May 26, 2018

• Chicago Sun-Times, Are Cubs getting ready to roll after win over Giants? It isn’t too soon to ask https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/are-cubs-6-2-winners-friday-getting-ready-to-roll-its-never- too-soon-to-ask/

• Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Theo Epstein calls rumors of trade talks ‘false’; Kyle Hendricks dominates https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-theo-epstein-calls-rumors-of-trade-talks-false-kyle- hendricks-dominates/

• Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs manager Joe Maddon finds inspiration in Chicago’s boxing scene https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/cubs-manager-joe-maddon-finds-inspiration-in-chicagos- boxing-scene/

• Chicago Sun-Times, Theo Epstein says Cubs not currently engaged in trade talks https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-trade-rumors-2018-manny-machado-theo-epstein/

• Daily Herald, Hendricks goes 7 innings as Cubs rally to top Giants http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180525/hendricks-goes-7-innings-as-cubs-rally-to-top-giants

• Daily Herald, Epstein puts his trust in Cubs players, not trade rumors http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180525/epstein-puts-his-trust-in-cubs-players-not-trade- rumors

• The Athletic, State of the Cubs: Theo Epstein on the trade rumors, frustrations and optimism surrounding this team https://theathletic.com/368863/2018/05/25/state-of-the-cubs-theo-epstein-on-the-trade-rumors- frustrations-and-optimism-surrounding-this-team/

• Cubs.com, Wily Hendricks stifles SF as Cubs break out late https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-win-behind-kyle-hendricks-7-inning-start/c-278258228

• Cubs.com, Zobrist delivers long-awaited XBH with RISP https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/ben-zobrist-hits-pivotal-2-run-double-for-cubs/c-278276732

• Cubs.com, Theo spikes rumors: 'Essentially zero trade talks' https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/theo-epstein-discusses-cubs-trade-rumors/c-278259464

• Cubs.com, Santo family gets first look at 2016 WS ring https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/ron-santos-family-sees-2016-world-series-ring/c-278261020

• NBC Sports Chicago, The Cubs are ahead of the game in MLB's brand new world https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-are-ahead-game-mlb-brand-new-world-launch- angle-exit-velocity-statcast-kris-bryant

• NBC Sports Chicago, Theo Epstein brushes aside rumors: 'There's essentially zero trade talks involving the Cubs' https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/mlb-trade-market-theo-epstein-brushes-aside-trade- rumors-theres-essentially-zero-trade-talks-involving-cubs-manny-machado-orioles

• Chicago Tribune, Ben Zobrist looking for clarity on cleats rule on Cubs trip to New York http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-ben-zobrist-clelats-20180525- story.html

• Chicago Tribune, Clutch hits from Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant help Cubs to 6-2 victory http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-giants-20180525-story.html

• Chicago Tribune, Scientific study diminishing effect of launch angles suits Cubs' Joe Maddon http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-joe-maddon-20180525- story.html

• Chicago Tribune, Column: Theo Epstein shoots down trade rumors involving Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-theo-epstein-trade-rumors- sullivan-20180525-story.html

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Chicago Sun-Times Are Cubs getting ready to roll after win over Giants? It isn’t too soon to ask By Steve Greenberg

It wasn’t until July gave way to August in 2015 that the Cubs began to get hot — ridiculously hot.

One day, they were 52-47. A torrential outpouring of great baseball later, they were 97-65 and headed for the postseason. That’s a 45-18 streak, for those of you scoring at home.

The series that year when manager Joe Maddon first sensed that something big-time was brewing was at Wrigley Field against the Giants at the start of an early-August homestand. The Cubs delivered a four- game sweep.

“I remember walking into the dugout for that series, because that was a turning point for me,” Maddon said. “I was jacked going to the dugout.”

We aren’t there yet, folks. Not even close. Yet when will the 2018 Cubs — assuming they have fuel in their tank for another push to the postseason — get rolling? That was a topic of much discussion on a day that concluded with a 6-2 series-opening victory over a Giants team that is much lower-profile than the defending champs of ’15 were.

The 2016 Cubs seized control of their destiny from the very beginning. Last year’s Cubs didn’t pull their heads out of their you-know-wheres until after the All-Star break.

“We just have to start clicking as a group on all cylinders,” said Ben Zobrist, who yanked a two-run single to left off Giants starter Derek Holland for a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning. “And once you see a few guys do that, it can be a snowball effect.”

The Cubs are going on two months’ worth of false starts during which they’ve failed to assert themselves in the standings despite some numbers that look great on paper, at least. Consider: Not only do the Cubs have the highest team on-base percentage (.340) and one of the top slugging percentages (.425) in the , but they also have the lowest ERA (3.34).

Anyone would read those numbers and expect to see a better record than 26-21.

“It’s really weird,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “I don’t know the exact numbers on the tip of my tongue, but I think we’re leading the league in slugging with nobody on [base] and I think we’re dead last with runners in scoring position. It’s strange. It could be a fluke. I think we’ll ultimately hit with runners in scoring position. Those things tend to even out.”

The Cubs’ four hits in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position plated all six of their runs Friday. Kris Bryant’s tack-on two-out, two-run single in a four-run seventh inning was especially encouraging to see.

“The first part of the season is about finding out who you are,” Epstein said. “What are the strengths of the club? What are the weaknesses of the club? What’s the character of the club? What position is the club going to be in as we get through the season? What’s our short-term outlook? What’s our long-term outlook? What’s the chemistry in the clubhouse? All those things, it’s a process to get there and figure it out.”

The Cubs improved — and this is a bit of an odd trend — to 11-2 over the Giants in the teams’ last 13 meetings at Wrigley. They also ended a four-game home losing streak, the last two games of which were miserable offensive performances against the Indians. Friday’s relative breakthrough had to happen or else any talk of heating up would just plain have to wait.

It probably should wait a while, regardless. But Cubs fans aren’t good at waiting anymore.

“Once we turn the page, everything’s expected, like, right now, all the time” Maddon said. “We’re back into the instant-coffee, chocolate milk, 15-cent hamburgers. That’s what the world is all about.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Theo Epstein calls rumors of trade talks ‘false’; Kyle Hendricks dominates By Steve Greenberg

All one had to do at Wrigley Field on Friday was stop and listen. In the stands, on the concourse or in line for the bathroom, two words were in the air.

