August 19, 2017

, Javier Baez gives Cubs fans reasons to cheer during 7-4 win against Blue Jays http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-blue-jays-spt-0819-20170818-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs' goes on 10-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-jon-lester-lat-injury-20170818-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs Jon Lester mum on heated dugout discussion with pitching http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-notes-cubs-jon-lester-chris-bosio-spt-0819- 20170818-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Elisabeth Moss meets (not shirtless) at http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-elisabeth-moss-anthony-rizzo-20170818-story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs fans boo , but invites him for a drink http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-fans-boo-miguel-montero-but-jake-arrieta-invites-him-for-a-drink/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Elisabeth Moss meets Anthony Rizzo at Wrigley Field http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/elisabeth-moss-meets-anthony-rizzo-at-wrigley-field/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Miguel Montero apologizes to Jake Arrieta in return to Wrigley Field http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/miguel-montero-apologizes-to-jake-arrieta-in-return-to-wrigley-field/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Bryzzo to sign $699 autographs downtown on Saturday http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/anthony-rizzo-kris-bryant-cubs-signing-pricey-autographs/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs put Jon Lester on 10-day DL; problem was worsening for ‘a while’ http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-put-jon-lester-on-10-day-disabled-list-with-shoulder-tightness/

 Chicago Sun-Times, What happened between Jon Lester and http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/what-happened-between-jon-lester-and-chris-bosio/

 Daily Herald, Arrieta, Baez, Rizzo heroes of Friday's win http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170818/arrieta-baez-rizzo-heroes-of-fridays-win

 Daily Herald, Cubs don't expect Jon Lester to miss much time with lat strain http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170818/cubs-dont-expect-jon-lester-to-miss-much-time-

 Cubs.com, Quintana eyes more success vs. Blue Jays http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/249212204/quintana-eyes-more-success-vs-blue-jays

 Cubs.com, Cubs, Arrieta spoil Blue Jays' return to Wrigley http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/249213996/jake-arrieta-cubs-defeat-blue-jays-at-wrigley/

 Cubs.com, Baez dazzles on both sides of ball http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/249239058/cubs-javier-baez-homers-makes-great-play/

 Cubs.com, Cubs place Lester on DL with shoulder fatigue http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/249184536/cubs-place-jon-lester-on-disabled-list/

 Cubs.com, Montgomery to step up in place of injured Lester http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/249209524/mike-montgomery-to-sub-for-injured-jon-lester/

 CSNChicago.com, Best way for Cubs to weather Jon Lester's absence is to pitch well, and that's just what they're doing http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/best-way-cubs-weather-jon-lesters-absence-pitch-well-and-thats- just-what-theyre-doing

 CSNChicago.com, Miguel Montero explains how things ended with Cubs: ‘It wasn’t the nicest way to leave Chicago’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/miguel-montero-explains-how-things-ended-cubs-it-wasnt-nicest- way-leave-chicago

 CSNChicago.com, Jon Lester hits disabled list as back-to-back Octobers start catching up to Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jon-lester-hits-disabled-list-back-back-octobers-start-catching-cubs

 CSNChicago.com, What really happened between Jon Lester and Chris Bosio http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/what-really-happened-between-jon-lester-and-chris-bosio

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Chicago Tribune Javier Baez gives Cubs fans reasons to cheer during 7-4 win against Blue Jays By Paul Skrbina

Javier Baez was called out twice on the same play at home plate during the second inning Friday — once by umpire Ben May and again by replay officials, who confirmed May's call from about 800 miles away in New York.

Baez left no room for argument six innings later, though, when he belted a baseball that landed 409 feet away from home plate, in one of the last rows of the left-field bleachers, to give the Cubs two insurance runs in their 7-4 victory against the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field.

If Baez's was the exclamation point, his diving snag of Jose Bautista's scorching ground ball that seemed destined for left field for the second out of the ninth was the period.

"I like hearing the fans cheer for me," Baez said. "I know Chicago loves me. Thank you."

His play, especially in the second half, has helped earn last year's Championship Series co-MVP some of that adoration. He's batting .308 with a .664 slugging percentage and an OPS just south of 1.000 since the All-Star break, and he's taking advantage of increased playing time with out with a foot injury.

Baez's flashes of brilliance on the field come with frustration at times, though, such as swinging at bad pitches or making a bad throw.

It also comes with aggression.

Such as during the second inning Friday when he was thrown out trying to score.

The play, recorded in the official scorebook as 9-6-3-6-2, occurred while Jr. was in the midst of a rundown between first and second after he had driven in the Cubs' third run with a single to right field.

The fourth run wasn't to be, though, after Baez broke from third and couldn't avoid Blue Jays and former teammate Miguel Montero's tag at the plate, which Baez slid past.

"He told me he tagged me, obviously," Baez said with a grin. "No excuses. They just got me."

Baez got them back with his 20th home run, which made him the fourth Cub 25 years old or younger with at least that many this season, tying a major-league record. The home run also made him the fifth Cub with at least 20, tying a franchise mark.

"We'll try to get 30 if we can," Baez said.

In addition to a show from Baez and starter Jake Arrieta, fans received a free preview of the upcoming Chicago Air and Water Show.

With Blue Angels roaring through practice formations above, Arrieta kept the Blue Jays grounded by allowing a run, six hits, two walks and striking out six in 6 1/3 innings of his seventh consecutive quality start.

The free agent-to-be has allowed two or fewer runs in his last seven starts and is 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA during that span. But increasing his price on the open market with each appearance has little to do with his motivation right now, he said.

He just wants to give the team a chance to win, he said.

Oh, and to have a beer with his old catcher, Montero, who was designated for assignment then traded by the Cubs earlier this season after making remarks about Arrieta's inability to hold base runners. Montero was booed heavily in his first two at-bats Friday.

"I asked him if he wanted to grab a drink tonight," Arrieta said. "So we might do that. He's one of my favorite guys ... a good dude."

A large contingent of visiting fans choked Wrigley Field with chants of "Let's go, Blue Jays" again and again Friday. Then Baez hit one that he admired and none of the Blue Jays outfielders bothered to watch.

"He does things maybe a handful of guys in baseball can do," Arrieta said.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs' Jon Lester goes on 10-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue By Chris Kuc

Jon Lester's pitching shoulder hasn't felt right for some time, but the veteran left-hander was determined to keep taking the ball every five days unless it got to the point he could no longer help the Cubs win.

That moment arrived when the Reds were circling the bases during the second inning of Thursday's game and after meeting with doctors and team officials, Lester was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday.

"The overall performance wasn't there," Lester said following the Cubs' 7-4 victory over the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field. "This is something we've tried to manage for a while and get through. It just got to a point you're doing a disservice to your team by going out there and not being able to perform.

"It sucks going on the DL. You feel like you can't help, but at the same time I wasn't helping out there so let's get this thing right and get back to being myself."

Being placed on the DL is the bad news. The good news is that the injury, which is being defined as shoulder fatigue, doesn't appear at the moment to be long term.

While Lester didn't put a timetable on his return beyond saying, "I have 10 days, I know that," Cubs President said, "we think it's just a start or two."

