April 9, 2017

Chicago Tribune, Kris Bryant's 3-hit, 3-RBI night leads Cubs' 17-hit attack vs. Brewers http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-brewers-spt-0409-20170408-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Gold rush: Ben Zobrist realizes significance of Cubs' special uniforms http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-ben-zobrist-special-uniforms-notes-spt-0409-20170408-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Widow of late Cubs manager Don Zimmer to attend Monday's home opener http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-don-zimmer-widow-20170408-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Javier Baez returns one day after collision with Jason Heyward http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-javier-baez-vision-20170408-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' youngsters impress former All-Star Larry Hisle http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-larry-hisle-20170408-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Is Javy Baez becoming Cubs’ everyday 2B without the fancy title? http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/is-javy-baez-becoming-cubs-everyday-2b-without-the-fancy-title/

Chicago Sun-Times, Kyle Hendricks pitches six, bats break out as Cubs rout Brewers http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/kyle-hendricks-pitches-six-bats-break-out-as-cubs-rout-brewers/

Daily Herald, Cubs make it a draft-pick parade past Brewers http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170408/sports/170408895/

Daily Herald, Cubs prepping for home-field festivities http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170408/sports/170408905/

Cubs.com, Bryant collects 3 RBIs in win over Brewers http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223105860/kris-bryant-cubs-beat-brewers/

Cubs.com, Baez returns 1 day after scary collision http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223079142/javier-baez-returns-to-cubs-starting-lineup/?topicId=27118368

Cubs.com, Determined Bryant breaking out of early slump http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223200196/cubs-kris-bryant-is-determined-to-learn-more/?topicId=27118368

Cubs.com, Happ, Candelario go deep for Iowa in second straight game http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223155090/cubs-ian-happ-jeimer-candelario-homer-again/

Cubs.com, Maddon invites Zimmer's widow to opener http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223110702/joe-maddon-invites-zimmers-widow-to-opener/?topicId=27118368

Cubs.com, Wrigley renovations match on-field product http://m.mlb.com/news/article/223086974/wrigley-field-makeover-mirrors-cubs-fortunes/

ESPNChicago.com, So much for Kris Bryant's 'slump' http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43606/so-much-for-kris-bryants-slump/

CSNChicago.com, Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks And All The Ways The Cubs Have To Win http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kris-bryant-kyle-hendricks-and-all-ways-cubs-have-win

CSNChicago.com, Cubs: Joe Maddon Invites Don Zimmer's Widow To Wrigley Banner-Raising Ceremony http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-joe-maddon-invites-don-zimmers-widow-wrigley-banner-raising-ceremony

CSNChicago.com, Cubs: Javier Baez Beginning Takeover Of Second-Base Job http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-javier-baez-beginning-takeover-second-base-job-ben-zobrist-joe-maddon

-- Chicago Tribune Kris Bryant's 3-hit, 3-RBI night leads Cubs' 17-hit attack vs. Brewers By Mark Gonzales Kris Bryant admitted Saturday night he continues to search for his timing at the plate, and he fessed up to committing a baserunning flaw. But Bryant and his teammates forged a 17-hit attack that raised optimism for even better days ahead after an 11-6 victory over the Brewers. "You can always find something disappointing in the day," Bryant said. "But I'll try to look at the positives here." Bryant, who didn't record his first hit until Friday when a grounder struck third base, drove in his first three runs of the season. He, Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr. had three hits apiece as the offense and an array of dazzling defensive plays helped compensate for an uneven performance by Kyle Hendricks, who made his 2017 debut on seven days' rest. "It wasn't an oil painting, but it was effective and good," manager Joe Maddon said. Bryant, the 2016 National League MVP, understands the rigors of a season. He went hitless in his first 13 at-bats while "knowing it's going to turn around." "It always does," Bryant said. "It's part of the learning process. I'm planting the seeds to keep learning and taking notes in the back of my head. For me, it's more (being) determined up there." The same mentality applied to Hendricks, the 2016 NL ERA champion, who allowed two runs on three hits to the first three batters before retiring 10 in a row, only to allow a tying two-run homer to Nick Franklin in the fourth. But Hendricks helped his cause with two hits, including an infield hit in the fifth that gave the Cubs the lead for good. Cubs starting pitchers are 5-for-11 in the first five games. "We knew it was a matter of time," Hendricks said of the offensive breakout. "You can't hold this offense down for very long. It was good to see them get rolling." And after watching Almora make a diving catch in center to rob Travis Shaw of an RBI hit in the fifth, Hendricks believes the Cubs defense can be even better than last season. "I don't see why not," Hendricks said. "We have even better athletes with Almora out there in center."