No, not “is this stall taken?” That’s four words.

Two words: “Manny” and “Machado.”

Unless one was listening to Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, that is. He wasn’t of a mind to discuss trade rumors involving the Orioles shortstop, one of the top free-agents-to-be in the game.

“I’m not addressing any specific rumor or any player with another team,” Epstein said before a 6-2 victory over the Giants. “I would never talk about that in a million years.”

The Cubs spoke with the Orioles in the offseason about Machado, who will turn 26 in July, and the teams can be expected to talk again as the July 31 trade deadline draws nearer. Other National League teams — the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals — are in the Machado-rumor mix, though, giving the O’s some apparent leverage.

Epstein said there’ve been “essentially zero trade talks involving the Cubs,” then doubled down by calling any reports of talks “completely false.”

He also claimed the Cubs already have all the pieces they need to win at the highest level.

“We have more than enough ability to win the division, win the World Series,” he said. “We really need to focus on our roster and getting the most out of our ability and finding some consistency.”

He’s just too much

At 4-3 after a dominant seven-inning performance against the Giants, Kyle Hendricks might not have a standout win-loss record. Yet he has been operating at close to the top of his game all season, with a team-high four starts of at least seven innings and a team-high seven quality starts.

Before watching Hendricks allow only two hits, strike out seven and rip through seven innings in only 88 pitches, manager Joe Maddon said the right-hander is pitching as well as ever. After the game, Hendricks concurred.

“Yeah, I feel really good,” he said. “It’s just that constant focus of coming in every day [and] getting better. There are a few things that aren’t necessarily where I want them to be right now, but overall it’s been really good.”

Killer B’s

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant had the more productive day, lacing a pair of singles to left-center and driving in two runs, but Giants first baseman Brandon Belt maintained a lead over Bryant for the highest OPS in the NL.

A ninth-inning doink single to left Belk with an OPS of .998. Bryant is at .983. The Braves’ Freddie Freeman, the Diamondbacks’ A.J. Polloclk and the Rockies Nolan Arenado rounded out the top five entering Friday’s action.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs manager Joe Maddon finds inspiration in Chicago’s boxing scene By Annie Costabile

One thing Joe and Jaye Maddon set out to do when they started their Respect 90 Foundation was to inspire youth in Chicago and beyond. At their Main Event fundraiser Friday night, the Maddons were the ones inspired.

‘‘We all have bad days,’’ Joe Maddon said. ‘‘Kids like this who aspire and then succeed are very inspirational to all of us.’’

One boxer was Maddon’s guest of honor, Julian Smith.

Smith was personally invited to the Main Event after Maddon heard about his triumph in the ring.

A deaf boxer, Smith’s motto became ‘‘put the guns down, put the gloves on’’ after he lost his older brother Brandon to gun violence in Chicago. Smith, who recently became a Golden Gloves champion, was honored before the bouts began.

‘‘I was excited that I inspired Joe Maddon,’’ Smith said. ‘‘He’s really a champion, and he thinks I’m a champion. I’m just overjoyed.’’

The Maddon’s fourth annual Main Event featured amateur boxing bouts and a silent auction, with proceeds benefitting youth boxing in Chicago.

One item being auctioned off is a piece from Maddon’s ‘‘Putting the Art Back Into THEE Game’’ project. The piece features Muhammad Ali and Maddon’s five levels to being a professional.

This is the third piece to be auctioned to benefit the Respect 90 Foundation and other Cubs charities. Maddon’s version of the ‘‘Mona Lisa’’ was sold for $50,000, and his ‘‘David’’ went for $25,000 at Anthony Rizzo’s sixth annual Cook-Off for Cancer.

With the Main Event, Maddon wants to highlight boxing and spark a deeper interest in it, especially in Chicago, where he believes the sport is vital to the community.

’’This sport creates a discipline that I think could help create a path as these young kids move forward,’’ Maddon said.

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Chicago Sun-Times Theo Epstein says Cubs not currently engaged in trade talks By Satchel Price

The Cubs may end up being active buyers before this year’s trade deadline, but with more than two months until July 31, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said there are “essentially zero trade talks” involving the team going on right now.

“I’m not addressing any specific rumor or any player with another team,” Epstein said Friday. “I would never talk about that in a million years, but the simple way to put it is there’s been a lot of trade rumors involving the Cubs, but essentially zero trade talks right now involving the Cubs.”

The Cubs have been the subject of a steady stream of reports and rumors over the past few weeks, specifically regarding their potential pursuit of Orioles slugger Manny Machado.

The Sun-Times reported in early May that the team was planning to discuss acquiring Machado with Baltimore “in the coming weeks,” a time frame that we’re still firmly operating within.

Machado could be traded any time between now and July 31, so he’ll remain in play for the Cubs until then unless he’s traded elsewhere. There would be a benefit to trading for him sooner because he would be in the lineup for a larger portion of the season, but it’s rare that marquee trade candidates are moved so far in advance of the waiver deadline.

Epstein didn’t say anything about the Cubs’ upcoming plans regarding trade negotiations, although he did express confidence in the roster already in place. “We have more than enough ability to win the division, win the World Series,” Epstein said, “and we really need to focus on our roster and getting the most out of our ability and finding some consistency.”

Changes may still come from outside in the coming weeks. But based Epstein’s comments Friday, those talks haven’t began yet.

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Daily Herald Hendricks goes 7 innings as Cubs rally to top Giants By Bruce Miles

Before Friday's 6-2 victory over the , Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he felt Kyle Hendricks "is throwing the ball as well as I've seen him throw the ball."

Hendricks carried that into a day that looked to be a hitter's day at Wrigley Field, where it was 87 degrees with a soft breeze blowing out to left field. But Hendricks wound up going 7 strong innings, giving up 2 hits and 1 run, a homer to Gorkys Hernandez leading off the fourth inning. That tied the game at 1-1, but a 4-run seventh inning carried the Cubs to victory and improve their record to 26-21.

