussion with them about pricing."

Much of the food and beverage options in the clubs will be included in the ticket price, Vennum said. Chicago- based Levy Restaurants, the food and beverage contractor at Wrigley, is expected to create menus specific to each new club as well as offering traditional Wrigley favorites.

Cubs officials announced plans for the clubs last year as well as the larger, 600-seat American Airlines 1914 club under the seats in the 100 level behind home plate that is anticipated to open at the start of next season.

Visitors to the new clubs along the baselines won't be able to see on-field action, but will have views of the game on TVs as well as being able to watch hitters warming up in the adjacent batting tunnels. The Cubs batting cage is near the W Club and visiting hitters practice their swings near the Barrel Room.

The Catalina Club will offer visitors a view of the field, as well as terrace seating.

New concession stands and restroom improvements in the upper levels are also in the works to accommodate the removal of the concession stands to make way for the Catalina Club.

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Cubs.com Statcast of the Day: Schwarber breaking out By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Watch Kyle Schwarber at the plate. The Cubs slugger may be close to getting out of his funk.

In Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Marlins, Schwarber posted his first three-hit game of the season, and his first since Aug. 13, 2015, hitting a pair of doubles and a solo home run.

Schwarber's double in the third inning was his first hit that wasn't a homer since May 17 against the Reds. His home run leading off the seventh was his 10th.

"It was a good day at the plate," Schwarber said. "I've been working with [hitting coaches John Mallee and Eric Hinske], and shortening everything up. I'm just trying to hit the ball. It worked out good. I want to keep it going. It's a tough loss today, but we still battled."

"You see how much shorter [his swing is]," manager Joe Maddon said. "His feet are on the ground, he's not lifting his leg up a lot. He's keeping his body out of it, and his hands have been much more active. It's reminiscent of what we've seen in the past.

"He has great balance in his finish. You've seen every time he's hit the ball, he's able to stand there because his balance is so good. When a hitter can do that, it means he's permitting the ball to travel, he's using his hands, he's keeping his head still, all the good things you're trying to get done. A nice night for him, absolutely it was."

According to Statcast™, Schwarber's first double had a 99-mph exit velocity, his home run registered at 102 mph and his RBI double in the eighth was 106.5 mph. It's his first game this season with multiple barrels, which are batted balls with an ideal combination of exit velocity and launch angle. The last time he did that was Sept. 11, 2015.

Schwarber's first double and home run came on pitches clocked at 97.2 mph and 94.7, respectively. Those are the two hardest pitches he's hit for barrels this year out of 17 total.

Schwarber hit a Saturday against the Cardinals, but Maddon was even more impressed with the next game when Schwarber drew three walks. It's been all or nothing lately, as Schwarber's last six hits have been two doubles and four homers. On Wednesday, the first double went to left, the homer was to center and the second double went to right. Is he trying to hit to the opposite field?

"I think it's more staying within myself, and not trying to go out there and get hit after hit after hit," Schwarber said. "It's all process -- if you can take a walk, it's good."

According to baseball historian Christopher Kamka, Schwarber is the first Cubs player with three extra-base hits out of the No. 9 spot since Grover Alexander did so on June 20, 1925.

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Cubs.com Pair of HRs not enough as Cubs drop finale By Scott Chasen and Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto homered, as the Marlins held on to beat the Cubs, 6-5, on Wednesday night, staving off a sweep and snapping Chicago's five-game winning streak.

Like on Tuesday, the Marlins got on the board quickly -- but the key difference was the offense had more in store. Realmuto and Ozuna hit solo homers in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, while J.T. Riddle drove in a pair of runs.

"I'm just happy we won. However it comes, I'm just happy to have wins," said Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, who scored the decisive run on a wild-pitch fielder's choice on a in the seventh. "Honestly, we needed it."

Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run double, Kyle Schwarber had his first three-hit game of the season, including a solo homer, and Ian Happ added a solo shot for the Cubs, who pulled within a run in the eighth, but Marlins closer A.J. Ramos got the final four outs for his ninth save.

