September 14, 2017

 CSNChicago.com, Jon Lester’s playoff message for Cubs after seeing how fragile Mets are now http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jon-lesters-playoff-message-cubs-after-seeing-how-fragile-mets- are-now

 CSNChicago.com, Why Cubs made the move now with Jen-Ho Tseng http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/why-cubs-made-move-now-jen-ho-tseng

 CSNChicago.com, 's reaction to Brewers-Marlins series moving to Milwaukee http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/joe-maddons-reaction-brewers-marlins-series-moving-milwaukee

 CSNChicago.com, Cubs announce minor league player and of the year http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-announce-minor-league-player-and-pitcher-year

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs hope giving debut start to Jen-Ho Tseng will help rotation, http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-jen-ho-tseng-cubs-sullivan-spt-0914-20170913- column.html#nt=oft03a-1la1

 Chicago Tribune, There's a new starter in town for Cubs — for now — Jen-Ho Tseng http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-promote-jen-ho-tseng-20170913- story.html#nt=simple-embed

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs announce details for potential single-game playoff tickets http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-playoff-ticket-sales-20170913- story.html#nt=simple-embed

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs score with finesse early and power late for 17-5 victory over Mets http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-mets-spt-0914-20170913-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Jordan Spieth, Cubs' Ian Happ bond over golf at http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/golf/ct-jordan-spieth-ian-happ-first-pitch-spt-0914-20170913- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, (of trade) on cancer, Cubs, Cardinals and infamy http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-ernie-broglio-cubs-cardinals-spt-0914-20170913- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Albert Almora (6 RBIs) one of many Cubs with a big night at the plate http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-albert-almora-6-rbis-20170914-story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs rout once-mighty Mets, get reminder of game’s ‘fickle’ promise http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-rout-once-mighty-mets-get-reminder-of-games-fickle-promise/

 Chicago Sun-Times, After fine whine, now home Brew? Cubs take ‘no issue’ with site change http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/after-fine-whine-now-home-brew-cubs-take-no-issue-with-site-change/

 Chicago Sun-Times, One and done or secret weapon? Jen-Ho Tseng debuts for Cubs Thursday http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/one-and-done-or-secret-weapon-jen-ho-tseng-debuts-for-cubs-thursday/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Want to buy Cubs postseason tickets? Here’s what you need to know http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/want-cubs-potential-postseason-tickets-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

 Daily Herald, giving minor-leaguer a start http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170913/chicago-cubs-giving-minor-leaguer-a-start

 Daily Herald, Maddon understands Marlins series moved to Milwaukee http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170913/maddon-understands-marlins-series-moved-to-milwaukee

 Cubs.com, Cubs overwhelm Mets, maintain Central lead http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254096576/cubs-score-17-runs-in-rout-of-mets/

 Cubs.com, Cautious Contreras has adventurous game http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254198696/cubs-willson-contreras-makes-mark-in-win/

 Cubs.com, After Minors award, Tseng earns MLB debut http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254101254/cubs-jen-ho-tseng-earns-major-league-debut/

 Cubs.com, Uehara nearing return after knee infection http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254108190/cubs-koji-uehara-nearing-return-to-action/

 Cubs.com, Register for chance to buy Cubs playoff tix http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/254045280/enter-for-chance-to-buy-cubs-playoff-tickets/

 Cubs.com, Tseng debuts in pennant race; Cubs eye sweep http://atmlb.com/2wZ6Z4I

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CSNChicago.com Jon Lester’s playoff message for Cubs after seeing how fragile Mets are now By Patrick Mooney

The Jon Lester vs. Matt Harvey matchup from Game 1 of the 2015 Championship Series feels like ancient history now that the Cubs and have gone in completely different directions.

Where Lester cemented his reputation as a three-time champion and a borderline Hall of Famer, Harvey has dealt with too many surgeries, gossip items and clubhouse issues to be more than a one-year lottery ticket next season.

The Mets are so down and decimated by injuries that it’s impossible to draw many conclusions from Wednesday night’s 17-5 blowout at Wrigley Field. Except for looking at the out-of-town scores and remembering the one big idea about how fragile all this can be.

“This game’s fickle, man,” Lester said after beating Harvey and grinding through his third start since coming off the disabled list. “You got to take advantage while you can, while you have the players. We all see it. We all see guys that get called up that are supposed to be the next coming of whatever and two or three years they’re out of the game.

“With that being said now, you got to take each individual season for what it’s worth. You’re going to have ups and downs. You’re going to have injuries. You’re going to have things not necessarily go your way.

“I think we led the league in walk-off wins last year. We obviously led the league in defense. We led the league in pitching. We won 100-and-however many games. Years like that don’t happen that often.”

From one moment to the next, Lester can go from seemingly brooding and sarcastic to extremely chatty and thoughtful, the way he did in the interview room when a reporter mentioned Anthony Rizzo reminding the media that the Cubs were still in first place after getting swept by the over the weekend.

“How bout that, right?” Lester said. “You wouldn’t think it. God dang, it’s unbelievable.”

To stay there, the Cubs need Lester, who hasn’t shown the same sharpness since left shoulder fatigue/lat muscle tightness sidelined him from the middle of August until Labor Day weekend. Lester watched Jose Reyes drive an 89-mph pitch into the left-center field bleachers for a leadoff homer to begin the game, needed 78 pitches to make it through three and walked four batters for the second straight start.

Instead of David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto looming in the middle of their lineup, the Mets featured a guy who got released in late August in the No. 2 spot (Norichika Aoki), Kevin Plawecki and Juan Lagares hitting fourth/fifth, followed by two guys who made their big-league debuts last month (Amed Rosario and Travis Taijeron).

Will Lester be ready in time to match up with Max Scherzer and a loaded lineup on Oct. 6? The $155 million ace stretched out to 114 pitches, lasted six innings and allowed two runs while the Cubs knocked out Harvey (5-5, 6.14 ERA) early and put up another football score against an overmatched team.

The Brewers winning kept them 2.5 games out of first place while the St. Louis Cardinals losing dropped them back to third place, three games out in the NL Central. The magic number for the Cubs to clinch the division is now 15.

“All you got to do is get in,” Lester said. “It doesn’t matter how the season looks, what everybody’s stats are. Whether you limp in or you sprint in, it doesn’t matter. You get in, anybody has a chance. I’ve always been a big believer in that. And there’s been a lot of teams over the years that have proven that.”

Lester brought up the – going from a “Best. Team. Ever?” Sports Illustrated cover to losing 11 games in a row and 16 of 17 – and how everything will be wiped away in October.

“They’ve been the best team all year – from Day 1 – and look at the skid they’re going through right now,” Lester said. “This game will humble you. It will bring you back down. But at the end of the day, all you got to do is get in. And we’ll figure it out from there.”

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CSNChicago.com Why Cubs made the move now with Jen-Ho Tseng By Patrick Mooney

Trying to stabilize their bullpen, hoping for a spark and showing faith in their most advanced pitching prospect, the Cubs will drop Jen-Ho Tseng into the middle of a pennant race and start the Taiwanese right-hander on Thursday night against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.

Tseng put himself in position to make his big-league debut with a breakthrough season, going 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 24 starts between -A Tennessee and -A Iowa. The Theo Epstein regime – which is still waiting to fully develop a homegrown starter – sees Tseng as someone who can throw four pitches for strikes, keep hitters off-balance without overpowering stuff and follow a scouting report. Think Kyle Hendricks as an absolute best-case scenario.

But the Cubs also couldn’t ignore how far lefty swingman Mike Montgomery has already been pushed (116.1 innings) and how much lefty reliever Justin Wilson has struggled (6.39 ERA in 16 appearances) since getting traded from the at the July 31 deadline.