"I think it started with command, like it always does for me," said Hendricks, who is 4-3 with a 3.16 ERA. "Fastball command was good. I was keeping the ball down. And it wasn't flying as much as I thought it was going to be, actually. A couple of balls were hit pretty good, and they just (went) right to the track or the wall there."

The Cubs did little with Giants starter Derek Holland, who gave up a run in the first on Anthony Rizzo's RBI single.

But Holland opened the bottom of the seventh by hitting Javier Baez and walking Ian Happ. Giants manager Bruce Bochy turned to Will Smith. Maddon had Addison Russell sacrifice, and after pinch hitter Tommy La Stella walked to load the bases, Ben Zobrist picked on a first pitch and lined it to left for a 2- run double. One out later, Kris Bryant singled home 2 more.

Gotta be the shoes: Ben Zobrist wore his black shoes and stirrup socks again Friday. He and others in were warned that they could face fines if shoes weren't at least 51 percent of the team's primary color, which is blue for the Cubs.

Zobrist has been talking to MLB about it, and he said an agreement to allow some freedom is in the works.

"It's not resolved completely yet, but as far as in the meantime, they (the players) have a little bit of freedom until we get something in place," Zobrist said. "MLB and the union are going to talk about it and hopefully get a new structure figured out. A lot of that is dependent upon the teams and how teams want to restructure things versus the players and figure out how we can make it happen.

"I just think it would be great if we could at least have that conversation with your own personal team instead of Major League Baseball. If other teams want to do it differently, fine, but it would be nice for us to only have to deal with it with the Cubs in regard to what we wear on our feet."

The Cubs will be in New York next weekend, and Zobrist said more talks may take place there, where MLB offices are located.

Zobrist said MLB would like to have the situation ironed out "in a couple of weeks to a month."

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Daily Herald Epstein puts his trust in Cubs players, not trade rumors By Bruce Miles

It was a somewhat testy Cubs president Theo Epstein who sounded some of the same themes Friday about his team as he did in the middle of May last year.

Epstein said Cubs players have earned the trust that they'll start playing consistently well, just as he trusted them last May.

But he became a bit prickly when asked about the rumors involving the Cubs possibly trading for shortstop Manny Machado, who just happened to be in town this week playing against the White Sox and drawing a media crowd.

"I'm not addressing any specific rumor or any player with another team," he said on the field before Friday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants. "I would never talk about that in a million years. A simple way to put it is there's been a lot of trade rumors involving the Cubs and there's essentially zero trade talks right now involving the Cubs.

"There's a real disparity in between the noise and the reality. Unfortunately, sometimes that puts a player or two that we have in a real tough circumstance. So it's my job to clarify there's nothing going on right now. We have more than enough ability to win the division, to win the World Series. We really need to focus on our roster and get the most out of our ability to find some consistency. A constant focus outside the organization doesn't do us any good, especially when it's not based in reality right now.

"There's zero trade talks going on."

It was on May 16, 2017 that Epstein took the field and urged trust in the then-defending world champions, who entered that day with a record of 18-19.

While the Cubs began Friday with a 25-21 mark, their play has been inconsistent in all facets.

"We should have high expectations," he said. "I think this group has earned a tremendous amount of trust. It's perfectly OK to be really frustrated with our inability to really get locked in and get hot and play up to our talent and our expectations while at the same time being really optimistic that this group ultimately figures it out as they have in the past."

Does Epstein attribute the ups and down to anything specific?

"It's complicated, and we're always trying to figure it out," he said. "If we all knew how to get the absolute most out of our ability every single day, we'd all be doing something else. That's a hard thing to do. It's a grind. There's a reason the season is 162 games.

"We're working to find some consistency and working to find a formula that allows us to come out and really focus for three-and-a-half hours and play some aggressive, intentional winning baseball in all phases. That's easier said than done."

Monday is Memorial Day, a traditional milepost in the baseball season, one that signals that the year in full swing.

"Everyone is talking about making trades in May," Epstein said. "The first part of the season is trying to figure out who you are. What are the strengths of the club? What are the weaknesses of the club? What's the character of the club? What position is the club going to be in as we get deeper in the season? What's our short-term outlook. What's our long-term outlook? What's the chemistry in the clubhouse?

"All those things, it's a process to get there and figure it out. If you rush to those kind of judgments, you can oftentimes make things worse. I think it's important to figure out who you are and give guys a chance to play and find their levels and see how all the pieces fit together before you make your adjustments."

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The Athletic State of the Cubs: Theo Epstein on the trade rumors, frustrations and optimism surrounding this team By Patrick Mooney

Brown Ray-Ban sunglasses shielded Theo Epstein’s eyes as the sweat formed on his forehead. The Cubs president of baseball operations stood in the Wrigley Field dugout on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, sounding annoyed by the bursts of Manny Machado trade speculation and frustrated with how this inconsistent Cubs team is playing.

Epstein has a good poker face and a precise way of answering questions whenever reporters surround him. He helped create this monster, the expectations that The Core will be great for a long time and the Cubs should never be counted out of any high-stakes deal.

It doesn’t get much bigger than Machado, who’s having a potential Triple Crown season for the last- place Baltimore Orioles and about to become a at the age of 26, creating the perfect storm for Twitter and the media’s pack mentality.

It just gets awkward for Epstein, still waiting for $126 million pitcher Yu Darvish and the rest of the rotation to find a rhythm, wondering why the offense generates hits and shuts down with runners in scoring position and tracking all the mental mistakes while running the bases and playing defense.

“I’m not addressing any specific rumor or any player with another team,” Epstein said before a 6-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. “I would never talk about that in a million years. But the simple way to put it is there’s been a lot of trade rumors involving the Cubs — and there’s essentially zero trade talks right now involving the Cubs — so there’s a real disparity between the noise and the reality.

“Unfortunately, sometimes that puts a player or two that we have in a real tough circumstance. It’s my job to clarify: There’s nothing going on right now. We have more than enough ability to win the division, win the World Series. We really need to focus on our roster and getting the most out of our ability and finding some consistency.

“The constant focus outside the organization doesn’t do us any good, especially when it’s not based in reality right now.”

