September 10, 2015

Daily Herald Bullpen falters as fall short of a sweep By Bruce Miles

ST. LOUIS -- If there is any nagging cause for concern with the Cubs as they push toward the playoffs, it's with the bullpen.

There has been some fraying at the edges with the relievers lately, and things unraveled in an ugly way Wednesday in a 4-3 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

The Cubs were five outs away from a statement-making, three-game sweep of their Gateway Arch rivals, and lefty had just tossed 7 innings of superlative ball, leaving with a 3-1 lead.

But in the eighth, , Clayton Richard and Fernando Rodney combined to allow 3 runs, giving the Cardinals some life as they try to maintain their grip on first place in the Central.

Strop retired the first batter of the inning but allowed a walk and a hit. Richard, who has supplanted as the main lefty in the pen, gave up a single to Matt Carpenter. And the recently acquired Rodney allowed a game-breaking, 2-run double to Stephen Piscotty.

"That's what happened earlier in the season," said Cubs manager , with perhaps just the slightest bite to his voice. "We can't permit that to happen. We played a great game again. We had the right guys in their part of the batting order.

"It didn't play out. We have to finish that game off. That's what I've been talking about. Early in the season, we lost a couple like that. We were behind, like, one inning the whole series. And that's all that mattered.

"Yeah, it's a great series regardless, winning two out of three. I thought Jonny (Lester) was fabulous. Jonny was really good today."

Lester gave up only 2 hits in his 7 innings, throwing 105 pitches. His record held at 9-10 but his ERA fell from 3.59 to 3.50. Far be it from Lester to nag on the bullpen.

"They have a hard job," he said. "They're called upon every single day. They don't know when they're pitching. They're always in high-leverage situations. When they don't succeed in those high-leverage situations, it's really easy to stand back and point fingers at those guys.

"Those guys have done it all year for us. These guys are fine. These guys will be fine. That's just a tough one today.

"We've got to take the positives from this three-game series. We came in here and made a little bit of a statement. It would have been nice to really make a statement and pull that one out today, but it is what it is and we'll go get them tomorrow."

For the third time in this series, the Cubs scored in each of the first two innings. and Tommy La Stella hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals scored a run off Lester on the only 2 hits he gave up in the bottom of the first. The Cubs made it 3-1 in the second on an RBI single by .

In the first two innings of the games at Busch Stadium, the Cubs scored a total of 12 runs. Their record fell to 80- 58, dropping them to 7½ games behind the Cardinals, whom they're trying to catch and win the division.

Maddon turned optimistic later in his media session.

"I'm happy we're disappointed," he said. "That's pretty cool."

With the Cubs headed to Philadelphia, Maddon then turned on the music in his office. Coming out of his sound system was "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John. In May, Maddon played polka music at the end of a series at Busch in preparation for a trip to Milwaukee. In June, it was "New York, New York" as the Cubs headed to the Big Apple.

"We had a chance to go three out of three and we failed," he said, "but ultimately you'll take the two out of three, but I'm happy that we're upset that we didn't."

--

Daily Herald Arrieta likely starter in wild-card game By Bruce Miles

ST. LOUIS -- Although the Cubs signed Jon Lester last winter to be their ace, had the title when Lester signed, and he has done nothing but tighten his grip on it.

As such, it's a virtual certainty that Arrieta, not Lester, will start the one-game, wild-card playoff on Oct. 7 if the current postseason picture holds. Arrieta will start one of the games in next Tuesday's doubleheader in Pittsburgh, and that would set him up perfectly for the wild-card game.

"We're always considering that stuff," manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday. "I talked to Coach Bosio (pitching coach Chris) about all that stuff. We're very much aware of that. The goal is still to catch the Cardinals."

Catching the Cardinals, provided the don't do it and stay in first place in the National League Central, would mean the Cubs could await the wild-card winner for a five-game division series.

"Our goal is not just to play in the wild-card game," Maddon said. "I just don't want our guys to lose track or thoughts of trying to catch the Cardinals.

"I think that's our best way to play outstanding for the rest of the month leading in to the playoffs. You try to catch the Pirates. Catch them and try to catch the next (team). I still want us to approach every day that way."

Of course, the other consideration with Lester are his difficulties in controlling the other team's running game because of problems throwing to the bases. In a one-game, winner-take-all situation, a team like the Pirates might run all over the Cubs and Lester when it gets runners on base.

"Some of that could depend on who you may play and the kind of game they can bring to you," Maddon said. "I think that would have to be a consideration under those circumstances, just being honest. I think that would be the primary thing to look at: Who is that team and what kind of game are they capable of playing?"

As for Lester, he expressed support for whatever Maddon decides.

"He's the best pitcher on this team right now," Lester said of Arrieta. "He's probably the best pitcher in the league right now. Listen, everybody has an ego, and everybody wants to be that guy.

"But when it comes down to it, if he gives us the best chance to win that one-game playoff, I'll be on the top step cheering my butt off for him to do well."

Good wherever he plays:

Javier Baez made his third start of the season at third base. Primary , who also has played the outfield, did not start.

Baez is a natural who has looked comfortable, if not outstanding at times, playing second base and third base.

"I'm certain he'd be a good , too," Joe Maddon said. "I like Javy's ability to move around, like he is right now. I'd like him to get Addy (shortstop ) a day off."

Maddon went on to say that some fielders get good by work and practice.

"There's that group and then there's the group like him, that he falls out of bed and he can play defense," Maddon said of Baez. "It's incredible to watch how smooth he is and how comfortable he is at all these different positions, his arm, how smooth it is.

"He's just different. He's different. I don't even know if I've ever had anybody quite that comfortable on the infield, especially at that age."

Front-office move:

The Cubs have hired Jared Porter as director of pro scouting/special assistant. Porter joins the Cubs after spending the last 12 years with the Boston Red Sox, the previous four as director of pro scouting.

Joe Bohringer, who had been the Cubs' director of pro scouting, will remain in the organization in a scouting role.

--

Cubs.com Lester let down by 'pen as Cubs fall back in race By Carrie Muskat and Jenifer Langosch

ST. LOUIS -- Five outs away from dropping their fifth game in six days to a pursuing National League Central club, the Cardinals stunned the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon by scoring three times in the eighth to steal a 4-3 victory at Busch Stadium and drop Chicago 7 1/2 games back in the race for a division title.

On a day when little went right early, St. Louis ambushed the Cubs' bullpen after going hitless over the final six frames of Jon Lester's seven-inning start. Trailing by two, the Cardinals began to stir when No. 8 hitter Mark Reynolds drew a one-out walk in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Greg Garcia followed with a hit. An RBI single by Matt Carpenter pulled the Cards to within one before Stephen Piscotty's two-run double gave them their first lead of the series.

"You don't want to get swept by the Cubs, and hopefully we take the momentum into this road trip," Piscotty said. "There was no panic. There is no quit in this team."

The come-from-behind win halted Chicago's winning streak at five and helped the Cardinals salvage their fourth win on a nine-game homestand in which they faced three potential postseason participants. The victory sends the Cards out of town with a 4 1/2-game division lead over the Pirates. The Cubs trail Pittsburgh by three games for the top spot in the NL Wild Card race.

"Right now, it's glaring because it's here and now and fresh in our minds, but we've closed out plenty of these games this year," Cubs starter Jon Lester said of the bullpen. "We've been doing it all year -- that's why we're in the position we're in and have won plenty of one-run and two-run games this year.

"When they don't succeed in high leverage situations, it's easy to point fingers. That's just a tough one today. We have to take the positives from this three-game series. We came in here and made a little bit of a statement."

With the team's third quality start of the series, Lester limited the Cardinals to one first-inning run over seven frames. After an RBI single by , Lester retired 20 of the final 21 batters he faced. A leadoff walk in the fifth was the only interruption during that stretch.

After scoring 14 runs in the first three innings of the series' first two games, the Cubs raced out to an early lead again, scoring twice off starter Carlos Martinez in the first and adding an insurance run in the second. Anthony Rizzo and Tommy La Stella each contributed a run-scoring double. It marked the fifth time in Martinez's last eight starts that he had been unable to pitch past the fifth, but despite allowing 10 hits, he did not allow Chicago to extend its lead.

"I thought, once again, the life was there," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Martinez. "Every once and a while, he threw something that a hot-hitting team is going to put in play hard. But all in all, I thought he did a nice job of keeping it together all the way around."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Costly arm issues: Hopeful that Randal Grichuk's bat would make up for the limitations he had in the field, the Cardinals instead watched the Cubs score twice early by taking advantage of the center fielder's inability to throw. After fielding a first-inning hit by Rizzo, Grichuk, who had been sidelined with an elbow injury since mid-August, had to flip the ball to right fielder Heyward to get it back to the infield. That extra time taken allowed Chris Coghlan to score from first. The Cubs scored their third run an inning later on a single to center. Grichuk could not make a throw to the plate.

"When teams see that, they're going to run," Heyward said. "I haven't done that before. I don't think I've seen it the whole time playing baseball -- from five until now."

Glove work: Coghlan made the catch of the game in the fifth. With two outs and a runner at first, pinch-hitter Tommy Pham hit a fly ball to right field that was drifting toward foul territory. Coghlan, making just his seventh start of the season in right, chased after the ball and caught it, then fell headfirst into the seats along the line. A stadium usher there got out of the way, then was nice enough to help Coghlan to his feet. Somehow, Coghlan held onto the ball for the out.

Reliable relief: With the team's starter exiting before the sixth for the third straight day, the Cardinals asked the bullpen to carry a heavy load again. Four relievers, most of whom are used to pitching when the team is leading, answered the call and allowed one baserunner over four scoreless innings to set up the come-from-behind win. "I think we did a good job of bouncing back," said Trevor Rosenthal, who notched his 43rd save. "I think as much adversity as we can face, it's going to be beneficial to us down the stretch. Just having these tough games, having to grind them out, that's definitely what we're looking to achieve."