The Cubs made the surprise announcement around 5 p.m. Wednesday, or roughly two hours after naming Tseng as their minor league pitcher of the year for the second time since 2014, his first professional season after getting a $1.625 million bonus as an international free agent.

“I just sat down with him in my office,” Joe Maddon said. “I said: ‘I guess you’re here in town to accept an award.’ He just looked at me and I said: ‘How about you start tomorrow night’s game instead?’ He didn’t even blanch. Actually, his interpreter was more taken by the whole situation than Jen-Ho was. But I heard nothing but good things about this kid.

“We think right now – in order to get us all set up pitching-wise – it was the right thing to do.”

Bumping Montgomery from the rotation should help keep him fresh after getting the final out in last year’s World Series Game 7 and give Maddon another trusted option in a bullpen with too many question marks. Koji Uehara has been struggling and dealing with an infection in his right knee and may have reached his limit after making 49 appearances during his age-42 season.

By the time the Cubs finalized the Tseng decision, they hadn’t yet scheduled a next-step bullpen session for Jake Arrieta, who strained his right hamstring on Labor Day, the same day Iowa’s season ended. The Cubs sent Tseng to their Arizona complex to stay sharp and continue his throwing program. It’s unclear when Arrieta will be able to rejoin the rotation or if this will be a one-and-done situation for Tseng.

But Maddon recalled how the unleashed young in the playoffs, from using David Price as a reliever while winning the 2008 pennant and giving Matt Moore his second big-league start in a 2011 first-round win over the .

“You just never know,” Maddon said. “On a different level, I went through that with Matt Moore with the Rays, also. I remember the meetings for that in Texas in the manager’s office, bringing in minor-league guys that had seen him more. They were absolutely adamant that this guy can do this – and he did.

“Lightning in a bottle happens, and you never know what happens after that with some young players. And even if it’s not a start that happens afterwards, maybe he’s going to help us in another way.

“David Price did it with the Rays out of the bullpen, also, in a pretty good run, so keep an open mind. I’m keeping a very open mind. I’m actually excited about seeing it.”

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CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon's reaction to Brewers-Marlins series moving to Milwaukee By Patrick Mooney

Joe Maddon enjoys entertaining the media, playing mind games with the opposition and going viral on social media. But the Cubs manager has such deep roots in Florida – and an awareness of the outside world – that he had no problems with moving this weekend’s -Milwaukee Brewers series to Miller Park in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

“Obviously, something had to be done,” Maddon said Wednesday at Wrigley Field. “I have no issues with it. None.”

In a crowded National League Central race, the Cubs went into that night’s game against the New York Mets with a 2-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals and a 2.5-game lead on the Brewers, who will technically be the visiting team in a stadium where they have a 40-33 record.

Publicly and privately, the Brewers have grumbled about their scheduling issues with the Cubs, from the first Friday night regular-season game in Wrigley Field history to the postponed May 20 game that led to this classic one-liner from manager : “First time for us that we’ve had players treated for sunburn after a rainout.”

In what will be a homecoming for Maddon, the Cubs are still on track to play a two-game series at next week after the Tampa Bay Rays temporarily relocated to New York, losing two of three games to the Yankees at .

Do you think the Brewers would have issues with the setup if it had been reversed for the Cubs in the middle of a pennant race?

“Listen, you talk about the situation being as severe as it is in South Florida – and Florida in general – there’s no time to quibble over situations like this,” Maddon said. “It’s just a matter of you’re getting to the latter part of the season – whatever MLB thinks works best is fine. They still have to play the Marlins with Giancarlo (Stanton) doing as well as he is.

“Regardless, the ball carries there pretty good, too, so who knows? But I don’t think there’s anything to quibble about. I just think it’s about making sure the games are played. Of course, there’s a roof there, and they know that the games will be played under those circumstances, so I have no issues.”

Of course, if Maddon had overreacted, and the Cubs really believed this could be a difference-maker, then this team doesn’t really deserve to win the division.

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CSNChicago.com Cubs announce minor league player and pitcher of the year By Tony Andracki

Wednesday, the Cubs announced Victor Caratini and Jen-Ho Tseng as the organization's minor league player and pitcher of the year, respectively.

Caratini turned 24 last month and boasted an insane .342/.393/.558 slash line (.951 OPS) in Triple-A Iowa this season, his first year at the upper level of the Cubs minor league system.

The switch-hitting catcher also clubbed 10 homers and 27 doubles while driving in 61 runs and scoring 50 in 83 games. He has spent more than a month in Chicago with the big-league team, where he's appeared in 24 games and .250 with a .696 OPS.

Caratini was initially acquired from the at the 2014 trade deadline when the Cubs sent Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell to Atlanta.

Tseng, 22, is a right-handed pitcher who spent most of the year with Double-A Tennessee, but also made nine starts with Triple-A Iowa. All told, he went 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 24 starts, striking out 122 batters in 145.1 innings.

The Taiwanese pitcher has been in the Cubs organization since 2014, when he made 17 starts and two relief appearances for the Class-A Kane County Cougars. He has a career 3.17 minor-league ERA.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs hope giving debut start to Jen-Ho Tseng will help rotation, bullpen By Paul Sullivan

The unexpected arrival of rookie Jen-Ho Tseng in the Cubs rotation on Wednesday can be interpreted in many different ways.

It shows the Cubs have faith in Tseng, a 22-year-old right-hander who will make his major-league debut Thursday night, 12 days after his last minor-league start for Triple-A Iowa.

It means the Cubs prefer left-hander Mike Montgomery in the bullpen for now, even though he's penciled into the rotation for 2018.

And it also suggests the Cubs are desperate for some consistency in middle relief after two months of crossing their fingers and hoping someone steps up.

The Cubs made the surprise move before Wednesday night's 17-5 romp over the Mets, thrusting Tseng into the middle of a pennant race with no experience.

It's a gutsy call to replace a veteran like Montgomery with an untested pitcher, but if Tseng pitches well he could be part of the bullpen mix after a spot start or two for Jake Arrieta, whose return is still up in the air.

"We'll give it a roll (Thursday) night," manager Joe Maddon said. "Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle and you learn some things, too."

What the Cubs have learned so far is Wade Davis, Montgomery, Brian Duensing, Pedro Strop and sometimes Carl Edwards Jr. are the only relievers Maddon can really rely on right now.

The Cubs' relief corps entered Wednesday's game with a second half ERA of 5.30, 27th in the majors, and 5.04 walks per nine innings, which ranks last.

Left-hander Justin Wilson, acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline along with Alex Avila, has a 6.39 ERA in 16 appearances for the Cubs, and lefty call-up Rob Zastryzny (8.18 ERA) hasn't fared well either.

Since the All-Star break, Hector Rondon has a 5.59 ERA, while Koji Uehara was at 6.75 with six home runs allowed in 131/3 innings. Wilson was a combined 5.79 with the Tigers and Cubs in the second half, and Edwards Jr., who could be a closer down the road, has struggled some with a 5.01 ERA, though he hadn't allowed a run in nine of his last 10 outings entering Wednesday.

It doesn't take a computer geek to realize the Cubs aren't going to go very far if the bullpen doesn't drastically improve. Davis, the big bright spot of the bullpen, has yet to go multiple innings, so who knows if he will be asked to go the Aroldis Chapman route in October and enter games in the eighth innings.

For now, a lot is riding on Tseng, the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year, who was not called up at the start of September but now appears to be Plan B.

He's eligible for the postseason and could become an integral piece of the puzzle.

Maddon recalled the times rookies Matt Moore and David Price came up with his Rays in mid-September and made contributions in the postseason.

Price made his debut on Sept. 14, 2008 when he pitched 51/3 innings of relief against the Yankees. He had five appearances down the stretch and five more in the postseason, including two in the World Series. Moore made his debut on Sept. 11, 2011, made three appearances and started a playoff game against the Rangers in the American League Division Series.