"It was a good day at the plate," Schwarber said. "I'm just trying to hit the ball. It worked out good. I want to keep it going. It's a tough loss today but we still battled."

Marlins starter Jose Urena pitched five innings and allowed three runs to a Cubs offense that had started to hit its stride. He was outlasted by Cubs starter John Lackey, who pitched six innings, but the right-hander struggled to suppress Miami's bats. The Marlins got to Lackey for five runs on seven hits, marking the third time in his last four starts he's surrendered five runs.

"[Lackey is] not afraid to challenge hitters, and sometimes it works for him and sometimes it works against him," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Ozuna got him there, and with Realmuto, it was a changeup up and that hurt him a little, too."

The Marlins improved to 25-33, finishing the series a half-game back of the Braves for third in the National League East. The Cubs are 30-28, a game behind the Brewers, who are first in the NL Central at 32-28.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Four for four: After giving up an early 1-0 lead in the third, the Marlins wasted little time responding. Realmuto smashed a solo shot with one out in the fourth, marking the first of four consecutive Marlins hits. By the end of that stretch, they led, 4-2, and surpassed their offensive output from the first two games of the series combined.

The hit that bothered Lackey the most was Riddle's two-run single.

"The at-bat to the shortstop where I gave up the hit with two runners on and the pitcher coming up -- I wasn't trying to throw a strike there," Lackey said. "I hung that pitch a little bit, and he got a hit. That's definitely the difference in the game right there."

By the skin of their teeth: The Marlins' bullpen flirted with danger all night, starting in the sixth when the Cubs had two on with one out, but couldn't score off Brad Ziegler. Schwarber led off the seventh with a solo home run off David Phelps, and drove in another run with a two-out double in the eighth. Marlins manager Don Mattingly turned to closer A.J. Ramos to get the team out of the eighth, and record a four-out save.

"A.J. did a nice job with the four-out save there," Mattingly said. "Kind of kicking myself for not bringing him in at Schwarber [one batter earlier], honestly."

QUOTABLE

"I was pumped to come in in that situation. The fans were cheering. They're gaining momentum. The game is starting to speed up a little bit. And those are situations I like to be in, especially when I'm feeling good. When I was going out there I was like, 'This is awesome.' I don't know if you saw me, I kind of stepped off and just [felt] the energy of the crowd because I just, I like that feeling. Even though it's negative energy toward me, I still feed off of that." -- Ramos, on getting four-out save at Wrigley Field.

HAPP BACK TO REALITY

After two days out of the Cubs' lineup, Happ returned, and did the same thing that earned him a curtain call in his last starts -- or half of it, at least. The utility man hit a solo shot off Urena with two outs in the fifth, marking his third straight hit that was a home run. The shot traveled an estimated 388 feet, and left the bat with an exit velocity of 103.2 mph, according to Statcast™.

WHAT'S NEXT

Marlins: The Marlins head to Pittsburgh to begin a four-game set against the Pirates at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday. Right-hander Edinson Volquez (2-7, 3.79 ERA) will get the ball for the series opener, fresh off his last outing when he pitched the sixth no-hitter in Marlins history. There were some questions about Volquez's ankle coming into this start, but he seemed to quell those concerns after working through a bullpen session Tuesday.

Cubs: Jon Lester will open a four-game series against the Rockies on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. CT at Wrigley Field. Lester is 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in six home starts. In his last start against the Cardinals, he gave up three runs over six innings, but did not get a decision.

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Cubs.com Maddon keeps faith in Russell amid struggles By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon continued to alternate shortstops on Wednesday, starting Javier Baez over Addison Russell in the series finale against the Marlins. But as far as Maddon is concerned, Russell is still the starter.

"The one thing Addison has, and does well, is he does routine routinely," Maddon said. "He doesn't make any mistakes, which I really appreciate about him. Javy has all the flare in the world. When it comes down to nuts and bolts -- I talked about that the first time I saw Addison in Spring Training. I asked him, 'Who taught you?' Because his mechanics are so good."