The temptation is to make some sweeping statement about this win. It felt more like trade-deadline weather — 87 degrees at first pitch — with the kind of marquee opponent and big crowd that usually brings out the best in these Cubs. Kyle Hendricks again pitched like a Game 1 starter in a postseason rotation, allowing only two hits in seven innings before getting pulled for pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella in the middle of a 1-1 game and the kind of rally that might have given the Giants flashbacks to the 2016 playoffs. A roar from the 41,177 fans erupted when Ben Zobrist lined a Will Smith pitch into left field for a two-run, go-ahead double.

“Right now, do we need anything?” said Zobrist, a trade-deadline rental for the 2015 team that won the World Series and a missing-piece free agent for the 2016 Cubs. “No, no, no, not right now. We got to see how the rest of the summer plays out and you get into mid-July. Overall, we’re pretty healthy and we have the tools. We just need more execution right now. If we keep doing that, then I think we’ll get hot.”

No one should be saying the Cubs (26-21) are back, because they never really left, and they haven’t yet played at a consistently high level where they can gain traction in the . One game under .500 in the middle of April is technically the season’s low point, though now the , St. Louis Cardinals and are also on pace for around 90 wins. Epstein just spent part of this week scouting the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama, which shows his priorities heading into a June in which the Cubs will have five picks in the top 98 selections.

“Everyone’s talking about making trades in May,” Epstein said. “The first part of the season is trying to figure out who you are. What are the strengths of the club? What are the weaknesses of the club? What’s the character of the club? What position is the club going to be in as we get deeper in the season? What’s our short-term outlook? What’s our long-term outlook? What’s the chemistry in the clubhouse? All those things. It’s a process to get there and figure it out.

“If you rush to those kind of judgments, you can oftentimes make things worse. I think it’s important to figure out exactly who you are and give guys a chance to play and find their level and see how all the pieces fit together before you make your adjustments.”

Manager Joe Maddon gets daily questions about this player taking off or that position group trending in the right direction, but remember this golden age of baseball on the North Side didn’t truly start until August 2015, when the Giants came into Wrigley Field as the defending World Series champs.

Epstein had stayed relatively quiet at that July 31 trade deadline, adding Dan Haren and Tommy Hunter for pitching depth instead of using Javier Báez in a blockbuster deal. Maddon tightened the leash and yanked Jason Hammel after four innings, managing the bullpen like it was already October. Maddon met with in the cramped manager’s office in the old clubhouse and informed him that Addison Russell would be the starting shortstop moving forward. The Cubs swept a four-game series that propelled them toward 97 wins and the first of three straight trips to the NLCS.

“Everything’s expected like right now all the time,” Maddon said. “We’re back into like instant coffee, chocolate milk, 15-cent hamburgers. That’s all the world is about. But I remember walking in the dugout for that series, I swear, because that was the turning point for me. I was jacked going into the dugout because I know Boch (manager Bruce Bochy). I know the Giants. They’re good and they’re pros and they play the game right. We had to get beyond them.

“Last year didn’t happen until the All-Star break. That year didn’t happen until after the All-Star break. I don’t really like that method. I’d prefer us catching it a little bit sooner than that. But that series, to me, was kind of the turning point in regards to catapulting us into a method or a situation that permits us to be a perennial postseason contender and a World Series contender on an annual basis.

“You got to take it. Nobody gives you stuff. We took that moment and that’s what pushed us forward.”

Now Russell is trying to tune out the Machado chatter and Maddon has already pushed his bullpen harder than he would have wanted and the Giants are trying to squeeze another year out of their glory- days players. But this is what the Cubs always wanted, to be in play for as many races as possible and in position to make the deals that will shock the baseball world.

“We should have high expectations,” Epstein said. “This group has earned a tremendous amount of trust, so it’s perfectly OK to be really frustrated with our inability to really get locked in and get hot and play up to our talent and our expectations, while at the same time being really optimistic that this group ultimately figures it out, which they have in the past.”

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Cubs.com Wily Hendricks stifles SF as Cubs break out late By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks didn't throw any pitches over 90 mph on Friday. None of his 88 pitches even registered at 90. Yet the right-hander dominated the Giants over seven innings and Ben Zobrist delivered a tie-breaking two-run double in the seventh to lift the Cubs to a 6-2 victory at Wrigley Field.

"It was Kyle's day, and he gave us a chance to win that game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He kept it in check for us as long as he did."

Hendricks retired the first nine batters he faced before Gorkys Hernandez collected the first hit and run off the right-hander by leading off the Giants' fourth inning with his fifth home run. The hit had a higher exit velocity (93 mph) than any of Hendricks' pitches, according to Statcast™. Hernandez also singled with two outs in the sixth for the only other hit off Hendricks.

"I made better pitches today," Hendricks said. "In the past, I was throwing about the same, but too many bad pitches. The only [bad] one was 0-2 to Hernandez, I didn't bury it enough down and in. Other than that, I executed what I was trying to do. In that sense, it was the best-executed game for me."

Maybe Hendricks was motivated after his last outing in Cincinnati when he showed some emotion, unhappy with the results. That's unusual for the stoic pitcher. On Friday, it was vintage Hendricks.

"He's so steady," Maddon said. "He's just the same guy. Right now, Kyle is throwing the ball as well as I've seen him throw the ball. The numbers are good. That high 86-87 [mph], occasionally 88 [mph fastball], because off of that, here comes that magnificent changeup. I'm a curveball fan. I still like that activated a couple more times. But, he just knows what he's doing.

"I just think he's on top of his game right now."

The Giants have seen this before. In Hendricks' last four starts against them, he's given up five earned runs over 24 innings.

"He's always tough," Brandon Crawford said. "He always keeps you off balance with the changeup, and then the changeup makes the fastball kind of sneaky. He was dotting that outside corner with that two- seamer to righties."

How much did Hendricks mix it up? During a six-pitch at-bat against Brandon Belt in the seventh, the right-hander started with a 70-mph curve, included an 88-mph sinker and finished with a 79.8-mph changeup that the Giants' first baseman launched to the warning track in right.

"That was one where I thought the ball might be flying -- hot day, wind blowing out, ball in the air," Hendricks said. "I thought I gave up a couple maybe, but it was not great contact. I was still making great pitches. We just need to keep on doing the things I've been doing."