Eighth wonder: The Cubs had a 3-1 lead going into the eighth and Pedro Strop retired the first batter he faced, but he walked Mark Reynolds, and that was the at-bat that cost the Cubs. Manager Joe Maddon said he liked the matchups, but pinch-hitter Greg Garcia singled, and Strop was lifted for Clayton Richard, who served up an RBI single to Matt Carpenter.

"We can't permit that to happen," Maddon said. "We played a great game. We had the right guys on their part of the batting order. We have to finish that game off."

QUOTABLE

"You can't help but feel the cumulative effect of a few that hadn't gone your way. This will be a much happier flight than if things had gone otherwise." -- Matheny, on the team preventing a sweep by the Cubs

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With his single in the second, Lester now is 2-for-86 in his career at the plate, and both of his hits have come against the Cardinals. He also hit an infield single July 6 at Wrigley Field off .

REPLAY REVIEW

Heyward hit an RBI single in the Cardinals' first and then stole second, but the Cubs challenged the call, saying La Stella made the tag in time. After a review, the call was confirmed and Heyward was credited with his 21st steal.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: Jake Arrieta will try for his Major League-leading 19th win on Thursday when he faces the Phillies in the first of a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Arrieta has lost one game in his past 15 starts, and that was to the Phils on July 25 when Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter at Wrigley Field. Arrieta has posted 15 consecutive quality starts, and he is 12-1 in that stretch. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT.

Cardinals: St. Louis will open up a 10-game, 11-day road trip through the NL Central with the start of a four-game series in Cincinnati on Thursday. Jaime Garcia will start the 6:10 p.m. CT game for the Cardinals, who have won each of Garcia's past seven starts.

--

Cubs.com Coghlan makes terrific grab falling into stands By Carrie Muskat

ST. LOUIS -- It's a good thing a Busch Stadium usher was paying attention, or Cubs right fielder Chris Coghlan might have run him over.

With two outs and a runner on first in the fifth in Wednesday's 4-3 loss, Cardinals pinch-hitter Tommy Pham hit a fly ball to right field that was drifting toward foul territory. Coghlan, making just his seventh start of the season in right, chased after the ball and caught it while falling headfirst into the seats along the line.

The stadium usher along the line got out of the way, as did the fans. First-base umpire Ron Kulpa ran down the line and signaled that Coghlan held onto the ball for the out.

Did the usher say anything to Coghlan?

"I don't really remember -- it went so fast," Coghlan said. "I know there was a guard who said I made a really good catch. I've never gone fully over, all the way."

Coghlan said he wasn't surprised he made the play.

"I thought I was going to catch it all the way," Coghlan said. "You just don't want to get hurt and hit your face on one of those seats."

--

Cubs.com Maddon on loss: 'We have to do a better job' By Carrie Muskat

ST. LOUIS -- The Cubs were five outs away Wednesday afternoon from completing a sweep of the first-place Cardinals for the first time since September 2010, but they blew a two-run lead in the eighth and lost, 4-3. And it stung, which Cubs manager Joe Maddon thought may be the best lesson of all.

The Cardinals rallied to score three runs in the eighth off the Cubs' bullpen, including a go-ahead two-run double by Stephen Piscotty, to avoid being swept.

"We can't permit that to happen," Maddon said. "We played a great game. We had the right guys on their part of the batting order. We have to finish that game off."

Jon Lester served up two hits over seven innings and was in line for the win. The Cubs had chances, stranding nine and going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Maddon called on Pedro Strop to pitch the eighth and he got Brandon Moss to fly out, but then he walked Mark Reynolds -- and that got the Cardinals rolling. Pinch-hitter Greg Garcia singled, and then lefty Clayton Richard faced Matt Carpenter, who hit an RBI single before Piscotty's double off Fernando Rodney.

"[Strop] is not making good pitches," Maddon said. "He gets the first guy out on the first pitch and walks the next guy. He gets the ground ball, and that happens to go through. It's the walk to Reynolds that set up the inning for them.

"We have to do a better job. Moments like that, looking at the way it matched up, we should be able to finish that game off. I think the guys would agree with that, too."

What can Maddon do about the bullpen?

"Just keep putting them out there," Maddon said. "It's like a shooter -- you have to keep shooting, man, until they go in the hoop."

Maddon could sense the Cubs were disappointed by taking two of three against the Cardinals.

"Most of the time, you'd be effusive -- 'We won two out of three,'" Maddon said. "We had a chance to go three out of three, and we failed. Ultimately, you'll take the two out of three, but I'm happy we're upset that we didn't [sweep them]."

And with that, Maddon turned on the music in his office, playing "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John. The Cubs are now headed to Philadelphia.

--

Cubs.com Arrieta in line for Wild Card, but Cubs aiming higher By Carrie Muskat

ST. LOUIS -- As of Wednesday, Jake Arrieta is lined up to start the National League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser on Oct. 7. But that's not what the Cubs want.

"Our goal is still to catch the Cardinals," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday.

The Cubs have a secure hold on the second NL Wild Card spot, and they were 2 1/2 games behind the Pirates for the first spot following their 4-3 loss to the Cardinals in the series finale at Busch Stadium on Wednesday. Chicago is 7 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the NL Central.

There has been discussion as to whether the Cubs would go with Arrieta or Jon Lester if they play in the NL Wild Card Game, but Maddon indicated the right-hander is lined up for that start. Arrieta (18-6, 2.03) will open Chicago's series at Philadelphia on Thursday.

"He would be able to pitch in the Wild Card [Game], yes," Maddon said. "But again, our goal is not to play in the Wild Card Game."

Lester said he was fine if Maddon went with Arrieta for the NL Wild Card Game.

"I don't really care," Lester said. "He's the best pitcher on this team right now; he's probably the best pitcher in the league right now. Everybody has an ego and everybody wants to be that guy. But when it comes down to it, if he gives us the best chance to win that one-game playoff, I'll be on the top step cheering my butt off for him to do well.

"There's no competition in here. The competition is on the field. We're trying to win a ."

Lester allowed one run on two hits over seven innings in Wednesday's loss, striking out seven and exiting with the lead.

After Wednesday, the Cubs have seven games remaining against the Bucs (Sept. 15-17, which includes a doubleheader; and Sept. 25-27) and three more vs. the Cards (Sept. 18-20 at Wrigley Field).

"I don't want our guys to lose track or thoughts of trying to catch the Cardinals," Maddon said. "That's our best way to play outstanding baseball for the rest of the month leading into the playoffs. Try to catch the Pirates, catch them, then catch the next group. I want us to approach every day that way."

Can the Cubs win the NL Central?

"I don't see why not," Chicago's Anthony Rizzo said. "Obviously, the Pirates feel the same way. We just have to keep playing baseball. We can't worry about what anyone else is doing. We just have to keep winning ballgames and taking it one game at a time and keep getting better."

--

Cubs.com 'Smooth' Baez acclimating well to third base By Carrie Muskat

ST. LOUIS -- Javier Baez made his third start at third base on Wednesday against the Cardinals, but the Cubs infielder has looked as if he's played there his entire young life.

"He falls out of bed, he can play defense," manager Joe Maddon said of the 22-year-old Baez, who has primarily played shortstop and second base. "It's incredible to watch how smooth he is. He's just different. I don't know if I've had anybody quite that comfortable on the infield, especially at that age."

Baez made two stellar defensive plays on Tuesday night in Chicago's 8-5 win over the Cardinals, grabbing Greg Garcia's fifth-inning grounder with his bare hand while on the run and throwing him out. Baez also snared Matt Carpenter's liner for the second out in the seventh.

"Both of them were really tough," Baez said of the plays. "I never took my eyes off the ball. I got pretty good reaction of the ball off the bat."

• Kris Bryant did not start Wednesday, a rare day off for the Cubs rookie. In 66 games at Wrigley Field, Bryant was batting .299 with 19 homers and 53 RBIs. In 62 road games entering Wednesday, he was hitting .235 with four homers. What's the difference?

"I don't know," Maddon said. "He's such a good worker and he comes prepped. Maybe he sees the ball better [at home]."

• Fernando Rodney retired the side in the eighth inning Tuesday night, striking out the first two batters he faced. In five innings over five games with Chicago, Rodney has given up one run on two hits and struck out seven.

"That's what I like to see -- the old Fernando," Rodney said, smiling. "That's my game."

• The Cubs begin their instructional league on Sept. 21 in Mesa, Ariz., and they have added a little twist to their format. This year, they will have a new advanced group of players who will combine with the Angels and their prospects to play games against other teams in the Phoenix area. The primary goal for that group is to catch up on at-bats or innings missed during the regular season.

The other group of Cubs players in instructional league will focus more on detailed work with the coaches. Last year, Minor League field coordinator Tim Cossins organized a five-game "World Series" at the end of camp.

"This way, guys can try things without the stress of trying to get a hit in a game," Minor League hitting coordinator Anthony Iapoce said.

Among the players expected to participate in instructional league are , this year's first-round Draft pick, and No. 13-ranked prospect Eloy Jimenez.

--

ESPNChicago.com No second-guessing the Cubs' bullpen on Wednesday -- it was bad By Jesse Rogers

ST.LOUIS -- Talk about a game of second-guessing.

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon won't want to listen to sports talk radio nor look at his Twitter feed after his team blew a 3-1 lead and a chance to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon, instead losing 4-3.

"Just looking at how it matched up, we should be able to finish that game off," Maddon said. "I think the guys would agree with that, too."

The "guys" are his relievers. If even one of them came through, the Cubs would be 5½ games out of first place instead of 7½. But it wasn't meant to be after Pedro Strop (1 H, 1 BB), Clayton Richard (1 H) and Fernando Rodney (1H) combined to give up three runs in the eighth inning. The first question was why did Maddon pull Jon Lester after seven solid frames and 105 pitches?