"It was encouraging news after the examination," Epstein said. "It seems like everything is structurally sound and his arm is tired, which is understandable if you look at the load he's carried pitching seven months the last couple years. There comes a time when all need a breather, and this is his time."

Lester has been the Cubs' workhorse since signing a six-year, $155 million deal before the 2015 season, and maintaining their lead in the heated National League Central Division race without him won't be easy. The 33-year- old has made at least 31 starts in nine consecutive seasons and pitched at least 200 innings in eight of those years.

Lester's ERA after Thursday's start was 4.37, his highest since he finished at 4.82 ERA for the 2012 Red Sox.

"We pitch through a lot of things," Lester said. "It's been a little while we've had to manage through it and I've done a pretty good job for the most part, and I just kind of had enough (Thursday)."

While the Cubs hold their collective breaths that Lester's injury is indeed not serious, Mike Montgomery will take his spot in the rotation. Stepping into a starting role is nothing new for Montgomery, who yearns to be a starter at some point in his career.

"I don't want to see anybody get hurt, especially our ace," Montgomery said. "It's a challenge. I'm looking forward to going out there and helping the team win. If they tell me I'm starting then I'm going to go out there and prepare and be ready to help this team get to the playoffs."

Montgomery is 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA in eight starts this season and 1-3 with a 2.57 ERA in 27 relief outings.

"He's good about bouncing back and forth," said. "He definitely has the ability. He's got four above-average major-league pitches and not many people do."

Epstein said he is not likely to go outside the organization to bring in a player who can replace Lester's innings.

"I don't think so," Epstein said. "We've expended a lot of prospect capital trying to make this team better. We think it's just a start or two and Mike Montgomery is more than capable of filling in."

Still, getting Lester back is paramount to restabilizing a rotation that will be counted on to hold off the Brewers, Cardinals and Pirates in the Central.

"Having a guy like (Lester) out there every five days is huge because you know what you're going to get with his track record and the way he's pitched as a Cub," fellow starter Jake Arrieta said. "We're expecting or we're hoping to have him back sooner than later."

Along with Lester, also was placed on the DL on Friday due to an infection in his right index finger. The Cubs recalled right-hander Felix Pena and lefty Rob Zastryzny from Triple-A Iowa.

Meanwhile, Lester will rehab his shoulder with Cubs trainers before he makes another start.

"I don't expect it to be long but with that being said, I don't want to put a timetable on it either," Lester said. "I think the quicker the better but I don't know. We'll play it by ear and take tomorrow as it comes."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs pitcher Jon Lester mum on heated dugout discussion with pitching coach By Paul Skrbina

An animated discussion in the dugout between Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio and pitcher Jon Lester was caught on video Thursday. But both Lester and manager Joe Maddon subscribed to the "what happens in the dugout stays in the dugout" mantra Friday.

"I don't think it was a confrontation," said Lester, who was put on the 10-day disabled list Friday with soreness in his left lat muscle. "It's not his fault I gave up runs."

Lester allowed nine runs (seven earned) before he asked out of Thursday's game after just 1 2/3 innings.

He said Friday the injury was minor and he doesn't expect to miss much time.

Maddon said he was too busy telling his players to take advantage of the wind blowing out, which they did to the tune of six home runs, to know many details.

"That's something I prefer not talking about," Maddon said. "I was on the mound talking to the infielders about all hitting a home run in that game. ... I said, 'Look at the flags. All of you need to hit a home run tonight.' ... When I came back in I heard there was a little bit of a thing."

No news, good news: No players were injured during Friday's game between the Cubs and Blue Jays.

That good news came on top of good news the Cubs shared earlier in the day about Lester.

As for when catcher will return from a right hamstring injury he suffered Aug. 9 against the Giants, that remains to be seen. Early to mid-September seems to be the target.

"All I can tell you is he says he feels pretty good," Maddon said.

Addison Russell will not return as had been planned this weekend from a foot injury he suffered Aug. 2.

Extra innings: Wade Davis is 25-for-25 in save chances, the longest single-season streak in team history and one short of the franchise mark set by Ryan Dempster in 2005-06. ... Albert Almora Jr. is batting .341 against left- handers this season and the Cubs are 32-22 when he starts.

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Chicago Tribune Elisabeth Moss meets (not shirtless) Anthony Rizzo at Wrigley Field By Paul Sullivan

Actress and Cubs fan Elisabeth Moss came to Wrigley Field on Friday and was steps away from meeting “Shirtless Rizzo” during batting practice — until he walked away.

“Shirtless Rizzo” is actually Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who became part of the story of her latest Emmy nomination for Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Moss, who starred as “Peggy” in “Mad Men,” explained:

“When we got nominated for the Emmy’s, we got 13 nominations, and my publicist texted me a GIF of Rizzo shirtless, clapping his hands in the dugout,” she said. “I don’t know why.”

Because he’s Rizzo?

“Exactly,” she said. “And that meant good news, because a shirtless Rizzo is always good news.”

Why couldn’t she talk to him?

“I’m too nervous, I think,” she said. “I’m too nervous to meet him. One day we will meet.”

That day turned out to be later on Friday, as Rizzo came out of the clubhouse shortly before game time and met Moss near the Cubs dugout.

"Pretty much incredible," she said before performing the Seventh Inning Stretch.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs fans boo Miguel Montero, but Jake Arrieta invites him for a drink By Steve Greenberg

They booed Miggy.

A surprise? Really, it could’ve gone either way.

Former Cubs catcher Miguel Montero — he of the in last year’s National League Championship Series and what proved to be the eventual winning RBI in Game 7 of the — was in the Blue Jays’ lineup Friday as the Cubs won 7-4 in the opener of a three-game weekend series.

And the Wrigley faithful booed him the first few times he came up to bat. By Montero’s fourth plate appearance, it was just a light smattering. But still: Ouch.

Of course, fans were remembering the circumstances surrounding Montero’s controversial exit from the North Side in June. He publicly criticized pitcher Jake Arrieta — who was on the mound Friday and notched his 13th victory — after an ugly defeat in which the Nationals stole seven bases in the first four innings.

“The pitcher doesn’t give me any time,” Montero said then.

That pitcher extended a martini branch — sorry, meant to say an olive branch — to Montero when he came up for his second at-bat against Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ.

“I asked him if he wanted to grab a drink tonight,” Arrieta said, “so we might do that. He’s one of my favorite guys. It’s a little upsetting to see the way it ended for him here, but it is what it is.”

The Cubs designated Montero for assignment after that Nationals game and traded him to the Blue Jays last month for the proverbial bag of baseballs.

“It wasn’t the nicest way to leave Chicago,” Montero told CSN Chicago’s Kelly Crull before the game. “It’s in the past. It was tough and difficult. It was hard.”

Montero, who said he has apologized to Arrieta, greeted Arrieta with a few words at the plate before the pitcher’s first at-bat.

“I honestly wish I wouldn’t have left because of those reasons,” he said, “[but] I don’t regret anything. It happened. I feel bad for Jake, and that’s why I apologized to him.”

Canada drive

Blue Jays fans arrived — in huge numbers — by car, plane and who knows how else to check out Wrigley Field and the defending World Series champion Cubs. An employee in the Cubs’ ticket office estimated that 10,000 Jays fans were in attendance. It was quite a change of pace, given it’s typically Cubs fans who take over opposing ballparks.

