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Home , 2016 Chicago Cubs season, Bob Elliott (baseball), Bob Rush (baseball), Carlos Correa, Crawford Boxes, Hippo Vaughn

September 10, 2016

Cubs.com Lester, Bryant lower Cubs' magic number to 7 By Brian McTaggart and Jordan Ray

HOUSTON -- He could have been an Astro, and on Friday night, Cubs served up a reminder of the kind of impact he could have had at Park.

Bryant, taken by the Cubs as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 after the Astros passed on him with the top pick, clubbed a two- homer in the fifth to back seven scoreless from to send the Cubs to a 2-0 win over the Astros, lowering 's magic number to 7.

"It still feels like we're just right in the middle of the season, but we feel like we're getting to that actually really matters," Bryant said. "Anything can happen in the full season, so you've got to get there first, and we certainly feel like we're playing really good baseball right now."

The Astros have lost three in a row and remain 2 1/2 games back in the race for the second Wild Card spot behind both the Orioles and Tigers, who drew even on Friday with Detroit's 4-3 win over Baltimore.

"We did have some chances," Astros A.J. Hinch said. "Lester's a good and he has a way of finding himself of these jams. We did get the leadoff runner on about half the against Lester but couldn't quite get the big . We stayed very aggressive on the bases, we stole a few bases, we made one out on the base at third, but overall it was a really well-pitched game on both sides. It was the difference being a two-out walk and a spinning breaking ball and we lose, 2-0."

The win gives the Cubs at least 90 victories for the 24th time in club history and for the second consecutive season. It's also the first time they have recorded consecutive 90-win seasons since a three-year run in 1928 (91), 1929 (98) and 1930 (90).

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Bryant blasts one: After 's leadoff , the Cubs were held without a hit until Bryant boomed his two-run shot -- No. 37 of the season -- a Statcast-projected 370 feet to the . In his debut at , Bryant went 1-for-3, notching his 92nd and 93rd RBIs of the season with the homer, and added a walk.

"Pretty bad first at-bat," Bryant said. "Settled down with the walk and focused on seeing the ball."

Wasted chances: The Astros had the leadoff hitter on base four times and managed no other baserunners in each of those innings -- the second, fourth, fifth and sixth. was thrown out trying to steal third in the fourth, was erased on a play in the fifth and the Astros wasted Teoscar Hernandez's double in the sixth. stranded runners at second and third in the seventh, when Lester struck out Colby Rasmus.

"[Lester] did a good job tonight," Bregman said. "He threw a lot of strikes, kept us off balance. We really didn't get anything going. We had a few opportunities, but not too many. Not as many as we'd like."

Lester leaves 'em on: Despite surrendering leadoff hits in four of his seven scoreless innings, Lester never let the Astros cross home plate en route to a dominant day. The 32-year-old lefty notched seven and no walks, while holding the Astros to 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. It was his eighth consecutive quality start and third scoreless outing since July 29.

"He doesn't cower from [big moments]," Cubs manager said. "He absolutely loves it. That's why you sign a guy like this -- for these particular moments. When you watch him play in this moment, you can see he absolutely relishes it. He wants to be out there."

Musgrove goes six: By throwing six innings, Musgrove became the first Astros starter to pitch that many since Collin McHugh on Aug. 30. That snapped a streak of eight consecutive games in which an Astros starter didn't make it to the fifth. The starters had an 8.37 ERA in that span before Musgrove's quality start.

"Love what I saw from Musgrove," Hinch said. "The two-out walk [before the Bryant homer] came back to bite him. He got away with it when he walked Bryant with two outs as well [in the third]. A couple of two-out walks will be the learning lesson for him. I thought he battled really hard to finish his own outing and was very impressive."

"We did some nice things offensively," Maddon said. "Their pitcher's got nice stuff. Had never seen him before. ... Video doesn't really help. It's the eyeball test. I thought we had better at-bats as the game progressed."

QUOTABLE

"Now I can say I saw 104 (mph). I'm looking forward to facing him again," -- Bregman, on facing Cubs for the first time

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Bryant's 37 home runs this season are the most by a Cubs player since Aramis Ramirez hit 38 in 2006.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: will take the mound on Saturday at Minute Maid Park at 12:05 p.m. CT. Lackey, who was born in , has a 2-1 record and 4.37 ERA in four career starts against the Astros, striking out 21 in 22 2/3 innings.

Astros: McHugh will get the start for Saturday's 12:05 p.m. CT game against the Cubs at Minute Maid Park. McHugh is 2-4 with a 7.28 ERA in his last eight starts, allowing 58 hits in 38 1/3 innings.

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Cubs.com What might have been: Bryant plays in Houston By Jordan Ray

HOUSTON -- On Friday night, for the first time in his Major League career, Kris Bryant played at Minute Maid Park, which might have been his home with the difference of one Draft pick, and he made the swing of the game with a two-run shot that proved to be the difference in the Cubs' 2-0 win over the Astros. which lowered their magic number to 7.

"Of course KB putting it in the seats wins the game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

But it could have won it for Houston.

More than four years ago, the Astros, coming off a 51-111 campaign, elected to take pitcher with the top overall pick in the 2013 Draft.

"Thank you," Maddon said of Houston's decision.

That move gave the Cubs the ability to take Bryant, then a 20-year-old third baseman out of the University of , at No. 2.

Four years later, Bryant is putting up insane numbers, batting .302 with 159 hits, 93 RBIs and 37 home runs, and has emerged as a superstar. Appel, currently with Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate, still hasn't played a game in the Majors.

"Nothing [Bryant] does surprises me, and right now he's playing as good as he has in the years that I've seen him," Maddon said prior to the game. "His overall consistency in his game, offensively and defensively, everything about his game right now. [You're probably] seeing the best of him over the last two years."

His homer on Friday night came after a walk in the previous at-bat that Bryant said settled him down.

"[Astros starter is] a good pitcher," Bryant said. "Really funky, big guy, so he's a special player, for sure."

Bryant's 37 home runs this season are the most by a Cubs player since Aramis Ramirez hit 38 in 2006. Bryant has been instrumental in leading the Cubs to their 24th season in club history with 90 wins or more.

"It still feels like we're just right in the middle of the season, but we feel like we're getting to baseball that actually really matters," Bryant said. "Anything can happen in the full season, so you've got get there first, and we certainly feel like we're playing really good baseball right now."

Looking back on the pre-Draft process four years ago, Bryant doesn't remember much other than that he met much more with the Cubs and Rockies than he did with the Astros.

"Picking first, I feel like they made up their mind early on, so they knew who they were going to pick," Bryant said. "Having the same agent as Mark Appel, it was pretty easy for me to kind of determine where I was going."

With hindsight on his side, it would be easy for Bryant to feel a sense of vindication looking at how the two careers have panned out, but he remains humble.

"After I got drafted, I just wanted to be the best player I could be, and there's no sense of validation," he said. "I don't have an ego like that. I was just very happy to be chosen, and things have worked out great for me."

Boy, have they ever.

Bryant, who has the second-best OPS (.970) and fourth-most game-winning RBIs (14) in the , is a key reason why the Cubs have baseball's best record (90-50).