"If someone gets on base, you want to give a guy a clean inning," Maddon explained. "You have 7-8-9 coming up. It's a perfect spot for Strop. Also to re-establish his confidence. It just didn't play today."

It's probably not the explanation you wanted to hear, but Maddon has been pretty consistent all season. He saw the bottom of the order coming up and wanted Strop to have an easy inning after getting hit the night before. Then Hector Rondon would close it out with the top of the lineup. And Maddon has used that middle-inning notion before. He knows he's going to pull Lester if someone gets on, so instead of handing a reliever a runner he lets Strop start an inning clean. Of course, that doesn't take into account the possibility of a 1-2-3 inning by Lester, considering he had given up only two hits to that point. For his part, Lester wasn't fazed by his pitch count but also didn't have a problem coming out of the game, either.

"When you're in the moment, you don't really care how many pitches you throw," he said. "Let's put it this way: When he came down to the end of the dugout, I didn't fight him."

But perhaps in a game that could mean the difference between challenging for the division or just a wild card, maybe Maddon should have left his lefty in there. Then again, his relievers make a nice salary, as well, right? They need to do a job.

"That's one of the teams I have to be on the top of my game [against], because they're in our division," Strop said. "I'm going to work on it. We have another series and maybe the playoffs, too. I'm going to be a student and try to get better."

Neither Strop nor Maddon could put their finger on why the Cardinals have hit the righty so well. Overall, Strop is 0-2 with a 15.88 ERA and nine hits given up in 5 1/3 innings against St. Louis this year -- though it was an inexcusable walk to Mark Reynolds which started the rally.

"I wanted to attack him with my fastball. Maybe I was too fine," Strop said.

Strop really isn't the issue here. Yes, he has to be better, but his role is fixed -- or at least it is right now. He's their eighth-inning guy. The better question is when Maddon has to go to someone else in a tough spot -- such as a lefty -- who is his go-to guy? Is it Richard? He gave up a key hit to Cubs killer Matt Carpenter. What about when Strop or Rondon are struggling -- who's the backup for them? Maybe it's Rodney. He pitched well on Tuesday but then got hit hard on Wednesday. Maybe Carl Edwards will emerge. These are questions to be answered now so they don't have to be in October.

"They have a hard job," Lester said. "They're called upon every single day. They don't when they're pitching. They're always in high-leverage situations, and when they don't succeed, it's easy to stand back and point the finger at those guys."

It was even asked if Maddon should have gone to Rondon for a two-inning save. He's done it before.

"Again, you have to trust," Maddon said. "You can't burn people out just to win a game today. Moving down the road, you can't alter these opportunities for these guys. Everyone was in the right spot. It didn't play."

Will it play next month? That's the only real important takeaway from Wednesday's game. The Cubs took two out of three, dominating the Cardinals in the first two games. They led for all but one inning in the series, so they accomplished what they set out to do. Lester even called it a "statement," winning those first two games. But that bullpen is still worrisome. Not because it's not talented, but because it really hasn't been there before. It has to start somewhere, though.

"Just keep putting them out there," Maddon said. "Like a shooter. You have to keep shooting until they go in the hoop."

The best second-guess of the game actually came in the ninth inning. Down 4-3, and Austin Jackson were allowed to bat ahead of Kris Bryant, who was given the day off. Even was available, but Maddon chose not to pinch-hit two players who have combined for 38 home runs for two who have hit 10.

"I like Deno [Denorfia] there a lot," Maddon said. "Against Roesenthal's velocity. I like him there a lot. I like Jackson there a lot. Those two guys can really handle that kind of stuff. I was saving him [Bryant] for the latter part of that inning."

That doesn't sound like the Maddon who's pulled Jason Hammel early to preserve leads or benched Starlin Castro or used up his roster in early-season games to earn a victory. The Bryant non-use is on him, but the rest of it is part of the game and learning his new relievers.

"We cannot permit that to happen," Maddon said of losing the lead. "We have to finish that game up. Earlier in the season, we lost a couple like that.

"I do trust our guys to perform. It didn't play today."

--

ESPNChicago.com Cubs pitcher Jon Lester endorses Jake Arrieta as wild-card game starter By Jesse Rogers

ST.LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs starter Jon Lester isn't concerned with who starts a wild-card game if his team reaches the playoffs. In fact, he endorses 18-game winner and teammate Jake Arrieta.

"I could give two flying you-know-whats who gets picked," Lester said after the Cubs' 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. "Everybody has an ego and everyone wants to be that guy, but when it comes down to it, if he gives us the best chance to win that one-game playoff I'll be on the top step cheering my butt off for him to do well."

Lester threw seven solid innings against the Cardinals on Wednesday before the bullpen blew the game, but the Cubs still have a comfortable lead of 8.5 games in the National League playoff race, hence the topic of who starts the one-game playoff.

"He's the best pitcher on this team right now," Lester said of Arrieta. "He's probably the best pitcher in the league right now."

Arrieta has thrown 15 consecutive quality starts, including a no-hitter last month, lowering his ERA in the process to 2.03. He'll attempt to become baseball's first 19-game winner this season when he faces the on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Lester has scuffled some in his first year with his new team after signing a six-year, $155 million deal last winter. His ERA after a good performance on Wednesday is 3.50 but he has allowed a league-high 42 stolen bases. The Cubs haven't clinched anything yet but manager Joe Maddon acknowledged before the game things are lining up for Arrieta.

"We're always considering that stuff," Maddon said. "I've talked to [pitching coach Chris] Bosio about all that stuff. We're very much aware of that but our goal is to catch the Cardinals."

The Cubs fell 7.5 games behind St. Louis after their late-inning loss on Wednesday. With just 24 games remaining and two teams ahead of them, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, the wild-card game might be their best bet. And it's likely the Cubs will start their Cy Young candidate.

"There's no competition in here," Lester said. "I don't make those decisions. He's [Arrieta] probably the best pitcher in baseball right now, sums that up."

--

ESPNChicago.com Don't discount 's impact on Cubs' turnaround By Jon Greenberg

CHICAGO -- It’s Saturday afternoon, an hour or so before the game, and Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez has exactly five minutes to talk.

But five minutes turns to 12, before the recorder goes off. And then there’s another five minutes just talking and laughing in the dugout. Then he goes off to chat up some kids down the bench.

Martinez, 29 years past his rookie season with the Cubs, is still at home at Wrigley Field, where his infectious, positive personality has helped keep the Cubs rolling in a resurgent, fun-filled season.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon gets the headlines for transforming the culture of this team, but he needs guys like Martinez to help. In fact, he specifically needed Martinez, his bench coach since 2008.

“Helpful is not an adequate word,” Maddon said.

Back in June, as the Cubs were heating up, I asked catcher Miguel Montero about Maddon’s influence in transforming the Cubs from rebuilders to winners, and he immediately pivoted toward Martinez.

“His right-hand guy is amazing, too -- Davey Martinez,” Montero said. “I think he’s a big influence on his success, his career. Joe’s a great guy, and so is Davey Martinez.”

Once just known as an ex-Cub and itinerant ballplayer, Martinez has carved out an impressive third stint on the North Side as Maddon’s top lieutenant.

So what exactly does Martinez do as Maddon’s bench coach? A little bit of everything.

Martinez is the guy who started the post-win dance parties this season. He’s the guy who told Maddon that Kris Bryant could play the outfield back in . He’s the guy trying to loosen up Addison Russell during games, and he’s also the guy coming up with strategic decisions late. He also says “Poom!” a lot.

Poom?

“Our biggest phrase is ‘Poom! Poom!'" he said. “Joe and I carried it around since the Rays. One day someone hit a and I screamed ‘Poom!’ and Joe said ‘Poom?’”

Whatever works. But his main job is to be Maddon’s assistant manager.

“Your job as a bench coach is to permit the manager to intellectualize the day and not worry about the minutiae,” said Maddon, a former bench coach with the Angels. “You take care of all the crap. And a lot of that has to do with conversations, a lot of that has to do with strategy -- things he may run by me that he takes to the coaches that I don’t have to.

“In-game bench coaching properly done really lightens the load on the manager a lot,” Maddon said. “He keeps guys ready, he helps with the defenses, helps with the baserunning. He’s definitely involved with all the factors, all the facets of the game on a daily basis. So what a good bench coach does is primarily permit the manager to become a manager and not a coach.”

“Exactly,” Martinez said. “I try to keep all the riffraff away from Joe. He manages the game the way he sees fit, and I stand by him and do the same thing. As he knows, I’m very opinionated and I throw stuff at him all the time. He comes back at me with different things.”

Martinez said he starts his day with Maddon working on lineup possibilities. Then he moves around the clubhouse, checks in with the trainers, oversees batting practice. Part of Martinez’s gig, he said, is delivering information to players, communicating statistics and trends. Part of it is keeping guys loose and delivering Joe’s message in a different voice.

“Once the game starts, I manage,” he said. “I manage next to Joe. He kind of looks at one thing, I look at the other thing. His biggest thing is managing the bullpen, the pitching staff, and I oversee game situations, try to pick spots where maybe we can bunt, we can run, do different things.”

Martinez said players get a kick out of the way the two friends talk to each other during games, but they don’t have disagreements, because he knows Maddon makes the decisions. His job is to help him make the right ones. The players respect how their relationship benefits the club.

“Me being a bench player and seeing how they utilize the bullpen and the bench, we never get outcoached,” Cubs outfielder Chris Denorfia said. “We always seem to be making the correct moves. In my eyes, that always is a complementary role -- the bench coach and the manager -- and when they put their heads together, they always seem to come up with the right decision.”

“He’s like the uncle of the team,” Cubs catcher said. “Joe’s the dad, and Davey’s the uncle. He brings a good mood to the locker room and the dugout every day. He’s still got that player mentality, and that’s fun. He hasn’t lost sight of how hard it is to play the game.”

