April 25, 2017

, Cubs No. 5 hitter : 'I expect to every first inning' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-addison-russell-four-hits-2017042-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, , Cubs offense provide cushion in 14-3 win over Pirates http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-pirates-spt-0425-20170424-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, likes challenge of playing left field at PNC, Fenway parks this week http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-kyle-schwarber-left-field-notes-spt-0425-20170424- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Pitching to miss rest of Cubs' trip http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-chris-bosio-trip-20170424-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs prospects Eloy Jimenez and Jacob Hannemann on the mend http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-eloy-jimenez-cubs-minors-spt-0425-20170424- story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Big night for Cub bats, maybe bigger for Brett Anderson, rotation http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/big-night-for-cub-bats-maybe-bigger-for-brett-anderson-rotation/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Some Cubs profiled for PED testing? Random is random, MLB insists http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/some-cubs-profiled-for-ped-testing-random-is-random-mlb-insists/

 Chicago Sun-Times, A true view, indeed: More , walks and home runs http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/a-true-view-indeed-more-strikeouts-walks-and-home-runs/

 Daily Herald, One area of concern for : quality starts http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170424/one-area-of-concern-for-chicago-cubs-quality-starts

 Cubs.com, Blue Monday: Cubs put on show vs. Pirates http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/226286744/cubs-put-up-14-runs-vs-pirates/

 Cubs.com, Heyward continues to impress at the dish http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/226293736/cubs-jason-heyward-rebounding/

 Cubs.com, Maddon sticking with Schwarber in left field http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/226255662/cubs-stick-with-schwarber-in-left-field/

 Cubs.com, Hendricks hoping for bounceback start http://atmlb.com/2pvFlZK

 ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' offense 'demoralizing' for opponents http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43872/cubs-offense-demoralizing-for-opponents

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Chicago Tribune Cubs No. 5 hitter Addison Russell: 'I expect to hit every first inning' By Mark Gonzales

The depth of the Chicago Cubs’ lineup keeps No. 5 hitter Addison Russell eager from the first pitch.

“I expect to hit every first inning,” Russell said late Monday night after earning his first four-hit game of his young career as the Cubs coasted to a 14-3 win over the .

“That’s the type of ballplayers we have. They grind out at-bats from the first at-bat to the last at-bat, guys that get on somehow, some way and guys with big knocks along the way before it gets to me.

“Seeing all that, seeing the pitches they take, see the hacks they take, definitely prepares me for my at-bat, especially with runners o. It gives me a chance to reflect on what the is trying to do in that situation if I were to come up to bat.”

Never was the situation so ideal as it was for Russell in the first inning when he watched Pirates starter Chad Kuhl issue consecutive walks after two outs. That brought Russell to the plate, and he promptly ripped a single to right to score the Cubs’ first and set up a three-run by Jason Heyward.

Russell, 23, is second on the Cubs with 14 RBIs and credits the “B” hack stressed by in which a hitter chokes up on the bat, looks for a fastball and hit the ball the opposite way with two out.

“That’s been my approach the whole year,” Russell said. “Not look for a specific pitch, just something I can handle and not try to do too much. Just put it in place and see where it goes. It’s working out. It seems like a pretty easy approach. I’m sticking with it.”

Russell’s big night occurred two years and three days after making his major league debut here at PNC Park, where he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts while playing second base instead of his natural position at .

“It crazy how the world works,” Russell said. “This was my debut city. And it didn’t go too well. But this go-around, there’s some success. So there’s light.”

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Chicago Tribune Jason Heyward, Cubs offense provide cushion in 14-3 win over Pirates By Mark Gonzales

As the Cubs rotation slowly seeks its 2016 form, the offense provided instant assistance Monday night.

And if the starting can rebound in the manner Jason Heyward has in the first three weeks, the Cubs can start feeling better about their chances of repeating.

Heyward cranked his third home run in four games — a three-run shot that capped a four-run first inning — to enable the Cubs to coast to a 14-3 victory over the Pirates at cold, damp PNC Park.

The work Heyward put into altering his stance and swing in the winter and spring has produced impressive early results.

"It's great to see, but it's not over," said Heyward, who is second on the Cubs with three homers to go with a team- leading 16 RBIs. "This game is hard. It's not easy. You're always going to be humbled in any way, shape, form or fashion.

"It's great to see hard work pay off ... but you've got to keep going."

Heyward didn't collect his 16th RBI in 2016 until the Cubs' 45th game on May 25, and he didn't hit his third home run until the 56th game on June 6. This marked the second time in three games he drove in four runs as the lineup has become more formidable with Heyward batting sixth behind Addison Russell.