"I wasn't involved in that particular time," said Maddon, who was managing the Rays in 2013, "so I didn't know all the scuttlebutt or the talk, but we probably wouldn't be nearly as good as we are without [Bryant]."

And despite the Astros passing him over back in 2013, he has no hard feelings.

"Looking back on it, I wouldn't change a thing," he said. "I'm very happy here [on] an unbelievable team to play for."

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Cubs.com Texas native Lackey gets the start against Houston By Jordan Ray

As the Cubs and Astros take part in the second of three on Saturday afternoon at Minute Maid Park, a pair of right- handers with ties to the opposition's state will take the mound.

The Cubs are slated to hand the ball to Texas native John Lackey, who was born in Abilene and played one season at the University of Texas at Arlington. Lackey has found moderate success in four career starts against the Astros, posting a 2-1 record, while striking out 21 in 22 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, Collin McHugh, who was born in Naperville, Ill., about 45 minutes outside Chicago, will make his 29th start of the season for the Astros. Houston has won each of the last four games that McHugh has started.

Things to know about this game

• Lackey hasn't been quite as good on the road this season. He has a 3-3 record and 4.68 ERA in 11 road starts compared with a 6-4 record and 2.44 ERA in 14 outings at .

• McHugh has limited experience against the Cubs. In his only appearance against them, he pitched in relief, surrendering five hits and three runs in two innings.

• The Cubs have a 14-4 record in this season, by far a club record for Interleague (.778) in a season. The previous record was .667, set in 2004 (8-4) and 2007 (8-4).

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ESPNChicago.com October baseball comes early as Jon Lester helps Cubs to win No. 90 By Jesse Rogers

HOUSTON -- If you’re looking for an October formula, look no further than the ' 90th win of the season, a 2-0 shutout of the on Friday night. It played out to perfection, beginning with Jon Lester throwing some nasty breaking balls and ending with Aroldis Chapman firing heat in the form of 104 mph . In between, the Cubs got key production from Kris Bryant and Hector Rondon. Let’s break it down:

Lester should play craps at a local Houston casino after pitching seven innings while giving up seven hits and striking out seven, all while helping reduce the Cubs' magic number to, you guessed it, seven.

“Jonny is on a good roll right now,” manager Joe Maddon said after the game. “As a Cub, this is the best I’ve seen his stuff consistently. ... He has a good curve, it was even sharper.”

There's no doubt left that Lester deserves to start Game 1 of the playoffs and get two starts in Round 1 if need be. His best moment came in the seventh inning as he hit the century mark in pitches. That’s when Maddon has been pulling his starters lately, so when Colby Rasmus came to the plate with the tying run at second base, it felt like the game -- and Lester’s night -- were on the line.

“I felt like that was the big turning point in the game,” Lester said.

Rasmus struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch as Lester pumped his fist and flexed his muscles walking off the mound. His night was done just like it might be in a playoff game -- after seven innings.

“I kind of thought that was my last hitter,” Lester said. “It was nice Joe let me go and get that last batter.”

Seven might be all Lester throws because Rondon looked like his old self in putting the Astros away 1-2-3 in the eighth inning.

“I didn’t know exactly what to expect right there,” Maddon said of Rondon. “It was over the top.”

We’ve all seen Rondon when he’s at his nastiest; this was that guy. Hitting 96 and 97 mph on the radar gun, then breaking off a nasty . You can imagine how a playoff game would set up for Rondon in the eighth inning and then the Cubs' flame-throwing closer in the ninth.

Chapman was rested, and when he’s rested, watch out, the radar gun is going to go nuts. He consistently was over 100 mph as he also saw only three Astros.

“How about the relief ?” Maddon asked rhetorically. “I think the average velocity was 100 between those two.”

If things really go right next month, Rondon and Chapman will be called upon without many other relievers getting off their seat in the . The pitching performance Friday was a taste of what it could look like: Lester to Rondon to Chapman. Cubs win.

But pitching alone didn’t win this game as Bryant hit his 37th of the season to account for all of the scoring by both teams. It’s fitting Bryant hit one against the team that passed on him in the 2013 draft, though he would have liked to hit at Minute Maid Park. Left field has a short porch.

“BP (batting practice) was fun for sure,” Bryant said after putting on a show. “Don’t hit to center.”

Bryant is one of the few guys who could probably hit it out to straightaway center. He homered to left Friday, but not before needing a couple of at-bats against Astros starter Joe Musgrove. This was classic Bryant. He struck out -- and looked bad doing so -- with Dexter Fowler on third base and no outs in the first. Then he started to feel more comfortable and worked a walk in the third. Finally, he figured Musgrove out and hit his home run in the fifth. Struggle, learn, adjust. It’s Bryant at his best.

“I didn’t see the ball well at all,” Bryant said of his first at-bat. “Second at-bat, tried to see some pitches. ... Those first three at-bats were to a tee how I like going about making adjustments.”

Bryant was great, so was the bullpen, but everything comes back to Lester. Maddon has often said the Cubs aren’t in the position they’re in -- winning 90 games on Sept. 9 -- without their starting staff pitching out of this world. And Lester is the leader of that pack. He’s the guy you want to have the ball right now in the most intense moments. It might be September but he gave an October performance.

“He doesn’t cower from it,” Maddon said. “He actually loves it. ... He absolutely relishes it.”

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ESPNChicago.com The Cubs are the first team to 90 wins in 2016 By Marty Callinan, ESPN Stats & Information

It took a few tries, but the Chicago Cubs are the first team in baseball to reach 90 wins this season. They reached 90 wins in their 140th game.

The last time the Cubs started 90-50 or better was in 1929. That team needed only 133 games to get to 90 wins and it went on to win the National League. Chicago lost to the Philadelphia Athletics in the that year, 4-1.

Jon Lester tossed seven scoreless innings and Kris Bryant drove in the only runs of the game with his 37th home run of the season, most by a Cubs player since Aramis Ramirez had 38 in 2006.

Here are a few more times where the number 90 has come up in Cubs history.

No. 90 in Cubs history

It has been 86 years since the Cubs last won 90 games in back-to-back seasons, the way they now have in 2015 and 2016. The 1929 season mentioned above was the second of three consecutive 90-win seasons for the Cubs.

The Cubs' franchise has won exactly 90 games in a season four times. The first instance was in 1886 as the Chicago White Stockings, a team that lost in the postseason to the St. Louis Browns. They also won 90 games in 1930 (missed the postseason), 1932 (swept in the World Series) and in 1998 (swept in the NLDS).

Sammy Sosa, Billy Williams and each had 10 seasons with at least 90 RBIs for the Cubs. That's the most 90-RBI seasons by a Cubs player since the stat became official in 1920.

Bryant, who is up over 90 RBIs for the second time in as many seasons, is the only Cubs player since 1920 to reach the 90-RBI mark in either of his first two seasons. could join him on that list as he is only two away.

Banks had 90 triples in his 19-year Cubs career, seventh most in franchise history. For comparison, Dexter Fowler has the most triples by an active Cubs player with 14.

Only two Cubs pitchers have over 90 wins with the team in the last 30 seasons -- (131) and (125). is the franchise's active leader in wins with 52, 20 more than anyone else.