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first on Anthony Rizzo's RBI single off Giants starter Derek Holland, who otherwise avoided trouble until the seventh, when he hit Javier Baez with a pitch and then walked Ian Happ. Holland was lifted for Will Smith, and both runners advanced on Addison Russell's perfectly placed sacrifice.

"There was a point in that count when I wanted to take it off and we didn't get the sign right, but then he came back to it," Maddon said of Russell's bunt. "Sometimes it happens for a reason. Perfect bunt by him."

Said Russell: "I wanted to make sure it was a good pitch to execute. It was a great feeling -- I felt like that was the turning point."

Smith then walked pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella on four pitches, and Zobrist lined the first pitch he saw from Smith to left to put the Cubs in front, 3-1. Cory Gearrin took over, and Kris Bryant greeted him with a two-run single.

MOMENT THAT MATTERED Zobrist and Albert Almora Jr. singled to open the Chicago first, and both advanced on a passed ball by Buster Posey. One out later, Zobrist scored on Rizzo's single, but Almora was easily thrown out by left fielder Mac Williamson, who fired a 94.6-mph strike home.

SOUND SMART Hendricks gave up two hits over seven innings, giving him eight straight starts of three or fewer earned runs allowed.

HE SAID IT "The game went pretty quick, and [Hendricks] threw a lot of strikes and that's really what keeps us on our toes out there and makes the game go by quickly and allows us to focus on our at-bats at the plate. It's big when you're playing behind that. It really gives you a lot of motivation late in the game. When you don't have the lead, you want to get the lead back for a guy like that and get the 'W.'" – Zobrist

UP NEXT Jose Quintana will start Saturday night. He's coming off a stellar outing against the Reds in which he gave up one hit over seven scoreless innings. This will be his third career start vs. the Giants. He's 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA so far, with both games at AT&T Park. Fastball command was the key in his last outing. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT from Wrigley Field.

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Cubs.com Zobrist delivers long-awaited XBH with RISP By Matt Martell

CHICAGO -- The Cubs had been hard pressed for extra-base hits with runners in scoring position, but on Friday, Ben Zobrist came through with a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning of their 6-2 win over the Giants.

Entering the game, 79 percent of the Cubs' extra-base hits in May had come with nobody in scoring position. For a club that boasted the National League's third-best slugging percentage this month heading into Friday, the lack of power with RISP was cause for some concern from both Cubs manager Joe Maddon and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein.

"We're not getting the bang for our buck," Epstein said before the game. "A lot of our extra-base hits and home runs are with nobody on base. We're not performing at the same level with guys in scoring position. It should all even out."

One clutch double with RISP is far from evening it out, but it could help get the Cubs going in the right direction.

Zobrist, specifically, had not had an extra-base hit in any of his 29 plate appearances this season with RISP, though he had just seven extra-base hits all season before his go-ahead double.

"The pitch you a little bit different [with RISP]," Zobrist said. "We have to grow as a team in regard to how we approach those situations."

Maddon said before the game that pitchers tend to throw more offspeed pitches and breaking balls when there are RISP, which can make it harder to record extra-base hits. Zobrist was waiting for a curveball in his at-bat against reliever Will Smith. He got it on the first pitch, and ripped it into the left- field corner.

"Pretty nice day for [Zobrist]," Maddon said. "Hanging curveball, left-field corner, that was very large."

However, Zobrist said extra-base hits aren't the greatest concern for hitters when they come up with RISP, especially when the bases are loaded in a tie game, which was the case for him on Friday.

"In a game like that, you just want to get one in," Zobrist said. "If you can get two, great, even better. If you can hit an extra-base hit and get yourself in scoring position and you take the double play out of play, even better. But you start with just do the job and keep it simple."

A double there did help push two additional runs across, as he and Tommy La Stella were both in scoring position when Kris Bryant lifted a two-out single to give the Cubs a four-run cushion going into the eighth.

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Cubs.com Theo spikes rumors: 'Essentially zero trade talks' By Matt Martell and Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein dismissed rumors that have linked the team to Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, saying "there are zero trade talks going on now."

"I'm not addressing any specific rumor or any player on another team ... but the simple way to put it is there's been a lot of trade rumors involving the Cubs and there are essentially zero trade talks right now involving the Cubs," Epstein said Friday. "There's a real disparity between the noise and reality. Sometimes that puts a player or two that we have in a real tough circumstance. It's my job to clarify there's nothing going on now."

Epstein pointed out that the early part of the schedule is the time when teams find out about themselves and he's not looking to add someone like Machado, who will be a free agent after this season.

"We have more than enough ability to win the division, to win the World Series," Epstein said. "We really need to focus on our roster and get the most out of our ability and find consistency.

"If you rush to those kind of judgments, you can often times make things worse," he said. "I think it's important to figure out exactly who you are and give guys a chance to play and find their level and see how all the pieces fit together before you make any adjustments."

Worth noting • Before Wednesday's Interleague game between Chicago and Cleveland, Javier Baez took advantage of being reunited with his Team Puerto Rico teammate, Francisco Lindor, to take grounders with the Indians' shortstop. Baez said he got some feedback about doing so from those who feel opposing players shouldn't mingle.

"It's so difficult to explain this -- it can go 50-50, the right way or wrong way," Baez said Friday. "It's 2018; we're not in the '80s, '90s. We don't hate the other team like it used to be. The game has changed so much."

He said he learned a lot talking to Lindor.

"To me, it doesn't matter what they say out there," Baez said. "If I have a chance to do it again, I'll do it. It should be fun and it's a game -- it should be a fun. If we get a chance, we'll do it again and hopefully people understand."

• Anthony Rizzo, a cancer survivor, spent Thursday's off-day visiting patients and speaking to families at OSF Health Care in Peoria, Ill. The organization serves patients and families in central and northern Illinois and upper Michigan.

"It's the biggest hospital outside of [Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago] that deals with pediatric cancer," Rizzo said. "It was special. There was a good showing of all the kids."

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Cubs.com Santo family gets first look at 2016 WS ring By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- On Friday, Ron Santo's daughter Linda and his two grandsons, Sam and Spencer, got their first look at their late grandfather's World Series ring, which the Cubs presented posthumously to the Hall of Famer.