"Keep an open mind," Maddon said. "I'm keeping a very open mind. I'm actually very excited about seeing it. And I trust the people making these decisions."

That would be President Theo Epstein and , who have to be concerned about the bullpen, not to mention Arrieta's availability down the stretch because he hasn't thrown a bullpen session since the hamstring injury.

Tseng can help alleviate some anxiety with a strong outing Thursday, and Maddon was encouraged by his reaction after being notified of the call-up.

"He didn't even blanch," Maddon said. "I was like, 'My God.'"

Will he blanch on Thursday in the biggest game of his life?

We're about to find out.

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Chicago Tribune There's a new starter in town for Cubs — for now — Jen-Ho Tseng By Paul Skrbina

One minute, Jen-Ho Tseng was named the Cubs' minor-league pitcher of the year Wednesday.

Seemingly the next moment, the 22-year-old right-hander from Taiwan was named the team's starting pitcher for Thursday's game against the Mets.

Tseng will make his major-league debut in place of Mike Montgomery, who returned to the bullpen and will be there "going forward," according to manager Joe Maddon.

"I said, 'I guess you're in town to accept an award,'" Maddon said. "I said, 'How about you start (Thursday) night's game instead?' He didn't even blanch."

Tseng was in uniform before Wednesday night's game at Wrigley Field, two days before he's to accept his second minor-league pitcher of the year award from the organization, along with the team's minor-league player of the year, Victor Caratini.

But Maddon cautioned that Tseng might be here one minute and gone the next, depending on how he performs and how Jake Arrieta's right hamstring is feeling.

Montgomery had been filling in for Arrieta in the rotation, but the struggles of left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, at least in part, highlighted Montgomery's need as a long reliever.

"It could be one and done," Maddon said of Tseng's start. "We'll see how it plays out. Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle."

Maddon said there's "no absolute ending to this thing yet," in reference to when Arrieta may return to the rotation. He said the team will know more after Arrieta throws again, which had not been scheduled as of Wednesday evening.

The Cubs signed Tseng as an international free agent in 2013. He was 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 1451/3 innings between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa this year.

As an 18-year-old in 2013, Tseng was the only high school player on Taiwan's team in the .

The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder has five pitches and his velocity hovers in the high-80s to low-90s. His style drew comparisons from Maddon to Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks.

Tseng found himself not far from Chicago in 2014, when he played for the Class A Kane County Cougars, going 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his first pro season.

Tseng told the Des Moines register in July that meticulous preparation has allowed success on the minor-league level.

"I still tell myself, 'You have to keep it going; you can't stop right here,'" he told the paper.

The Cubs designated right-handed pitcher Pierce Johnson for assignment to make room for Tseng on the roster. Tseng will wear No. 39.

Simulated session: Right-handed reliever Koji Uehara threw a simulated session Wednesday to test out an infection in his right knee. Maddon said Uehara will be re-evaluated Thursday. He has not pitched since Sept. 2.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs announce details for potential single-game playoff tickets By Mark Gonzales

The Chicago Cubs announced plans for fans wishing to purchase single game tickets for potential playoff games at Wrigley Field.

From noon through Tuesday, fans can register for a random drawing. Fans will be required to complete an online form at www.cubs.com/postseason, with a one-time refundable deposit of $50 to verify the authenticity of each entry.

Registered fans will be notified by email if they have been selected for a chance to buy tickets. Those selected will have a one-time change to buy a maximum of four tickets, pending availability, among multiple available games.

Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registered fans who are not selected or do not complete a purchase for early postseason games will remain eligible for selection if the Cubs advance to later rounds. Fans can purchase tickets only once during the playoffs. Being selected in a drawing doesn't guarantee the chance to purchase tickets to a playoff game.

“With fall baseball again within our reach, we will continue to offer our successful online registration and random drawing process to ensure as many Cubs fans as possible have the opportunity to purchase postseason tickets,” said Colin Faulkner, the Cubs' Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, in a statement.

“We have implemented a new refundable deposit this year as a safeguard to ensure those who register are Cubs fans wishing to attend these sought-after games. Given the tremendous demand, we encourage fans to register today and purchase quickly if their name is selected.”

The single game ticket on-sale date and pricing will be announced after Tuesday's registration deadline.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs score with finesse early and power late for 17-5 victory over Mets By Paul Skrbina

Javier Baez's eyes were fixed on home plate Wednesday night.

Turned out the rest of the Cubs were, too, during a 17-5 victory against the Mets that stayed close for a while.

The Cubs shortstop, who eventually scored three times, stopped short of scoring the go-ahead run in the fourth when his legs — and third-base coach Gary Jones — overruled those eyes after Ben Zobrist had singled to right field.

Baez eventually jogged home on Anthony Rizzo's bases-loaded walk, which put the Cubs up a run before a crowd of 36,008 at Wrigley Field.

Zobrist and arrived home when Cubs catcher Willson Contreras smuggled a two-run single into left field to give starter Jon Lester a 5-2 cushion, one the left-hander must have appreciated.

Lester threw strike one to Mets leadoff man Jose Reyes at 7:07 p.m.

At 7:09, Reyes struck one into the bleachers in left-center field on a 3-2 pitch.

Lester's laborious first inning, which also included a walk, concluded when Juan Lagares hit his 28th pitch to Cubs right fielder .

The less-than-ideal beginning to Lester's third start since coming off the disabled list continued into the second inning when the Mets scored once more after Amed Rosario led off with a single, stole second and scored the tying run on Mets starter Matt Harvey's squeeze bunt.

Nevertheless, the victory left the Cubs with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Brewers and three games ahead of the Cardinals in the National League Central.

Lester threw 111 pitches in six innings during his Sept. 7 start.

"I didn't see him as being tired last time," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The fifth and sixth innings have been his best (in his last two starts). The only thing that has been a click off is his command."

That click continued Wednesday, when Lester walked four as the Cubs tried to protect the two-game lead they had on the Cardinals in the National League Central going into Wednesday.

But Maddon allowed him to throw 114 more pitches over his six innings.

Lester was at 96 when he struck out to end the Cubs' fifth before finishing his evening on the mound with a 1-2-3 sixth.

Lester allowed two runs on six hits and struck out five to prove his manager right about the fifth and sixth innings. Lester threw 87 pitches in the first four innings, compared to 27 his final two.

"He got better in the game late," Maddon said. "He did the same thing the last two starts.''

Said Lester: "For whatever reason I'm not real crisp early on right now."

Regardless, Lester's innings were a bit less stressful as the game wore on.

Some of that had to do with the Cubs' offense, which switched gears from power — Kris Bryant hit the team's 200th of the season Tuesday — to finesse.

None of the six runs the Cubs scored with Lester on the mound came via the home run. Their first two came via groundouts after they loaded the bases in the first with nobody out.

Save for Bryant's double in the sixth, the team had no extra-base hits with Lester pitching.

But the power was switched back on. Baez hit a solo home run and Albert Almora Jr. added a three-blast in the seventh for a 10-2 lead. In the eighth, Rene Rivera had a two-run double and Almora a three-run triple during a seven-run eighth inning.

"I'd like to continue to work the thought process of scoring runs in bunches by piecing together walks and hits," Maddon said. "It's a big part of our DNA, the fact we score a lot of runs through homers. That doesn't mean you can't work to get better in other areas."

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Chicago Tribune Jordan Spieth, Cubs' Ian Happ bond over golf at Wrigley Field By Teddy Greenstein

Ian Happ grew up around golf. His late father, Keith, was a senior agronomist for the USGA and board member of the First Tee of , which promotes the game and its values to youth.

As a kid, any thoughts of being a pro golfer were fleeting.

"I wish," Happ said. "I wasn't good enough."

Golf's loss is the Cubs' gain.