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ESPNChicago.com Jon Lester: knows 'how to push my buttons' By Jesse Rogers

HOUSTON -- Before he attempts to win his 16th game of the season against the Houston Astros on Friday night, Chicago Cubs All-Star Jon Lester took time to answer some end-of-the-year questions.

You've had a front-row seat to the emergence of . What has stood out for you?

Lester: I saw it last year, the way he can set up hitters. So from just a pure baseball perspective it's no surprise to me, but I can see where the stats jump out for people, especially when you know he's not an Aroldis Chapman or anything, just firing the ball. No one pays attention to the radar gun when [Hendricks] pitches. I'm happy for him because I see the hard work he puts in and the adjustments he's made from last year to this.

Obviously, your results are much better this season. Is your stuff better or has this been all a mental adjustment?

Lester: I don't know if my stuff is better, but I was in a better place physically coming into this season. We rushed last year a little bit because of the circumstances and all the hype coming off the offseason. I thought I was fine, but it kind of put me behind the eight-ball a little bit. Really, the stuff has been the same, the velocity isn't any different, I just feel like our game plans have been a little more crisp this year compared to last year. We have a better idea about everything, getting accustomed to a new league, new players, everything.

You mention game plans and stuff, obviously David Ross has been a big part of it for you. When he's sitting in his rocking chair on his porch next year, what will you remember as being special pitching to him?

Lester: He really only started catching me at the end of 2013, then in 2014 I started throwing just to him, and I'm not sure if there was anything specifically, but over time he has understood how to push my buttons, making sure I'm locked in and everything. At the same time I know how to do the same to him. We check our feelings at the door when we go out and play, and when we're done we can sit back and kind of laugh at some of the things we've said to each other over the last few years.

More game-plan stuff. Joe Maddon has said that catching has a unique way of preparing you guys. What's different about it?

Lester: It's not so unique as much as it is very detailed. And he has a certain way of saying things that you have to get used to. It's an adjustment period as well when you're used to what I call the "baseball language" said one way even though it can mean the same thing from team to team. It's just worded different. He is very detail-oriented and precise and it's not information overload. It's easier to recall when you're on the mound.

I've heard players like Jake Arrieta say even he won't joke or talk with John Lackey on the days he pitches. I imagine you might be the only one that can. Am I right?

Lester: Nah, I don't joke with him. I don't mess with him. If he speaks to me then I'll talk with him; otherwise I'll steer clear. I do the same with Jake, though, and the other guys. I know how I am and where my head is that day. I may say 'hey' to guys when they're pitching. If they want to strike a conversation, I'm not going to turn them down. I'll let them initiate it on their day, it's not just Lackey -- but he stands out.

Along those lines, a lot of your teammates say he has a great sense of humor in the clubhouse. Do you get a kick out of some of those press conferences?

Lester: Ha, I've heard it all so many times. Nothing he says to you all isn't anything I haven't heard before, including the haircut line. I've heard that one since 2010. I think Lackey is a little bit like me in those press conferences where we get a bad rap because we are kind of short and to the point. There's no real beating around the bush. We tell you how it is and how we thought we did and how the team did and move on. We don't sugarcoat anything because I don't want people talking to me like that. I think Lackey is very underrated as far as how he's respected in the clubhouse, especially his personality and sense of humor.

Back to you. You've stated pitching 200 innings is always a big goal for you. If you come up short simply because they're saving your arm and not because of your performance, are you OK with that?

Lester: Yeah, that's a little bit different. If you can't make your starts or you stink and don't go deep enough in them consistently throughout the year, that's not good. Where we're at right now, there is still a chance for a couple of us to get there. Hopefully that's allowed, for us to go there. I do look back at 2011 -- when I see my stats laid out, that number [191 innings] always rubs me the wrong way because I was only nine innings away. That's the ultimate goal, but at the same time the goal is to make every start. You can't control everything else.

Is the best and worst thing about the National League for you not having the DH? Not because you have to hit but because there is always that chance in a close game you might get hit for? But at the same time you do have a potential easier out at the bottom of the order.

Lester: One thing I've noticed the last couple of years is there aren't many real easy outs from the pitchers. You still have to make pitches. [Being pulled is] definitely the frustrating part for me, coming from the AL, where for so many years it was 'Here's the ball, we'll figure out when to come get you later.' But now the sixth inning rolls around and it's 2-1, winning or losing, there's a guy on second, your spot comes up after 90 pitches and you get pulled. My argument is always, what if I have a 'catch-up' inning in the seventh, in other words a quick one, then all of a sudden I might be going eight. In the AL you do get those . It's a bit easier to get to 200 innings, if you know what I mean.

You've been through many pennant races; by any definition you're on one of the best teams you've ever been on. Can you be a fan and wonder how this will all play out?

Lester: Yeah, for sure. But it's not about what you've done all season, it's only about how you're playing in October. We're all excited. Last year we got the 'firsts' out of the way as far as going to the playoffs. Now we have a chance to win our division, which is really cool. I think I've only won a couple divisions in the years I've been to the playoffs, so that's special. And to do it the way we've done it is really special as well. Everyone is looking forward to that, but at the same time we're trying to stay in the moment.

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ESPNChicago.com The week in interesting and unusual Cubs stats By Doug Kern, ESPN Stats & Information

Last week, we noted the Chicago Cubs' tendency to be involved in a lot of one-run games. Little did we know.

Hunter Pence spoiled a no-hitter and a shutout by Jon Lester with a seventh-inning home run last Friday. That was the only run the Giants recorded as Lester pitched a complete-game three-hitter. The last one of those by a Cubs pitcher not named Jake Arrieta came from in 2013. And their last nine-inning with four or fewer strikeouts came from Carlos Zambrano (a 10-hitter!) in 2005.

Speaking of Arrieta, he was on the wrong end of Saturday's 3-2 loss despite driving in a run with a fifth-inning single. It was Arrieta's sixth game this year with an RBI; in another Zambrano tie-in, that's the most by a Cubs pitcher since Zambrano had eight in 2009.

Jason Heyward claimed all the RBIs for himself Sunday, driving in Addison Russell to tie the score in the ninth, and then hitting a walk-off single to drive in in the 13th. He's the first Cubs player to have a game-tying RBI in the ninth and a walk-off RBI in extras since homered in both situations against the Braves on May 8, 1990. Heyward had all three RBIs on Sunday; the other RBI was also on a single (fourth inning). He's the first to drive in every run (three or more) in a Cubs win, without an extra-base hit, since Randy Hundley did it against the Dodgers on July 26, 1969.

Sunday's score marked the first time the Cubs had played five straight one-run games (win or lose) since Aug. 14 through Aug. 19, 2011. It was the first time they've played eight out of nine since August 1996, when they played eight in a row, and then 10 out of 11 with the outlier being a 12-0 blowout of the Braves. Although several teams, including the Giants this week, have played seven, the Cubs are the only team this season to have had eight one- run games in any nine-game stretch.

That streak was broken Monday thanks to a four-run eighth inning in . had a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh and drove in two more runs in the eighth. He became the first Cubs player to have three RBIs, but no extra-base hits, in a game he didn't start since Dwight Smith pulled it off against the Astros on Aug. 29, 1989.