Javier Baez returned one night after suffering a bruise above his left eye in a collision and chipped in with two hits. Baez has started four of the first five games at second base, and Maddon said before the game, "What you've seen to this point is a good indicator of what we'll be able to do with everyone healthy." But Maddon was careful not to declare Baez as his starting second baseman, similar to his days with the Rays when he said he never named a closer but used the same reliever in save situations. "It's always about semantics," Maddon said. "When it comes to baseball players, if you say one thing and try to make them into something else, it really freaks them out. "Without naming a closer, without naming a second baseman, without naming an eighth-inning or seventh-inning guy, it creates a lot more latitude, which you need." For the record, Maddon said he plans to start Ben Zobrist at second in Sunday's series finale. -- Chicago Tribune Gold rush: Ben Zobrist realizes significance of Cubs' special uniforms By Mark Gonzales Ben Zobrist didn't get to wear a special Royals uniform with gold lettering and trim last season because he had departed for the Cubs as a free agent after helping Kansas City win the 2015 title. Zobrist hopes his Cubs teammates will treasure wearing those unique jerseys and caps when the Cubs commemmorate their 2016 World Series championship at their home opener Monday and ring ceremony Wednesday. "Everyone needs to realize the significance of it, what it means for the organization and personally as we look back on that jersey," Zobrist said. "We get to keep a lot of jerseys over the years, but that will be one of my favorites." Zobrist appreciated that the Royals sent him a jersey commemorating their title. He called the recent tradition of having the reigning champions wear the gold-trimmed uniforms "a special honor." End of a 'stupid' era: Reliever Justin Grimm's only concern with the Cubs' bullpen moving from the left-field line to under the bleachers at Wrigley Field is the condition of the mounds. The other change is that the Cubs no longer will be able to play a game in which the relievers and bullpen catcher Chad Noble try not to move when a foul ball is hit in their direction. "No more stupid games, no more getting hit with baseballs," Grimm said. "They probably sped (renovations) up a year (to eliminate the game). "We're not going to be able to see the video board either. Not that any of that is important. The most important thing is having a nice mound, having room to get warm so that we're not running back and forth to the clubhouse to get warm and running back out. It will end up being a positive move." Sneak peeks: Manager Joe Maddon was eager to see the other changes at Wrigley, including clubhouse photos commemorating their Series title. "I love banner-raising," Maddon said. "Rings are wonderful, but I love banner-raising. That's symbolically there all the time. Every time a kid shows up at the park, he sees that banner." --