Russell produced the first four-hit game of his career. His first-inning single followed consecutive two-out walks from Pirates starter Chad Kuhl, with scoring on an error on the play. Heyward followed with his homer.

"It's always foot on the gas," said winning pitcher Brett Anderson, who chipped in with a two-out RBI single in the second.

The Cubs are averaging 5.42 runs, well ahead of last season's 4.98 mark.

The quick strikes also provided a massive margin for error for Anderson, who became the first Cubs pitcher since April 16 to pitch a quality start despite walking six.

"My offensive performance was better than my pitching," Anderson said.

Despite Anderson's control issues, manager Joe Maddon was prepared to let him pitch into the seventh until an error by first baseman Rizzo extended the sixth and pushed Anderson to 100 pitches.

"It was really encouraging, a really good game to build on," Maddon said, referring to Anderson's 11 ground-ball outs. "There's another level of him, and it's going to show very soon."

That's if Anderson remains healthy. He slid forward to avoid getting hit by Rizzo's throw to third for a force play in the second and required medical attention.

"It wasn't a dive," Anderson said. "It was a sniper. I tried to duck, but my left cleat had so much mud on it (that my foot) made a straight line to home. I'm sure it will be on a top-10 (highlight)."

With two out in the sixth, Anderson needed medical attention again after a ball hit by Francisco Cervelli struck the left-hander on the pitching hand.

Anderson stayed in the game and allowed an RBI triple to Jose Osuna and an RBI single to Josh Bell before getting the final out to be credited with a quality start.

"I think I've had four starts and five or six medical mound visits, which isn't ideal," Anderson said. "As long as one thing doesn't stand out from the rest, I'll take it."

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber likes challenge of playing left field at PNC, Fenway parks this week By Mark Gonzales

Kyle Schwarber will get the long and short of playing left field this week.

But he's glad he's staying in left after Cubs manager Joe Maddon considered starting the slugger in the shorter right-field area at PNC Park.

"It's definitely a different position with the angles, and the majority of the work in the spring and when I play has been in left," Schwarber said. "So maybe his thought process is to (stay in) the same position with the same visuals and not having to change it."

Maddon confirmed Schwarber's assessment before Monday night's game. He started Schwarber in right for the 2015 National League wild-card game in Pittsburgh.

PNC Park presents a different challenge with the alley in left-center 410 feet from home plate, compared with a 375-foot distance to right-center.

"Can he do it?" Maddon said of Schwarber playing right. "Of course he can do it. I don't think there was anything heavily presented for him to do otherwise."

Schwarber started a few games in right during spring training. Another unique challenge awaits him this weekend at Fenway Park with its famed 37-foot Green Monster 310 feet down the left-field line.

"I've been to two games there," said Schwarber, who played for Wareham in the Cape Cod League in 2012. "It's ... a historic ballpark. It's a park that you dream of playing in.

"It's going to be different, for sure. I'll take a couple balls off the wall and see how it's going to play."

Bosio steps away: Pitching coach Chris Bosio will miss the remainder of the trip to attend to a personal matter.

Bullpen coach moved to the dugout to handle the pitching duties, with quality assurance coach taking over the bullpen duties.

Bosio is expected to rejoin the team for a seven-game homestand starting May 1.

Triple-quadruple: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the first pitcher to hit a triple in four consecutive seasons since Ray Sadecki of the Cardinals from 1963 to '66.

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Chicago Tribune Pitching coach Chris Bosio to miss rest of Cubs' trip By Mark Gonzales

Pitching coach Chris Bosio will miss the remainder of the Chicago Cubs' nine-game trip to address a personal matter.

The team announced Bosio's departure two hours before Monday night's game at Pittsburgh.

Bullpen coach Lester Strode will take over the pitching coach duties, with quality assurance coach Henry Blanco serving as bullpen coach.

Bosio is expected to rejoin the team when it opens a seven-game homestand May 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs prospects Eloy Jimenez and Jacob Hannemann on the mend By Mark Gonzales

Outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Jacob Hannemann, who showed flashes of brilliance during spring training, are playing catch-up after suffering injuries.

Jimenez, 20, the top prospect in the Cubs organization, recently returned to the field for extended spring training games and could be wrapping up that stint soon. He was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right (throwing) shoulder in an exhibition against the Brewers on March 14.

Jimenez batted .321 (9-for-28) with two home runs in spring training.