Martinez, still trim with a full head of black hair, was a Cubs rookie in 1986, and if he’s really 50, he discovered some Ponce de Leon water down in Florida.

Martinez has been Maddon’s right-hand man since the Tampa Bay Rays’ run began, but he seems ready to take off on his own.

“The fact that he hasn’t become a manger yet is kind of difficult to understand,” Maddon said.

Martinez has interviewed for a number of managerial jobs over the past five seasons, becoming a perennial candidate floated by anonymous sources. The Rays, preferring to move on after an awkward ending with Maddon, passed over him last offseason. He was a candidate to replace here in 2013. The Cubs went with Ricky Renteria.

“Eventually, one day, yeah I do,” want to manage, Martinez said. “I know I’ve prepared myself for it. I know I’m ready for it. But for right now, what I’m concentrating on is getting to the playoffs and winning the World Series with the Chicago Cubs. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Martinez was thought to have been high on the White Sox’s list to replace Ozzie Guillen after the 2011 season, but Kenny Williams threw a curveball and picked Robin Ventura, who had no coaching experience, on Oct. 6, two days after the Rays were eliminated from the playoffs.

If the White Sox and Ventura part ways after this season, Martinez, who played three seasons for the Sox, would be the perfect choice to bring a different structure to the flagging franchise. He could be the emissary of the Maddon Way: have fun and be prepared. A lot of teams could use this experienced coach as their manager.

He can communicate and strategize. He sees possibilities. It was Martinez who first suggested utility man could do more than play shortstop.

“I don’t dwell on the negatives,” he said of his approaching to working with the Cubs’ young hitters. “Every day we try to pick positives out and we build on that. It’s a lot of fun coming to the ballpark and watching these guys play.”

And yes, the post-win dance parties were his brainchild, the outgrowth of him bringing a DJ to the end of spring training.

“Let’s just say it’s kind of me,” Martinez said, laughing. “I introduced it, definitely. I love music. So I told the guys that music, for me, keeps me happy, puts me in a good mood. So during spring training, Joe and I started with the whole music thing during stretching and all that stuff. And I said, hey, we keep it going. Why not celebrate every time we win? You should celebrate every time you win. It’s a great feeling, you know. When we get to the big dance, the celebration will be even bigger. And they love it.”

Martinez played for nine teams over his 16-year career. But he has a special place in his heart for the Cubs, where he came up as a 21-year-old rookie.

“Like I told them, I had , Jody Davis, Keith Moreland, , Goose Gossage was here with me, Shawon Dunston, Leon Durham,” Martinez said. “Talk about some characters, we had some characters. Steve Trout.

“My first big league trip I’m on the plane and I’m like, this is so cool, and Rick Sutcliffe comes up to me and said, ‘We bought you a gift,’” Martinez said. “And I heard rumors about guys getting free suits. I’m like, all right, I’m getting a free suit. So I said thank you, put the box down. And he said, ‘No, you need to open it.’ So I said, ‘Oh no,’ and I go open it up and it’s an apron from the airlines and he said, ‘Every time you hear that bell ring you better be there before the flight attendant gets there.’”

Nowadays, the Cubs need the rookies to help carry the offense, not the drinks. When Martnez sits by Russell during games, he’s on him to stay aggressive, think about the middle of the field when he’s hitting, Russell said.

“I tell him all the time this game is not easy,” Martinez said. “I understand that. I did it for a long time. It’s a hard game. You’ve got to keep it fun, keep it real, and just go out there and do the best you can.”

Russell showed Martinez he can have some fun. Last week, in a 14-5 win over the , after Bryant and Anthony Rizzo hit deep fly balls in the third inning, Russell homered for the second time that game in the fourth.

“I scream out, ‘You’ve got to be a little big man to hit home runs here!’” Martinez said. “And Addison Russell, I turn around and he’s flexing.”

Martinez does an impression of a smiling Russell flexing his muscles and laughs. Martinez has been a major addition to the Cubs, and his work continues.

--

ESPNChicago.com Rapid Reaction: Cardinals 4, Cubs 3 By Jesse Rogers

ST.LOUIS -- The Cubs lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s a quick look at the game.

How it happened: After seven solid innings by Jon Lester, the bullpen imploded, as Pedro Strop, Clayton Richard and Fernando Rodney combined to give up three runs in the eighth. Stephen Piscotty's 2-run double off of Rodney was the big blow, but Strop’s one-out walk to Mark Reynolds started the rally.

For the third straight game the Cubs jumped out to an early lead as two-out hits by Chris Coghlan, Anthony Rizzo and Tommy La Stella brought home two runs in the first inning. Coghlan scored from first after centerfielder Randal Grichuk had to toss the ball to right fielder Jason Heyward as Grichuk is recovering from an elbow injury. Then the Cardinals messed up a rundown of Rizzo who scored a few seconds later. The Cardinals got one back in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff triple by Matt Carpenter turned into a run when Heyward brought him home. The Cubs scored again in the second as Jon Lester earned his second career hit and third career run scored. He came home on a Dexter Fowler single but that’s all the scoring there would be until the eighth. Lester went seven giving up just two hits while striking out seven and walking one.

What it means: Taken just for what it is, it’s a pretty devastating loss which very well could end the Cubs hopes of winning the Central, as they dropped back to 7.5 games behind St. Louis with just 24 games remaining. This one is ripe for second guessing. With a chance to sweep the series should Lester have pitched one more inning after throwing 105 pitches? Did Joe Maddon use the right sequence of pitchers in the eighth? Is it simply too much to ask of newcomers Richard and Rodney? Strop’s walk with one out in the inning was the killer. It just can’t happen with a two-run lead.

Schwarber returns: Cubs rookie was in the starting lineup for the first time in a week (rib cage) but struck out four times before being replaced in left field.

What’s next: The Cubs' road trip continues on Thursday in Philadelphia where the open a four game series. Game 1 features Jake Arrieta (18-6, 2.03) taking on Adam Morgan (5-5, 4.42).

--

CSNChicago.com Jon Lester won't point fingers after Cubs can't finish off Cardinals By Patrick Mooney

ST. LOUIS — Time to grow up.

Jon Lester sent that message while meeting with reporters after his Cactus League debut in early March, when the Cubs had young talent, rising expectations and honestly no idea if this would actually work.

Lester had come of age with the Boston Red Sox and their World Series-or-else mentality. If you didn’t do your job, he said, they would simply find someone else. Next.

Six months later, this series showed how much these Cubs have matured and how far the organization has come. Even if the bullpen couldn’t finish off the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium, another meltdown leading to a 4-3 loss that exposed a potential major weakness for October.

Blame your teammates? Second-guess the manager? Start popping champagne bottles already? Lester wouldn’t have any of that.

“Have we gotten in the wild-card game yet?” Lester said. "That’s putting the cart before the horse. We got a long way to go. I know it looks good on paper right now to sit and talk about it. And I know everybody is excited about it.

“But we got to worry about playing Philly tomorrow. That’s what we got to worry about. And not worry about who’s pitching the wild-card game. We got to get there first."

Just when it looked like the Cubs would put the exclamation point on a three-game sweep and make this division race more interesting, the best team in baseball made its comeback.

Cubs fans have seen this before, the bullpen unraveling in the eighth inning and the Cardinals suddenly turning a two-run deficit into a one-run lead.

Lester allowed one run on two hits in the first inning — and then put up zeroes across the next six. The $155 million lefty retired 20 of the final 21 batters he faced before manager Joe Maddon pulled the plug at 105 pitches.

“Right now, it’s glaring, because it’s here and now and fresh in our minds,” Lester said. “But we’ve closed out plenty of those games this year against good teams.

“The natural reaction for everybody is to go: ‘Oh, what happened?’ We’ve been there all year. We’ve been doing it all year. That’s why we’re in the position that we’re in. We won plenty of one-run games and two-run games this year.

“The bullpen has a hard job. They’re called upon every single day. They don’t know when they’re pitching.

“When they don’t succeed in those high-leverage situations, it’s real easy to stand back and point the finger at those guys. Those guys have done it all year for us.”

Lester said he wasn’t surprised by Maddon’s decision or lobbying to throw 120 pitches.

“I don’t make those decisions,” Lester said. “That’s Joe’s decision. It’s easy to go back and second-guess any decision that’s made when you lose. Put it this way: When he came down to the end of the dugout, I didn’t fight him.”

Maddon has pushed almost all the right buttons — and explains his moves with such detail and inspires so much confidence within his players — that it’s difficult to slam his decisions.

But this didn’t work out in the eighth inning, Pedro Strop giving up a walk and a hit, lefty Clayton Richard losing his matchup against Matt Carpenter (line-drive RBI single) and Stephen Piscotty blasting Fernando Rodney’s 91-mph fastball out toward the center-field wall for the go-ahead, two-run double.

Maddon didn’t think he took the ball away from Lester too soon: “If somebody were to get on base, you’re probably going to want to do something anyway, so give the guy a clean inning.

“You got 7, 8, 9 (in the order) coming up right there. It was a perfect spot for Stropy. And part of it was to reestablish his confidence, too.”

Maddon laid out the logic behind Richard vs. Carpenter.

“The big thing there is that Carpenter has not hit homers against lefties,” Maddon said. “He hits them against righties, so you have a better chance of just a single, which did occur. But Richard came out, threw strikes and a good hitter got him up the middle. No big deal.”

What about having unofficial closer Hector Rondon get five outs?

“You can’t just burn people out in an attempt to win a game today,” Maddon said. “Everybody’s got to do their job for us to be successful. Moving down the road, you can’t alter these opportunities for these guys. Everybody was in the right spot today. It didn’t play.”

The Cubs now trail the Cardinals by 7 1/2 games in the rugged National League Central. To set the mood for the next stop on this three-city road trip, Maddon blasted Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” from his office inside the visiting clubhouse.