“The Canadians traveled well today,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I love their city. It’s a great spot up there.”

Put a ring on it?

Former Cub was supposed to finally get his World Series ring this weekend with the Jays, but he was designated for assignment last weekend and released unconditionally Tuesday.

“Disappointing,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said, “because we were looking forward to seeing him, and he was looking forward to being here.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Elisabeth Moss meets Anthony Rizzo at Wrigley Field By Madeline Kenney

Actress Elisabeth Moss had a pretty good trip to Wrigley Field on Friday.

Before the Cubs 7-4 win over the , Moss met a not-shirtless Anthony Rizzo. She also sang the 7th inning stretch during the game.

Moss, who is the star of Hulu’s hit show “The Handmaid’s Tale,” has never been shy about her Cubs fandom. She admitted in July that she found out about the show’s 13 Emmy nominations — including one for herself for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — through a shirtless Rizzo GIF from her publicist.

“I woke up to GIF from my publicist, Erica, of a shirtless Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs and knew it was good news (because a shirtless Rizzo is always good news) but 13 is blowing my mind!” Moss told TV Guide.

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Chicago Sun-Times Miguel Montero apologizes to Jake Arrieta in return to Wrigley Field By John Silver

Former Cubs catcher Miguel Montero returned to Wrigley Field on Friday for the first time since he was released by the team.

“It wasn’t the nicest way to go to leave Chicago,” he said to CSN Chicago’s Kelly Crull before Friday’s game. “It’s in the past. It was tough and difficult. It was hard.”

The Cubs designated Montero for assignment in June after he made comments to the media critical of teammate Jake Arrieta.

Montero blamed Arrieta’s slow delivery for the seven bases the stole in the first four innings of a Cubs’ 6-1 loss.

‘‘It really sucked because the stolen bases go to me, and when you really look at it, the pitcher doesn’t give me any time,’’ Montero said after the game. ‘‘Simple as that.’’

He was traded in July to the Toronto Blue Jays with cash for a player to be named or cash considerations.

On Friday, he seemed contrite. He said he that he apologized to Arrieta.

“It’s too bad I left as a bad teammate,” Montero said. “I’ve played with a lot of guys and no one has ever said that about me.

“I’m happy where I’m at – not that I wasn’t happy over there. I honestly wish I wouldn’t have left because of those reasons. I don’t regret anything. It happened. I feel bad for Jake and that’s why I apologized to him.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Bryzzo to sign $699 autographs downtown on Saturday By Madeline Kenney

Want to get autographs from Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo and ? Well, it’s going to cost you.

If fans want to attend Bryzzo first public outing since the World Series this Saturday at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in downtown Chicago, they can purchase tickets on the Fanatics website for $699.

The pricy ticket allows holders one autograph from each teammate, according to Fanatics, the website where fans can purchase said tickets. Fans aren’t allowed to bring artwork or game-used items either. Ticket holders are allowed to bring one guest in line, but they’re not allowed to get anything signed.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs put Jon Lester on 10-day DL; problem was worsening for ‘a while’ By Steve Greenberg

First, the good news: Jon Lester’s season doesn’t appear to be in danger.

A day after the left-hander was escorted off the field by a trainer following 1‰ innings of nine-run misery, the Cubs announced they’d put Lester on the 10-day disabled list with tightness in his left lat — the large muscle that extends up from the back into the shoulder — and “general shoulder fatigue.”

“It was encouraging last night after the examination,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “It seems like everything is structurally sound and his arm is tired, which is understandable if you look at the load he has carried, pitching seven months the last couple of years and taking the ball every fifth day. . . . He’s getting a break before anything serious happens. He’ll be down for a little while and then should come back really strong and finish the year on a solid note.”

That’s all the Cubs could hope for at this point from their Opening Day starter and last season’s National League Cy Young runner-up. Lester has had a few memorably shaky starts in his third season with the team, but he also has been the Cubs’ “rock,” as manager Joe Maddon put it.

“The guy gets after it pretty hard all the time,” Maddon said.

For only the second time in the last decade, though, Lester will fall short of 200 innings. It’s bad enough that his ERA blew up to 4.37 after his start Thursday, but it’s the rare blip in his durability that sits least pleasantly with him.

“I hate numbers,” Lester said. “The one number that I look up — and obviously I’m not going to have it this year — is the 200 innings and making every start. That’s what I pride myself on. . . . That’s the frustrating part for me.”

And that gets at the other side of this story: Did Lester and the Cubs wait too long to recognize something was amiss?

Lester, 33, has been injury-free since a 19-day stint on the DL with a similar injury — a strained lat muscle — when he was with the Red Sox. That episode was more serious because Lester experienced pain, as opposed to just tightness. Still, Lester has felt his lat begin to falter before and, he admits, knew something was off “awhile ago.” According to Epstein, Lester kept that to himself.

“He’s not one to openly talk about stuff he’s dealing with,” Epstein said. “He just deals with it. And then [Thursday], he realized he wasn’t doing the team a service by being out there. It caught up to him.”

Lester used the word “we” as he described dealing with the encroaching discomfort in recent weeks.

“It’s not something I kept quiet,” he said, “but, at the same time, it’s not something I thought was a big deal. I’ve pitched through worse.”

Lefty Mike Montgomery is expected to slide into Lester’s spot in the rotation Wednesday night in Cincinnati. Montgomery has toggled between the bullpen and the rotation as needed since joining the Cubs last season.

“I don’t want to see anybody get hurt, especially your ace,” Montgomery said. “But it’s a challenge, and I’m looking forward to competing.”

It’s too soon to know if Lester will miss one start, two starts or — something no one wants to see — more.

“There’s no minimum or maximum,” Maddon said, “just that it’s a 10-day stay and then we’ll figure it out.”

The Cubs also put right-handed reliever Justin Grimm on the 10-day DL with an infected right index finger.

Rob Zastryzny and Felix Pena were called up from Class AAA Iowa to bolster the bullpen.

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Chicago Sun-Times What happened between Jon Lester and Chris Bosio By Madeline Kenney

Jon Lester stirred up a lot of commotion in Thursday’s 13-10 loss to the Reds.

Lester, who allowed nine runs through 1 2/3 innings of pitching, left the game in the second after signaling to the trainer.

Although he didn’t show any physical signs of pain, Lester was scheduled to see the team physician after the game to determine the severity of damage to the large muscle that extends up from the back into the shoulder area.

But what fans really wanted to know was what really went down between Lester and Chris Bosio after the starting pitcher left the game.

David Kaplan said Friday on ESPN 1000 that last year’s Cy Young Award finalist was expressing frustration with the Cubs defense, and it wasn’t meant to be directed at Bosio.

Lester was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday morning.

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Daily Herald Arrieta, Baez, Rizzo heroes of Friday's win By John Dietz

Jake Arrieta threw 6⅓ sparkling innings, and Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez continued their torrid hitting as the Cubs opened a three-game set against Toronto with a 7-4 victory Friday at Wrigley Field.

After using six pitchers in a 13-10 loss to the Reds on Thursday, the Cubs desperately needed a solid outing from Arrieta (13-8), and he delivered by allowing just 1 run on 6 hits. It was the seventh straight time Arrieta has allowed 2 or fewer runs.