The Brewers piled up 16 hits in defeating the Cubs on Tuesday, 13 (and nine runs) coming off . It was the first 13-hit outing by a Cubs pitcher since Arrieta in 2014 (at , so does it really count?), and their first against the Brewers. The last Cubs pitcher to surrender nine or more runs in Milwaukee was , who did it against the Braves on April 22, 1957.

Jonathan Villar had three of those hits Tuesday, becoming the first Cubs opponent to miss the cycle by the double since another Brewers player, Caleb Gindl, did it in 2013. Villar hit two solo homers to single-handedly down the Cubs on Wednesday, duplicating the feat of Nolan Arenado in April. But Villar was the first player to defeat the Cubs by a 2-1 score with two solo homers since Pirates Elbie Fletcher did it on July 6, 1941.

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CSNChicago.com How The Cubs Almost Landed As Their Franchise By Patrick Mooney

A Cubs scout laughed and said he still dreams about the time Carlos Correa took batting practice at Wrigley Field. It definitely sounded like a joke, but in the middle of the 2012 season — ’s first running baseball operations on the North Side — the franchise could only sell dreams, hopes and promises to Cubs fans and the Chicago media.

Correa symbolized the future as a 17-year-old shortstop out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. A group of Cubs officials watched Dale Sveum, the manager at the time, throw to Correa, who hit balls into the bleachers after a game in late May. Sveum looked at the 6-foot-4-inch frame, envisioned the power potential and came away from that pre-draft workout with a former teammate in mind: .

Less than a week later, sources said, the Cubs spent part of draft day on the phone negotiating with Correa’s camp, pushing to close a deal that would have made him the sixth overall pick. Paul Kinzer, Correa’s adviser at that point, had long-standing connections in Chicago through his associations with Aramis Ramirez, , Carlos Marmol and Geovany Soto.

The Cubs kept getting strong signals that Correa could fall and felt this close to landing a potential superstar. The only wild card would be the Houston Astros, another franchise following their own tanking blueprint and holding the No. 1 choice.

The Astros got this one right, signing Correa to a below-slot deal ($4.8 million bonus) and watching him blossom into the American League Rookie of the Year in 2015 and a 19-homer, 90-RBI force for a playoff contender this season.

Imagine Correa anchoring an infield with MVP candidates Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo at the corners, playing next to Addison Russell or Javier Baez, with each player remaining under club control through the 2021 season.

The what-if scenarios will become part of the backdrop for this weekend’s series at Minute Maid Park, where the Cubs will go into Friday night’s game with a single-digit magic number (eight) to clinch the . While the Astros (74-66) will be 2 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot, hoping Correa can rejoin the lineup after dealing with left shoulder inflammation.

Whether the Cubs win the World Series this year — or collapse under all this pressure — just look back to May 30, 2012, to understand how far this organization has come. Before Correa’s laser show at Wrigley Field, the Cubs pieced together an 8-6 win over the with Joe Mather as their No. 3 hitter and Bryan LaHair and Ian Stewart as their corner infielders.

How different would this year’s team look with Correa? The Cubs now have an All-Star shortstop in Russell. But maybe during the rebuilding/ramp-up period Epstein’s front office would have felt more comfortable dealing Baez for a frontline pitcher, sold higher on Castro (instead of getting 35 innings out of ) and redistributed the $56 million committed to . Who knows?

In 2012, the Cubs sensed the opportunity if the Astros passed on Correa, because after the took an athletic high school with the second overall pick (), the ( ), (pitcher ) and (pitcher ) took advanced college players.

The Cubs made Jr. the first player drafted by the Epstein regime, betting the No. 6 pick on his high floor, up-the-middle potential and track record against elite competition while growing up in South Florida and playing for Team USA. Almora could be in the conversation for a playoff roster spot this October, an starter in 2017 and a future Gold Glove outfielder.

The Cubs didn’t have a good feel for Russell and didn’t establish much of a relationship with him during his early development in high school, when he looked either out of shape or too bulked up to stick at shortstop. The Oakland A’s used the No. 11 pick on Russell, flipping him to the Cubs in the blockbuster Jeff Samardzija trade two years later.

By the end of the 2012 season, the Astros had won the race to the bottom, losing 107 games, six more than the Cubs. Houston would get the first overall pick in the 2013 draft, selecting Stanford University pitcher Mark Appel and allowing the Cubs to mine their own superstar prospect at No. 2: Bryant.

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Chicago Tribune Jon Lester leading Cubs' pitching surge By Mark Gonzales

It might have been a turning point in Friday night's game, but it was a situation that Jon Lester has been accustomed to and bodes well for the Cubs' mission of winning the World Series.

With the tying run at second base, Lester threw a called third strike past Colby Rasmus to end the seventh inning as the Cubs went on to preserve a 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros.

Lester's occurred on his 103rd and last pitch, but manager Joe Maddon was willing to let Lester face Teoscar Hernandez had Rasmus extended the inning.

"Jonny is on a good roll," Maddon said after Lester (16-4) earned his seventh consecutive victory as the Cubs trimmed their magic number for winning the National League Central to seven – the longest active winning streak in the NL and the second longest of his career.

"I've seen him like this in . Right now as a Cub, this is the best I've seen his stuff consistently.”

Lester threw all his pitches for strikes on any count, and he didn't walk a batter while striking out seven and twice breaking the bat of .

Lester's success has paralleled the Cubs' second-half surge, as he has allowed one run or fewer in five consecutive starts and is 4-0 with an 0.78 ERA during this stretch.

His ability to perform well down the stretch is reminiscent of his World Series victories in 2007 and 2013 and a big reason why the Cubs signed him to a six-year, $155 million contract before the 2015 season.

"He doesn't cower from it," Maddon said. "He absolutely loves it. That's why you sign a guy like this for these particular moments. When you watch him play in this moment, he absolutely relishes it."

This was Lester’s 17th start of the season in which he allowed one or fewer. The only other pitchers in Cubs history to accomplish this are (20 in 1919), (20 in 1963) and Jake Arrieta (20 in 2015).

"This staff has done some unbelievable things this year," Lester said. "I always say I try not to be the weak link in this staff. I try to pitch as many innings as I can and worry about the roles and all that stuff later."

The return of Hector Rondon makes the Cubs' preferred script even more formidable. Rondon's was clocked at 98 mph during a perfect eighth inning, and closer Aroldis Chapman's fastball to Alex Bregman was clocked at 104 mph in the ninth.

"When Chapman comes in, it's always fun to watch the radar gun when he does his deal," Lester said. "We're piecing it back. We're getting our guys back, getting healthy at the right time."

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Chicago Tribune Friday's recap: Cubs 2, Astros 0 By Mark Gonzales

Kris Bryant carried the Cubs to a 2-0 victory over the Astros with a two-run homer in the fifth inning Friday night at Minute Maid Park. Jon Lester earned his 16th victory as he scattered seven hits over seven innings.

At the plate

Dexter Fowler snapped an 0-for-19 slump when he led off the game with a triple. But Fowler was left stranded as Bryant and Ben Zobrist struck out and Addison Russell grounded to first base.