The Santos had missed the ring ceremony in April 2017 -- they were at Sam's baseball game and Linda was working at one of the concession booths. She said someone told her that both Santo and Hall of Famer had received rings posthumously after the Cubs' win in '16.

Friday was the first time the family could come to Chicago to see the diamond-encrusted ring, which has Santo's name carved on the side. Linda said she knew it was the right time for the trip -- they boarded their flight from Arizona at 10:10 a.m. MST and arrived at Gate 10. As they were waiting in line to pose for a photo with the World Series trophy, someone in front of them was wearing a No. 10 Santo jersey. The number has been retired by the Cubs.

Sam, 19, just finished his freshman year at the University of Arizona while Spencer, 13, looks just like his grandfather, who passed away in December 2010.

"The passion and determination, no matter what they do, that's my dad," Linda said. "In baseball or whatever, they do have that passion that he had. They're good boys, and they have his spirit."

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NBC Sports Chicago The Cubs are ahead of the game in MLB's brand new world By Tony Andracki

"BINGO!"

Joe Maddon couldn't contain his glee as he was told there is actual scientific evidence that proves the Launch Angle Revolution has not had any impact on the uptick in homers over the last couple seasons.

The reason MLB players were hitting the ball into the bleachers more than ever before in 2017 was because of the way are made now, reducing the wind resistence and causing balls to carry more.

But all these players changing their swing path to get more lift on the ball? Not a thing for the group as a whole (h/t MLB.com): But in analyzing Statcast™ data from the measurement tool's 2015 inception through 2017, the committee found no evidence that batter behavior, en masse, has been a contributing factor toward the homer surge. In fact, exit velocities decreased slightly from 2016 to 2017, spray angles from the time studied were stable and a small increase in launch angles was attributable primarily to, as the study refers to them, "players with lesser home run talents."

Basically, the long-ball surge was global, affecting players from all spectrums of homer-hitting ability and irrespective of their approach.

"Going into this, I thought that was going to be the magic bullet, the smoking gun," Nathan said. "But it wasn't."

Hence the "BINGO!" cry from Maddon, who has been very vocal in the fight against the Launch Angle Revolution this season.

The end result is the study will eventually lead to baseballs being returned to normal levels and a more uniform way of storing the balls moving forward. Thus, homers figure to eventually return to normal levels, too, and everybody who was caught up in the Launch Angle Revolution may be left behind.

It's the changing landscape of baseball and we've already seen the after-effects this year: April was the first month in MLB history where there were more than basehits.

Why? Because strikeouts are a natural byproduct of the Launch Angle Revolution as players are swinging up on the ball more and sacrificing contact for power and lift.

That, coupled with an increase in velocity and higher usage of relievers, has led to more strikeouts.

It makes perfect sense — it's tougher for a player to try to catch up to 98+ mph at the top of the strike zone with an uppercut swing.

"It's one of those things that sounds good, but it doesn't help you," Maddon said of launch angle. "There's certain things that people really want to promote and talk about, but it doesn't matter. When a hitter's in the box, when you're trying to stare down 96 or a slider on the edge, the last thing you're thinking about is launch angle.

"Now when it comes to practice, you could not necessarily work on angles — your body works a certain way. Like I've said before, there's guys that might've been oppressively bad or they just had groundballs by rolling over the ball all the time So of course you may want to alter that to get that smothering kind of a swing out of him.

"But if you're trying to catch up to velocity, if you're trying to lay back and I could keep going on and on. It sounds good."

The idea of hitting the ball hard in the air has been around for decades in baseball, pretty much ever since on some level. It just wasn't able to be quantified or accessed by the public as easily until Statcast came around and made it all mainstream.

The Cubs, however, have been anti-launch-angle to a degree this season. They let go of hitting coach John Mallee (who liked players to hit the ball in the air and pull it) and replaced him with Chili Davis (who teaches the full-field, line-drive approach). The effects haven't yet yielded results in terms of consistently plating runs or having a better performance in the situational hitting column, but the contact rate is, in fact, up.

Here is the list of Cubs hitters who currently boast a career best mark in rate:

Kris Bryant Javy Baez Willson Contreras Addison Russell Jason Heyward

Kyle Schwarber

Even Ben Zobrist is very close to his career mark and Anthony Rizzo is right at his career line.

Some of that jump in contact rate can be attributed to natural development and maturation of young hitters, but the Cubs are buying into the new way of doing things and it's paying off.

It's also probably the way the game is going to shift, with an emphasis on contact going to become more important the less balls are flying out of the yard.

The Cubs have seen firsthand how to beat the best pitching in the postseason and they know that cutting down on strikeouts and "moving the baseball" (as Maddon likes to put it) can help manufacture runs in low-scoring, tight affairs in October.

Now science is supporting those theories and Major League Baseball teams will have to adjust.

The Cubs, however, are at least a step ahead of the game.

It's a long game — the offensive strides will take time to fully take effect even for the Cubs, who are at least a full offseason and two months ahead of the curve in terms of bucking the Launch Angle Revolution.

Maddon concedes that launch angle is a cool stat to see on the video board after homers, but other than that, he doesn't see much of a use for it, pointing to Kyle Schwarber's laser-line-drive homers having the same effect as Kris Bryant's moonshots.

However, Maddon does believe there's a place for launch angle and exit velocity in the game, though mostly for front offices trying to acquire players (think "Moneyball").

"As a teaching tool, you either come equipped with or without," Maddon said. "It's like you buy a new car, you either got this or you don't. Sometimes you can add some things occasionally, but for the most part, this is what you are.

"I like inside the ball, top half of the ball, inner half of the ball, stay long throughout the ball, utilize the whole field. I still think that's the tried and true approach and I'm not stuck in the mud on this by any means.

"The harder pitchers throw the baseball, the more laying back is going to be less effective."

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NBC Sports Chicago Theo Epstein brushes aside rumors: 'There's essentially zero trade talks involving the Cubs' By Tony Andracki

No, the Cubs are not currently talking to the Baltimore Orioles about bringing Manny Machado to the North Side of Chicago.

So says Theo Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations who met with the media at Wrigley Field ahead of Friday's series opener with the San Francisco Giants.