Baseball gets all of Happ's attention with exceptions such as Tuesday evening, when three-time major champion Jordan Spieth threw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field to promote this week's BMW Championship at Conway Farms.

"What a nice guy," Happ said Wednesday. "And an incredible golfer. His short game is unbelievable. I'm jealous."

Left-hander Mike Montgomery also chatted with Spieth, and they joked about how Montgomery gets to play golf for fun because it's not his job.

"You see good golfers and have so much respect for them," Montgomery said. "Man, I just want to break 80."

And Spieth just wanted to throw a strike. Though he drives and putts right-handed, he's a natural lefty who pitched and played first base on a youth travel baseball team.

From the mound at Wrigley, Spieth fired his left-handed pitch eye-high.

Said Spieth: "I'm like, 'Man, the only way you end up on ESPN is if you really screw this one up.' So I kind of bailed, threw it a little high. I definitely was nervous walking out there."

Spieth has thrown out first pitches at Wrigley, and his home stadium in Arlington, Texas.

"Three bucket listers for me," he said. "(Tuesday) night I got to hang out with some of the Cubs guys, the heroes of Chicago from what they did last year winning the World Series. It was a tremendous opportunity."

Happ, who once shot an 82 at Oakmont, spends his offseasons in Austin, Texas. Spieth played at the University of Texas, so Happ hopes they'll eventually tee it up together.

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Chicago Tribune Ernie Broglio (of Lou Brock trade) on cancer, Cubs, Cardinals and infamy By Mark Gonzales

You're not going to believe this," Ernie Broglio tells a visitor in the living room of his modest home. "I had breast cancer. They operated earlier this year. ...

"It's a pretty good gash. They say that six or seven lymph nodes had (cancer cells), so they got it."

When told that the struggling Cubs player he was traded for — Hall of Famer Lou Brock — recently had announced he was cancer-free, Broglio brightened.

"Oh, fantastic," Broglio said. "I know he had a problem with his leg (Brock's left leg was amputated just below the knee in 2015 after a diabetes-related infection). That's great for Lou. I'm happy for him."

The paths of Broglio, 82, and Brock, 76, crossed in 1964 when Broglio was at the zenith of his career and Brock had failed to develop into the impact player the Cubs envisioned. The trade is considered one of the worst in baseball history as Brock went on to a stellar career that included the National League record of 938 stolen bases. No doubt it will come up again this weekend when the Cardinals visit Wrigley Field.

Broglio, who was 18-8 with a 2.99 ERA in 250 innings for the Cardinals in 1963, believed that Ray Washburn was supposed to be dealt, along with and pitcher , for pitchers and and Brock — who hit .257 in 327 games with the Cubs.

But Broglio was dealt in a six-player trade that he says never would have been approved today because players being traded now must get medical clearance.

"I had 18 cortisone shots in my shoulder in 1963," Broglio said with a laugh. "Plus what they were shooting in my elbow."

He made 35 starts that season and pitched in 39 games.

Before the trade, the Cardinals were tied for seventh with the Dodgers, one game behind the Cubs. But Brock went on to hit .348 with 33 stolen bases, 12 home runs and 44 RBIs in vaulting the Cardinals to the World Series, while Broglio was 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA as the Cubs finished eighth.

Soon after finishing the 1964 season with the Cubs, Broglio had elbow surgery but rushed back to . He struggled all season, finishing with a 1-6 record and 6.93 ERA over 50 2/3 innings in 26 appearances, including only six starts.

Broglio admired the loyalty of hard-core Cubs fans ("When I was there, we were lucky to get 5,000 people in the stands"), as well as the toughness of manager Leo Durocher.

"I had the opportunity to play for them for only 2 1/2 years before they sent me to Tacoma," Broglio recalled. "But (Durocher) would have gotten more out of me because the tougher they were, the more I liked it. I didn't like the easygoing guy."

Durocher's first season with the Cubs in 1966 was Broglio's last in the big leagues as he was finished at age 30.

Broglio was fond of day baseball only when the wind was blowing in, and he confessed to enjoying the Chicago nightlife.

"I enjoyed my drinking, and that's why I didn't enjoy day baseball," Broglio said. "It did cause me a little trouble. I should have taken care of myself a little more, but I didn't."

Broglio's career ended in 1967 when he had the distinction of pitching at Triple-A Buffalo to a 19-year-old catcher named Johnny Bench.

"(Bench) threw two people out at second base on his knees, blocking the ball in the dirt and firing to second," Broglio said. "Oh, my God. Within a month, (the Reds) called him up."

Broglio served as a pitching coach at Santa Clara University in the early 1970s and at four local high schools. He made a strong impression on his pupils for his methods and his candidness.

"He was a great teacher," said Mike Machado, who hired Broglio as his pitching coach in the early 1990s at Saratoga High School. "He was solid with mechanics as well as sharing his sense of humor, which put the kids at ease. ... Our community loved him, and the fathers were ecstatic. His resume was impressive."

Broglio, who raised four children with his wife in the same comfortable home he bought in 1959, continues to give private lessons to kids and is careful about use of his signature wipeout curve.

"I teach them the fastball and changeup up to 12 years old," said Broglio, who winces at leagues that require 13- year-old pitchers to make the adjustment of throwing from 46 feet in Little League to 60 feet, 6 inches.

"I'll teach a curveball (to 13-year-olds), but not from a 60-foot-6-inch distance. I teach them to learn to rotate that wrist from about 30 feet until we really get it."

The trade from the Cardinals to the Cubs threw a curve into Broglio's career, but he was grateful to play with Stan Musial, Bob Gibson and Curt Flood in St. Louis and Billy Williams and Ernie Banks in Chicago.

"I think those are the two best towns to play baseball in," Broglio said, even as he recalled watching a television documentary a few years ago on the failures of the Cubs that panned the Wrigley Field bleachers, where a fan yelled, "Where's Broglio?"

"I told my wife I couldn't believe what I just heard," Broglio chuckled.

Broglio, who turned 82 on Aug. 27, was delighted for the Cubs and their fans who blamed him as part of their World Series curse that finally ended last fall.

"I thought it was great for baseball, being that 1945 was the last time they went to a World Series," Broglio said. "But winning it was great for baseball because it was so many years they were in last place or fighting to get into (the playoffs). It was just great for baseball."

Despite the spectrum of fortunes, Brock and Broglio were friendly as they participated in card shows, and Broglio was happy to assist a few of Brock's relatives in looking for hotel accommodations during a Bay Area visit a few years ago.

"What's interesting about this (trade) is they're still talking about (it)," Broglio said. "That's amazing. I don't understand why they talk about it so much.

"It could be because he got the opportunity to be in the Hall of Fame. And I got the opportunity to go to the Hall of Shame."

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Chicago Tribune Albert Almora (6 RBIs) one of many Cubs with a big night at the plate By Paul Skrbina

In his only two at-bats Wednesday, Cubs outfielder Albert Almora drove in six runs — two more than Kris Bryant has this month.

By virtue of his three-run home run in the eighth inning and his three-run triple in the ninth of a 17-5 victory against the Mets that took 3 hours, 42 minutes, Almora became the first Cubs player since Mandy Brooks in 1925 to drive in six runs after not starting a game.

Almora became the second Cubs player, along with Willson Contreras, to drive in six in a game this season. Contreras accomplished the feat Aug. 3 against the Diamondbacks.

“I don’t think so,” he said when asked whether he’d driven in six in a game in his life. “On two hits? Not since maybe high school.”

He then gave credit to the runners on base that allowed him to drive in those runs. His 10th career home run was his first with more than one runner on base.

“Almora comes off the bench and has himself quite a week,” manager Joe Maddon said. “That was nice to watch.”

Almora wasn’t the only Cub who was nice to watch for Maddon, whose lead over in the National League Central is 2 1/2 games over the Brewers and three games over the Cardinals.