But Russell's throws have been off target a little, and he was batting .140 in his last 32 games entering Wednesday. That's a long way from the All-Star numbers he put up last season.

"As long as he's healthy and well, he'll look like that again," Maddon said. "I saw it way too much over the last two years. He has not played up to his standards at this point, but I have a lot of faith in this guy, because his mechanics and fundamentals are that good."

What's the problem?

"I think it's just coming off last season, it's the start of this year," Maddon said. "He's not gotten into a very good rhythm yet at the plate, or on the field."

Perhaps Russell needs to play every day, rather than sit, so he can get into that rhythm? Maddon says not, and he's taking advantage of Baez's talents to give Russell a chance to develop.

"The thing I've been watching is that by doing what we're doing, we're affording him more extra work with the coaches," Maddon said. "My perspective was that he needed more time with the coaches, where they're talking about little things fundamentally with his feet, and his throwing and making sure he's throwing through the ball.

"By doing this, I'm thinking the better thing right now is more work in between starts, as opposed to trying to push through it. Without Javy, he would be pushing through it."

Worth noting

• The Cubs have two picks in the first round of Monday's Draft, but Maddon is deferring to the scouts and not getting involved. He does appreciate the emphasis on quality people, not just top talent.

"The combination of the player and the person here is kind of uniquely well done," Maddon said. "I anticipate it will continue to be that way. It's been really fun to watch."

The Cubs currently have first-round Draft picks Ian Happ, Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant, Albert Almora Jr. and Baez on the 25-man roster.

• Mark your calendars: The Cubs announced starting times for two games that were listed as "to be determined." The Cubs' Aug. 6 game against the Nationals and Sept. 3 contest against the Braves will both start at 1:20 p.m. CT at Wrigley Field.

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Cubs.com Cubs announce 3 new Wrigley clubs for '19 By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Cubs season-ticket holders will have a choice of three new clubs at Wrigley Field in 2019, which will include such perks as a peek into the batting cages.

Next season, the American Airlines 1914 Club, which is located behind home plate, will open, and the Cubs released information on Wednesday regarding the Maker's Mark Barrel Room, which will be on the first-base side; the W Club on the third-base side; and the Catalina Club, which will be located on the upper level under the press box.

"Within each of the four clubs, they all have their own unique personality and set of features that set them apart," said Cubs vice president of ticketing Cale Vennum.

For example, the Maker's Mark Barrel Room will be located beyond the visitors' dugout on the first-base side and under the current seats. Patrons will feel as if they're at a speakeasy in Chicago, and this location will provide a view of the visitors' batting tunnel. It will be all-inclusive of food, drinks, beer, wine and liquor.

The W Club will be under the seats on the third-base side, and it will celebrate past and current players. There will be more television screens and video baords, plus memorabilia. Season-ticket holders who chose this club will get to watch Anthony Rizzo or Kyle Schwarber take their warmup swings, because the site will have a view into the Cubs' batting tunnel.

The Catalina Club was named to pay homage to the Cubs' former Spring Training site on Catalina Island, and it will have indoor and outdoor areas, featuring not only a view of Wrigley Field, but of the Chicago skyline. What is currently the Jim Beam Patio will become part of the Catalina Club. Patrons here can go indoors to the restaurant, then outside to the patio. This space can accomodate 400 people.

Vennum said when the upper-level space is renovated, the Cubs will add new concessions and patios on the right- field and left-field sides, plus enhanced restrooms.

Specific areas within the ballpark will be associated with each club.

"If you have a season ticket in the seats directly behind home plate at the 400 level, those seats would be associated exclusively with the Catalina Club," Vennum said. "It's not an incremental membership that anyone can purchase. It's only these seats that are exclusively associated with each of these spaces, and that's true of all four clubs."

The Cubs hope fans will enjoy a pregame meal at one of the clubs, or if they need something to eat in the fourth inning, club members will have quicker access to food and drinks.