Epstein vehemently shot down the notion of trade talks and specified the major diffence between trade rumors and trade talks, while refusing to comment on Machado in particular.

"I'm not addressing any specific rumor or any player with another team," Epstein said. "I would never talk about that in a million years. The simple way to put it is there's been a lot of trade rumors involving the Cubs and there's essentially zero trade talks involving the Cubs.

"There's a real disparity between the noise and the reality and unfortunately, sometimes that puts a player or two that we have in a real tough circumstance. And that's my job to clarify there's nothing going on right now.

"We have more than enough ability to win the division, win the World Series and we really need to focus on our roster and getting the most out of our ability and finding some consistency. Constant focus outside the organization doesn't do us any good, especially when it's not based in reality right now."

The Cubs have presented a united front publicly in support of Addison Russell, whose name has been the one bandied about most as a potential leading piece in any move for Machado.

After all, the Cubs have won a World Series and never finished worse than an NLCS berth with Russell as their shortstop and he's only 24 with positive signs of progression offensively.

Trading away 3.5 years of control of Russell for 3-4 months of Machado is the type of bold, go-for-it move the Cubs did in 2016 when their championship drought was well over 100 years.

Now, the championship drought is only one season old and the window of contention is expected to remain open until through at least the 2021 season.

Epstein likes to point out that every season is sacred, but at what cost? The Cubs front office is still very much focused on the future beyond 2018.

"Everybody's talking about making trades in May — the first part of the season is trying to figure out who you are," Epstein said. "What are the strengths of the club? What are the weaknesses of the club? What's the character of the club? What position is the club gonna be in as we get deeper in the season? What's our short-term outlook? What's our long-term outlook? What's the chemistry in the clubhouse?

"All those things. It's a process to get there and figure it out. If you rush to those kinds of judgments, you can oftentimes make things worse. I think it's important to figure out exactly who you are and give guys a chance to play and find their level and see how all the pieces fit together before you make your adjustments."

So there's no chance we could see the Cubs once again jump the market and make an early deal like they did last year for Jose Quintana or five years ago for Jake Arrieta? Will they definitely wait another five weeks until July to make a move?

"It's just the natural order of things," Epstein said. "We wouldn't be opposed to doing something, but that's not the case right now. It's not happening."

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Chicago Tribune Ben Zobrist looking for clarity on cleats rule on Cubs trip to New York

By Mark Gonzales

Ben Zobrist hopes to get some clarity regarding a potential uniform rule change allowing him to wear black cleats when the Cubs are in New York next week.

“It’s not resolved completely yet, but in the meantime, we have a little bit of freedom until we have something in place,” said Zobrist, who plans to meet with officials from the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Zobrist said officials from MLB and the players union met Monday to discuss relaxing the rule, which stipulates the color of a player’s shoes must be at least 51 percent of his team’s dominant color.

Zobrist is at the center of the dispute after posting on his Instagram account that he received letters from MLB warning him he could be subject to penalties if he kept wearing his black shoes instead of a model in the Cubs’ standard blue.

One big issue is how much individual teams are willing to relax the rules.

“It’s a rule they have to enforce leaguewide,” Zobrist said. “That’s why there were warnings.

“They have to get a consensus from teams. And players have to get a consensus. And if we can come to an agreement to restructure it a little bit that gives us the freedom within our team to do what we want to do, then hopefully we’ll be able to wear black shoes.”

Late fishing: President Theo Epstein is tempering expectations over the Cubs having five of the first 98 picks in the June 4-6 amateur draft.

“We have two extra picks, but it’s not like it used to be,” Epstein said.

In 2006, Epstein supervised the Red Sox draft that selected five of the first 47 picks, with all five players — , Craig Hansen, , and Michael Bowden — reaching the majors.

The insertion of competitive-balance selections after the second round and moving the compensation picks to after the second round from after the first means the Cubs won’t make their third and fourth choices until the 77th and 78th picks.

“We have a chance to have a really good draft, and our guys are really prepared,” Epstein said. “So I look forward to infusing the system with more talent.”

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Chicago Tribune Clutch hits from Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant help Cubs to 6-2 victory By Mark Gonzales

While acknowledging the frustration of fans seeking instant gratification, Cubs President Theo Epstein expresses patience and faith in his players that he believes they will evolve into a consistent winner.

“Look at the track record of this group,” Epstein said. “We’re going through the same process as we (always) do. It’s just taking more frustrating twists and turns than we hoped. It’s natural.”

The Cubs’ performance Friday mirrored the script Epstein discussed as they broke through for four runs with clutch execution to pull away to a 6-2 victory over the Giants at warm Wrigley Field.

The triumph snapped a two-game losing streak and ended an offensive rut in which they scored just one run in two losses to the Indians earlier in the week.

Ben Zobrist, who turns 37 Saturday, reversed the team trend when he pulled a hanging curve from left- hander Will Smith down the left-field line for a two-run double that snapped a 1-1 tie in the seventh.

Zobrist credited an encouraging hitters meeting in which “guys had good plans and were working the process.”

“As long as we keep doing that, we know the streaks will start coming, and we’ll start scoring a lot more runs and getting a lot more wins,” he said.

Zobrist’s double and Kris Bryant’s two-run, two-out single capped a four-run rally that provided some rare clutch hitting for the Cubs. They were batting .222 with runners in scoring position and .194 with runners in scoring position with two outs.

Before Zobrist’s double, only 28 of their 98 hits with runners in scoring position had gone for extra bases.

“We’re not getting the bang for our buck with our offensive production because a lot of our extra-base hits and home runs are with nobody on base,” Epstein said. “And we’re not performing at the same level with runners in scoring position, so it could even out.

“But you have to make sure it’s not something baked into our approach. I don’t think it is.”

Zobrist senses that opposing pitchers attack Cubs hitters differently in those situations.

“You have to grow as a team as far as how we approach those situations,” Zobrist said.

Addison Russell took a few steps as he continued his long-awaited ascent at the plate. Russell’s bunt set up Zobrist’s game-winning hit in the seventh, and Russell singled in the eighth to score Ian Happ, who drew his second walk after striking out in his first two at-bats.

“(Russell) slowly is getting to the point where he’s comfortable at the plate and looking to do some damage,” Epstein said. “He has been better the last few weeks than he had been when he slumped 10 days into the season. It lasted a while, and he’s just working his way out of it.”