On the mound

Lester changing speeds effectively and his curveball was very sharp. Lester shattered George Springer's bat twice. Hector Rondon's fastball was clocked at 98 mph during a scoreless eighth, and Aroldis Chapman struck out Alex Bregman on a 104 mph fastball in the ninth.

In the field

At shortstop, Russell leaped to rob Evan Gattis of a hit in the second, and catcher David Ross threw out Springer at second in the third and Alex Bregman at third in the foruth.

Key number

14-4: Cubs' interleague record in 2016.

The quote

"It's a pretty focused group. We lost a couple of games in Milwaukee and weren't happy about it. If you're in the , no one is looking ahead to awards or playoffs." — Joe Maddon

Up next

Vs. Astros at Minute Maid Park, 12:05 p.m. Saturday, FOX-32.

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Chicago Tribune Kris Bryant 2-run homer helps Cubs lower division magic number to 7 By Mark Gonzales

Kris Bryant doesn't dwell on what could have been.

Besides, the future looks more promising each night for the Cubs' 24-year-old slugger.

Bryant moved the Cubs closer to clinching the National League Central title when he slugged a two-run homer Friday night that led the way to a 2-0 victory over the Astros.

This game was Bryant's first against the Astros, who elected to pass on him with the first overall pick in the 2013 draft and chose pitcher Mark Appel of Stanford.

Bryant didn't disappoint as he slugged his 37th home run off Joe Musgrove to snap a scoreless tie in the fifth inning and tie Nolan Arenado of the Rockies for the NL home run lead.

"It still feels like we're right in the middle of the season, but you feel like we're getting to where baseball really matters and anything can happen in the postseason," Bryant said. "We have to get there first. We certainly feel like we're playing good baseball right now, and these next couple of weeks should be fun."

Bryant's homer fueled chants of "MVP, MVP" from several thousand Cubs fans who made the trek to Minute Maid Field. But Bryant, the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year, isn't consumed with awards or scoreboard watching as the Cubs (90-50) reduced their magic number for clinching the division title to seven.

“No, I don't (watch the scoreboard)," Bryant said. "When the game is done, I try not to think about baseball too much. They have the scores here and I take a peek, but I don't get into it too much.

"It's too much of a distraction. I hope none of the other guys do, either. We have a task to do, and we can't worry about what other teams are doing."

Though he completed his junior season at the University of San Diego with 31 home runs, Bryant had an inkling the Astros weren't going to select him, with Appel providing a potential fit as a future front-of-the-rotation starter.

"Honestly, I don't remember having much contact with them at all," Bryant said. "You knew who they were going to pick first. Appel had a very good year (10-4, 2.12 ERA). We had the same agent (), so we kind of knew.

"Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing."

Appel was traded last winter as part of a deal that brought closer from the Phillies, but he was shut down midway through the 2016 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley after being diagnosed with bone spurs in his right pitching elbow. He had a 3-3 record and 4.46 ERA in eight starts.

Meanwhile, Cubs starter Jon Lester earned his 16th victory. The left-hander's night ended when he struck out Colby Rasmus on a called third strike with the tying run at second to end the seventh. He gave up seven hits in his seven innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.

"That felt like the turning point in the game," said Lester , who won his seventh consecutive decision while allowing one run or fewer for his fifth consecutive start.

With four starts left, Lester has a reasonable chance to tie his career high in victories (19), set with the Red Sox in 2010.

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Chicago Tribune Awards season comes early for some of game's best, including Joe Maddon By Paul Sullivan

The 2016 season still has three weeks remaining, but with most of the division races already decided, baseball faces a stretch run of limited interest.

To make up for this unexpected lull in the action, we have decided to beat the rush and hand out annual awards early.

We will wait to call the big ones — the MVPs, the Cy Youngs, and the managers and rookies of the year. But here are the year's best in some categories that seldom get recognized.

Owner of year: , Yankees. In a few stunning weeks, Steinbrenner ate Alex Rodriguez's contract and started a rebuild, getting a boatload of prospects for Aroldis Chapman, and Carlos Beltran. Is the five-decade Steinbrenner tradition of overspending on free agents over? No sports heir has done a bigger 180 since Rocky Wirtz succeeded his pop.

Brawl of year: Blue Jays-Rangers. 's punch of Jose Bautista ignited a ruckus that resulted in an eight- game suspension for Odor and 14 others being disciplined. Otherwise it has been a relatively brouhaha-free year.

Celebrity spokesman of year: Chance the Rapper, White Sox. The best part of the 2016 Sox season was the commercial he narrated, and Chance's upcoming concert was the hottest ticket this year at U.S. Cellular Field.

Yogi-ism of year: Joe Maddon, Cubs: "Trends can be so trendy."

Scout of year: Phil Rizzo, Nationals. Gets to tell his boss off when he doesn't like what he sees on the field. Of course, his boss is his son, GM .

Announcer of year: Vin Scully, Dodgers. Still the best in the business after 67 years, and no one is even a close second. Watching a Dodgers game will never be the same.

Suspension of year: , White Sox. GM suspended him for cutting up teammates' throwback uniforms to try to force the club into wearing more comfortable ones. Sale escaped a suspension in spring after he said Sox players "got (bald)-faced lied to by someone we are supposed to be able to trust," referring to club executive vice president Ken Williams.

Stat of year: Home run. The long ball was up by nearly 16 percent over 2015 levels, led by the Orioles (219 homers as of tFriday), Cardinals (202) and Blue Jays (198). Word has yet to reach , where the Braves had only 100.

Pop-in of year: , Diamondbacks. The D'backs' chief baseball officer barged into the Pirates' TV booth to confront announcer Greg Brown about comments regarding La Russa's history as a manager. Somewhere, Jimmy Piersall was laughing.

Umpire of year: Bob Davidson. "Balkin' Bob" had an obnoxious Phillies fan ejected from his box seat for using foul language. Bravo, Balkin' Bob.

Media-friendly player of year: Bautista, Blue Jays. Bautista lauded retiring Toronto sportswriter Bob Elliott for his honesty and integrity, saying, "It's respecting people's points of view." Seems so simple, doesn't it?

Bait-and-switch of year: Marlins. Despite playing in a taxpayer-funded $634 million stadium, the Marlins' $77.3 million payroll was fifth lowest in baseball, according to USA Today. And the center-field sculpture is gauche.

Giveaway of year: alarm clock, Brewers. When the alarm goes off and the popular announcer screams "Get up! Get out of bed!" you wake up ready to take on the world. Brilliant.

Apology of year: Cubs. Business President Crane Kenney apologized and terminated a Wrigley Field DJ who played the song "Smack My B---- Up" after a Chapman outing. The statement called it an "irresponsible music selection."

Endorser of year: , Red Sox. Madison Avenue finally discovered "Big Papi" in the final year of his career, better late than never. Ortiz's crying scene in an Xfinity commercial was the best since Joakim Noah sobbed with the girls from the Book Club in a Bulls ad.

Rebuild of year: Phillies. Despite peaks and valleys, they stuck with their game plan. "We would like to be the Cubs," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Hopefully that's going to happen in the near future."

Theme trip of year: Minimalist Zany Costume Trip, Cubs. Maddon's theme trips dominated this category for the ninth straight year. May have to retire this award.