Contreras, in his second start since coming off the disabled list, had three bases-loaded RBIs to push his total to 20 with the bases loaded, tying him for second with Anthony Rizzo in the National League.

Javier Baez tied a career best with four hits and three runs scored and reached a career high for hits in a season with 117.

Ben Zobrist reached five times to push his total to nine in the last two games and push his total to 11 in his last 15 plate appearances.

Kris Bryant tied a career high by scoring four runs to push his season total to 100.

Anthony Rizzo walked four times, didn’t have a hit but managed to add two RBIs to his total.

The Cubs have scored at least 13 runs in a game seven times since Aug. 1, and have scored 17 in a game three times in that span.

But the team managed just three over the weekend when they were swept by the Brewers.

“We had to get back on track,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs rout once-mighty Mets, get reminder of game’s ‘fickle’ promise By Gordon Wittenmyer

If the Cubs didn’t already know how quickly shiny things like trophies and promise can fade, all they had to do was look across the field the last two days at the team that less than two years ago knocked them out of the playoffs to reach the World Series.

The ace of that New York Mets staff, Matt Harvey, hasn’t been the same since – which can be said of most of the Mets’ rotation. And Harvey struggled again Wednesday as the Cubs took an early lead against him and went on to rout the Mets 17-5 at Wrigley Field.

“This game’s fickle, man,” said Cubs starter Jon Lester (11-7), who struggled early again but finished strong in six innings of work. “You’ve got to take advantage while you can, while you have the players.

“We all see it,” he added. “We all see guys that get called up that are supposed to be the next coming of whatever, and in two or three years they’re out of the game.”

The narrative in the 2015 National League playoffs was that the Mets had the kind of powerful young starting pitching that was the equal and opposite force to the Cubs’ powerful young stable of hitters.

The stuff that promised dynasties in two of the league’s biggest markets.

Injuries to Harvey and most of the other Mets starters over the past two years have sapped the Mets of all that promise as they became sellers this summer and likely rebuilders this winter.

“You’ve got to take advantage of it,” said Lester, whose Cubs haven’t sunk nearly that far but have suffered enough of their own bouts of injuries and underachievement this season to significantly temper the dynasty talk.

“With that being said, you’ve got to take each individual season for what it’s worth,” said Lester, who called the Cubs’ 103-victory amusement park ride last year the anomaly compared to the ups and downs – and surprisingly tight division – race they’ve experienced this time around.

“Years like that don’t happen that often,” he said. “At the end of the day all you’ve got to do is get in, and we’ll figure it out from there. Whether you limp in or you sprint in, it doesn’t matter.”

The Cubs have little choice but to sprint with 17 games left and the Brewers and Cardinals both breathing down their necks.

The Cubs on Wednesday picked up a game on the Cardinals, who slipped behind the Brewers into third place, three games behind the Cubs, with their loss to the Reds. The Brewers beat the Pirates to remain 2½ games behind.

Lester could have a disproportionate say in how the Cubs finish, especially with former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta sidelined with a hamstring injury.

But since returning from a two-week lat and shoulder injury, he has struggled the first three innings in each of three starts – rebounding each time to finish strong. This time he needed 78 pitches to get through his first nine outs – then just 14 pitches to get the next seven.

“The command just isn’t good,” said Lester, who struggled to explain the cause. “I’m just not real crisp early on.”

Albert Almora Jr. came off the bench to hit a three-run homer in the seventh and three-run triple in the eighth.

Manager Joe Maddon emphasized Lester’s strength, the quality of his stuff and the fact he’s been stretched out to 111 and 113 pitches his last two starts.

“He’s going to find that little thing with his release point and all of a sudden it’s going to be real sharp,” Maddon said. “I actually think it’s quite encouraging.”

Meanwhile, it’s all about now for the Cubs. All about beating back the fickle hands of baseball fate and fortune.

“You have to forget ’16,” Lester said. “That was great. We had a great time. We all have rings to show for it. But at the same time we’ve got to worry about ’17 and these next 15-20 games. And at the end of it, hopefully we’re celebrating we got into the playoffs again for a third straight year.

“And hopefully everybody gets hot at the right time and we’re standing there again.”

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Chicago Sun-Times After fine whine, now home Brew? Cubs take ‘no issue’ with site change By Gordon Wittenmyer

The Brewers’ weekend series against the Miami Marlins has been switched from a road series to a home series at Miller Park because of ongoing cleanup in Miami after Hurricane Irma – giving the Brewers 84 home games, including 13 in a 16-game stretch as they closely pursue the first-place Cubs.

Despite the Brewers’ complaints over perceived scheduling slights by the Cubs this season, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the Brewers’ extra home cooking: “I have no issues with it. None.”

The Brewers in May got publicly irate over the Cubs’ weather postponement on an afternoon that turned sunny for hours. Then when the Cubs got the city to agree to a one-time exception to the ban on Friday night games to accommodate a tough travel turnaround from their most recent road trip, the Brewers tried to get MLB to nix the change; they claimed it was a competitive advantage for the Cubs.

Would the Brewers have squawked if the Cubs had gotten the three extra home games down the stretch?

“As severe as it is in south Florida and Florida in general, there’s no time to quibble over situations like this,” Maddon said. “I think it’s just a matter of you’re getting to the latter part of the season and whatever MLB thinks works best is fine.”

Besides, Maddon added, “They still have to play the Marlins with [home-run leader] Giancarlo [Stanton] doing as well as he is. The ball carries [at Miller Park] pretty good, too. So who knows?”

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Chicago Sun-Times One and done or secret weapon? Jen-Ho Tseng debuts for Cubs Thursday By Gordon Wittenmyer

Right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng is a fourth-year Cubs minor leaguer who started the season at Class AA Tennessee and has yet to earn a big-league spring training assignment.

On Thursday he makes his big-league debut as the Cubs’ starting pitcher in the middle of a pennant race in the middle of September, against the Mets.

The Cubs announced the surprise move Wednesday after stashing Tseng in Arizona to keep pitching over the past week since his minor-league season ended.

The biggest, immediate impact is that it allows the Cubs to move left-hander Mike Montgomery out of the rotation to bolster a bullpen that has gotten next to nothing from lefty Justin Wilson since trading for him seven weeks ago and that has been without struggling righty Koji Uehara (knee infection) for almost two weeks.

“Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle and you learn some things, too,” said manager Joe Maddon, who was informed of the decision by the front office. “You never know what happens after that with some young players. Even if it’s not a start that happens afterwards, maybe he’s going to help us in another way; I don’t know.

“I’m keeping a very open mind. I’m actually excited about seeing it. And I trust the people making these decisions.”

Tseng, 22, was named this week as the Cubs’ minor league pitcher of the year – the second time he has earned that distinction (also 2014) – after going 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 24 starts at AA and AAA combined (145 1/3 innings).

Maddon recalled that David Price debuted with the 2008 Rays in September and played a big role for the American League pennant winners out of the bullpen through October.

Tseng isn’t the No. 1 overall draft pick and power pitcher that Price was, nor does he project as a front-of-the- rotation starter.

Maddon compared his style to fastball-changeup, command pitcher Kyle Hendricks – with a quicker fastball, closer to the low 90s.

“I’ve heard nothing but good things about this kid,” Maddon said. “I’ve watched the video. We think right now in order to get us all set up pitching wise, it was the right thing to do.”

Maddon said the move had less to do with Jake Arrieta’s injured hamstring than providing better options in the bullpen.

The Cubs open a three-game series against second-place St. Louis on Friday.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Tseng, the Cubs designated right-hander Pierce Johnson — the first pitcher drafted by the Cubs under Theo Epstein — for assignment.