Hannemann, 25, has recovered from a knee injury suffered at the end of spring training and went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base Friday night in his first game for -A Tennessee.

Hannemann batted .333 (10-for-30) in spring training.

Ian Happ, 2B-OF, Triple-A Iowa: Has seven homers, 12 RBIs; has yet to play third base in the next major step in his development.

Mark Zagunis, OF, Iowa: Strange start — .189 average with three homers, 14 RBIs — augmented by .348 on-base percentage.

Alec Mills, SP, Iowa: After being ill throughout most of spring training, he started 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA before going on the disabled list with an ankle injury.

Dillon Maples, RP, Myrtle Beach: Control problems have stunted his progress, but he's 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings.

Jen-Ho Tseng, SP, Tennessee: Organization's 2014 minor-league pitcher of the year remains a control maven (one walk, 12 strikeouts, 1.69 ERA in 16 innings).

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Chicago Sun-Times Big night for Cub bats, maybe bigger for Brett Anderson, rotation By Gordon Wittenmyer

PITTSBURGH — Almost lost in an avalanche of Cubs runs Monday night at PNC Park was their most significant pitching feat in more than a week — or at least the most symbolic.

Left-hander Brett Anderson produced a quality start.

“Technically it was a quality start, but in my mind it wasn’t very quality,” Anderson said after a 14-3 victory over the Pirates in which he walked six and pitched the minimum six innings to qualify for the technicality. It was the Cubs’ first quality start since ’s seven scoreless innings eight days earlier.

“My offensive performance was better than my pitching,” said Anderson, who didn’t throw a pitch with less than a four-run lead. He added his own run-scoring single in a five-run second inning and later drew a walk.

Despite the walks and self-deprecation, the sinkerball pitcher got 12 outs on grounders, including two inning- ending double plays. At one point he induced seven consecutive ground balls — “more what I’m accustomed to,” he said.

Certainly, the game looked sexy because of Addison Russell’s career-high four hits, three-hit games by and and Jason Heyward’s three-run bolt for his third homer in four days (his third homer last season was on June 6).

But for the Cubs — who led the majors in starters’ ERA by more than half a point last year, with a league-leading 100 quality starts — the progress of the starting rotation is far more significant than anything a stacked lineup does.

Other than the final week of last season, when starters were intentionally limited to prepare for the playoffs, the last time the Cubs went this long without a quality start was a 10-game stretch last July during their lone extended slump of 2016.

“They’re going to show up, they’re going to do their thing and they’re going to be fine — it just hasn’t happened yet,” manager Joe Maddon said of a rotation that saw its workload limited in spring training after returning its top four from a championship season that ended Nov. 2. “I’m honestly not concerned. As long as they’re healthy, I feel good about it, and they’re all healthy.”

This despite trips to the mound by the trainer after Anderson slipped to the turf getting out of the way of a throw by Anthony Rizzo, and then when he took a comebacker off his pitching hand.

“In four starts, I’ve had five or six medical mound visits, which isn’t ideal,” deadpanned Anderson, who has spent much of his career on the disabled list. “As long as it doesn’t prevent me from pitching, I’ll take it.”

Bosio takes personal leave

Pitching coach Chris Bosio left after Sunday’s series finale in Cincinnati to take care of a personal matter, the Cubs said. He’s expected to rejoin the team Monday at home.

“We’ll make the best of it until he gets back,” Maddon said.

Bullpen coach Lester Strode took over for Bosio, joining Maddon in the dugout. Quality-control coach (whatever that means) Henry Blanco is handling Strode’s bullpen duties.

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Chicago Sun-Times Some Cubs profiled for PED testing? Random is random, MLB insists By Gordon Wittenmyer

PITTSBURGH — In the wake of Pirates All-Star Starling Marte’s steroid suspension last week, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo spoke out strongly, saying baseball needs to increase its testing for performance- enhancing drugs.

“I haven’t been tested once this season,” Rizzo said, correcting himself to include the mandatory test every player takes during spring training. “Other than that, I’ve had a solid two months of, you know, random [process without being tested]. And I’ll probably be drug tested in the next week now because I’m saying this.”

He was tested after the game the same night.

The Pirates, who are hosting the Cubs for a three-game series, still are trying to adequately replace Marte for what’s left of his 80-game suspension. Marte homered in a one-run Pirates victory against the Cubs during a sweep just over a week ago.

In fact, Marte’s replacement — Jose Osuna — had a rough night in right as the Cubs peppered him with flares, drives and gap shots for two innings on their way to a 14-3 victory.