"We had limited bullpen again, so it was very large (for Arrieta) to get us that deep," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team improved to 64-57. "I thought Jake was very good."

Also very good was Rizzo, who stroked a 2-run single in the fifth that made it 5-1, and Baez, who crushed a 2-run homer to left in the eighth after Toronto had closed the gap to 5-4 in the top of the inning. Baez, who now has 20 homers, also made a spectacular defensive play on a wicked one-hop grounder by Jose Bautista in the ninth.

Asked what he likes better -- hitting home runs or wowing the crowd with Ozzie Smith-like plays in the field -- a smiling Baez said: "I like both. To be honest, I like both. I like the fans cheering for me. I know Chicago loves me, so thank you for that. Thank you for all that love from the fans."

Said Arrieta: "He's a special talent. He does things that maybe a handful of guys in baseball can do. (He) makes plays that look near impossible possible and gets big outs for us."

Baez has 18 RBI in August, while Rizzo is 11-for-21 with 12 RBI in the last five games. Catcher Victor Caratini reached base in all 4 at-bats, going 3-for-3 with a walk.

Miggy returns:

Miguel Montero played at Wrigley Field on Friday for the first time since the Cubs designated him for assignment in late June.

Montero, now on the Blue Jays, blamed Jake Arrieta for allowing Washington to steal seven bases in a 6-1 loss on June 27.

Arrieta started Friday's 7-4 victory over Toronto and said he spoke with Montero during his second at-bat.

"I asked him if he wanted to go grab a drink tonight," Arrieta said. "So we might do that. You know, he's one of my favorite guys. It was a little upsetting to see the way it ended for him here, but it is what it is.

"He's in a new spot now and hopefully he has success there because I only hope for the best for him."

Bit of a blowup:

After Jon Lester was removed from Thursday's 13-10 loss to the Reds, he was seen having an animated conversation with pitching coach Chris Bosio in the dugout. There was a report it was about the team's poor defensive play, but Lester didn't want to discuss the matter Friday.

"I don't think it was a confrontation, but whatever is said between a coach and a player … in a dugout stays there," Lester said.

Around the horn:

With Jon Lester and Justin Grimm going on the 10-day disabled list, the Cubs recalled RHP Felix Pena and LHP Rob Zastryzny from AAA Iowa. … Javier Baez joined Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo and in the 20-HR club Friday. Only three previous Cubs teams (1958, 2004, 2008) have had five players reach 20 homers in one season. … Wade Davis improved to 25-for-25 in save situations Friday. If Davis records a save in his next opportunity, he will tie Ryan Dempster for the longest streak in franchise history.

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Daily Herald Cubs don't expect Jon Lester to miss much time with lat strain By John Dietz

Whew!

That had to be the collective response from Cubs Nation on Friday when it was announced that Jon Lester might miss just 2 starts with due to arm fatigue.

The Cubs placed Lester and Justin Grimm (infected index finger) on the 10-day disabled list before going out and beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 at Wrigley Field.

"It got to a point where you're doing a disservice to your team by going out and not being able to perform," said Lester, who allowed 9 runs (7 earned) in 1⅔ innings in a 13-10 loss to the Reds on Thursday. "It sucks going on the DL. You feel like you can't help; but at the same time I wasn't helping out there.

"Let's get this right and get back to being myself."

Lester, who has allowed 3 or more earned runs in 6 of his last 9 starts, said he's been fighting the fatigue for a while.

"It's not something I kept quiet," he said. "But at the same time it's something I didn't think was a big deal. I mean, I've pitched through worse.

"But the overall performance is what's telling me I need to take a step back."

Against the Reds, Joe Maddon noticed Lester's velocity on his cutters was consistently in the 84-85 mph range, which raised a big red flag for the Cubs' manager.

"I just didn't see any finish on the pitches," Maddon said. "That's the difference between an 84-85 mph cutter and one that's 88-89-90 and the hitters just can't do anything with it.

"That's what you saw (Thursday). Those couple miles an hour difference make all the difference in the world when it comes to being an effective pitcher."

Mike Montgomery, who threw 4.1 scoreless innings Thursday, will take Lester's spot in the rotation. Maddon said if Montgomery performs well, he might employ a six-man rotation to close out the season.

"Having a guy like (Montgomery) that's versatile, that can start on short notice and provide nice results is a boost for us," Jake Arrieta said. "Obviously it's not ideal to have a guy as talented as Lester go down, but hopefully we just allow him a little bit of time to get himself back where he needs to be, and he'll help us down the stretch."

The Cubs are certainly fortunate in that they can deal with an injury to a pitcher like Lester and still roll out a five- man rotation of Arrieta (13-8, 3.63 ERA), (10-9, 4.67), Jose Quintana (7-10, 4.33), (4-4, 3.45) and Montgomery (3-6, 3.64).

Of course, everyone will breathe a lot easier when Lester returns. Lester, who leads the Cubs with 148.1 innings pitched, has made at least 31 starts and thrown at least 191 innings for nine straight seasons.

He's a rock on the mound and in the clubhouse, and sorely needed on a team scratching tooth and nail to try to earn a playoff berth so they can defend their World Series title.

"There comes a time when all pitchers need a breather and this is his time," GM Theo Epstein said. "He actually told us that he's been dealing with it for a good bit now.

"So this was probably inevitable. I'm glad that he's getting the break before anything serious happens."

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Cubs.com Quintana eyes more success vs. Blue Jays By Gregor Chisholm

Jose Quintana has faced the Blue Jays plenty of times before, but never as a member of the Cubs. That will change Saturday afternoon.

Quintana will make the 10th start of his career vs. Toronto in the matinee affair at Wrigley Field. He's enjoyed plenty of success in the past -- with a 6-2 record and a 1.77 ERA -- but that was when he was pitching for the team on the South Side of Chicago. This time, it will be for the North Siders.

Toronto will counter with right-hander Nick Tepesch, who was available out of the bullpen on Friday afternoon in case of an emergency situation because of an overworked relief corps. Since Tepesch did not get into that game, he remains on schedule to start the second game of the series.

Despite dropping Friday's opener, the Blue Jays are looking to win four consecutive series for the first time this season. Toronto is visiting Wrigley Field for the first time since 2005, and the club is 8-5 all-time vs. the Cubs.

"We were hoping we'd have to play [Chicago] last year," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, whose team was eliminated by the Indians in the American League Championship Series.

"They've gone through their ups and downs, and they picked it up right after the All-Star break. They're locked into a pretty good race in their division. Really, for our sake, from here on out, we have to play good. We can't afford any more bad stretches, but we've been playing good."

Things to know about this game

• Quintana faced the Blue Jays earlier this season, and he allowed a pair of runs over seven strong innings in a victory for the White Sox. Jose Bautista has just one hit in 16 at-bats vs. the veteran lefty, but third baseman Josh Donaldson has six hits in 13 at-bats. Kendrys Morales has enjoyed the most success, with a .341 average in 41 at- bats, but he'll likely be held out of the starting lineup with Justin Smoak getting the start at first base.

• Toronto closer Roberto Osuna is considered questionable for this game because of the flu. Osuna was sent back to the team hotel on Friday morning because of a high fever. Setup men Danny Barnes and Dominic Leone are expected to be available on Saturday after requiring a day off on Friday to rest.