"We know ultimately the Cubs are the star of the show," Vennum said. "People want to be in their seats, and this is just an enhanced set of amenities that they wanted alongside of that, and I think that's what we've provided here." Season-ticket holders received an email on Wednesday explaining the three new clubs. If interested, they should go to CubsPremier.com and sign up for the priority waiting list. There is a $500 deposit.

"The reason we're starting this early," Vennum said, "is because we wanted to have a lot of time to speak to our season-ticket holders who are in these spaces today to make sure we can help them understand what their options were, understand if this is the right fit for them, so they're not surprised at the last minute that there is a club seat coming to their space. We want them to have a lot of time to make the best decision for them."

Once completed, the new clubs also will be available to anyone to rent and host an event, and maybe even take a few swings in one of the batting cages.

"This is really fulfilling the promise of the 1060 Project, enhancing the fan experience for everyone," Vennum said. "We started with the bleachers, we've got the Park at Wrigley, we're continuing to improve the spaces in the concourse and concession stands. We'll move to the upper level soon.

"This is right in line with the vision of the project from the very beginning," he said. "We want to enhance the fan experience while taking care of Wrigley Field. ... We're really excited about what these spaces can offer folks."

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Cubs.com Lester takes mound vs. Rockies in opener By Manny Randhawa

The Rockies and Cubs open a four-game series on Thursday, as right-hander Tyler Chatwood and left-hander Jon Lester match up at Wrigley Field. Chatwood was originally scheduled to start in the second game of the series on Friday, but Colorado swapped his turn in the rotation with German Marquez. Marquez is getting an extra day of rest for his bruised thumb after it was hit with a comebacker in his last start in San Diego.

Lester, meanwhile, will try to settle back in after having given up nine earned runs over his past two starts (9 1/3 innings). Rockies baserunners will have to be more vigilant than usual, however -- Lester, who has famously had trouble throwing over to first base in the past, picked off the Cardinals' Tommy Pham last Saturday for his first pickoff since 2015.

Chatwood has struggled with consistency in 2017, having seven starts in which he surrendered four or more earned runs, but four in which he's gone seven or more innings and allowed one run or fewer. That includes his most recent outing, in which he tossed eight strong innings at San Diego, yielding one run on four hits, walking one and striking out eight.

Three things to know about this game

• The Rockies took two of three from the Cubs when Chicago visited Coors Field in April, and they have won six of nine against the defending World Series champions dating back to the beginning of the 2016 season.

• Lester has pitched well at home this season, posting a 2.15 ERA in six Wrigley Field starts, compared with a 7.11 ERA in five road outings. He's also pitched well in his career against Colorado, with a 1.69 ERA in three starts. In 21 1/3 innings against the Rockies, he's struck out 30 and walked just four.

• These two clubs are going in opposite directions with respect to hitting with runners in scoring position: the Rockies are batting .317 in those situations so far this season, and the Cubs are last in the National League, with a .221 clip.

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Cubs.com Cubs, Good Sports launch collaboration By Scott Chasen

CHICAGO -- Cubs Charities and national nonprofit Good Sports launched a collaboration Wednesday as 50 Cubs associates helped sort and pack brand new baseball and softball equipment to give to six area programs: B.I.G.

Baseball Academy, Teamwork Englewood, Garfield Park Little League, Near West Little League, The Little League and Canaryville Little League.

"[Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney] introduced us to the folks at Cubs Charities and the Diamond Project. And we realized pretty quickly that there was some synergy in what we were trying to accomplish," said Melissa Harper, CEO and co-founder of Good Sports. "Together today -- Cubs Charities, Diamond Project and Good Sports -- we are donating over $90,000 worth of equipment that's going to benefit almost 2,000 kids here in the City of Chicago."

The equipment, ranging from gloves and pants to helmets and bats, was packed at the Park at Wrigley just outside the entrance to the stadium. Good Sports partnered with the Diamond Project for the event, and it has provided more than $20 million worth of equipment to more than 3,200 youth programs since its founding in 2003.

"What we all had in common is that sports had played a huge role in our lives," Harper said of the groups' co- founders. "And when we realized that kids don't have that opportunity because of cost, that was a reality we couldn't live with. So we decided to do something about it."