But the Cubs’ biggest question on the subject seems to be: When did the random-testing part of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program become seemingly non-random?

“Strange,” pitcher Jake -Arrieta said when told of Rizzo’s two months without a test compared to his two tests in two weeks.

Could this be one of the not-so-fawning byproducts of all the attention heaped upon these wildly celebrated champions? A quiet profiling element attached to MLB’s stepped-up diligence since the 2013 Biogenesis scandal?

Cubs players who talked on the subject are advocates of vigorous testing and said they’re willing to be tested as often as MLB wants.

But as Marte’s positive test shows, there clearly are players around the league who still juice. And some in the Cubs’ clubhouse privately wonder how random the random-testing program is.

But with the way the program is constructed, with oversight from MLB and the players’ union, it seems difficult to override the randomness of the system.

Only three parts of the program allow for testing beyond random selection, including previous violators entering a regular testing phase and the mandatory tests for all players on 40-man rosters during the spring, regular season and offseason (the offseason testing is new to the CBA this year).

Even the third part, the reasonable-cause exception that allows MLB to single out a player (if, for example, his name were to be linked to an investigation of a PED provider), requires notification of the players’ union, which, in turn, may challenge the justification.

MLB insists that beyond the follow-up testing for violators and the reasonable-cause exception, testing is entirely random.

“Random testing under our program is truly random, and every aspect of the selection — including the dates, times and players selected — is varied and randomly drawn,” said an MLB official.

If anything, the sizeable increase in testing for every player might be creating the perception by some that they are being targeted.

Random offseason tests jumped from the previous 350 annual tests to 1,550 because of the 1,200 players on 40- man rosters covered under the added provision.

Last year, 8,281 tests were conducted overall, according to MLB. That number is expected to reach nearly 12,000 this year.

But even the mandatory tests in and out of the season are considered random within the computer algorithm MLB’s contracted testing company uses to spit out blind numbers (each representing a player) for testing on a given day. A player’s chances of being tested increase through the season until he is tested.

“As with any random testing program, particularly one that conducts almost 12,000 tests per year, perceived trends or frequencies can result over a period of time,” the MLB official said. “We review all of the testing data after each season as part of our annual review process to make sure there are no additional changes that can be made to the selection and scheduling procedures to increase the unpredictability of collections and the deterrent effect of our random testing process.”

Tell it to Rizzo or Arrieta, who has trouble keeping track of how often he has been tested.

“I’ve been tested four or five times a year, every year. Been blood tested in the offseason, been urine tested in the offseason, just about every offseason as far back as I can remember,” he said the day Marte’s suspension was announced. “I’ve been tested back-to-back days before.”

He seems to find it plausible he has been profiled but shrugs it off — “That’s fine” — and said he’ll keep doing whatever MLB wants and producing clean results.

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Chicago Sun-Times A true view, indeed: More strikeouts, walks and home runs By John Grochowski

Baseball fans of the late 1970s and early 1980s used to think of as a home run-or- kind of guy. It certainly seemed that way in 1979, when he led the National League with 48 home runs and 131 strikeouts for the Cubs while the Brewers’ Gorman Thomas led the with 45 and 175.

Last year, 58 major-leaguers struck out more than Kingman’s 1979 total, including the White Sox’ Todd Frazier (163) and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant (154) and Addison Russell (135). Six players, topped by the Orioles’ with 219 Ks, exceeded Thomas’ total.

The way baseball is played is continually evolving, and the current game is showing upward movement in the three true outcomes that are not affected by defense — strikeouts, walks and home runs.

Contributing factors include hitters’ approach, composition of pitching staffs and bullpen use. Not to be overlooked is team preference. If execs wanted teams that put the ball in play and cut strikeouts, the lineups and the numbers would look much different. But the Cubs won the 2016 with a team that exceeded MLB averages in all three true outcomes.

Strikeouts

The last time strikeouts dropped was 2005, when teams struck out 6.30 times per game after 6.55 in 2004. A record of 6.77 was set in 2008, and every season since has been a record-setter.

In 2016, strikeouts cracked eight per team per game for the first time, averaging 8.03. So far in 2017, that rate is up to 8.22.

Last season, when the Cubs were third in MLB with 808 runs, they struck out 8.26 times per game. The White Sox, who tied for 20th in scoring with 686 runs, struck out 7.93 times per game.

Walks

At 3.25 bases on balls per team per game, walks in 2017 are up from 3.11 last year. After a drop from 3.01 in 2013 to 2.88 in 2014, walks crept up to 2.90 in 2015 before again surpassing three per game last year. The Cubs led MLB at 4.05 walks per game last year; the Sox were at 2.81.