Non-prospect of year: Tim Tebow, Mets. Prospect/jersey-seller got 28 teams to scout his workout and signed with the Mets, close to the ESPN studio in Bristol, Conn.

Naming-rights deal of year: , Sox. Received more publicity than any naming-rights deal in recent memory. None of it was good pub, but as they say …

Mascot of year: Mr. Met. Actually, this goes to former Mr. Met Steven Boldis. Upset he didn't get a 2015 NL championship ring, the man who made a living wearing a giant baseball over his head issued a statement calling it "a slap in the face." the Cub surely was taking notes.

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Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon isn't a fan of the By Mark Gonzales

Despite the freedom to employ another hitter, Cubs manager Joe Maddon reiterated he is no fan of American League rules that use the designated hitter.

"I’m not into it," Maddon said before Friday's game against the Houston Astros. "We scored a lot of runs this year, even with a pitcher (in the lineup). Our run differential is still pretty good (+221).

"I mean it. If they make any kind of movement, I’d prefer that they’d move to eradicate the DH as opposed to including the DH in the National League. It’s a better game, a more interesting game."

Maddon managed the for nine seasons in the AL before joining the Cubs in 2015, so he understands both sides and sees a more educational benefit from NL rules that don't use the DH.

"If you want to teach the game to young people trying to understand and learn our game, and are really into the nuances, the NL game is a lot more of that.

"Now having had a chance to do both, there’s no comparison with these two games."

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Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon gives Cubs and Astros credit for nailing 1st-round picks By Mark Gonzales

Manager Joe Maddon doesn't subscribe to the theory that the amateur draft is a crapshoot.

"Everyone says, 'We'll have all these really high draft picks,'" Maddon said Friday night while assessing the rosters of the Cubs and Astros. "Well, you can't miss them. It's one thing to have them. The other thing is to not mess up.

"You go up and down litanies of different organizations that really have not done that well (with) that opportunity to pick that high, so give front offices and scouting departments and player development credit in both organizations. That's where it lies.

"I love that kind of stuff. I still consider myself a minor-league grunt. I grew up with that and appreciate it."

The Cubs struck gold with first-round picks Javier Baez (2011), Albert Almora Jr. (2012), Kris Bryant (2013) and (2014). Despite passing on Bryant as the first overall pick in 2013, the Astros have fared well with (2008), George Springer (2011), Carlos Correa (2012) and Alex Bregman (2015).

Not left out yet: Rookie is somewhat surprised he hasn't played left field since Aug. 16. He has been catching three or four games per week since then.

"They haven't said anything," he said. "They made the decision and know what they're doing.

"I know I'm an everyday player. I'm not a guy who plays two or three times a week, but I stay ready."

Maddon said he wants to preserve Contreras' strength. The 24-year-old played in 55 games at Triple-A Iowa before coming to the Cubs on July 17. For the Cubs, he has played in 62 games, catching in 45.

With 25-man rosters expanded last week, Maddon also has more outfield options though he didn't rule out the possibility of Contreras playing left field later this month.

Playoff clinch wish: Bryant hopes the Cubs can clinch the National League Central on the field after a victory instead of backing into a playoff berth in 2015 after a loss.

"Any time you get in playoffs, you should celebrate it and be proud," Bryant said. "But it's more fun to win the game and celebrate than lose the game and celebrate."

Grimm back: Reliever has recovered from a bout of the flu that curtained his appearance Wednesday.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs Lester takes on look of Game 1 playoff starter in 2-0 win By Gordon Wittenmyer

HOUSTON – Anybody who wants to see how the Cubs plan to script Game 1 of the playoffs should rewind Friday’s opener of a three-game series against the contending Astros and review the Cubs’ 2-0 victory at Minute Maid Park.

In particular, watch Jon Lester, the stoic left-hander with the 94-mph stamina, the breaking ball for strikes and the postseason pedigree that is the reason the Cubs committed a nine-figure contract to put him on this roster.

“I’ve seen him like this in Boston several years ago, but right now as a Cub this is the best I’ve seen his stuff consistently,” manager Joe Maddon said after Lester pitched a dominant seven innings without a walk, before handing off to Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman for a 100-mph-average finish.

“Just consistently making pitches, not losing anything. His command was outstanding,” said Maddon, who won’t talk about Game 1 plans until the playoff berth is at least secured.

What’s hard to deny is that Lester (16-4, 2.51 ERA) looks like the clear frontrunner for a Game 1 start exactly four weeks from Friday at Wrigley Field, after his eighth consecutive start with two or fewer runs allowed – fifth straight with one or fewer.

“He hardly makes a mistake on the mound,” said Kris Bryant, whose 37th homer of the season – a two-run shot in the fifth – produced the game’s only runs. “If he gets himself in a jam, he gets out of it. That’s just what he does for us. We have total confidence in him in any game.”

What’s undeniable is that this is why he’s in a Cubs uniform at all: That $155 million, eight-year contract meant to buy moments like Friday’s seven-strikeout performance – with visions of nights like this in October at Wrigley.

“Yeah, and he doesn’t cower from it, either,” Maddon said. “He absolutely loves it. That’s why you sign a guy like this, for these particular moments. When you watch him play in this moment, you can see he absolutely relishes it. He wants to be out there.”

Lester, who along the way might be putting himself at the front of the National League race, downplayed his run into the final stretch.

He’s 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA over his last eight starts, with 53 strikeouts over 53 2/3 innings.

On Friday, he faced only two over the minimum through six innings, thanks to a in the fifth and a pair of throws from catcher David Ross, on a attempt in the third and an attempt by Alex Bregman to take third on a pitch that squirted away from Ross in the fourth.

Lester’s only real jam came in the seventh when, as he crossed the weighty 100-pitch mark, had runners at second and third, with two out and a full count on Colby Rasmus. He got a called strike three on pitch No. 103.

He was going strong enough at that point, Maddon said, that even had he walked Rasmus, Lester would have been left in to face another batter.

“I just try to pitch and pitch well,” he said. “The staff has done some unbelievable things this year. I try not to be the weak link.”

The Cubs’ magic number for clinching the division over the Cardinals dropped for the third consecutive day, to eight, with 22 games to play – putting in play a potential clinching party for the Cubs in St. Louis in their upcoming series.

And if games like this are just previews, and tuneups, for October?

“Really, the last month has kind of been that way,” Lester said. “We know teams that aren’t really in it are still coming after us. We have a target on our back.

Note: The Cubs have announced that ESPN has picked up the final Sunday home game of the regular season, against the Cardinals, with a new game time of 7:08 p.m. The game could have implications for the Cards’ wild- card chances.

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Chicago Sun-Times Houston becomes focused Cubs’ latest home away from home By Steve Greenberg

HOUSTON — They came from far and near, all riding the same blue wave of this-is-our-year. They rooted against the home team, chanted “M-V-P” at Kris Bryant and generally made spectacles of themselves, as has become their custom as the postseason draws near.

Cubs fans have taken over another opposing stadium, this one still technically belonging to the Astros — a playoff team in 2015 and right in the thick of the American League wild-card race a year later. The Astros are young, exciting and terrifically talented, but the Cubs are rock stars.

The blue wave drowns out everything else.

Even the Astros’ own , Jeff Luhnow, got caught up in it before Friday’s 2-0 Cubs victory.