Chicago Tribune Widow of late Cubs manager Don Zimmer to attend Monday's home opener By Mark Gonzales Joe Maddon's association with Don Zimmer in Tampa Bay, and Zimmer's link with the Cubs prompted Maddon to invite a special guest to Monday night's home opener. That would be Soot Zimmer, the widow of the Cubs' former manager who often lent advice to Maddon during his days with the Rays. "It was necessary," Maddon said of the invitation, adding that Zimmer's widow was very excited by the invitation and responded with an "infectious laugh." Maddon said Soot Zimmer will be accompanied by her grandson, Beau, a sportscaster in Tampa. Don Zimmer managed the Cubs from 1988 to 1991, leading them to a 1989 National League East title. The Zimmers were married from 1951 until Don's passing in 2014 at 83. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Javier Baez returns one day after collision with Jason Heyward By Mark Gonzales As Javier Baez was insisting to reporters on Saturday that he recovered from his violent collision with Jason Heyward Friday night, teammate Kyle Schwarber chimed in with an amusing line. "The guy is made of steel," Schwarber quipped as Baez returned to the Cubs' lineup. "Nothing fazes him." The only signs of discomfort were slight swelling above Baez's left eye, which remained bloodshot. But Baez said he felt well and that his vision was fine after taking early batting practice. "I’m 100 percent normal," said Baez, who had to leave in the sixth inning of Friday's loss to the Brewers. Baez said he immediately iced the swollen area, which remained slightly bruised. Baez posted a photo on social media to show that he was fine. As far as avoiding collisions with outfielders in the future, "I just got to know how far they are," Baez said. "That’s all." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' youngsters impress former All-Star Larry Hisle By Mark Gonzales It didn't dawn on Cubs manager Joe Maddon that he started four first-round picks until a reporter mentioned it after Saturday night's 11-6 victory over the Brewers. Those four picks — Javier Baez (2011), Albert Almora Jr. (2012), Kris Bryant (2013) and Kyle Schwarber (2014) — combined for nine hits, five runs and seven RBIs. "It’s pretty good scouting and player development," Maddon said. "They're so accountable, and their work is good every day."

But what made Maddon feel even better were some encouraging words he heard before the game from Larry Hisle, a two-time American League All-Star with the Twins and Brewers who drove in 234 runs during the 1977-78 seasons. Hisle, 69, supervises a mentoring program in Milwaukee and shared his impressions of some of the Cubs' youngsters who visited him. "He told me how impressed he was by them," Maddon said. "And that makes you feel good. They're good baseball players and even better people. "It’s a tribute to scouting and development, as far as I’m concerned." -- Chicago Sun-Times Is Javy Baez becoming Cubs’ everyday 2B without the fancy title? By Gordon Wittenmyer MILWAUKEE – While managing the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Maddon once went an entire season without declaring a closer – yet used the same guy in the ninth every time he was available. “So there was always the ability to pitch him in the eighth if you wanted to because it wasn’t in his head that he was just a closer,” the Cubs manager said this weekend. So is he pulling the same trick with Javy Baez and second base this season? Is it a reach to wonder if Javy Baez is the Cubs' de facto starting second baseman without the title? Baez, who was back in the lineup at second Saturday after a nasty-looking collision in the outfield with Jason Heyward Friday, has started at second four of the Cubs’ first five games. That’s the same Javy Baez that Maddon said multiple times during spring training had been told as camp opened he would play the super utility role he did last season – filling in across the infield as needed. This despite starting every postseason game at second last year, earning national celebrity on that stage, then repeating his flashy success during the World Baseball Classic this spring. “It’s not about Javy being the everyday second baseman,” Maddon said. “It’s how do you get [Albert] Almora [Jr.] in the lineup? How do you get [Jon] Jay in the lineup? How do you keep Zo in the lineup as often as possible?” That’s Ben Zobrist, the World Series MVP and last year’s All-Star starting second baseman for the National League – and the guy fans up and down Twitter timelines seem to want pushed elsewhere so Baez can play second every day. “He’s a great defender. I get it,” Zobrist said. “I understand that he’s exciting to watch on defense. I love watching him for the same respect. I made zero errors for the first three months playing second base last year. People don’t remember that. That’s all right. “What matters is that I work my tail off to be ready to make plays when I get a chance, and wherever Joe puts me I’ve got to try to do the best I can. And when Javy plays second, I want him to make every possible play. When I play second I want to make every possible play.” Maddon, who said he’s trying to “balance” playing time for what amounts to four or five players across two or three positions, will have Zobrist back at second on Sunday, he said.