Kyle Hendricks (4-3) was the beneficiary of the late run support, as he retired 17 of the first 18 batters he faced with sharpness on virtually every pitch. He finished his efficient seven innings with 88 pitches, allowing just two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to lower his ERA to 3.16.

“It was Kyle’s day,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He gave us a chance to win that game. He kept it in check for us as long as he did.”

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Chicago Tribune Scientific study diminishing effect of launch angles suits Cubs' Joe Maddon

By Mark Gonzales

Cubs manager Joe Maddon yelled “bingo” without a card in front of him.

Maddon was delighted to learn that a scientific study commissioned by Commissioner revealed that an emphasis on launch angles had no positive effect on the spike in home runs from 2015 to 2017.

“It’s one of those things that sounds good, but doesn’t help you,” said Maddon, who has crusaded against the hype surrounding slight uppercut swings to produce more power. “There are certain things that people want to promote and talk about. But it doesn’t matter.

“When a hitter is in the box, you’re trying to stare down a 96 mph (fastball) or a slider on the edge. The last thing you’re thinking about is launch angle. When it comes to practice, you don’t have to work necessarily on angles as much as your body works a certain way.”

The 10-person committee, comprised of scientists and professors, released its findings Thursday, disclosing that the baseballs manufactured by Rawlings “achieved much greater precision than allowed by the MLB specifications” regarding parameters such as weight, size, the ball’s COR (coefficient of restitution).

Maddon admitted it might be wise for a batter who has been terrible for an extended measure of time or a batter who frequently hit grounders to explore a change in his swing.

“But if you’re trying to catch up to velocity and try to lay back, that can keep going go on and on,” Maddon said. “It sounds good. It’s cool they put it on the scoreboard what the launch angle was if anyone is into that. I just like the fact it was a home run at any angle.

“Kyle Schwarber has hit some low line drives out this summer, and (Kris Bryant) has hit his majestic fly balls. The acquisitional component for this kind of thing is if you’re looking for a guy who hits the ball into the air more often, where does hit hit the ball in the air and how does he hit the ball in the air, how hard?

“That stuff is more pertinent. But as a teaching tool, you either become quipped with or without it. It’s like when you buy a new car. You have this or you don’t. You can add this occasionally. But for the most part, that’s what you are.”

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Chicago Tribune Column: Theo Epstein shoots down trade rumors involving Cubs By Paul Sullivan

For all the angst over the Cubs’ up-and-down season, there really aren’t too many spots in glaring need of change.

Before Friday’s 6-2 victory over the Giants at Wrigley Field, they were second in the National League in runs scored, fourth in hitting and third in pitching. The bullpen has been much improved, and the bench is deep.

That may be why Cubs President Theo Epstein declared Friday the “noise” from the media on a potential trade was not based in reality, and the team just needs to fix its inconsistencies from within.

That’s basically the same mantra of Cubs players, who know the kind of talent they have inside the clubhouse.

“Do we need anything? No, not right now,” Ben Zobrist said. “We have to see how the rest of the summer plays out. When you get closer to mid-July … Overall we’re pretty healthy and we have the tools. We just need more execution right now. If we keep doing that, we’ll get hot.”

The theory the Cubs will heat up with the weather will be tested now. Friday was the first sweltering day at home, and Zobrist’s two-run double in the four-run seventh launched them to the victory.

Epstein took pains before the game to shoot down the Manny Machado-to-the-Cubs rumor that took off like wildfire last week when Machado came to town with the Orioles to play the White Sox.

Though he wouldn’t specifically address Machado, Epstein said: “A simple way to put it is there has been a lot of trade rumors involving the Cubs, and there is essentially zero trade talks right now involving the Cubs, so there’s a real disparity between the noise and the reality, and sometimes that puts a player or two that we have in a real tough circumstance.

“It’s my job to clarify there is nothing going on right now. We have more than enough ability to win the division, to win the World Series. We really have to focus on our roster and getting the most out of our ability and finding some consistency. A constant focus outside the organization doesn’t do us any good, especially when it’s not based in reality.”

Epstein said the Cubs are trying to find out “who we are” before deciding on whether to make any big moves.

“Everybody is talking about making trades in May,” he said. “The first part of the season is finding out who you are.”

By that Epstein meant finding out the team’s strengths, weaknesses, character and chemistry, along with the short-term and long-term goals. We’re two months in, but the trade deadline is still two months away.

“If you rush to those kinds of judgments, you often can make things worse,” he said. “It’s important to figure out exactly who you are and give guys a chance to find their level and see how all the pieces fit together before you make your adjustments.”

Despite lackluster starts to the season from Yu Darvish, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood, the Cubs have gotten a lot out of Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks, who allowed one run in seven innings Friday to improve to 4-3 with a 3.16 ERA.

Manager Joe Maddon said Hendricks is throwing as well as he has seen him.

“He showed emotion, that one game (in Cincinnati),” Maddon said. “He came out of it a little bit. I couldn’t believe it. he actually became human for a second, and I talked to him about it. I’d never seen that before. He’s a metronome, in a good way. For me, he’s on top of his game right now.”

Darvish and Quintana have great track records, so the one spot in the rotation that could be in jeopardy in the second half is Chatwood’s. In nine starts he has allowed an astonishing 40 walks in 45 2/3 innings, the highest total among major-league pitchers, and his walks per 9 innings (7.88) is well above the second-worst in that category, Padres starter Bryan Mitchell’s 6.86.

But Maddon points to Chatwood’s stingy opponentsbatting average of .217 and suggests he will get his act together soon. His walks per 9 innings over his career is 4.4. Asked if Chatwood was assured of a spot in the rotation the rest of the year, Maddon said he hasn’t thought about it.

“I see him as fixing it,” Maddon said. “I’m not trying to be (a) Pollyanna. I like his stuff that much.”

So the Cubs will stick with what they have for the immediate future, and maybe make adjustments down the road, perhaps in July when trades usually are made.

“That’s the natural order of things,” Epstein said. “I mean, we wouldn’t be opposed to doing something earlier, but that’s not the case right now. That’s not happening."

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