As for Wednesday's activities, the 50 associates participated in games before and after packing the equipment, including an athletic challenge where they tried to juggle a soccer ball back and forth and some post-packing trivia with questions about the Cubs.

The associates worked in three waves to get everything packed, with the third wave being joined by a couple guests: Cubs rookie Ian Happ and team mascot Clark. While Clark was a big hit with the younger fans, Happ grabbed his clipboard and got right into packing his first box after taking a picture with some of the kids at the event.

In addition to packing the boxes, the associates heard from several of the community leaders, many of whom carried touching stories.

Marco Johnson, a retired Chicago police officer, spoke passionately about the importance of showing kids they matter and how sports helped get him through high school when the deck was stacked against him.

"It kept me off the streets to go home and watch WGN," he said, starting to tear up.

Among the final speakers was Kenney. His message was all about value, and how the kids should understand that they matter just as much as anyone else regardless of where they come from.

"[It's] telling these kids they're worth as much as Major League players," he said.

Kenney, like many of the others, spoke about their involvement with sports and what participating in them had helped them do in their life.

And fittingly, posted up on a wall near the event was a list of cards that started, "Because of sports..." with space for the participants to add their own messages. Harper said it seemed especially fitting given that "every pice of equipment [packed] today is giving kids their 'because of sports.' "

Several of the associates and staff participated in the event, as did Happ, who wrote his card before packing some of the equipment. Happ emphatically slapped his card up on the top row, walking away from it with a smile.

"Because of sports," his card read, "I get to do what I love every day."

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ESPNChicago.com Seventh-inning gaffe helps bring Cubs' winning streak to a halt By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO – The night should have belonged to Chicago Cubs Kyle Schwarber as he earned his first three- hit game since 2015, but a play teams probably don't practice in spring training helped halt the Cubs' five-game win streak.

"I've never been part of something like that," relief pitcher Brian Duensing said after a 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. "That's kind of on me."

The Cubs were trailing 5-3 in the seventh inning when Marlins speedster Dee Gordon singled and stole second base with one out. As Duensing pitched to Giancarlo Stanton, Gordon took his lead off second base. Stanton swung and missed on a 3-2 pitch that bounced away from catcher Miguel Montero and toward the Cubs dugout. Montero scrambled to grab the dropped third strike and fired a bullet to Anthony Rizzo for the out. Unfortunately, no one was covering home, and Gordon came around to score what proved to be the winning run. The Cubs scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings before falling.

"That's just how this game is played sometimes," manager Joe Maddon said. "[Montero] made the play. We were yelling. He didn't get back [to the plate]. Then Rizzo tried to lead him with the throw."

Neither Montero nor Duensing was close enough to make a play. Rizzo tried to get the ball back to his catcher, but the play failed.

"I was so focused on making a pitch to Stanton. I guess I just lost focus," Duensing said.

But there's a twist to the story, as a mistake by Gordon might have benefited the Marlins and sent the Cubs to their first defeat of the homestand.

"I also believe their runner thought there were two outs," Maddon said. "He wasn't really trying to score. So we had more time than we thought. Had he known the number of outs he probably would not have tried it in the first place, which would have worked in our favor."

Gordon nonchalantly rounded third base and looked as if he were jogging back to the Marlins dugout on the first- base side. When he realized it was only the second out of the inning, he picked up his pace toward home. No Cub was there waiting for him though. Duensing apologized to Maddon in the dugout.

"He said it made it seem like Gordon pulled up," the pitcher said. "Not sure if it's a lucky run. I mean, technically, I should be covering home plate there, but I've never been involved in a play like that."

In fairness to Duensing, Montero was probably just as close to home plate, but he didn't make it back either. Still, the pitcher took the blame for the run scoring.

"I was so worried about pitching to Stanton," Duesning said. "I didn't think about it. I saw Rizzo pump-fake once. They got us on that one."