The Cubs have done such a good job this season with finding the right balance between relaxed and intense, focused and oblivious, youth and inexperience.

Lester remembered another lesson from his time in Boston, the epic collapse in 2011 that led to seismic changes at Fenway Park.

“I’ve been on the other side of it,” Lester said. “I’ve been up and then not make the playoffs and we were talking about who’s starting Game 1. We got a long way to go.”

--

CSNChicago.com Cubs: Jon Lester endorses Jake Arrieta for wild-card game By Patrick Mooney

ST. LOUIS – At this point, Jake Arrieta or Jon Lester sounds more like a conversation starter for newspapers, talk shows and Twitter than a real debate inside the Cubs organization.

All signs are pointing toward the Cubs starting Jake Arrieta in the National League’s wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have already adjusted their rotation with stud right-hander (16-8, 2.54 ERA) and the playoffs in mind.

“I don’t really care,” Lester said after Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. “He’s the best pitcher on this team right now. He’s probably the best pitcher in the league right now.

“Listen, everybody has an ego and everybody wants to be that guy. But when it comes down to it, if he gives us the best chance to win that one-game playoff, I’ll be on the top step cheering my butt off for him to do well.

“There’s no competition in here. The competition is on the field. We’re trying to win a World Series, ultimately.

“I don’t make those decisions. You come tell me when you’re going to give me the ball and I’ll run out there and try my damnedest to give you the best start I can.

“I could give two flying you-know-whats (about) who gets picked.”

Unless the Cardinals completely collapse, it looks like two Central teams with 90-plus wins will have a six-month season come down to a one-game playoff on Oct. 7.

That no-hitter at Dodger Stadium on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” enhanced his reputation nationally and reinforced what the Cubs already understood: Arrieta (18-6, 2.03 ERA) is an intimidating presence, a student of the game, a physical specimen and one of the most dominating pitchers in the majors. Period.

“Yes, he would be able to pitch in the wild card,” manager Joe Maddon said. “But, again, our goal is not just to play in the wild-card game.”

Arrieta will face the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park before getting into playoff mode. The Cubs have positioned Arrieta for the Pirates (Sept. 15 doubleheader at PNC Park), Cardinals (Sept. 20 at Wrigley Field) and Pirates again (Sept. 25-27 home weekend).

The Cubs woke up on Wednesday morning with a nine-game lead over the for the second wild card. The Washington Nationals had fallen to 9.5 games back. The playoff odds are overwhelming.

The Cubs shouldn’t be in the position where they would have to push Arrieta and Lester hard in late September or early October just to get into the tournament.

“We’re very much aware of that, but the goal is still to catch the Cardinals,” Maddon said. “I just don’t want our guys to lose track or thoughts of trying to catch the Cardinals. That’s our best way to play outstanding baseball for the rest of the month leading into the playoffs.

“Try to catch the Pirates. Catch them and then you try to catch the next group. I still want us to approach every day that way.”

Lester has pretty much been what the Cubs expected when they signed him to a six-year, $155 million megadeal: A very good pitcher (9-10, 3.50 ERA) with a professional attitude and the instant credibility that comes from winning two World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox.

Lester has a 2.57 ERA in 84 career postseason innings. But in a win-or-else situation, that playoff experience is somewhat diminished by Lester’s issues with throwing over to first base and controlling the running game.

The Kansas City Royals exposed that during last year’s American League wild-card game, when Lester worked as a hired gun for the Oakland A’s. The Royals ran all the way to Game 7 of the World Series before losing to the Giants.

“That would have to be a consideration under those circumstances,” Maddon said. “Some of that could depend on who you may play and the kind of game they could bring to you.

“Just being honest, I think that would be the primary thing to look at: Who is that team and what kind of game are they capable of playing? (The Pirates) can run a little bit.”

This is a first-world problem for a franchise that has finished in fifth place for five years in a row, a time when 40 percent of the rotation usually signaled a fire sale at the trade deadline.

“We have a lot of confidence in all our guys,” said David Ross, who caught Lester when the Red Sox surged toward a World Series title in 2013.

“You can’t deny what Jake Arrieta’s been doing this year. He should be in the Cy Young race with some of those guys out in L.A. (Zack Greinke and ). He’s even an MVP candidate for our team.

“Either way, no matter who pitches that game, I think we got a really good chance. We believe in ourselves.”

--

CSNChicago.com Javier Baez showing Cubs why he can be a game-changer By Patrick Mooney

ST. LOUIS – This is why Joe Maddon wanted Javier Baez on the Opening Day roster. The Cubs manager saw the instinctual feel for the game, the natural athleticism and a rocket-launcher arm.

Let Baez figure out how to use that Gary Sheffield bat speed later. Maddon believed the kid could help the team win in so many different ways.

Baez still isn’t a finished product – and this season hasn’t gone according to plan – but here he is in September making a difference for a legitimate playoff contender against the hated St. Louis Cardinals.

“He falls out of bed and he can play defense,” Maddon said before Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Busch Stadium. “It’s incredible to watch how smooth he is and how comfortable he is with all these different positions.

“He’s just different. I don’t know even know if I’ve ever had anybody quite that comfortable on the infield, especially at that age.”

Baez is 22 years old, but he can take charge defensively like a veteran player. Did you see that diving stop to his left and the throw from his knees to rob Jason Heyward of a base hit on Tuesday night? Or the way he charged Greg Garcia’s bunt to make a barehanded play look effortless?

Not bad for a natural shortstop playing third base. But right now the Cubs don’t have a shortstop controversy or any plans to replace Addison Russell – who also looked so good at second base – in late-game situations or with certain matchups.

“I really like Addie at shortstop,” Maddon said. “I like Javy’s ability to move around like he is right now. I’d like him to give Addie a day off. But we have not spoken at all about doing anything differently.”

A National League scout who covers the Cubs called Baez the organization’s best defensive shortstop. Arm strength is one area where the Cubs hope Russell will improve over time, allowing him to throw with more authority and make plays deeper in the hole.

Baez also looks more under control at the plate, going 8-for-25 (.320) with six strikeouts since his September call- up from Triple-A Iowa. But he doesn’t have to swing away to make an impact.

Playing Baez at third base allows the Cubs to move Kris Bryant to the outfield. Playing Baez at second base tightens up the infield defense at a time when runs will be at a premium. There are so many possibilities for a manager who loves to go mix-and-match.

“Javy is showing you that he’s capable of doing all that,” Maddon said. “I’m certain he could be a good outfielder, too. But when a guy can play that kind of game on the dirt, you want to keep him there.”

--

Chicago Tribune Resting Anthony Rizzo will be difficult for Cubs By Mark Gonzales

Rookie slugger Kris Bryant was going to pinch hit had the Chicago Cubs put the tying run on base in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 4-3 loss at St. Louis.

But the situation didn’t materialize, and Bryant was able to receive a rest day before facing the likelihood of playing the remaining 24 games.

Manager Joe Maddon gave Dexter Fowler a break for a game during the Cardinals series, and he hinted he may try to give a rest to rookie shortstop Addison Russell, who has played in 119 games in his first major-league season.

But biggest challenge for Maddon, however, might be finding the right time to rest first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who hit an RBI double in the first inning and has driven in 37 runs in his last 39 games.

“There are really no tough matchups for him,” Maddon said. “If he really needed a day (off) … But you saw the plays he’s made at first base, the hits, all that stuff is important to us.

"That’s the one position we don’t have another replacement who can play like him. But if we needed to do that, we’ll do that.”

Rizzo, who is batting .285 with 29 home runs, 88 RBIs and a .392 on-base percentage, has played in all but one of the Cubs’ 138 games.

--

Chicago Tribune Fernando Rodney could be nice stopgap to spell and mentor Cubs' young bullpen By Paul Sullivan

The idea of Fernando Rodney reuniting with Joe Maddon and shooting his imaginary arrow into the Wrigley Field bleachers after a victory was too alluring for Theo Epstein to pass up.

So when the Mariners designated Rodney for assignment on Aug. 23, one year after he had led the majors in saves, the Cubs acquired the closer for a player to be named or cash considerations, taking another risk on a struggling veteran.

It wasn't a move that drew much attention. The Cubs already had gone this route with Rafael Soriano, another former Rays closer, who failed in his short, summer tryout and ultimately was released last weekend.

But Rodney wasn't being brought in to close, so there was no outcry over the signing. If he couldn't return to form, the Cubs could just bury him in the bullpen, as they had done earlier with Edwin Jackson.

Rodney, of course, was ecstatic to escape the Mariners, especially knowing the kind of faith in him Maddon has shown in the past.

"This guy is the type of manager who trusts every piece that they have," he said. "They know how to move the pieces, where to use them best in the game. That's what I saw from him (with the Rays). He tries to make everybody happy at the same time."

But Rodney, as it turns out, wasn't just an extra arm brought in for insurance. Now he's in the middle of a bullpen quandary in the middle of a playoff push caused in part by a few too many five-inning outings from , Jason Hammel and Dan Haren.

Maddon's bullpen is being stretched to the limit, and Rodney already is being counted on in late-inning situations. On Tuesday he pitched a perfect eighth after the middle relievers struggled in an 8-5 victory at St. Louis, and after Pedro Strop and Clayton Richard were ineffective in the eighth Wednesday, he gave up the go-ahead two-run double to Cardinals' rookie Stephen Piscotty in a 4-3 loss.

Maddon confirmed last weekend Rodney was in the late-inning mix, though Strop and were still his main bridges to closer Hector Rondon.

"Am I going to change anything? Not right now," Maddon said. "I think the more pertinent moments you'll see him in, the more velocity you'll see out of his fastball. That's how these guys are wired. That's the way he has been the last several years.