“I don’t look at this and think it’s an indication of how the whole season’s going to go, nor even if everything was the same every day would I think that,” said Zobrist, who played for Maddon in Tampa Bay. “I know Joe well enough to know that as time goes on sometimes he just plays the hot hand; sometimes he doesn’t; sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason to it a lot from our standpoint.” That’s why Maddon uses his words carefully when asked about players’ roles, usually leaving descriptions more open-ended. “It’s always about semantics, man,” Maddon said. “Whatever you say, it sticks. And then people hold you to that, which they should. When it comes to baseball players, man, if you say they’re one thing and then try to make him into something else, it really freaks him out. It just does. “Without naming a closer, without naming a second baseman, without naming an eighth-inning guy or a seventh-inning guy, it really creates a lot more latitude, which you need.” Closer Wade Davis, for instance, is the only reliever with a defined role. Zobrist, who was told when he signed a four-year deal before last season that he would begin as the Cubs’ primary second baseman, said he was “actually surprised that I played every day at second base the first half of the year.” He started in right field the first two games in Milwaukee and said he expects Maddon to keep moving him and Baez around. “If it does ever stay longer than a couple months,” Zobrist said, “then I need to go see if he’s OK.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Kyle Hendricks pitches six, bats break out as Cubs rout Brewers By Gordon Wittenmyer MILWAUKEE – For four games, the reigning National League MVP had all of one infield single to show for 16 early-season at-bats. For three batters Saturday, the reigning ERA champion in the major leagues had an ERA of infinity – allowing a homer, single and run-scoring double. But then came the rest of the game, with rest of the season promising to follow in 157-game succession. “It wasn’t an oil painting, but it was nevertheless effective and good,” said Cubs manager Joe Maddon after the Cubs pounded the Brewers for a 17-hit, 11-6 victory at Miller Park – with starter Kyle Hendricks making his season debut eight days since his last exhibition start and persevering for six innings. “Give Kyle credit,” Maddon said, referring to the long layoff. “I think you’ll see him much sharper the next time out.” Hendricks (1-0) was sharp enough after those first three batters to retire the next 10 before giving up a walk and two-run homer in the fourth. “It wasn’t the start I was looking for,” said Hendricks, who led both leagues with a 2.13 ERA last year. “Luckily we came out swinging it today.” MVP Kris Bryant tied the game with a two-run double in the third and finished with three hits, including another double, and three RBIs as the Cubs matched their runs total for the first four games of the season combined.

“I still don’t feel anywhere near comfortable up there,” said Bryant, who said his timing is off. “But it’s nice to get some hits out of the way.” Shortstop Addison Russell also doubled twice, singled and walked; Albert Almora Jr. had three hits, a walk, two RBIs and made his second spectacular catch of the season, sliding to rob Travis Shaw of a hit and end the fifth; and even starting pitcher Hendricks added a pair of singles. “We knew it was a matter of time,” Hendricks said of the breakout hitting attack against left-hander Tommy Milone and the suspect Brewers bullpen. “I had a good feeling about it being today, honestly, just kind of because of the matchup and the way they were looking. You can’t hold this offense down for very long.” After one full turn through the rotation, the Cubs’ starters are 3-0 with a 2.83 ERA. They’re also 5-for-11 at the plate, with Hendricks delivering the staff’s second multi-hit game, including a run-scoring single on a tapper that died on the grass near the third-base line in the fifth. Special guest for home opener Soot Zimmer, the widow of former Cubs manager and Maddon friend Don Zimmer, is to be on hand, with their grandson, for Monday’s home opener and banner raising, as guests of Maddon. “We kept playing phone tag, and I finally got her [Friday],” said Maddon, who became close to the Zimmers when Don was a special adviser for the Rays during Maddon’s time managing the team. “I said, `Zim’s going to be there so you might as well be there, too.’ So she conceded. “She was really excited. She’s a really fun lady, with an infectious laugh, an absolutely infectious laugh.” Zimmer, who was named NL Manager of the Year for the Cubs’ 1989 playoff season, worked with Maddon in Tampa Bay until his death in 2014, Maddon’s final season with the Rays. -- Daily Herald Cubs make it a draft-pick parade past Brewers By Bruce Miles MILWAUKEE -- The first-round merry-go-round is off and spinning for the Chicago Cubs. Opposing teams are warned to hang on tight, because it may be a dizzying ride. For the second time in the new season, the Cubs started their first-round draft picks from the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Javier Baez, Albert Almora Jr., Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber were all over the place in an 11-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. The game was played in front of a Saturday night sellout crowd of 43,080 fans, most of whom were cheering for the Cubs, who improved to 3-2. Manager Joe Maddon wasn't aware of the top picks being in the lineup at once, but he didn't mind benefiting from it. "I didn't realize that," he said. "That's good scouting and player development right there. And you can talk about how good of players they are, but they are -- and you guys know it -- great people, too. They fit into the culture so well. They fit into anybody's culture well. They're so accountable. And their work is so good every day."