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Chicago Sun-Times Want to buy Cubs postseason tickets? Here’s what you need to know By Madeline Kenney

With the Cubs still leading the National League Central by two games ahead of the Cardinals, fans are anticipating another deep playoff run.

The Cubs announced Wednesday that fans are eligible to apply for potential postseason single-game tickets online from now until Sept. 19 at 12 p.m. Those who apply and are selected would have the chance to buy tickets for a potential Wild Card Game and National League Division Series at Wrigley Field.

The lottery process will be similar to the last two seasons, however, there is one slight change. This year when fans apply for the chance to purchase tickets, they will have to pay a fully refundable $50 deposit to ensure the applicant is genuinely interested in attending the games.

Fans can apply at www.cubs.com/postseason.

Applicants will receive an email if they were randomly selected for the opportunity to purchase a maximum of four tickets, depending on availability at the time.

All registered fans who aren’t selected or don’t buy early postseason contests will remain eligible for selection if the Cubs advance to subsequent rounds. Fans may only purchase tickets once during the postseason. Being selected in a drawing does not guarantee the opportunity to purchase tickets to a postseason game, according to the Cubs.

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Daily Herald Chicago Cubs giving minor-leaguer a start By Bruce Miles

Even with 2½ weeks left in the regular season, the Chicago Cubs' pitching rotation remains ever-changing.

They will go so far Thursday to give a pennant-race start to a pitcher making his major-league debut.

An old stalwart, Jon Lester, added to the intrigue Wednesday night by running his pitch count up early but then staying in the game through 6 innings as the Cubs defeated the New York Mets 17-5 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs (79- 66) are 2½ games ahead of second-place Milwaukee in the National League Central and 3 ahead of St. Louis.

It was Lester's third start since coming off the disabled list, and he battled command issues early before breezing through his final 3 innings.

The rotation roulette will continue in the series finale when the Cubs give the ball to right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng, whom they selected from Class AAA Iowa on Wednesday after an outstanding season that led to him being named the Cubs' minor-league pitcher of the year.

"I just sat down with him in my office, and I said, 'I guess you're in town to accept an award tomorrow as being the minor-league pitcher of the year,' " manager Joe Maddon said. "He just looked at me. And I said, 'How about if you start tomorrow night's game instead?'

"He didn't even blanch. It's like, 'My God.' Actually his interpreter was more taken by the whole situation than Jen- Ho was.

"I heard nothing but good things about this kid. I've watched the video. We think right now, in order to get us all set up pitching wise, it was the right thing to do."

Between Iowa and Class AA Tennessee, the 22-year-old Tseng was 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA. With that move, the Cubs put swingman Mike Montgomery back in the bullpen. Montgomery was supposed to start Thursday's game, but he moves back into a role in which the Cubs feel comfortable using him.

Left-handed reliever Justin Wilson has struggled since coming over in a trade with Detroit, leaving Brian Duensing as the only dependable lefty in the pen.

"First of all, we needed some more help in the bullpen," Maddon said. "And Monty's so versatile and he was amenable, and we talked about it.

"There's other things going on that we think is going to be better for us to put Monty back out there. If Jen-Ho was not available, this would not be happening. Guys like him that much. He's been in Arizona throwing. Minor-league pitcher of the year. So there's a lot to like about this guy."

Lester (11-7) said his issues are all about command.

"If I could take the last 3 (innings) from the last two games, it would be a lot better," he said. "For whatever reason, I don't know, just not real crisp early on right now. Figure it out. Game of adjustments. We've got to make some."

The Cubs scored a pair of runs in the first inning against Matt Harvey. They chased him in the fourth with 3 runs and added 4 more in the seventh on a solo homer by Javier Baez and a 3-run shot by Albert Almora Jr.

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Daily Herald Maddon understands Marlins series moved to Milwaukee By Bruce Miles

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday he has "no issue" with Major League Baseball moving this weekend's series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins from Florida to Milwaukee.

Even though the games will be played at Miller Park, the Marlins will be the home team.

Major League Baseball requested that the Brewers host the three-game series because of the effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida. Marlins Park in Miami did not suffer major damage, but the Marlins told MLB they didn't think they could be ready to host the series.

The Brewers entered Wednesday third in the National League Central, 2½ games behind the Cubs. They swept the Cubs in three games this past weekend at Wrigley Field. The Cubs received permission to move last Friday's game from day to night because they had a Thursday night game at Pittsburgh and wanted more rest for their players.

The Brewers were not happy with that. Nor were they happy about a game on May 20 being rained out when it did not rain that afternoon.

Maddon took the high road.

"Obviously, something had to be done," he said. "I have no issues with it. None. Listen, the situation being as severe as it is in South Florida and Florida in general, there's no time to quibble over situations like this. I think it's just a matter of you're getting to the latter part of the season.

"Whatever MLB thinks works best is fine. It's tough to play the Marlins with Giancarlo (Stanton) doing as well as he is. Regardless, the ball carries there (Miller Park) pretty good, too. So who knows? But I don't think there's anything to quibble about. I just think it's about making sure the games are played.

"Of course, there's a roof there, and they know the games will be played under those circumstances. So I have no issues."

Sim game for Uehara:

Reliever Koji Uehara threw a simulated game Wednesday at Wrigley Field. He has not pitched since Sept. 2 because of what the Cubs said was an infection in his right knee.

"He got through it," Joe Maddon said. "We'll reassess tomorrow and see how he feels. Of course, by throwing as much as he did today, he won't be available tomorrow. But hopefully the next day."

Awards and a roster move:

The Cubs named catcher Victor Caratini and Jen-Ho Tseng their minor-league player and pitcher of the month, respectively.

Both players are now with the big club. Caratini is in his third stint with the team this season, and Tseng was selected Wednesday from Class AAA Iowa to start Thursday night against the Mets and make his big-league debut.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Tseng, the Cubs designated pitcher Pierce Johnson for assignment. Johnson was taken between the first and second rounds (43rd) overall in 2012. At Iowa this year, he was 3-2 with a 4.31 ERA and 9 saves. He appeared in 1 game for the Cubs this year.

The Cubs signed Tseng as a nondrafted free agent out of Taiwan in 2013.

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Cubs.com Cubs overwhelm Mets, maintain Central lead By Carrie Muskat and Anthony DiComo

CHICAGO -- It wasn't that long ago when the Mets swept the Cubs in the 2015 National League Championship Series. Last year, the Cubs wiped that bad memory away, winning 100-plus games in the regular season and their first World Series since 1908.

This week, the Cubs and Mets squared off again, but clearly the two teams are having different seasons. Chicago posted a 17-5 victory on Wednesday to maintain a 2 1/2-game lead over the Brewers while opening a three-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. The Mets are looking ahead to next year.

"This game is fickle. You've got to take advantage while you can and while you have the players," said Cubs starter Jon Lester, who picked up the win despite struggling in the first three innings with his command.

Lester pointed out that the Cubs led the NL in several categories last season, including walk-off wins, defense and starting pitching.

"That doesn't happen that often, years like that don't happen that often," Lester said. "I've always been a big supporter of all you have to do is get in. That's all you have to do. It doesn't matter how the season looks, what everybody's stats are. Whether you limp in or sprint in, it doesn't matter. Everybody has a chance. There's been a lot of teams over the years that have proved that."

The Cubs are sprinting. Willson Contreras drove in three runs, Javier Baez smacked a solo home run among four hits and Albert Almora Jr. -- who entered in the seventh inning -- drove in a career-high six runs in Chicago's 16-hit attack. It's the eighth time the Cubs have scored at least 10 runs in their last 41 games.

The two wins in this series against the Mets have helped heal some of the sting from the Brewers' weekend sweep over the Cubs.

"We had to get back on track," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. "The weekend series was tough."

The Mets made Lester work, as the lefty needed 78 pitches to get through the first three innings, but he threw 36 over the final three innings to finish at 114.