The 2017 rate is the same as in 2010 and 1992, with a higher-walk period in between. A dip to 3.09 in 2011 started a downward trend, but the arrow may be pointing up again.

Home runs

Teams homered 5,610 times last year, 1.16 times per team per game, including 1.23 by the Cubs and 1.04 by the Sox. The MLB figures were the second highest of all time, after 5,693 and 1.17 in 2000.

The 2017 home run pace of 1.13 per game may look like a slight drop, but it isn’t. That’s running ahead of last season, when home runs for March/April were at 1.04 per game. Home runs picked up as the weather warmed.

From 1994 to 2009, the average was 1.0 per game or more in every season. A drop afterward reached a low of 0.86 in 2014. Now the big bats are booming once again.

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Daily Herald One area of concern for Chicago Cubs: quality starts By Bruce Miles

The early hand-wringing about the Chicago Cubs centered on the bullpen and the lack of hitting.

Something else is jumping off the page now, and it could be cause for concern down the line: the lack of quality starts by members of the rotation.

The Cubs entered Monday night's series opener at Pittsburgh with twice as many non-quality starts as quality starts, 12-6.

That difference moved to 12-7 as Brett Anderson worked 6 innings and gave up 1 earned run (of 3 total) in a 14-3 victory over Pirates at PNC Park. The Cubs heavily supported Anderson with 4 runs in the first inning, 5 in the second and 1 in the third.

It was the first quality start by a Cubs starter since Jon Lester pitched 7 innings of shutout ball on April 16. After that, the Cubs went six straight games without a quality start.

A quality start happens when a pitcher works at least 6 innings and gives up no more than 3 earned runs. The minimum standard computes to an ERA of 4.50, but most quality starts are much better than that. Last year the Cubs received 100 quality starts. The team went 74-26 in those games, and the starters's ERA was 1.47.

In the 61 non-quality starts turned in by Cubs pitchers, the world-championship team went 29-32, the starters posting an ERA of 6.26.

By the 19th game of the season last year, the Cubs had gotten 16 quality starts, with their starters having thrown 108⅔ innings in those games. In the 7 quality starts the Cubs have gotten this year in 19 games, the starters have thrown 44 innings.

By lagging well behind on quality starts compared with last year, the Cubs risk overtaxing their bullpen. The team opened the season with a 12-man pitching staff, with seven relievers. The mid-April activation of Brian Duensing off the disabled list increased the staff to 13 pitchers, eight relievers.

That should help spread the workload among the relievers a little better, but having a 13-man pitching staff makes for a short bench, and that could hamper manager Joe Maddon late in games.

The Cubs haven't fared badly during games in which they didn't get a quality start, going 6-6. But when teams are winning games in which they didn't get a non-quality start, it means they hit enough to overcome the starts. That's not going to happen every day.

The sample sizes are still small, and the Cubs do have some depth with Mike Montgomery. He could be stretched out to start if needed, either to replace one of the five starters in the rotation now or to be the sixth man when Maddon decides to go that route, which he's fond of doing during busy stretches of the schedule.

The simple math of quality starts is that teams, even bad teams, win the majority of games when they get them and don't win the majority of games when they're not getting them.

We'll see how the trend develops over the next two or so months leading up to the all-star break and the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline. The trend or trends may determine whether the Cubs seek additional pitching help via trade on or before July 31.

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Cubs.com Blue Monday: Cubs put on show vs. Pirates By Carrie Muskat and Adam Berry

PITTSBURGH -- The first time the Cubs and Pirates met this season, the Bucs came from behind three days in a row to sweep the series at . The Cubs ensured there would be no comeback Monday night, running up a big lead in the first two innings and cruising to a 14-3 win at PNC Park.

Addison Russell led the Cubs' assault on Chad Kuhl and the Pittsburgh bullpen with a career-high four hits, including an RBI single in the first inning. Jason Heyward followed by crushing the first pitch he saw into the center- field seats. After scoring four runs with two outs in the first, the Cubs put up five more in the second, capitalizing on Kuhl's rough night and the Pirates' sloppy defense behind him. cleared the bases with a double to right, Heyward's groundout plated another and left-hander Brett Anderson singled to drive in Russell.

"There's no weak spots," Anderson said of the Cubs' lineup. "It's got to be demoralizing for the [opposing] starters. I'm glad I'm on this side."

Despite six walks and a pair of potential injury scares, Anderson strung together a quality start by allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings.