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Cubs.com Cubs, Arrieta spoil Blue Jays' return to Wrigley By Carrie Muskat and Gregor Chisholm

CHICAGO -- One day after hitting six home runs in a loss, the Cubs needed four run-scoring singles to post a 7-4 Interleague victory on Friday afternoon over the Blue Jays, who were making their first trip to Wrigley Field since 2005.

Jason Heyward, Javier Baez and Albert Almora Jr. each singled in one run, Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run single and Baez added a two-run homer in the eighth for insurance to back Jake Arrieta, who notched his seventh straight quality start.

With the win, the Cubs have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Cardinals and a two-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central. The Blue Jays are three games behind the Twins and Angels for the second American League Wild Card spot.

The loss was only the fourth in the past 11 games for the Blue Jays, who not only had to play by National League rules, but also had to deal with jets buzzing over Wrigley Field during practice runs for the weekend Air and Water Show on the lakefront. The Blue Jays had plenty of fans at Wrigley in the crowd of 41,814.

"[The Blue Jays fans] got caught up in the atmosphere at Wrigley, and they got loud," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

Arrieta has been the workhorse in the rotation, which the Cubs need with the news on Friday that Jon Lester was going on the disabled list. Toronto's only run off Arrieta came in the first inning, when Justin Smoak doubled with two outs and scored on Steve Pearce's single. Arrieta now has given up two or fewer earned runs in seven straight starts.

"I located the ball really well," Arrieta said. "I established certain things early on in the ballgame that allowed me to do certain things."

"Fastball command -- when it's there, this guy is pitching deep in the game," Maddon said. "I love the way he's gone about his business this year."

Arrieta leads the Cubs with 13 wins. He will be a free agent after this season, but Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said now is not the time to talk about a new contract.

"We're just trying to win this division," Epstein said. "That's what we're focused on. The offseason stuff, we'll deal with when the time comes."

J.A. Happ took the loss, ending a personal three-game winning streak. The left-hander had given up one run in each of those three games, but on Friday, he served up five runs on nine hits over five innings.

"I thought the execution was there," said Happ, who allowed five earned runs in a start for the third time this season. "Second inning was tough to kind of swallow the way the balls kind of found a way in there. [I'm] disappointed, obviously, to only go five, but execution-wise, I actually thought it was a good game."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Conga line: walked to open the Cubs' second, and one out later, he reached third on Victor Caratini's double before scoring on Heyward's infield single to Smoak -- and a brain cramp by Happ, who didn't cover first base on the play. Baez followed with an RBI single to go ahead, 2-1. One out later, Almora singled to score Heyward. Baez also tried to score, but he was thrown out at the plate.

Relief work: The Cubs' bullpen has had a tough time lately, but Carl Edwards Jr. did his job in the seventh, striking out Jose Bautista to strand two runners. But the Blue Jays rallied with two outs in the eighth against , rattling off four straight hits, including an RBI double by Kevin Pillar and a two-run single by Ryan Goins to pull within one.

QUOTABLE

"Nah, they're never going to forget that. I'm pretty sure about it." -- Blue Jays catcher Miguel Montero, who received a lot of boos from the crowd upon his return to Wrigley Field, in response to a reporter joking about how quickly the crowd forgot about his pinch-hit grand slam in Game 1 of the 2016 NL Championship Series while he was with the Cubs

"I asked him if he wanted to go grab a drink tonight, so we might do that. He's one of my favorite guys. It was a little upsetting to see the way it ended for him here, but it is what it is. He's in a new spot now, and I hope he has success there. I only hope for the best for him. Miggy's a good dude, and I look forward to seeing him down the line." -- Arrieta, on Montero

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Josh Donaldson made an appearance at shortstop for just the second time in his career. He shifted from third to shortstop in the bottom of the seventh inning after Darwin Barney was lifted for a pinch-hitter. The last time Donaldson played shortstop was May 24, 2013, with Oakland.

Baez's homer was his 20th, and the Cubs now have five players with at least 20 (Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber). That ties the club record (also set in 1958, 2004 and '08).

GLOVEWORK

Cubs second baseman Ian Happ had a rough day at the plate, but it didn't show in the field. In the fifth, Toronto's Happ lofted a ball to shallow center, but the Cubs' Happ was able to run over and grab the ball in time -- and just in front of Baez. In the eighth, Chicago's Happ made a diving stop of Smoak's hard-hit ball, tumbled and recovered in time to throw him out at first.

"We did a lot of good things on the field today overall," Maddon said.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

In the Cubs' second, Baez tried to score on Almora's single. The Cubs challenged whether Baez was safe and whether Montero blocked the plate. After a review, both calls were confirmed, and Baez was out.

"I felt something -- I thought it was his [shin] guard," Baez said. "[Montero] told me he tagged me. Obviously, he's going to say that. He was kind of blocking the plate. We don't understand why they have that rule -- it hasn't been overturned in two years. They just got me."

Caratini singled to lead off the Chicago eighth and was forced out at second on Heyward's grounder. Heyward was called safe at first, but the Blue Jays challenged the ruling. After a review, the call stood.

WHAT'S NEXT

Blue Jays: Right-hander Nick Tepesch (1-2, 5.25 ERA) will take the mound against the Cubs on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET. Joe Biagini is expected to return to the Blue Jays' rotation in the near future, so Tepesch will need a strong outing to hang on to his job. Tepesch has made two starts for Toronto, and he allowed one run over six innings during his past outing vs. the Rays.

Cubs: Jose Quintana will face a familiar foe when he starts Saturday. The lefty is 6-2 with a 1.77 ERA in nine starts against the Blue Jays in his career. He's 2-0 in three starts at Wrigley Field for the Cubs, with a 5.63 ERA. That number is inflated by a no-decision against the D-backs, when he gave up six runs over five innings. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT.

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Cubs.com Baez dazzles on both sides of ball By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Javier Baez hit his 20th home run and made what seemed like his 20 millionth unbelievable defensive play in the ninth inning to help preserve the Cubs' 7-4 win over the Blue Jays on Friday.

"He's a special talent," Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta said of Baez. "He does things that maybe a handful of guys can do. He makes plays that look near impossible possible and gets big outs for us."

First, the offense: Baez hit one of three RBI singles in the second, and he added a two-run homer in the eighth for insurance. He's batting .357 in his past seven games, with four home runs and nine RBIs.

Baez joins Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber in the Cubs' 20-homer club, the fourth time in franchise history the team has had five players reach that mark (also 1958, 2004 and '08).

"The way he's swinging the bat, 20 homers for him, that's a big deal for a guy like Javy," Arrieta said. "I expect him to use that as positive reinforcement moving forward. He can do some really great things in this game. I'm happy to have him as a teammate and watch him do his thing every day."

Baez had to play a little cat-and-mouse-game because Blue Jays catcher Miguel Montero knows the infielder well from their days together on the Cubs. He did connect against Tim Mayza with one out and one on in the eighth.

What does 20 homers mean to Baez?

"It means a lot," he said. "I'll try to get 30 if I can. I'm just trying to make my adjustments."