Luhnow got his MBA at Northwestern and lived for several years in Wrigleyville during the 1990s, a time during which he says he attended “hundreds” of Cubs games. Which is to say, he became a fan.

“Yes,” he said, “I think I will be watching very closely if the Cubs go all the way this year.”

Indeed, if they go all the way. What’s more fun than thinking and talking about that?

Ask Cubs fans what’s on their minds, and it’s the same stuff for everybody. The MVP, Cy Young and other awards. The postseason pitching rotation. The best one-through-eight lineup. The designated hitter spot, should the team advance to the World Series. Anticipation. Anxiety. Watch parties. Tickets.

You’d swear it’s already October.

Unless you talk to the Cubs themselves, that is. They’re trying — really trying — to keep their heads in the moment. Even with their cartoonishly large lead in the division and the essential guarantee of having the home- field edge through the National League playoffs, they’re fighting to avoid being sucked under by the blue wave that’s following them everywhere they go.

“A lot of that stuff,” said first baseman Anthony Rizzo, “we can just talk about later.”

Since he arrived in Chicago, manager Joe Maddon has reminded players often to slow their roll to a one-game-at-a- time pace. Some call that “coach-speak.” In the visitor’s dugout Friday, Maddon called it “sports psychobabble.”

It sounded so much better coming from him.

“It’s about today,” he said. “Today is the most important thing the rest of the season.

“It’s about every day. I’m not there with all the [postseason questions] yet. I think the trap is to be worried about things you don’t have to worry about yet. Once we’ve finally qualified for the playoffs, then we may start looking at things differently.”

Yes, the man whose team likely will clinch the N.L. Central with at least 15 games left to play said “finally.”

The Cubs entered this series coming off back-to-back defeats in Milwaukee. A less-consequential pair of games has never been played, but it didn’t sit right with a team that tries to be its best self every day.

“We weren’t happy about it,” Maddon said. “We weren’t happy at all.”

With one out to go in the bottom of the ninth Friday, the blue wave made itself heard. Cubs fans rose to their feet — undoubtedly, with October on their minds.

Several minutes later, nearly all traces of orange were gone from the stands. But the blue lingered. It isn’t going anywhere.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs to Astros for passing on Bryant in draft: `Thank you’ By Gordon Wittenmyer

HOUSTON – On June 27 in , Kris Bryant – the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft – became the first player in history to hit three home runs and two doubles in a major-league game. And a National League MVP campaign was launched.

Two days later, right-hander Mark Appel – the player selected ahead of Bryant in that draft – underwent surgery for bone chips on his elbow. And his Class AAA season was over.

“There’s a history lesson to be learned about the risk with pitchers vs. position players,” said Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, who passed on Bryant to take Appel – and who ultimately, last December, traded Appel to the Phillies in a deal that included the Astros’ closer for the last month, Ken Giles.

Talk about lessons.

In his first game against the team that chose not to draft him, Bryant christened Minute Maid Park with a two-run homer in the fifth Friday off Joe Musgrove in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

“But that’s a history lesson that’s been laid out over a long period of time,” Luhnow added. “Having said that, if you want an impact pitcher, you have to gamble.”

To be sure, Luhnow’s front office has enough success with their first-round gambles in recent years to make the playoffs last year and enter the weekend in the thick of the American League wild-card race.

Those picks included the selection of last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa, with the No. 1 overall pick in 2012; Friday’s starting shortstop Alex Bregman with the No. 2 overall pick in 2015; and promising starter Lance McCullers with the 41st overall pick in 2012.

And to be fair, the Cubs said Appel, the polished Stanford pitcher, was the top player on their draft board in 2013 and were prepared to select him if the Astros took Bryant.

Of course, Theo Epstein’s Cub front office never got the chance to prove it would have reversed a decade of draft philosophy and risk-averse behavior in first-round decision-making, because Luhnow’s crew took that decision out of Esptein’s hands.

“Thank you,” said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, whose club was playing Friday for a 90th victory of the season with 22 to play.

“We probably wouldn’t be nearly as good as we are without him,” Maddon said.

Bryant’s home run Friday was his 37th of the season, tying Colorado’s Nolan Arenado for the league lead. He bumped his RBI total to 93. He already led the majors in runs before that 114th. And he entered the series with the league’s second-leading OPS (.976).

“We loved him. And we had him very high on the board,” Luhnow said of the College Player of the Year and consensus top-ranked hitter in the draft that year. “We chose to go with the pitcher instead.”

Bryant was the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year the year after that. Then he debuted the following April and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award. He’s the MVP favorite in his league this year.

And if he keeps up this pace, he might make the Hall of Fame by 25 – maybe even share top billing on MLB’s marquee with .

But even if history chooses to tell the story of the 2013 draft as a failed No. 1 pick, it seems more about an organization-building philosophy and baseball decision more than an evaluation gap.

Either way, it’s not something Luhnow allows to become a what-if game in his mind.

“I really don’t,” he said. “We’ve got Carlos Correa. We’ve got Alex Bregman. We’ve got Lance McCullers. Our scouting department has done a nice job with the draft.

“You can always look back and say I should have taken this player instead of that player, but there’s no reason to really dwell on it. I’m happy for Kris Bryant’s success. And I’m happy for the success of the guys that we have.”

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Daily Herald Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros renew old rivalry By Bruce Miles

The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros renew acquaintances this weekend in Houston at Minute Maid Park, but things don't feel the same.

It wasn't quite Cubs-Cardinals, but this rivalry had something going from the time Houston joined the National League as the Colt .45s in 1962. The Colts became the Astros in 1965 when they moved into the space-age , known then as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

There were oh so many memories over the years.

Kerry Wood tossed his 20-strikeout game against the Astros at Wrigley Field on May 6, 1998, when Houston's Killer Bees were in their best days, with , and .

Carlos Zambrano no-hit the Astros on Sept. 14, 2008, in a neutral-site game played in Milwaukee because posed a threat to Texas.

The Cubs battled for the 1998 wild card, losing at the Astrodome on the final Sunday of the regular season only to find out on the way to the clubhouse that the Rockies' Neifi Perez had homered to beat the Giants, forcing a 163rd game the next night, which the Cubs won.

Most old-time Cubs fans can't forget manager Leo Durocher calling the Astrodome a pool table because of its newfangled AstroTurf. For good measure, Leo ripped the dugout telephone off the wall.

But all that ended in 2013, when the Astros moved to the American League to give each league 15 teams.

Cubs TV analyst pitched for the Astros from 1985-91 and broadcast their games for 16 years before joining the booth in Chicago in 2013. As much as he loved the rivalry, Deshaies understands why the 'Stros made the switch.

"I wish they weren't," said Deshaies, who works alongside play-by-play man . "I've come to terms with it, but I'm like a lot of the fans down there who preferred National League baseball, who kind of grew up with a National League club, have a lot of history in the National League.

"The Astros-Cubs-Cardinals, man. When I was broadcasting, they were great rivalries. Yeah, it's hard to move on from that. And I think it took the fans a little while to warm up."

The Cubs entered this weekend's series with a record of 331-377 against the Astros. As an , Houston played at , where the temperature was high, the humidity higher and mosquitoes were as big as B-52s.