"Technically, it was a quality start, but in my mind it wasn't very quality," Anderson said. "I'd like to have a start where I don't have to battle and grind."

Said Cubs manager Joe Maddon: "Anderson wasn't as sharp as he could be but he's starting to show better signs. It was a really good game for him to build on."

Kuhl saw his ERA jump from 2.60 to 6.63 as he was charged with nine runs on eight hits and four walks while recording five outs. Kuhl has made 18 starts in the Majors and allowed three or fewer runs in 15 of them; the other three have all come against the Cubs.

"You have to look at one of those things that kind of happens in baseball. You're going to have these bad nights," Kuhl said. "You can't be a slave to the numbers, the ERA and stuff like that, because this is going to skew it for a while."

Down 10-1 after three innings, the Pirates removed Andrew McCutchen from the game; infielders David Freese and Jordy Mercer left the game an inning later. The Pirates' run differential dropped to minus-27, the second- lowest total in the Majors.

"Everything went bad today. I had a really, really embarrassing game. It was bad," said Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, who was charged with two errors. "But this is baseball. Things happen sometimes. Tomorrow's another day. We'll come fresh and ready to win."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Say, Heyward: Heyward is quickly putting a disappointing 2016 behind him. Last year, he hit his third homer on June 6. His third of this season came in the first inning, when he laced a 94.3-mph sinker from Kuhl a Statcast- projected 403 feet into the center-field seats. The ball came off Heyward's bat at 105.2 mph, according to Statcast™. His other two homers this year had exit velocities of 106.8 mph and 104.6 mph; all three were hit harder than any of his seven home runs a year ago.

"I'd say [the increased exit velocity] matters in the sense that this year there's more consistent solid contact and that's what you want to go for," said Heyward, who batted .230 last season, his first with the Cubs. "Line drives are great."

Right on target? Whether it was coincidence or not, the Cubs seemed to be directing all of their hits to right field against Kuhl. That put a strain on Jose Osuna, the rookie taking his turn in the Bucs' right-field rotation as they attempt to fill in for the suspended Starling Marte. Six of the Cubs' first seven hits went to right; the other was Heyward's homer. Osuna cleanly fielded Russell's first-inning single and made an accurate throw home, but catcher Francisco Cervelli couldn't handle the throw and allowed two runners to advance. With one out in the second, Osuna tracked down Zobrist's fly ball to the warning track, but the ball bounced off his glove and turned into a bases-clearing double. Osuna did acquit himself well at the plate, finishing a home run shy of the cycle as he went 3-for-3 with a double and his second career triple.

"There's one catchable ball out there. The other balls, he got to what he can get to. Usually gloves it when he can get to it," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "You saw him go up to the plate and swing the bat. I was kind of hoping he'd hit a homer the last at-bat. That would have been nice. Still, he shows the ability to swing the bat."

QUOTABLE

"It's one of those days when anything you throw is a hit. … I just had a terrible game. I'll take the bullets today." – Cervelli

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Called up before the game, reliever Dovydas Neverauskas made his Major League debut in the eighth inning and became the first born-and-raised Lithuanian to reach the big leagues. Neverauskas was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, and signed by the Bucs as an international free agent in July 2009. Outfielder Joe Zapustas, who grew up in Boston and played for the Philadelphia A's in 1933, was the first Lithuanian-born person to play in the Majors.

"Awesome," Neverauskas said. "I worked for it. It happened, and I was really excited."

While the Cubs totaled 17 hits, matching a season-high, Anthony Rizzo was 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 12 games. It was the longest active streak in the Majors and tied Rizzo's career high.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: will start on Tuesday in a rematch of a game April 14 at Wrigley Field. Hendricks took the loss that day, giving up three runs over five innings. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT from PNC Park.

Pirates: Right-hander Gerrit Cole will try to get the Pirates back on track when he starts Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh. Cole is coming off consecutive six-inning, two-run starts on the road against the Cubs and Cardinals. He has pitched six innings in each of his last three starts.

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Cubs.com Heyward continues to impress at the dish By Carrie Muskat

PITTSBURGH -- If it looks as if Jason Heyward is hitting the ball harder, he is.

The Cubs' outfielder belted his third home run in the last four days, a three-run shot in a 14-3 win over the Pirates on Monday night, and continued to impress in his makeover.

Last season, Heyward had no home runs and 12 RBIs in April. In three games in Cincinnati this past weekend, he hit two homers and drove in seven runs, and picked up from there in the first inning on Monday.