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CSNChicago.com Cubs' John Lackey: ‘It’s Not Like We’ve Been Scoring A Ton’ By Patrick Mooney

John Lackey didn’t add the qualifier “except for tonight” when asked about the differences he’s seen in the Cubs team that returned to Wrigley Field after an 0-for-6 West Coast trip.

“We’ve pitched a lot better,” Lackey said after Wednesday’s 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins snapped a five-game winning streak where the Cubs started to look more like the defending World Series champs. “It’s not like we’ve been scoring a ton.”

Lackey Being Lackey can mean a lot of different things. His Coors Field masterpiece last month looks more like the mile-high outlier. Putting up seven scoreless innings and 10 against a strong Colorado Rockies team – Montreal Expos-era Pedro Martinez is the only other visiting pitcher to do that – became a talking point for Cubs officials when asked about an up-and-down rotation and a guy who’s 38 years old with almost 3,000 innings on his odometer.

But it’s also hard to think of a more accomplished No. 4 starter or another available pitcher with the same insanely competitive streak and playoff experience. The already showed how you could get to the 10th inning of a World Series Game 7 with a thin rotation and a powerful, dynamic bullpen.

That will become part of the backdrop after the amateur draft, when the Cubs begin to sharpen their focus on the July 31 trade deadline. Until then, there will be nights like this for Lackey, who gave up five runs in six innings and now has a 5.12 ERA.

“John knows what he’s doing out there,” manager Joe Maddon said. “John’s not afraid to challenge hitters. Sometimes it works for him. Sometimes it works against him.”

Lackey watched J.T. Realmuto and Marcell Ozuna crush a hanging changeup and a 91-mph fastball into the left- and center-field bleachers in the fourth and fifth innings. Bronson Arroyo – a comeback story with the – is the only National League pitcher who has given up more homers than Lackey (16) this season.

Opponents are hitting .270 against Lackey with an .833 OPS that ranks 72nd out of 85 qualified big-league pitchers. Last week’s no-decision in a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals is the only other time this year that Lackey has lasted more than six innings.

Lackey – a pitcher who gets by with guts, command and game plans – mostly regretted the two-run, first-pitch, fourth-inning single he gave up to J.T. Riddle, Miami’s No. 8 hitter.

“With the pitcher coming up, I wasn’t even really trying to throw a strike there,” Lackey said. “I was trying to throw a chase slider in and hung that pitch a little bit. That’s definitely probably the difference in the game there. If I manage the game a little bit better in that one inning, it probably shouldn’t have killed us.”

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CSNChicago.com How Teams Might Copy Cubs Way Blueprint In MLB Draft By Patrick Mooney

How Theo Epstein’s front office invested in amateur hitters and calculated that young pitchers would be too volatile to build around became part of the biggest story in sports last year, which means other teams will try to steal from a Cubs Way blueprint.

“In our industry, there are a lot of copycat elements,” amateur scouting director Matt Dorey said on this week’s Cubs Talk podcast. “By no means do we have this thing figured out. But that was the best angle for our organization in that moment in time when we were really trying to shift into building a robust and talented minor- league system to help in Wrigley, sooner than later.”

Kris Bryant earned a World Series ring, made two All-Star teams and won Rookie of the Year and MVP awards before Mark Appel threw a single pitch in The Show, the reverberations still being felt from the Houston Astros whiffing on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft.

Conventional wisdom framed the 2014 draft as the Cubs picking fourth from a class with three headliner pitchers. The Astros didn’t sign , hasn’t pitched above the A-ball level or since 2015 for the Miami Marlins and both players already underwent surgery. The White Sox are building around Carlos Rodon, though the lefty is currently on the disabled list with biceps bursitis.

Kyle Schwarber hasn’t lost the skills that made him a World Series legend before his 24th birthday, and two more college hitters from that first round have already made a splash, with helping the New York Mets win the 2015 National League pennant and becoming a shortstop/energizer for the red-hot Washington Nationals.

Ian Happ’s fast track from ninth overall pick in 2015 to super-utility guy for the defending champs actually lines up with three college hitters drafted ahead of him that year – Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman and Andrew Benintendi.