Contreras had an adventurous evening. In his second start since coming off the disabled list, he drove in a run with a groundout in the first, threw out a runner at second in the Mets' second, demonstrated bad baserunning in the third, and then delivered a two-run single in the fourth.

Jose Reyes gave the Mets the lead when he opened the game with his 13th home run, but starter Matt Harvey's pitch count also was high, and he was pulled after throwing 86 over 3 1/3 innings. Harvey was charged with five runs, and the Mets now have lost seven of the nine road games the right-hander has started.

"After today, it's just frustrating," Harvey said. "There's not much else to say."

Baez hit his 22nd home run leading off the Chicago seventh, launching a 2-0 pitch from Chasen Bradford into the basket rimming the left-field bleachers. Two batters later, Kevin McGowan took over, but Almora connected against him, hitting a three-run homer. The Cubs have 204 home runs this season, the fourth-highest single-season total in franchise history.

Almora drove in three more runs when he tripled with the bases loaded in a seven-run eighth inning.

"Albert comes off the bench and has himself quite a week, and that was nice to watch," Maddon said. "We just have to be able to maintain that more consistently."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Glovework: Amed Rosario singled to open the Mets' second, then stole second and reached third on Travis Taijeron's single. One out later, Rosario scored on Harvey's sacrifice bunt, his first RBI of the season, to tie the game at 2.

The Cubs ended the threat when Contreras threw out Taijeron at second. According to Statcast™, Contreras had a pop time of 1.87 seconds, his third-fastest of the season to get an out at second. The throw was 85.1 mph.

Clutch hitting: Contreras came through in Chicago's three-run fourth. The Cubs loaded the bases with one out against Harvey, who was lifted for Hansel Robles. Robles then walked Anthony Rizzo to force in the go-ahead run, and Contreras smacked a single to center to drive in two and open a 5-2 lead.

QUOTABLE

"Go after some guys. … Eleven walks? Not at this level. You can't do that." -- Mets manager Terry Collins, on his team's pitching performance

"Every game means something. I feel like from now until the end of the season, it's a playoff game. We're having a lot of fun." – Almora

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

• Reyes' homer was his 469th career extra-base hit with the Mets, matching Darryl Strawberry for the second-most in franchise history. David Wright leads with 658.

• Almora is the first Cubs player to record at least six RBIs after not starting a game since Mandy Brooks drove in six on Aug. 25, 1925, against the Phillies.

LAGARES ALERT PREVENTS RUN

The Cubs missed a chance in the third. With the game tied at 2, Ian Happ was at first and Contreras at second with two outs when Jason Heyward lined a single to center. Mets center fielder Juan Lagares threw to third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera to get Happ, who was tagged out before Contreras crossed home plate. Home plate umpire Kerwin Danley signaled no run scored. In order to protect his right hamstring, the Cubs have instructed Contreras to be careful running the bases, and he had slowed up while looking back at the play at third base.

WHAT'S NEXT

Mets: The Mets will continue to practice prudence down the stretch with right-hander Seth Lugo, who on Thursday will make his fourth start since coming off the disabled list. Lugo has not thrown more than 84 pitches in an outing since returning from a right shoulder impingement, and isn't likely to exceed that mark by much when he starts the Mets' 8:05 p.m. ET series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley. He is still pitching with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Cubs: Right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng, named the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday, will make his Major League debut on Thursday in the series finale. Tseng was a combined 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 24 starts between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT from Wrigley Field.

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Cubs.com Cautious Contreras has adventurous game By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- The Cubs want Willson Contreras to be careful on the bases, and he did just that in the third inning on Wednesday night. The trouble is, he and rookie Ian Happ messed up some basic baserunning.

With the game tied against the Mets, Happ was at first and Contreras at second with two outs in the third when Jason Heyward lined a single to center. Mets center fielder Juan Lagares threw to third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera to get Happ, who was tagged out before Contreras crossed home plate. Home plate umpire Kerwin Danley signaled no run scored.

Contreras had looked back at Happ to see where he was. This was Contreras' second start since coming off the disabled list with a right hamstring injury, and the Cubs have told him to be careful running the bases.

The Cubs were able to rally from the misstep and beat the Mets, 17-5. Contreras drove in three runs, Albert Almora Jr. came off the bench to drive in a career-high six runs, and Javier Baez added a solo home run among four hits.

The baserunning in the third was a teaching moment for the young Cubs.

"It shouldn't happen," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "In that situation, if you're running into third base, if you're in jeopardy of not making it, you just stop. There's nothing wrong with doing it to make sure the other run scores. You've got to be safe or stop.

"On the other side, the lead runner has to run hard through home plate. It's [Baseball] 101. I didn't see Willson completely. I asked him to not run hard, so that's part of it also. But if you're the runner going first to third, I'm good. if you're in jeopardy of being out, you have to stop and make sure the run scores."

Third-base coach Gary Jones told Contreras to slow down as he rounded third.

"When I turned around third base, [Jones] told me, 'Go easy, just go easy,'" Contreras said. "I didn't realize Happ went to third, and that's why I slowed down a little bit. It just happened. Thank God we were able to come back and score a lot of runs."

They certainly did. The 17 runs tied a season high, and it was the third time the Cubs reached that mark this year. They'd had three 17-plus-run games in the previous eight seasons combined.

"Even when we mess up that play or miss opportunities early to score runs, it does not change their attitude, which is a good thing," Maddon said.

Contreras had shined in the second inning when he and Baez combined to pick off Travis Taijeron at second. According to Statcast™, Contreras had a pop time of 1.87 seconds, his third-fastest of the season to get an out at second. The throw was 85.1 mph.

"That was a nice play that I made with Baez," Contreras said. "I think it was the right time to make a pick to second base. He was making a big secondary lead. I didn't have a doubt to throw."

With the win, the Cubs have a 2 1/2-game lead over the Brewers and three over the Cardinals in the National League Central. It's been encouraging, especially after Milwaukee swept Chicago at Wrigley Field over the weekend.

"This team has been playing really well the last few games," Contreras said. "The energy has been higher than before. We just need to keep going. We have a really good team to make the playoffs. We have to take it one game at a time.

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Cubs.com After Minors award, Tseng earns MLB debut By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- On Wednesday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon met with Jen-Ho Tseng to talk to him about being honored as the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Then, Maddon surprised the right-hander with some news: Tseng will make his Major League debut on Thursday.

Tseng who was a combined 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 24 starts between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, will substitute for Mike Montgomery, who will go back to the bullpen. Montgomery was to make his 13th start of the season on Thursday in the series finale against the Mets. To make room for Tseng on the 40-man roster, right- hander Pierce Johnson was designated for assignment.

"First of all, we needed more help in the bullpen, and Monty is so versatile and was amenable," Maddon said. "He'll be availble in the 'pen tonight. Jen-Ho comes into town to accept an award. I sat down with him in my office. I said, 'I guess you're in town to accept an award.' I said, 'How about you start tomorrow night's game instead?' He didn't even blanch. His interpreter was more taken by the situation than Jen-Ho."

On Wednesday, the Cubs named Tseng and catcher Victor Caratini as the organization's Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year, respectively. This is Tseng's second such award after also earning the honor in 2014, his first professional season.

"He has four, five pitches he can throw for a strike, and he uses both sides of the plate," said catcher Taylor Davis, who caught all of Tseng's starts at Iowa. "He was really effective with all of his pitches this year, and his fastball worked well at the end of the year. It was impressive. He has a really good tempo, really good pace."

In 15 starts with Tennessee, Tseng, 22, was 7-3 with a 2.99 ERA, striking out 83 and walking 24. He was promoted to Triple-A for the first time following his first career 10- game, July 3 against Jacksonville. The right- hander excelled in Iowa, posting a 6-1 record to go along with a 1.80 ERA in nine starts.