It helps that Baez has gotten more regular playing time, even though it's come at a cost. When Addison Russell was sidelined on Aug. 3, Baez took over at shortstop.

"I just try to do my best," Baez said. "When you play every day, you have a chance to come back the next day and make adjustments. You've got to do what you've got to do for the team. ... I like playing more. We need [Russell], too."

What manager Joe Maddon likes is that Baez is able to forget a bad at-bat or shrug off a botched play quickly.

"He's still prone to that mistake, so you're still going to see it, and you have to play through it -- you have to play through the rough lie sometimes," Maddon said. "He's not a finished product, Albert [Almora Jr.] is not a finished product, [Ian] Happ, [Victor] Caratini -- there's a lot of guys in that lineup who are not finished products."

Baez looked like a Gold Glove shortstop in the ninth when he snared Jose Bautista's hard-hit ball and somehow was able to throw to first in time.

"Two strikes on Bautista, the ball probably had 100-plus[-mph] exit velocity, and to turn it into an out was pretty spectacular," Maddon said of Bautista's ball, which was measured at 106.3 mph, according to Statcast™.

"It's just reaction, really," Baez said. "They didn't think I was going to get to it, and I did get to it. I was more worried about the throw than the play I made."

What's better, hitting home runs or making plays like that?

"I like both, to be honest," Baez said. "I like the fans cheering for me. I love Chicago, and I know Chicago loves me. Thank you for that, and thank you for all the love from the fans."

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Cubs.com Cubs place Lester on DL with shoulder fatigue By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Jon Lester has some fatigue in his left shoulder and simply needs a rest, so the Cubs placed the left- hander on the 10-day disabled list on Friday.

Right-hander Justin Grimm also went on the DL with an infection in his right index finger. In corresponding moves, the club called up lefty Rob Zastryzny and righty Felix Pena from Triple-A Iowa.

Lester was examined after an abbreviated outing on Thursday against the Reds, and Chicago was encouraged that there was no structural damage, but only tightness in the pitcher's side and fatigue in his shoulder.

"His arm is tired, which is understandable if you look at the load he's carried," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "Pitching seven months the last couple years and taking the ball every fifth day, there comes a time when all pitchers need a breather, and this is his time.

"[Lester] told us he's been dealing with this for a good bit. This is probably inevitable. I'm glad he's getting the break before anything serious happens."

Lester had to leave Thursday's game after throwing 46 pitches over 1 2/3 innings because he felt tightness in his left lat. Cubs manager Joe Maddon also noticed a drop in velocity and that Lester wasn't able to finish his pitches.

"Those couple miles an hour makes all the difference in being an effective pitcher," Maddon said.

Lester was sidelined with a lat strain in 2011, but he said this wasn't as severe, and he expected to be out a minimum amount of time.

"The big thing is the overall performance wasn't there," Lester said. "It's something we've tried to manage for a while and get through. It got to a point where you're doing a disservice to your team by not being able to perform.

"It [stinks] going on the DL, but at the same time, I wasn't helping going out there."

Lester didn't want to predict when he'll return.

"I don't expect it to be long, but that being said, I don't want to put a timetable on it either," he said. "Obviously, the quicker the better, but I don't know. We'll play it by ear."

Mike Montgomery will take over in the rotation for Lester, who was not expected to miss more than two starts.

"We're in a fortunate situation having a guy like Monty who can step in our rotation and do a good job for us," Jake Arrieta said. "Having a guy like him who is versatile and can provide nice results is a boost for us."

Lester needed six pitches to retire the side in the first, but the second inning was a different story. The Reds rattled off four straight hits to open the inning, and Lester also served up a three-run homer to Joey Votto. Adam Duvall reached on a fielding error by third baseman Kris Bryant, and Eugenio Suarez drove him home with a double. Lester then signaled to the dugout, and he was pulled.

The Cubs did rally to tie the game at 9, but the Reds eventually won, 13-10.

Lester is the third Cubs starter to go on the disabled list this season, but he is the first in the second half. Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey both missed time before the All-Star break because of injuries.

"He needs a breather," Epstein said of Lester. "He needs a few days without throwing to regain the strength in his shoulder. He just needs a little bit of a breather."

Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)

Though he has posted a 4.37 ERA through 26 starts of an inconsistent 2017 campaign, Lester was a mixed-league ace a year ago (2.44 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), and he should be retained in all leagues for what should be a short disabled- list stint. Shallow-league Lester owners can check waivers for a replacement such as Patrick Corbin, Luis Castillo or Eduardo Rodriguez. Meanwhile, those in deeper leagues can take a look at Reynaldo Lopez, or Tyler Skaggs.

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Cubs.com Montgomery to step up in place of injured Lester By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Mike Montgomery will return to the Cubs' rotation to sub for Jon Lester, who was placed on the 10- day disabled list on Friday with left shoulder fatigue.

Montgomery was 2-3 with a 5.13 ERA in eight starts in the first half of the season, and he has compiled a 2.57 ERA in 27 relief appearances. The lefty threw 61 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in relief of Lester on Thursday against the Reds. His last start was July 19 against the Braves, and his next start will most likely be Wednesday against the Reds.

After Montgomery's outing on Thursday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave the lefty a heads up that he would likely sub for Lester.

"The guy's got all kinds of tools in the tool box, but he doesn't know how to utilize them yet," Maddon said of Montgomery. "I think he's finally understanding the cutter, the curve, the changeup to go with the fastball. He's one of the guys who should never get wild with his fastball because his other pitches are so good -- he can throw them for a strike."

Montgomery has indicated he'd prefer starting, and Maddon knows that.

"It's just a matter of time and opportunity with him," Maddon said.

Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said the team won't look for another starter while Lester is sidelined. Lester was not expected to miss much time.

"We've expended a lot of prospect capital to make this team better," Epstein said. "We think it's just a start or two, and Mike Montgomery is more than capable of filling in. We're going to fill that vacancy internally and go from there."

Worth noting

• The Cubs' bullpen entered Friday ranked second in the National League with a 3.63 ERA, but it was also fourth in walks (194).

"We don't want that to be a big part of our identity," Epstein said of the walks. "We believe in throwing strikes. It's tough lately with the walks. It's not something anyone is trying to do -- it just happens. To get where we want to go, we need to lock it in. Every 'pen goes through ups and downs. In July, we had a really good month with the 'pen.

"These are our guys, and we know they'll lock it in and find the strike zone."

On Friday, the Cubs restocked the bullpen. Right-hander Justin Grimm was placed on the 10-day disabled list because of an infection in his right index finger. Lefty Rob Zastryzny and right-hander Felix Pena were recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

• Lester and pitching coach Chris Bosio exchanged a few words in the dugout after the left-hander exited from Thursday's game. Maddon preferred not to reveal details, but he said it had nothing to do with how the Cubs were playing behind Lester.

"They had their little discussion right there," Maddon said. "I heard there was a little bit of a thing. There's nothing going on right now."

Lester also said it was no big deal.

"I don't think it was a 'confrontation,'" Lester said. "Whatever is said between a coach and player or player and player in the dugout stays there. It's not [Bosio's] fault I gave up runs."