The Astrodome offered air-conditioned relief, but not much else to other teams. The Cubs were 83-137 at the Dome. Durocher, who later managed the Astros, never liked the taunts from the new electronic scoreboard, and he wasn't a fan of the high bounces the ball took on the artificial turf, which was put in when grass wouldn't grow in the Dome after the roof was painted.

The Dome was home to Deshaies, and he acknowledged the mystique.

"It was a pitcher's park," he said. "A lot of hitters said it was dark in there, and the Astros had a lot of good pitching. You run through there in the early '80s, late '70s, and you deal with J.R. Richard, and in a three-game series. Hang with them. Then later on it was Nolan and . Bob Knepper in his prime.

"The Astros were a slash-and-dash kind of team in those years, so there were a lot of 2-1, 3-2 games. It was just a different style of baseball in that big, cavernous dome."

The Astros moved to Field -- now Minute Maid Park -- in 2000. Real grass grows, a retractable roof has replaced the dome, and a short porch in left field made it an inviting hitter's park.

So inviting that former Cubs manager threatened to ban batting practice in domed stadiums because he felt his hitters did nothing but swing for the fences, or in the case of Minute Maid, the "pumpkins."

It was always fun to hear Lou talk about "the pumpkins," which were actually large depictions of oranges -- it's Minute Maid Park, after all -- carted back and forth by a train on top of the left-field wall structure.

"It was interesting," Deshaies said of the stadium move. "The teams that they built in the 2000s were tremendous hitting teams. They had some pitchers, too, but Biggio, Bagwell, Moises (Alou), Derek Bell, , Morgan Ensberg -- they could really put some runs on the board."

Time chugs onward, and now the Astros are in the AL West, where they can slug it out with the for Lone Star bragging rights.

"They're getting their butts kicked routinely by the Rangers these days," Deshaies said. "I think that helps, that the Rangers and the Astros are in the same division now. I think people will really be able to cling to that because there's always been that rivalry between Houston and .

"They tried to make it up when they played in interleague, the . They played for the Silver Boot. Rivalries don't really exist in this game unless you're fighting for the same prize, so putting those two teams in the same division makes a lot of sense."

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Daily Herald Take in the sights when Cubs play in St. Louis next week By Katherine Rodeghier

For Cubs fans, all eyes will be on St. Louis when Chicago's North Side team has a chance to clinch its division in games Monday through Wednesday. For fans making the trek to , St. Louis offers plenty to see and do when they aren't sitting in those rows of red seats rooting for their team of blue.

A few suggestions:

The Cardinals' house

Busch Stadium is actually the third Busch Stadium, affectionately known as Busch III. The first Busch Stadium, originally called Sportsman's Park, was where Stan "The Man" Musial was in his glory. Busch II, where Mark McGwire set home-run records, opened in downtown St. Louis in 1966, but the ballclub's new owners wanted a more modern stadium, so they tore it down and built the Cardinals' current home right next door. Take a tour of the stadium and you'll sit in the dugout and the broadcast booth and see World Series trophies in the Champions Club. See cardinals.mlb.com/stl/ballpark/tours/.

Ballpark Village opened two years ago on the grounds where Busch II once stood. With rooftop seats overlooking the current stadium and a bevy of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, you might say it's a modern version of the Wrigley Field neighborhood, but with a $100 million price tag.

The original infield from the second Busch Stadium is part of Ballpark Village, which is across the street from the Cardinals' current ballpark.

Part of the complex is a grassy park on the original footprint of the old infield. Families play in the grass around the pitcher's mound. Inside Ballpark Village, you can see baseball memorabilia at the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum at Cardinals Nation, a two-level restaurant topped with rooftop seats overlooking the outfield across the street. Budweiser Brew House also has a view of the ballpark. You also can catch the game on a giant video screen in a two-level atrium under a retractable glass roof. Visit stlballparkvillage.com/.

The atrium inside Ballpark Village is covered by a retractable glass roof. Fans can watch sporting events on a giant video screen while enjoying food and drink in climate-controlled comfort.

From many of Busch stadium's seats, fans can get a glimpse of a St. Louis icon, the Gateway Arch soaring 630 feet on the banks of the Mississippi.

The shiny, stainless-steel structure designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and opened in 1965 is the nation's tallest man-made monument. While it remains in good shape, the grounds around it are undergoing some work.

The interstate highway, which had cut off the Arch from downtown St. Louis, now travels underneath a landscaped greenway connecting Luther Ely Square to the Arch, greatly increasing pedestrian and bike access.

You can still ride a tram to the top of the arch to take in the view, but the Museum of Westward Expansion at its base remains closed for renovations.

Some artifacts are on exhibit at the Old Courthouse, where the Gateway Arch ticketing and visitor center has relocated. From there it's a 10- to 15-minute walk to the north leg of the arch. See gatewayarch.com/ or nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/gateway-arch.htm.

Neighborhood trendy again

Delmar Loop, the six-block stretch of Delmar Boulevard near Washington University, has been ranked among the 10 best streets in America, according to the American Planning Association. But it wasn't always this way.

Back in the 1930s, it was a high-fashion neighborhood built around a trolley line called The Loop that made its turnaround here. Then urban blight set in.

The revival began in 1972 with the opening of Blueberry Hill, a restaurant and live music club. See blueberryhill.com/.

More renovations followed: the 1929 Tivoli movie theater, Pageant theater nightclub, Pin-Up Bowl bowling alley and martini lounge and the Moonrise Hotel, a quirky boutique property filled with Space Age toys and memorabilia. Visit moonrisehotel.com/.

Stroll down Delmar now and you'll find a flourishing arts and entertainment district with 55 restaurants, 10 galleries, 10 stages for live music and nearly 200 shops.

Singing the blues

The National Blues Museum opened in April and tells the story of the rise of the blues from the South, migrating north through St. Louis and Chicago.

The 23,000-square-foot museum lies a few blocks west from the Mississippi riverbank where W.C. Handy composed his famous "St. Louis Blues March" and features interactive technology and artifact-driven exhibits, a theater, special events space and classrooms.

The museum explores and preserves the historic significance of the blues as the foundation of American music and celebrates the musicians who both create and advance the art form. Find more at nationalbluesmuseum.org/.

St. Louis was once the world's busiest railway station. After the last trains pulled out it was redeveloped into a hotel.

In its heyday, St. Louis Union Station was the largest and busiest railway station in the world, but when the last train departed in 1978 it fell into disrepair. The 1894 station, a National Historic Landmark, was redeveloped in 1985 and a hotel added. New owners came on board in 2012 and are continuing restoration.

The centerpiece of the station's revival remains the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, stlunionstationhotel.com, and its Grand Hall, grandhall-stl.com/. Renovated and restored in 2014, the hall's sweeping archways, fresco and gold-leaf detailing, mosaics and art-glass windows make it the crown jewel of the station.

You can sip a cocktail in 1920s style in the 70-foot-long bar off the hotel's Grand Hall and gaze at a barrel-vaulted, 65-foot ceiling that serves as the big screen for hourly panoramic 3-D mapping light shows. St. Louis natives Jon Hamm and John Goodman do some of the narration.

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