"He got better [at Iowa]," Davis said. "I think he might have pitched with a little more confidence when he got to Triple-A. He was able to pitch really strong and didn't waste a lot of pitches. It was nice."

Maddon said the switch in starters has nothing to do with Jake Arrieta, who is still sidelined after he strained his right hamstring a week ago in Pittsburgh. Arrieta has yet to throw a bullpen session since that outing, and there is no timetable for his return.

"We think that right now, in order to get us all set up pitching-wise, it was the right thing to do," Maddon said. "It could be one and done -- we'll see how it plays out. This guy is a really good command pitcher. He throws high 80s to low 90s [mph], with a little more velocity, kind of like [Kyle Hendricks] and has a really good changeup. He knows what he's doing out there. I spoke to him and he didn't overreact at all. I kind of liked it."

Tseng -- ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the Cubs' No. 13 prospect -- was signed as a non-drafted free agent in July 2013. He holds a career 32-20 record and a 3.17 ERA in 87 games (85 starts) across four seasons in the Cubs' system. He has been throwing at the Cubs' complex in Mesa, Ariz.

"Everybody is adamantly good with the fact that Jen-Ho will get this opportunity," Maddon said. "Lightning in a bottle happens, and you never know what happens after that. Even if it's not [another] start, maybe he'll help us in another way. David Price helped us with the Rays out of the bullpen. I'm keeping an open mind, and I'm excited about seeing it. I trust the people who are making these decisions."

Caratini, 24, batted .342 with 27 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, 61 RBIs and 50 runs scored in 83 games with Triple-A Iowa. He earned both midseason and postseason Pacific Coast League All-Star honors. His .342 average led all Cubs Minor Leaguers, and his 27 doubles were tied for the team lead.

The catcher earned his first call to the Majors on June 28. He was named to the World Team for the 2017 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, but did not participate due to his Major League promotion.

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Cubs.com Uehara nearing return after knee infection By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Cubs reliever Koji Uehara has not pitched since Sept. 2 because of an infection in his right knee, but he threw a simulated game on Wednesday and may be able to return to action by Friday.

Uehara has thrown two bullpen sessions prior to the sim game. He struggled in August, giving up six earned runs over 7 1/3 innings in nine games for a 7.36 ERA.

The Cubs aren't sure when right-hander Jake Arrieta will return either. Arrieta has played catch twice since he had to leave his Sept. 4 start because of a right hamstring strain, but no bullpen session has been scheduled yet. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said they will not have a good feel for a timetable regarding Arrieta until he does throw a bullpen.

There was a slim chance Arrieta could have returned this weekend against the Cardinals, but instead the rotation will be on Friday, Kyle Hendricks on Saturday and Jose Quintana on Sunday.

Worth noting

• Shortstop Addison Russell, sidelined since Aug. 3 with a strained right foot, was able to run the bases on Wednesday and hit in the batting cages. There is no change in the timeline for his return, but he has been able to increase baseball activities.

• The Brewers will get three more home games following Major League Baseball's decision to move their series against the Marlins from Miami to Miller Park this weekend. Miami is trying to recover from Hurricane Irma.

"Obviously, something had to be done. I have no issues with it," Maddon said of the switch. "The situation being as severe as it is, it's no time to quibble over situations like this. You're getting into the latter part of the season, and whatever [Major League Baseball] thinks is fine. It's about making sure the games are played."

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Cubs.com Register for chance to buy Cubs playoff tix By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Fans interested in purchasing single-game tickets to potential Cubs postseason games at Wrigley Field can do so, starting Wednesday.

Beginning at noon CT until Tuesday at noon CT, fans can register for a random drawing to win a chance to purchase single-game postseason tickets for a potential National League Wild Card Game and NL Division Series games. Registration cutoff times for future potential rounds are available at www.cubs.com/postseason.

There is a change in the format this year. Now, fans will be required to complete the online form and submit a one- time refundable deposit of $50 in an effort to verify the authenticity of each entry and the genuine interest to attend postseason games. The $50 deposit may be applied to the ticket purchase, if applicable, or will be refunded at the conclusion of the postseason.

Fans who register for the online ticket opportunity will be notified via email if they have been selected for a chance to purchase tickets. Those who are randomly selected from all eligible registrants will have a one-time chance to purchase a maximum of four tickets, pending availability, among multiple available games. Tickets will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis.

All registered fans who are not selected or who do not complete a purchase for early postseason contests will remain eligible for selection if the Cubs advance to subsequent rounds. Fans may only purchase tickets once during the postseason. Being selected in a drawing does not guarantee the opportunity to purchase tickets to a postseason game.

"With fall baseball again within our reach, we will continue to offer our successful online registration and random drawing process to ensure as many Cubs fans as possible have the opportunity to purchase postseason tickets," Cubs senior vice president of sales and marketing Colin Faulkner said. "We have implemented a new refundable deposit this year as a safeguard to ensure those who register are Cubs fans wishing to attend these sought-after games."

The postseason single-game ticket on-sale date and pricing will be announced following Tuesday's registration deadline for the NL Wild Card Game and NLDS tickets. Single-game ticket buyers are encouraged to pay with Mastercard, the preferred credit card of the Chicago Cubs. Fans may visit www.cubs.com/postseason for more information about potential single-game postseason ticket sales or call the Chicago Cubs Fan Services team at 800- THE-CUBS with any questions.

Please note that registration is open to legal residents of the 50 United States who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited; additional exclusions apply. Registrations from past postseason ticket purchase opportunities do not carry over to 2017. Full terms and conditions are available at www.cubs.com/postseason.

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Cubs.com Tseng debuts in pennant race; Cubs eye sweep By Anthony DiComo

Jen-Ho Tseng thought he was coming to Wrigley Field this week to accept a Minor League award. Instead, he found himself smack in the middle of a pennant race, scheduled to make his big league debut Thursday as the Cubs eye a sweep of the Mets at Wrigley Field.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon surprised Tseng, who was a combined 13-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 24 starts between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, when he told him Wednesday that he would make the start at Wrigley. Tseng will debut opposite Mets right-hander Seth Lugo.

"This guy is a really good command pitcher," Maddon said of Tseng, a Taiwan native. "He throws high 80s to low 90s [mph], with a little more velocity, kind of like Kyle [Hendricks] and has a really good changeup. He knows what he's doing out there. I spoke to him, and he didn't overreact at all. I kind of liked it."

After a 17-5 rout Wednesday night, the first-place Cubs held a 2 1/2-game lead over the Brewers and a three-game lead over the Cardinals in the National League Central.

Lugo, who debuted last year during the Mets' run to the National League Wild Card Game, understands as much as anyone what Tseng will be feeling on the Wrigley Field mound. In three starts since coming off the disabled list this season, Lugo is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA.

Lugo still has elite spin on his curveball -- his average spin rate is 3,065 rpm this season -- but it's not quite at the level he was at in 2016, when his curve averaged a Major League-leading 3,318 rpm. This year, his curveball "only" ranks as the third-highest-spin in the Majors.

Three things to know about this game

• The Cubs' originally scheduled starter, Mike Montgomery, will head to the bullpen to make room for Tseng. Part of the Cubs' reasoning for promoting Tseng, according to Maddon, was that the team needed help in the bullpen more than it did in the rotation. "Monty is so versatile and was amenable," Maddon said of Montgomery.

• Mets manager Terry Collins hinted that the Mets will proceed cautiously down the stretch with Lugo, who has pitched all season with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Lugo has not thrown more than 84 pitches in an outing since the Mets activated him from the disabled list on Aug. 27.

• Mets infielder Jose Reyes, who led off Wednesday's game with a home run, is tied with Darryl Strawberry for the second-most extra-base hits (469) in franchise history. David Wright is first with 658.

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