• Catcher Willson Contreras, on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain, played catch on the field on Friday for the first time since the injury. Contreras said he's feeling good, but the plan is to shut him down for at least two weeks. He went on the DL on Aug. 11.

• Reliever Koji Uehara threw a second bullpen session on Friday. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 8 with a neck strain, and there is no timetable for his return.

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CSNChicago.com Best way for Cubs to weather Jon Lester's absence is to pitch well, and that's just what they're doing By Vinnie Duber

The best way for the Cubs to weather Jon Lester’s absence?

Pitch well.

Fortunately for the Cubs, that’s exactly what they’re doing of late.

Lester was placed on the disabled list ahead of Friday’s 7-4 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, but the news was about as good as it could’ve been for the North Siders. Lester’s DL stint will effectively be just a stretch of time off to rest after pitching so deep into October in recent seasons. The official description of his injury is left lat tightness and general shoulder fatigue.

Of course the team will miss the ace of its starting staff while he’s on the shelf, but there’s a perfectly good way to make up for his absence: the rest of the pitchers pitch in a Lester-like fashion.

Jake Arrieta did just that Friday, turning in another stellar start with 6.1 innings of one-run ball.

“Jake was outstanding,” manager Joe Maddon said. “You could see it, fastball command, man. When it’s there, this guy’s pitching deep into games and he’s giving up very few runs. He just had good stuff again.”

It’s been a trend of late for Arrieta, who after a shaky start to the season has been terrific since the start of July. In his last nine starts, Arrieta has a pencil-thin 2.03 ERA, giving up more than two earned runs in just one of those starts (and he gave up just three in that one).

He was at it again Friday, with minimal damage done by a Blue Jays lineup featuring the likes of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Justin Smoak.

“I’ve located the ball really well,” Arrieta said, describing what he’s done lately that’s made him so good. “I've established certain things early on in the ballgame that allow me to do certain things differently as the game progresses. I’ve shown the ability to spin multiple breaking balls for strikes and for put-away (pitches) late in the count. And then obviously, pitching to contact early in the game and having certain things that I can use for put- away pitches later on is really the way you pitch and the way you pitch successfully. I think the game plan is always to utilize strengths, point out and try to expose a weakness here and there with the opposing offense and try and pitch into the seventh inning.”

“I love the way he’s gone about his business this year,” Maddon said. “There was a moment there when he was struggling. A lot of people were asking him different questions. He did not alter, he continued along the same path. Right now, maybe he’s not as good as he was a couple years ago, but he’s pretty darn close.”

Arrieta isn’t the only Cubs starter to pick things up of late, either. Kyle Hendricks has been great since his return from the disabled list, boasting a 2.00 ERA in his last five starts even if longevity hasn’t necessarily been there. Even John Lackey, who has surrendered more homers than any other National League pitcher, has a 3.29 ERA in seven starts since the beginning of July.

A lack of consistency in the starting rotation was the No. 1 issue for the Cubs during their sub-.500 first half. Now consistency is starting to come for those who struggled to find it during the season’s first three months.

The continued strong performances from these starters is the best way to make sure the Cubs stay on top of the NL Central standings — with and without Lester.

“It balances the whole thing out. We definitely need that,” Maddon said. “We got on a nice roll post-break because we pitched so well. And the next roll is going to be because we pitch so well. We’ve got to pitch well and catch it, give them their minimum number of outs per game. And when we start doing that consistently, you’re going to see us start piling up five out of six, eight out of 10, et cetera. But you need to pitch and play defense well to do that.”

See, even with Lester making his starts in recent weeks, the rest of the rotation has been shouldering the load. That’s the reason Lester went on the DL in the first place. After that nightmarish final start before the All-Star break in which he allowed 10 runs in less than an inning to the , he had three tremendous outings after the break. But in four August starts, Lester turned in a grotesque 7.85 ERA. Thursday’s start was the straw that broke the camel’s back, Lester allowing eight runs and recording just five outs against the .

“I think the big thing is obviously the overall performance wasn’t there,” Lester said. “That’s just something that we’ve tried to manage for a while and get through. And it just got to a point where you’re doing a disservice to your team by going out there and not being able to perform. It sucks going on the DL, feel like you can’t help. But at the same time, I wasn’t helping out there, so let’s get this thing right and get back to being myself.”

Much pregame attention was devoted to Mike Montgomery, who will start in Lester’s place during the DL stay. Maddon, team president Theo Epstein and other Cubs pitchers have plenty of faith in Montgomery, who has been very good out of the bullpen for the Cubs this season, posting a 2.57 ERA in 27 relief appearances. As a starter, though, Montgomery’s numbers are much worse: a 5.13 ERA in eight starts.

While Arrieta, Hendricks, Lackey and the heretofore unmentioned Jose Quintana up their games in their starts to help make up for Lester’s absence, Montgomery will have to do the same.

The Cubs have been hit with a lot of problems in this follow-up season to that curse-smashing World Series win. Underwhelming play told the story of the first half, while critical injuries seem to be telling the story of the second. Lester joins everyday players Addison Russell and Willson Contreras on the DL. All this while the NL Central race is as tight as can be, with both the and the St. Louis Cardinals within two games of the Cubs heading into their games on Friday night.

But even with all that, the Cubs are still in first place. There’s a lot of baseball left, and the team expects Lester to be there for much of it. While he isn’t, though, it’s on the rest of the starting staff to pick things up.

They have. Now they have to continue to.

“I still feel that way,” Arrieta said, reminded of his own declaration that his best pitching is still to come. “I think a lot of guys in the clubhouse feel that way about themselves. That’s the way we need to do moving forward.”

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CSNChicago.com Miguel Montero explains how things ended with Cubs: ‘It wasn’t the nicest way to leave Chicago’ By Vinnie Duber

Miguel Montero wasn’t welcomed back to the Friendly Confines in a very friendly way.

But then he didn’t leave in the friendliest way, either.

The guy who blasted a grand slam in last postseason’s National League Championship Series and drove in the run that ended up being the difference in Game 7 of the World Series was booed repeatedly as if he was a rival St. Louis Cardinal, not an integral part of the biggest moment in franchise history.

Heck, is currently a St. Louis Cardinal and continues to receive warm receptions when he returns to Wrigley Field.

But of course Montero, here for the weekend’s series between the Cubs and his new team, the Toronto Blue Jays, left under different circumstances.

After Montero made critical comments about Jake Arrieta’s speed to the plate — something he insisted was to blame for the Washington Nationals stealing a whole bunch of bases in a late-June game in D.C. — the veteran catcher was DFA’d and traded to the Blue Jays.

It wasn’t Montero’s first public transgression. You might remember him jumping on the radio to criticize manager Joe Maddon on the day of the Cubs’ championship parade and rally. Not a great look, that.

And so Montero was quickly jettisoned to the American League, to Canada, and branded as a bad teammate for calling out Arrieta so publicly.

He talked with CSN’s Kelly Crull before Friday’s game, saying he didn’t regret the things he said, not a surprise for a guy who’s always been brutally honest.

“It wasn’t the nicest way to leave Chicago. But it’s in the past. It was tough, it was difficult, definitely was hard. You think it over and over and over. It’s just hard because if that would’ve been the first time I said that, that’d be different,” Montero explained, revealing he’d talked with Arrieta about the issue a bunch before his comments to reporters. “But I’d been on it since spring training about that. People said ‘closed-door,’ I did that closed-door plenty, plenty times. So I feel like enough is enough at times. And, yeah, I said it. I didn’t say it in a bad way.