The Cubs had two on with two outs against the Pirates' Chad Kuhl, and Addison Russell hit an RBI single, the first of a career-high four hits for the shortstop. Heyward then launched the first pitch from Kuhl to right center for his third homer.

According to Statcast™, the exit velocity was 105 mph. His other two homers this season registered at 106.8 mph and 104.6 mph. All three were harder hit than any of the seven home runs Heyward hit in 2016. The maximum last year was 102.9 mph.

"I'd say [the exit velocity] matters in the sense that this year there's more consistent solid contact and that's what you want to go for," Heyward said. "Line drives are great."

Especially when they go over the wall. He's well ahead of last year's pace, when he didn't hit his first home run until May 17.

"[Kuhl] made a pretty good pitch," Heyward said. "I feel like he threw it where he wanted and I was ready to try to get one in the zone and try to be ready and on time to hit the pitches that are strikes and go from there."

"That ball was properly struck," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "It's a nice continuation of what he's been doing since Spring Training to now. ... His confidence is soaring. You should continue to see that trending upward."

The Cubs won 103 games during the regular season with Heyward batting .230 and no Kyle Schwarber. Imagine what the offense could be if everyone is clicking.

"There's no weak spots," Cubs starter Brett Anderson said. "It's got to be demoralizing for the [opposing] starter. I'm glad I'm on this side."

Heyward is batting .294 and leads the Cubs with 16 RBIs. He's not relaxing.

"It's great but it's not over," Heyward said. "It's one game at a time. This game is hard, it's not easy, and you're always going to be humbled. It's great to see hard work pay off but I have to keep going because that's the way the game goes."

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Cubs.com Maddon sticking with Schwarber in left field By Carrie Muskat

PITTSBURGH -- Kyle Schwarber started in right field at PNC Park during the 2015 National League Wild Card Game, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon hinted in Spring Training that may happen during the regular season as well. But Schwarber made his 10th start in left field on Monday as the Cubs opened a three-game series against the Pirates.

"It didn't seem strong enough for me to move him tonight," said Maddon, who looked at the scouting report and Pirates' tendencies. "It's something we could still do. He's so used to playing out there [in left field] now. The other part is the unpredictability of where the ball is going to be hit."

With ground ball pitcher Brett Anderson starting on Monday, Maddon didn't expect the Cubs to be too busy at all. Maddon did acknowledge it isn't easy for players to switch from one side of the outfield to the other without much prep work.

"It's not easy to just move people around," Maddon said. "The ball always moves toward the line, whether it's a righty or left-handed hitter. It's a different method of thinking on the other side of the field. Can he do it? Of course, he can do it."

Monday was Schwarber's first game at PNC Park since the Wild Card Game, when he hit a two-run homer off Gerrit Cole in the Cubs' 4-0 win. In 2015, he also started one game in August at catcher, and three games in September in left field. Schwarber missed the Cubs' series last year as he rehabbed from torn ligaments in his left knee, suffered in the third game of the season.

• Ben Zobrist missed two games in Cincinnati because of tightness in his lower back but was able to start on Sunday in the series finale and started Monday in right field. Is playing second base a problem for Zobrist's back? "He hasn't said anything about it," Maddon said.

• Pitching coach Chris Bosio will miss the Cubs' series in Pittsburgh and in Boston to take care of a personal matter. Bullpen coach Lester Strode will switch to the dugout to handle the pitchers, and coach Henry Blanco will take over the duties in the bullpen.

"You're missing a regular, whether it's on the staff or the field, and it's always different," Maddon said. "It's difficult when you don't have your regular lineup out there. I have total faith in the guys who are here."

• In past trips to Pittsburgh, Maddon has had friends and family from his hometown of Hazleton come to PNC Park. No one had called him as of late Monday afternoon.

"Nobody that I'm aware of is coming yet," Maddon said. "That doesn't mean nobody will show up. That's the Hazleton way. They show up at the last minute and bring pizza, which is OK. I can't count them out yet."

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Cubs.com Hendricks hoping for bounceback start By Carrie Muskat

When the Pirates and Cubs met at Wrigley Field earlier this month, Pittsburgh won all three games, and outscored Chicago, 18-10. Could they set the tone for the National League Central matchups between these two teams the rest of the season?

"They were tight and intense," manager Clint Hurdle said of the three games, which the Pirates won by scores of 4- 2, 8-7, and 6-1. "Then we went to St. Louis and had three World Cup soccer games [all 2-1 losses].