"So if you see him in the eighth or ninth inning, that's when you might see that 97, 98 mph fastball pop up again. But I like the changeup, I like the arm speed. The command of his fastball actually has been pretty good from how I know him."

Rodney is a bit of a character, as evidenced by accidentally locking himself in the dugout bathroom in Oakland during a Rays' game in 2013. He tilts his cap in tribute to his late father, Ulese Rodney, who passed away in 2002 . Fernando said his dad tilted his cap while working, depending on the rotation of the sun.

"Hopefully I can keep him here in my heart with that, and he'd love everything I do," Rodney said.

Like Strop, Rodney gets grief for the tilted cap, which some consider disrespectful.

"I hear when people say 'Turn you hat,'" Rodney said. "But maybe they don't understand my story. I'm not trying to offend anyone. That's just what I do for my dad."

Besides the cap, the bow-and-arrow shtick is Rodney's trademark. He has yet to use it as a Cub, but said he would start shooting if needed after a big, inning-ending moment. It's just entertainment, he pointed out.

"Some closers have to scream, some closers like (Rafael) Soriano take out their shirt, or do crazy things," he said. "I just found something I can have fun with and fans like. I tried the bow and arrow, and they liked it."

Of course, the arrow can backfire. The Angels' Mike Trout and once pulled out their own imaginary bow-and-arrows after staging a rally off Rodney, causing quite a stir. Rodney said it was funny to watch, adding he didn't take offense.

"That's part of the game," he said. "They did that, and had their fun, too."

Rodney knows he's not going to be the Cubs' closer as long as Rondon is pitching well. He considers himself more of a mentor at 38 and said he's OK with whatever role Maddon gives him.

"I know I've been closing for a while, but they brought me here to help these young guys," he said. "I know I can continue my career as a closer, but I have to understand that right now, maybe there's not a moment to use me. But I'm going to be ready in any situation they use me."

Get your antacids ready, Chicago. This could take some getting used to.

--

Chicago Tribune Cubs' bullpen blow-up ruins Jon Lester's fine outing in 4-3 loss By Mark Gonzales

ST. LOUIS — The Cubs proved a point by leading in all but one inning in taking two of three games at Busch Stadium.

But their failure to finish off the National League Central-leading Cardinals and complete their first three-game sweep here in five seasons recalled their shortcomings of the past and raised some questions about sustainability in the playoffs.

"That's what happened early in the season," manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday after a 4-3 loss that snapped a five-game winning streak and brought back memories of their six previous losses here in which the bullpen couldn't hold leads.

"We can't permit that to happen. We played a great game again. We had the right guys on their part of the batting order. It didn't play out. We have to finish that game up. That's what I've been talking about. Early in the season we lost a couple like that. And we were behind one inning the whole series, and that's all that mattered."

The loss dropped the Cubs 71/2 games behind the Cardinals and ruined Jon Lester's sterling effort after the left- hander had allowed two hits and retired 20 of the final 21 batters he faced in seven innings.

Lester didn't challenge Maddon's decision to pull him after 105 pitches with the bottom of the Cardinals' order coming up down 3-1.

"Put it this way — when he came down to the end of the dugout, I didn't fight him," Lester said.

Later, he elaborated.

"Right now it's glaring because it's here and now and fresh in our minds," Lester said. "But we've closed out many of those games this year against good teams."

Maddon stood firm in his belief he had the right combination to finish the game and would do it again in the same circumstances.

"You keep putting them out there," Maddon said. "Just like a shooter. You have to keep shooting until they go in the hoop."

Maddon maintained his faith in Pedro Strop, who retired Brandon Moss on a fly to start the eighth before walking Mark Reynolds and allowing a hit to pinch-hitter Greg Garcia, who had a game-tying home run off Strop in the eighth inning of a 3-2, 10-inning loss June 26.

"It was a perfect spot for Strop, and part of it was to re-establish his confidence," Maddon said. "It just didn't play."

Strop has allowed nine earned runs on nine hits in 51/3 innings in nine games against the Cardinals this season, including a two-out, two-run, go-ahead homer to Jhonny Peralta at Wrigley Field on July 8.

Throughout the season, Maddon has managed to navigate an ever-changing bullpen through some challenging times. But Fernando Rodney, who didn't join the Cubs until Aug. 27, allowed a two-run double to rookie Stephen Piscotty with two outs on his first pitch that gave the Cardinals the winning margin.

Maddon was just as hesitant to employ closer Hector Rondon for the final five outs.

"You just can't burn people out in an attempt to win a game today," Maddon said. "Everyone has to do their job for us to be successful. Moving down the road, you can't alter these opportunities for these guys. Everybody was in the right spot. It didn't play."

--

Chicago Tribune Wednesday's recap: Cardinals 4, Cubs 3 By Mark Gonzales

The Cubs blew a chance to earn their first three-game sweep at St. Louis in five years as the bullpen blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning of a 4-3 loss Wednesday. Rookie Stephen Piscotty ripped Fernando Rodney's first pitch for a two-run double that gave the Cardinals their first lead.

At the plate

The Cubs were only 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Jon Lester sparked a rally in the second with the second single of his career and he scored on Dexter Fowler's single.

On the mound

Lester retired 20 of the final 21 batters he faced, but three Cubs relievers allowed three runs on three hits to blow a 3-1 lead in the eighth.

In the field

Right fielder Chris Coghlan made a running catch of a pinch-hitter Tommy Pham's drive before tumbling into the seats in foul territory for the final out of the sixth.

Key number

2 — Games in which Kyle Schwarber has struck out four times

The quote

"We came in and made a bit of a statement, and it would have been nice to really make a statement and pull that one out. But we'll go get them (Thursday)." — Lester

Up next

At Phillies, 6:05 p.m. Thursday, CSN.

--

Chicago Tribune Jon Lester offers strong defense of Cubs' bullpen By Mark Gonzales

Jon Lester was just as stingy in his defense of his relievers as he was facing St. Louis' batters

After being deprived of his 10th victory, Jon Lester put up his best defense of a bullpen that failed to hold a two- run lead Wednesday in what ranks as one of the toughest losses of the Chicago Cubs’ otherwise impressive season.

“I think the natural reaction for everybody is to say, ‘oh, what happened?’ “ Lester said after the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for three runs off three relievers to steal a 4-3 win and prevent the Cubs from completing a three-game sweep that would have trimmed their deficit to 5 ½ games in the National League Central. “We’ve been (pitching well) all year. That’s why we’re in the position we’re in. We’ve won plenty of one and two-run games.

“They have a hard job. They’re called upon every single day. They don’t know when they’re pitching. They’re always in high leverage situations. When they don’t succeed in those high leverage situations, it’s easy to stand back and point the finger at those guys. Those guys have done it all year for us.”

The Cubs have employed numerous relievers in attempt to secure their first playoff berth since 2008 and advance further. Lester was just as strong in his defense of veteran reliever Fernando Rodney, who didn’t join the Cubs until

Aug. 27 but allowed a two-run double to rookie Stephen Piscotty that scored the tying and winning runs in the eighth.

“Rodney has the track record,” Lester said. “These guys will be fine. That’s just a tough one. But we got to take the positives from these three games.”

Lester and the bullpen would have had a larger margin for had the offense delivered in clutch situations as it did during its five-game winning streak. The Cubs scored three times in the first two innings but bogged down as they were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and minimized opportunities in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

“We had opportunities, (but) it didn’t play,” Maddon said. “You’re going to look at that (eight) inning. I’m not denying, we need to stop them in the eighth inning under those circumstances, no question. But we had opportunities to score more runs, too.”

Maddon also gave an expansive explanation for pulling Lester despite allowing two hits in only seven innings and retiring 20 of his final 21 batters.

“(Lester’s pitch count) was 105, and there also was the component if somebody got on base, you were going to do something anyway,” said Maddon, taking note of Lester’s struggles over holding base runners.

--

Chicago Tribune With Jake Arrieta nearing 20 wins, what does milestone mean today? By Chris Hine

Late in the 2010 season, Jon Lester was knocking on the door of an elusive baseball club.

The left-hander, then with the Red Sox, had won six consecutive starts and carried a 19-8 record into his final start of the season at U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox. He had one shot to join the list of 20-game winners, a milestone accomplishment for any starting pitcher.

With veterans John Lackey and , who had won 20 games in 2007, cheering him on in the dugout, Lester took the hill for his final start — but it didn't go quite as Lester had hoped.

"I kind of (expletive) on myself a little bit on that last start of the year," Lester said.

Lester lasted only four innings and allowed eight runs in an 8-2 White Sox victory on Sept. 30, 2010.

Lester, now with the Cubs, knows firsthand how hard it can be to get No. 20 and as such, he will pulling hard the final few weeks of the season for his teammate, Jake Arrieta, to earn his 20th victory. Arrieta will have at least five more starts to get two more wins and become the first Cubs pitcher since Jon Lieber in 2001 to win 20 games in a season.

"The years that you have a chance (to win 20) you have to take advantage," Lester said. "I didn't take advantage of mine."

As the advanced analytics movement strengthens its hold on how teams and fans evaluate players, the win has taken a significant hit to its status as a measure of pitcher effectiveness. And some would say rightfully so. The argument is that too many factors out of a pitcher's control affect whether he gets a win, such as run support, the quality of the defense behind him, the performance of his bullpen and the other team's opposing pitcher and defense.

But winning 20 games in a season remains hallowed ground for those in the game. In fact, some would say reaching 20 wins is special because a pitcher needs a number of things to go right throughout the course of a season besides just pitching well.

"That's always been the number starting pitchers have looked at," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "There's a lot of extraneous factors involved in being able to get 20 wins. A lot of it has to do with run support. … But 20-game winners, if you're a starting pitcher, I don't care what sabermetricians say, (pitchers) live and die by that number. It'd be quite an accomplishment for him and for us."

Just how common is it to win 20 games? Definitely not as common as it used to be.