“People say ‘he threw him under the bus.’ I didn’t mean to throw him under the bus, I just said what it was. I’m not saying I threw him under the bus. You don’t have to make a big deal out of it. But it is what it is, it happened.

“It’s too bad I left as a bad teammate, which, I’ve played with a lot of guys and no one said anything bad about me. But it is what it is. I’m happy now with where I’m at. It’s not that I wasn’t happy over there. I wish I wouldn’t have left in that way, for those reasons. But I don’t regret anything. It happened. I felt bad for Jake, and that’s why I apologized to him.”

Whether or not Montero and Arrieta patched things up right away — Montero said the two spoke the night those comments were made — didn’t end up mattering.

On the baseball side of things, Montero’s departure meant a necessary trade to acquire Alex Avila from the . It means plenty of what ifs now that Willson Contreras is in the middle of a stay on the disabled list.

Sadly, for a guy who’s had a nice career in the big leagues, it means many Cubs fans will remember Montero more for his exit than what he did to help bring a World Series to the North Side for the first time in more than a century.

But Montero is still fond of his time in a Cubs uniform.

“A lot of good friends here,” he said. “Just because I left doesn’t mean they stopped being my friends. Obviously between the lines it’s a little different playing against them, but I still respect them all. Great guys, and I’m happy to see them again.”

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CSNChicago.com Jon Lester hits disabled list as back-to-back Octobers start catching up to Cubs By Vinnie Duber

Typically, you wouldn’t expect there to be anything wrong with playing deep into the month of October in back-to- back seasons.

Indeed only the back-to-back world-championship campaigns in 1907 and 1908 have produced a better two- season stretch of Cubs baseball than what the team has done the past couple of years. A run to the National League Championship Series in 2015 was followed up by last season’s curse-smashing World Series win, which still has much of Lakeview in a pretty euphoric state.

But not every effect is a positive one, as the 2017 edition of the Cubs are finding out.

The debate over a so-called “World Series hangover” aside, the Cubs were hit with a more tangible detriment from playing so many postseason games Friday, when Jon Lester was placed on the disabled list with what was described as left lat tightness and general shoulder fatigue.

The news on Lester, of course, could’ve been far worse. In fact, many were expecting far worse, making Friday’s news qualify as a sigh of relief for a team that will need every one of its weapons to battle through an extremely tight division race. Lester, according to the Cubs, has no structural damage and is getting put on the shelf mostly to rest up after back-to-back seasons of deep playoff runs.

“His arm is tired, which is understandable,” team president Theo Epstein said. “If you look at the load that he’s carried, pitching seven months the last couple years, taking the ball every fifth day. There comes a time where all pitchers need a breather, and this is his time.

“He’s actually told us he’s been dealing with it for a good bit now, so this was probably inevitable. He’s getting the break before anything serious happens. He’ll be down for a little while, but he’ll come back to finish the year really solid note, pitch a lot of important games the rest of the way.

“It’s a grind. Especially when you pitch through October a couple years in a row, things tend to add up. This hasn’t been a year where we’ve been able to open up any kind of lead (in the division) and proactively give guys as much rest as we would like. Now Jon’s going to get that blow, which in the long run will serve him well.”

After back-to-back seasons of sensational starting pitching up and down the Cubs’ rotation — Jake Arrieta won the Cy Young Award in 2015, while Lester and Kyle Hendricks were finalists last year — this season has seen consistency among those same pitchers be a big issue. It was the team’s No. 1 issue, per Joe Maddon, during that sub-.500 first half.

And while things have picked up dramatically since the All-Star break, Lester’s disastrous outing Thursday wasn’t the first such performance of his season. Four times since late May, Lester has thrown four innings or fewer. Thursday’s nasty 1.2-inning, eight-run shellacking was like a replay of his final start prior to the All-Star break, when he was tagged for 10 runs and recorded just two outs against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In a season when breaking away from a mediocre pack of teams in the NL Central has yet to happen, fatigue is becoming a recurring theme.

“Jon has just pitched a lot,” Maddon said. “He’s pitched a lot over the last several years. And that’s what I keep talking about with a lot of our guys, when you take them out after 85, 90, 95 pitches, sometimes they don’t like it. But it’s a cumulative kind of effect that it’s going to have where all of a sudden it piles up and guys become tired or fatigued or they start doing something differently and all of a sudden they get some tightness.

“He probably was a little bit tired before the break. I think the break helped him a lot, he came out of the break well. Recently he’s felt a little bit of that tightness and just a general malaise. The fatigue is taking over. So we’re a little bit concerned about all of that. Give him a couple days off. I anticipate when he comes back you’re going to see a lot of what you saw post All-Star break.”

Lester’s trip to the disabled list coincides with a pair of other key performers spending time on the shelf. There seems to be no return in sight for injured shortstop Addison Russell, and the only update Maddon had on Willson Contreras was that the injured catcher “feels good.”

The good news for the Cubs is that they don’t expect to be without their ace long. Maybe just one or two missed starts. They’re mighty confident in their stopgap replacement plan, Mike Montgomery. So Lester’s injury doesn’t seem like it could have the same earth-shattering effect as losing the team’s hottest hitter, like they did when they lost Contreras.

Maddon, though, does see one of the team’s major injuries as an issue.

“The thing I’m concerned about is Javy (Baez)’s playing so much at shortstop right now. Among all the injuries, Addison impacts down the road more just because of what it’s doing,” Maddon said. “But Javy’s been playing with a lot of energy.

“I’ve been really watching him more than anybody because the outfielders are all getting breaks. (Kris Bryant) has not, (Anthony) Rizzo has not, but I get them out in a bad game or a good game, giving them some innings that way. So it’s been primarily Javy that I’m most concerned about, only because I’m worried about the latter part of the season. This guy’s played a lot. If and when we can get Addy back in there and get Javy on a more civil method regarding playing, I think that would be the one area that I’m most concerned about.”

Call it a World Series hangover. Call it just being tired. The Cubs’ rise over the past two seasons is having some ill effects as they look to repeat as World Series champs. They’re just hoping this banged-up month of August won’t prevent them from playing in three straight Octobers.

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CSNChicago.com What really happened between Jon Lester and Chris Bosio By Paul Roumeliotis

What really happened between Jon Lester and Chris Bosio?

After Lester's early exit from Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, cameras caught the Cubs southpaw appearing to have a confrontation in the home dugout with Bosio, the team's pitching coach.

CSN's David Kaplan did some investigating and said Friday on his morning radio show on ESPN 1000 that Lester was expressing frustration with the Cubs defense. It was not directed to Bosio.

The Cubs were trailing 8-0 in the second inning when Lester left the game with left lat tightness. The Reds eventually tacked on another run to make it 9-0. It was a frustrating inning — to say the least — for the Cubs, who eventually erased the nine-run deficit but failed to complete the comeback in a 13-10 loss.

Kaplan also said an update on Lester should come some time Friday morning, but he isn't expected to miss a serious amount of time. He will likely land on the disabled list, though.

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