"I have no idea where it's going to go," Hurdle said. "It's kind of like playing golf. After I hit the first shot, I'll see what I've got for the second shot."

The Pirates did impress Cubs manager Joe Maddon during those three games.

"They're very athletic," Maddon said. "They've got a lot of good athletes on the field. They're missing [Starling] Marte, but they're still very good and athletic. I have a lot of respect for them."

Things to know about this game

• Tuesday will be a rematch between the Pirates' Gerrit Cole and the Cubs' Kyle Hendricks. Cole got the win, giving up two runs over six innings. The right-hander is 9-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cubs, and has posted a quality start in 11 of the 12 outings.

• Hendricks will be making his fourth career start at PNC Park on Tuesday. In his first two in 2015, he gave up seven runs over 8 1/3 innings. Last year, he made one start, Sept. 26, and threw six shutout innings, striking out five. In the early going in 2017, Hendricks' overall velocity on all fastball types is down from 87.7 mph to 85.4 mph. That drop of 2.3 mph is the second largest in MLB at this point, behind only the Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma (2.6 mph). In the April 14 game, Hendricks gave up three runs over five innings and took the loss. He's coming off a no- decision against the Brewers, and has yet to post a quality start in his three outings so far.

• John Jaso will likely start in right field on Tuesday for the Pirates. Jose Osuna, who started there on Monday, is the Pirates' preferred option against left-handed pitchers. Jaso is 2-for-9 with two doubles and a strikeout against Hendricks.

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ESPNChicago.com Cubs' offense 'demoralizing' for opponents By Jesse Rogers

PITTSBURGH -- There were two common narratives regarding the Chicago Cubs' potential improvement on offense in spring training: If Jason Heyward returned to some kind of productive form and Kyle Schwarber was healthy for a full season, the Cubs could put up some monstrous numbers.

So far, so good, as they dropped a 14-spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night, which gives them a whopping 53 runs scored over the past six games. They've won five of them.

"I expect to hit every first inning," regular No. 5 batter Addison Russell said after the 14-3 win. "We have guys that grind out at-bats from their first at-bat until their last at-bat. Guys will get on somehow, some way. And guys with big knocks along the way."

Russell earned his first career four-hit day, but not by smashing the ball all over the park. He took what the pitcher gave him, going to right field and simply staying within himself.

This kind of maturity is actually another way the Cubs can be even better on offense than their championship squad, which scored the second-most runs in the National League last season. Remember, they were just babies over the past two playoff seasons. Now they're young veterans who understand what an opposing pitcher is trying to do to them.

"It's been my approach the whole year," Russell said. "I'm really not looking for a specific pitch. I'm really not trying to do too much. Just put it in play and see where it goes. It's been working out. It's a pretty easy approach. Just sticking with it."

Don’t forget about the "guys with big knocks," who Russell referenced. The Cubs have had a few of those lately as well, none more surprising or possibly more rewarding for the team than the hits that formerly maligned outfielder Heyward has delivered. He smashed a first-pitch fastball from Pirates starter Chad Kuhl into the right-center-field bleachers to extend a 1-0 advantage to 4-0, a clear signal that the rout was on.

"That was a really good line drive," Heyward stated. "He made a good pitch, but I was ready for one in the zone."

Kuhl's head was spinning by the time he left the game. He gave up nine runs in less than two innings, helping push the Cubs' season average to 5.42 runs per game, tops in the National League.

"It's another year together," Heyward said. "If I'm producing and Schwarber can settle in for a year, a lot of good things can come of it."

Back in spring, manager Joe Maddon hinted at an offense that could average over five runs a game for the entire season. When you consider weather patterns are less likely to help hitters in April, the Cubs might still have plenty of room for growth. After all, Kris Bryant hasn't really gotten going and neither has Schwarber nor Ben Zobrist. Javier Baez is the lone Cub really struggling right now, so we can expect improvement there as well. Even if Heyward (.294) or Miguel Montero (.379) hit a rough patch, the Cubs are so deep they probably won't miss a beat.

"It's always foot on the gas," Monday's winner Brett Anderson said. "There's no letdown."

"It has to be demoralizing for the opposing starters," he continued.

It feels like the Cubs are just getting started. They'll have their down moments -- every offense does -- but perhaps Maddon was too conservative. Five runs a game translates to 810 runs, just two more than the Cubs scored last season. They're on pace for much more right now and a slight increase could net them 900 runs. The last NL team to score that many was the 2003 Atlanta Braves.

It's way too early to know if that's possible for the Cubs, so they'll just enjoy the moment instead.

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