According to Baseball Almanac, 70 National League pitchers and 81 American League pitchers have won 20 games since 1976. That's an average of 3.87 per season. By comparison, from 1951-75 107 AL pitchers and 87 NL pitchers won 20 games — an average of 7.76 per season.

White Sox TV analyst Steve Stone, who went 25-7 with the Orioles on his way to the Cy Young Award in 1980, said for a pitcher to reach 20 games, something has to happen like what's happening with Arrieta — he has to get on a roll and win several consecutive starts. Arrieta has won seven straight. Stone won 19 of 20 decisions at one point in 1980.

"He's going through one of those streaks. I went through it," Stone said. "I didn't feel like I was going to lose. I think Jake is on one of those streaks where he goes out there and he can't conceive of whoever it is beating him. It doesn't happen too often during your career, but when it does, boy, it's a pleasure."

Pitchers who win 20 games tend to last deep into games so they are likely to receive more decisions and keep the bullpen from having to cover too many innings of a game. (Arrieta is fifth in the majors in innings pitched). To that end, it can be harder for a National League pitcher to reach 20 victories because he can get removed for a pinch hitter in a tight game.

Both Stone and Lester said they understand the arguments advanced analytics makes to devalue a win, but it shouldn't diminish Arrieta's accomplishment should he get there.

For pitchers, wins are a matter of pride. They are paid to win games, and if they don't win games, ultimately, they feel like they have failed, no matter what their FIP or their WHIP might be.

"What are you going to put on the back of a baseball card? The guy's WAR?" Lester said. "I understand where they're coming from, but at the same time I don't think you can do away with it. I don't think you can put another stat there that exemplifies (a pitcher's performance). I mean, what are they going to put there? Quality starts? I don't see what you can do there to replace it."

Or as Stone said: "Why don't you look at the metrics of (Nationals pitcher) 's bank account and find out if that stat has some meaning."

Cubs TV analyst Jim Deshaies said that while some traditionalist fans overrate the value of a win, getting to 20 in a season still remains an admirable accomplishment.

"There's typically a pretty strong correlation between being a 20-game winner and being a really good pitcher," Deshaies said. "Our understanding of stats and what makes a guy good has changed. But to me it's still one of those milestone numbers that matter. If you're a pitcher, it matters."

Arrieta says it doesn't matter much right now.

"I know those are questions that are asked a lot about ERA wins, innings, strikeouts. But honestly, those will work themselves out," Arrieta said last week. "What I worry about is the four days in between my start. What I can do to get better. At the end of the day, if I win 20 games then that's just a byproduct of the time I spend between my starts."

It would also be the byproduct of a little luck and a little help from his teammates. But should Arrieta get to win No. 20, it would be something they should all celebrate — because who knows when it will happen again.

--

Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon: Javier Baez 'different' defensively By Mark Gonzales

Javier Baez can fall out of bed and play defense, Joe Maddon claims

During his 36 years as a teacher, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon noticed that some players have been able to improve their defense through extra work.

"It's a matter of work and technique," Maddon said Wednesday.

And then there is Javier Baez, who made three exceptional plays Tuesday night in his second start at third base and has displayed his defensive prowess at shortstop -- his natural position -- and second base.

"He falls out of bed and can play defense," Maddon said. "It’s incredible to watch how smooth he is and how comfortable he is at all these different positions. His arm, how smooth he is -- he’s just different. I don’t know if we’ve had anyone quite that comfortable on the infield, especially at that age (22).’’

Although shortstop is Baez's natural position, Maddon said there haven't been any plans to move Addison Russell back to second, where he excelled for 3 1/2 months before replacing Starlin Castro at shortstop.

"I really like (Russell) at shortstop," Maddon said. "I like Javy’s ability to move around. I really like him to give (Russell) a day off, but we have not spoken at all about doing anything differently.

"But Javy is showing he’s capable of doing all that. I’m certain he’d be a good outfielder too. But when a guy can play that kind of game on the dirt, you want to keep him there.’’

--

Chicago Tribune Jon Lester fine with ceding wild-card playoff start to Jake Arrieta By Mark Gonzales

Manager Joe Maddon confirmed Wednesday that 18-game winner Jake Arrieta is lined up to pitch the National League wild-card playoff game Oct. 7 in the likely event the Cubs qualify.

And Jon Lester, who began the season as the team's ace, has no qualms about the selection.

"Listen, everybody has an ego, and everybody wants to be that guy," Lester said. "But if (Arrieta) gives us the best chance to win that one-game playoff, I'll be on the top step cheering my butt off for him to do well. There's no competition in here. The competition is on the field. We're trying to win a World Series, ultimately. If that's the case, then that's the case.

"I don't make those decisions, but I think the statement I think he's the best pitcher in baseball right now probably sums it up."

But Lester warned that the Cubs (80-58) have yet to clinch a playoff berth.

"I've been on the other side of it," said Lester, recalling his 2011 season with the Red Sox. "I've been up and not made the playoffs."

Playoff puzzle: Maddon applauded the NBA's decision to change the playoff format for the 2015-16 season and seed teams according to their records instead of guaranteeing a top-four ranking in their conference for division winners.

But Maddon, whose Cubs currently have a better record than the division-leading Mets and Dodgers, isn't lobbying for a change in the wake of potentially having to play a wild-card game even though they have the third-best record in the NL Central.

"You always want to see good records rewarded," Maddon said. "But before the season begins, you know what the rules are and you're playing under this setup. So I'm not going to sit here and cry about anything."

Time changes: Cubs spokesman Julian Green confirmed there have been discussions about eliminating 3:05 p.m. starts in 2016 at Maddon's suggestion.

"Given that it was raised, it's something we're currently reviewing and plan to address," Green said. "But there are no immediate deadlines."

--

Chicago Tribune Cubs looking at changing late Friday starting times in 2016 By Paul Sullivan

The Cubs are considering cutting back their 3:05 p.m. starting times for Friday home games at Wrigley Field after manager Joe Maddon voiced his concerns.

Maddon recently spoke to business operations president Crane Kenney and baseball operations president Theo Epstein in hopes to going back to 1:20 p.m. starts in 2016.

The 2016 schedule was released but game times have yet to be announced.

“Obviously this is just the preliminary schedule that goes out,” Cubs spokesman Julian Green said. “So there’s usually some time before the version goes out with the times, typically after the season. So we’ve got time.”

The Cubs went back to the late-afternoon starts on Fridays in 2014 after many fans said they preferred them. They were popular in the 1980s before lights were installed, marketed as the “businessman’s special.”

But Maddon said Cubs’ players are at a disadvantage when they go from a 1:20 p.m. start to a 3:05 p.m. start to a 7:05 p.m. start on consecutive days because it affects their preparation and routines.

As much as some fans like the 3:05 p.m. starts, Maddon is likely to get his way.

“The premise of this was for fans who liked the prospect of 3 o’clock games, saying ‘I can work a half day,’ vs. working the morning and leaving,” Green said. “The goal was to drive attendance for the Friday games. But given that there were concerns raised by our manager, we we’re going to give deference to the team and the players, because we want to be helpful at the end of the day.

“Given that it was raised, it’s something we’re currently reviewing and plan to address. But there are no immediate deadlines.”

The Saturday games are often scheduled at 3 p.m. due to the national broadcasts for Fox-TV.

“We don’t have control over the nationally televised games, but the Friday games we do have influence, and we want to work with (Maddon) and the players,” Green said.

--

Chicago Tribune Cubs' Jake Arrieta lined up for NL wild-card game against Pirates By Mark Gonzales

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon would like his players to keep their focus on catching the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central despite a 6 1/2-game deficit and only 25 games left in the season.

But Maddon did confirm Wednesday morning that 18-game winner Jake Arrieta is lined up to pitch in a probable NL wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Oct. 7.

"(Arrieta) would be able to pitch in the wild-card game," Maddon said.

The Cubs adjusted Arrieta's schedule 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he beat the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, to line him up for a possible wild-card start. Arrieta could make his final start of the regular season Sept. 30 against the Reds in Cincinnati -- one week before the wild-card game.

Arrieta is scheduled to pitch twice more on the Cubs' 11-game trip -- Thursday against the Phillies and Tuesday against the Pirates -- then Sept. 19 against the Cardinals and Sept. 25 against the Pirates. But the Cubs could adjust his final two starts because of their last scheduled day off Sept. 24.

"Our goal is not just to play in the wild-card game," Maddon said. "You’d prefer not having to do something like that. I just don’t want our guys to lose track or thoughts of catching the Cardinals. That’s our best way to play outstanding baseball for the rest of the month leading into the playoffs. You try to catch the Pirates, and then the next (team). I still want us to approach every day that way.’’

Maddon said he has spoken with pitching coach about various scenarios, "but the goal is still to catch the Cardinals."

The Cubs trail the Pirates by two games for the top NL wild-card spot and home-field advantage in the one-game playoff.

--

Chicago Tribune Cubs hire Jared Porter as director of pro scouting By Mark Gonzales

The Chicago Cubs announced the hiring of Jared Porter as their director of pro scouting/special assistant.

Porter is very familiar with the Cubs' front office, having spent the past 12 seasons with the Boston Red Sox. Porter started as an intern and worked his way up to become the director of pro scouting for the past four seasons.

The Cubs stated the hiring of Porter was "designed to enhance" their pro scouting department led by Joe Bohringer and Andrew Bassett.

Bohringer, who held the position for four seasons, will stay with the Cubvs in a scouting role. Bohringer has worked for the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Mariners over a 26-year career.

Bohringer's specific duties will be announced later.

--

Chicago Tribune Pedro Strop lends assistance to Cubs rookies By Mark Gonzales

Pedro Strop made sure rookie Carl Edwards Jr. feels comfortable.