“We’ve already seen it in the last couple drafts,” Dorey said, “where the nontraditional teams that usually shot predominantly for upside are definitely shifting to focusing their top-of-the-draft money on – I don’t want to say safer, because none of them are safe – the less-risky picks.

“I think we’re going to continue to see that this year. The teams at the top that are trying to rebuild – and put a young, talented core on the field – are going to really be shooting for that demographic of player.”

Those polished college hitters are hard to find in this class – especially when the Cubs have the 27th and 30th overall picks – but this could be a chance to zig while others zag. Those two first-round picks have created a bonus pool worth almost $7.5 million. Through the free-agent churn, the Cubs will own four selections within the first 105 picks – a year after not drafting until No. 104.

“The last thing that we want is just groupthink,” said Jason McLeod, the senior vice president who oversees scouting and player development. “Certainly, we have a philosophy in mind. But we also have a very talented scouting staff that works really hard and is out there pounding the road, giving us our full evaluations and doing these big, thorough background write-ups on guys to help us make the best decisions.

“I’m sure some clubs have looked at the success, whether it be us or some of the other (teams) that have gone college-heavy. I think they’re definitely taking a look at it. You always want to try to take from what some successful organizations are doing. I think that we probably have seen a little more of that in the past couple of years – and we’ll probably see it again more this year.

“Maybe you will see some college position players being taken a little higher than they normally would, which could create opportunities elsewhere for teams that could look for a little more upside.”

One scout joked the Cubs still can’t help themselves and will draft more hitters who don’t have an obvious path to Wrigleyville or a clear spot in a crowded lineup. McLeod didn’t quite go with the best-player-available cliché.

“Most impact available,” McLeod said. “We’re not going to try to invent a pitcher there. I’d love to be talking to you guys on Monday night and say: ‘Hey, we really got a pitcher that we’re excited about.’ But I don’t know if it’s going to fall that way.

“We’re going to take the two best players for the organization. And if one of them is a pitcher – or if both of them are pitchers – that will be great.”

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CSNChicago.com Why Joe Maddon Won’t Create A Cubs Shortstop Controversy With Javier Baez And Addison Russell By Patrick Mooney

Cubs manager Joe Maddon is trying to defuse any shortstop controversy involving Addison Russell and Javier Baez, framing his lineup decisions with big-picture ideas like rest, rhythm and matchups.

But what if this up-the-middle rotation evolves and Baez becomes a more consistent offensive force to go with his game-changing defensive skills? Where would that leave Russell when – for whatever reason – he’s not playing like an All-Star shortstop?

“I’m not looking to do that, honestly,” Maddon said Wednesday at Wrigley Field. “The one thing Addison really has and does well is that he does the routine routinely. He normally doesn’t make any mistakes, which I really appreciate that about him.

“Javy’s got all the flair in the world. He’s really good. I’m not denying that. But it comes down to the nuts and bolts for me. I’ve talked about the first time I saw Addison take groundballs in spring training a couple years ago. I was kind of like going crazy. I asked him: ‘Who taught you?’ Because his mechanics are so good.

“Javy will have his tendency to stay back on the ball. Addison’s always playing through the ball. When it goes to his right, Addie has a really good ability to put his right foot down and make that throw. There are little things that Addison does at shortstop. He’s so perfectly taught.”

Baez still started at shortstop for the 12th time that night against the Miami Marlins – after making only 21 starts there all last season. Baez has a more classic shortstop arm than Russell and his instincts and range at second base have drawn comparisons to Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar.

Russell also isn’t performing like the guy credited with 19 defensive runs saved last year. He’s committed six errors through 50 games this season – after making 14 in 148 games last year – and not throwing with quite the same accuracy. The clutch hitter who put up 21 homers and 95 RBI during his age-22 season is now batting .209 with a .626 OPS.

“He’s going to be back,” Maddon said. “As long as he’s healthy and well, he’s going to look like that again. I saw it way too much over the last two years. I can’t deny it – he has not played up to his standards to this point. But I have a lot of faith in this guy, because his mechanics, his fundamentals are that good for me.”

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