Rookie slugger Kyle Schwarber was grateful for the assistance provided by several of the Chicago Cubs' veterans after he was promoted from Double-A Tennessee in June and again in July after a stint at Triple-A Iowa.

And after making his major league debut on Monday, reliever Carl Edwards Jr. expressed his appreciation for the advice lent by many bullpen members -- including Pedro Strop.

Strop, 30, said he merely wanted to make Edwards feel comfortable and not uptight, as he felt when he reached the majors for the first time with Texas in 2009.

"It was kind of old-school style where the rookie had to do anything," Strop said. "In my case, I felt tight and couldn’t be myself. That can affect your performance, and I wanted to make sure that (Edwards) felt exactly the same as if he was in Triple-A so it would be easier for him."

Strop said he didn't encounter any hazing but was told he had to arrive earlier for work and other assignments than the veterans.

"I just told (Edwards), 'we throw at 5 p.m., just be on time to do your routine,'" Strop said. "Feel like you're in Triple-A right now. Don’t worry about being in the majors. Just respect everywhere you go."

--

Chicago Sun-Times Pedro Strop's numbers show dangerous similarities to Carlos Marmol By Kyle Thele

When Pedro Strop came in the game Wednesday afternoon against the Cardinals the Cubs were up 3-1. By the time the game was over, the Cubs would lose 4-3, with Strop responsible for a pair of those runs.

There is no doubt that Strop has the stuff to be electric. When he’s on, he’s one of the best set-up men in the business. But when he’s not, Strop is almost unusable.

The issue is a familiar one for the Cubs. Strop’s slider is deadly, but when it’s left around the plate the reliever has been getting pounded.

A slider that batters can’t touch outside of the zone, but gets hammered inside the zone should sound eerily similar to the complaints of a former Cubs reliever, Carlos Marmol.

At his prime with the Cubs, Marmol was unhittable. Batters would flail at the plate, badly missing his slider, before being blown away by a fastball.

But by the end of his career, opponents learned a valuable lesson. Just wait, Marmol won’t put a ball in the strike zone unless it’s hanging.

During his best years, batters would make contact with less than 50 percent of pitches they put a swing on outside of the strike zone. Inside the zone, however, that number was consistently over 75 percent.

By the time Marmol left, his strikeouts had fallen off while walks were steadily climbing. Even more concerning, his earned run average had skyrocketed.

Strop doesn’t have the pressure put on him that Marmol had. However, it should be a concern for the Cubs brass.

--

Chicago Sun-Times No relief as Cubs blow late lead, fail to sweep Cardinals By Gordon Wittenmyer

ST. LOUIS – The kind of bullpen breakdowns that cost the Cubs a chance to sweep the Cardinals on Wednesday won’t keep them from getting to October.

But they could quickly become the biggest factor keeping them from doing much once they get there.

After manager Joe Maddon chose to put Jon Lester’s 3-1 lead into the hands of his pen in the eighth inning, Pedro Strop, Clayton Richard and Fernando Rodney conspired to turn the game into a 4-3 loss – and turn a feel-good series for the Cubs into a topic for postseason consternation.

Strop, who has been torched by the Cardinals this season (nine earned runs in nine appearances), walked Mark Reynolds with one out, followed by a single to Greg Garcia and was done. Richard, who has suddenly become Maddon’s top lefty matchup choice, then gave up a run-scoring hit to Matt Carpenter.

And Rodney, the scrap-heap acquisition from Seattle, then took over and gave up a first-pitch, game-turning double to rookie Stephen Piscotty.

Despite scoring 20 runs in winning two of three against the first-place Cardinals, one comparison was glaring – if not telling in its significance for playoff fitness.

The Cubs outscored the Cardinals 18-1 from the first through sixth innings in the series; the Cards outscored the Cubs 8-2 from the seventh inning on.

“We had the right guys on their part of the batting order; it didn’t play out,” said Maddon, who defended pulling Lester at 105 pitches despite the bottom third of the order due up and an extra day of rest coming for Lester before his next start.

“If somebody were to get on base, you’re probably going to want to do something anyway, so give a [reliever] a clean inning,” said Maddon, who nonetheless acknowledged the unsteady recent performance of his patchwork pen.

“We have to do a better job. Overall, we’re pretty good, but moments like that. … We should be able to finish that game off.”

How does he fix it?

“You just keep putting them out there,” he said. “It’s just like a shooter. You’ve got to keep shooting, man, till they go in the hoop.”

Which works fine if you’re shooter is Stephen Curry.

In this case, more than half of the Cubs’ 13-man bullpen is comprised of guys who spent most of the year in the minors and/or were released or designated for assignment by other teams this year.

“Everybody’s got to do their job for us to be successful,” Maddon said. “Moving down the road, you can’t alter these opportunities for these guys.

“You have to keep trying to put guys in the right spots. I do trust our guys to perform. It didn’t play today. But I have a lot of faith in our guys.”

Note: The Cubs announced the hiring of Jared Porter as director of pro scouting/special assistant. Porter spent the last 12 years with the Red Sox, including the last four as pro scouting director. He replaces Joe Bohringer, who remains with the Cubs in a scouting role, the team said.

--

Chicago Sun-Times Cubs line up Jake Arrieta to face Cole in one-game playoff By Gordon Wittenmyer

ST. LOUIS – Jake Arrieta or Jon Lester?

Yeah, right. If there ever was a debate over who would start the National League wild-card game, it’s over.

As far as the Cubs are concerned it’s long over.

Even before Wednesday’s gut-punch, 4-3 loss in St. Louis inched the Cubs another game further from the Cardinals for the division lead – and perhaps another inch closer to a wild-card game, Cubs manager Joe Maddon confirmed the Cubs’ machinations to align Jake Arrieta (18-7) for a showdown with Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole (16-8) in the Oct. 7 loser-out playoff game.

The team is using Monday’s scheduled off day to move Arrieta up one day in the rotation, starting him in the opener of a doubleheader in Pittsburgh Tuesday – the second time in a month they’ve done that with him – lining him up for a natural turn on Oct. 7.

The only questions left involve whether the Cubs can catch the Pirates to turn that into a home game, or catch the Cardinals for the division title and avoid the game altogether – a possibility that dimmed in Wednesday’s eighth, when the Cards scored three against the Cubs’ bullpen to avoid a Cubs’ sweep.

Instead of moving to just 5 ½ games back of the first-place Cardinals, the Cubs slipped back to a 7 ½-game deficit, with 24 to play.

Assuming, neither the Cubs nor Pirates catch the Cardinals, an Arrieta victory over the Pirates makes Jon Lester the Game 1 starter in St. Louis for the five-game Division Series – exactly one month after he retired 20 of the final 21 Cardinals he faced in a dominant, seven-inning start Wednesday.

“I could give two flying you-know-whats who gets picked [for the one-gamer],” said Lester, who has a 2.49 ERA in four starts against the Cardinals this season – after beating them twice in the 2013 World Series.

“Listen, everybody has an ego, and everybody wants to be that guy,” said the left-hander who became the $155 million pitching centerpiece to the Cubs’ turnaround as a free agent last winter. “But when it comes down to it, if he gives us the best chance to win that one-game playoff, I’ll be on the top step cheering my butt off for him to do well. There’s no competition here; the competition is on the field. We’re trying to win a World Series ultimately.

“The statement that I think he’s probably the best pitcher in baseball right now probably sums that one up.”

Arrieta, who leads the majors in ERA since the All-Star break (0.91), has dominated the Pirates this season (2-1, 0.86 in three starts – with a nine-inning scoreless streak into Tuesday).

The Pirates announced they’re skipping Cole (16-8), in his next start to line him up for the wild-card game, too.

“But our goal is not just to play in that wild-card game,” Maddon said. “I don’t want our guys to lose track or thoughts of trying to catch the Cardinals. I think that’s our best way to play outstanding baseball for the rest of the month leading into the playoffs.”

Arrieta dismissed his lack of playoff experience is an issue.

“I think that’s overblown and overstated,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me. The noise out there, I’m not even aware of it.

“It’s just a game.”

The decision was made more than three weeks ago.

Although Arrieta’s second-half dominance might have rendered the debate moot, Maddon didn’t deny that Lester’s inability to effectively throw to the bases and hold runners is a consideration – especially against an aggressive, athletic team like the Pirates, who rank fourth in the league in steals.

“I think that would have to be a consideration, under those [one-game] circumstances, just being honest,” Maddon said. “The primary thing to look at would be who is the team and what kind of game are they capable of playing.”

Either way, Lester – who was on the 2011 Red Sox team that collapsed in September – cautioned: “We’ve got to get there first. I’ve been on the other side of it. I’ve been up and not made the playoffs, and we were talking about who’s starting Game 1.

“We’ve got a long way to go.”

--

Chicago Sun-Times Starlin Castro has been crucial in his new role with the Cubs By Kyle Thele

A month ago, Starlin Castro’s career in Chicago was seemingly over. The former All-Star had lost his starting job at shortstop and seemed to be the odd man out.

Now, Castro has become as important in his new role with the team as anyone else.

Since he started splitting time at second base with the occasional inning at shortstop, Castro’s bat has come alive.

Heading into Wednesday’s game with the Cardinals, Castro was hitting .353 since being benched on August 7. He’s tallied up 23 hits and six doubles over that time.

That month long stretch has been far and away the most productive month of Castro’s season. Even his counting stats like hits, doubles, and runs have been near season highs despite fewer opportunities.

The more sabermetrically inclined will notice a huge jump in Castro’s on-base and slugging percentages all while having a batting average on balls in play near expected levels.

Castro added another hit during a pinch hit appearance Wednesday.

The huge improvement in Castro’s play shouldn’t create an argument to reclaim his old position. Addison Russell has proved to be a plus fielder with his own bat coming alive.

However, as the Cubs continue to figure out who will be a part of the team going forward beyond just 2015, Castro has clearly thrown his hat back in the ring.

--