If you're wondering where the Cubs' top pick from 2015 is, Ian Happ is not far away. After a strong spring training with the big club, he's off to a good start at Class AAA Iowa, and truth be told, he could start for a lot of major-league clubs. Here is how it went for the cream of the Cubs' recent draft classes Saturday: • Baez scored a pair of runs and went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. • Almora was 3-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBI. He also made a diving backhand snag of Travis Shaw's flyball to end the fifth inning. • Bryant picked up his first 3 RBI of the season. He had a 2-run double in the third, a run-scoring single in the fourth and a double leading off the eighth. • Schwarber doubled and scored in the third. "As a team, I think that was a great display of some weak hits," said Bryant, noting infield rollers and bloop hits the Cubs had. "That's usually how things start going. What did we have, 17 hits? That was really good, so hopefully we can kind of turn the page on this whole opening week and just play our game." The Cubs envisioned this flow of talent when they embarked on their rebuilding project in the fall of 2011. Things began coming together in 2015 with a trip to the National League championship series, and the first big prize came last year with the World Series championship. In Saturday's game, the Cubs also featured young players such as homegrown catcher Willson Contreras and young or relatively young standouts acquired from other organizations: Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks. It was the first start of the season for Hendricks, the 2016 ERA champion. He righted himself after leadoff homer to Jonathan Villar in the first followed by a single to Eric Thames and a run-scoring double to Shaw. "It wasn't the start I was looking for," said Hendricks, who worked 6 innings, giving up 5 hits and 4 runs. "But luckily, we came out swinging it today. Putting up the runs was big. Finding the strike zone wasn't the problem. I was kind of throwing across my body. Things were just kind of off." The Cubs wiped out that 2-0 deficit in the third on Bryant's double and an RBI forceout by Ben Zobrist. Bryant's single brought another Cubs run home in the fourth before the Brewers tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning on a 2-run homer by Nick Franklin. The Cubs broke it open for good late in the game. -- Daily Herald Cubs prepping for home-field festivities By Bruce Miles MILWAUKEE -- After Sunday's series finale at Miller Park, the Cubs will finally get to come home and enjoy more spoils of their 2016 World Series championship. Before Monday night's game against the Dodgers at Wrigley Field, the championship banner will be raised. Tuesday will be an off-day. Before Wednesday night's game, the Cubs will receive their World Series rings from a selected group of fans. "It's really a special time," manager Joe Maddon said Saturday. "Like everything else, I will encourage my guys to slow it down, take those mental snapshots, enjoy it, don't let it happen too quickly, understand this is good, you celebrate achievement. So for all those different reasons, I am looking forward to it. I will tell myself to slow it down and enjoy it."

Maddon added he's looking forward to the banner raising the most. "I love banner raisings," he said. "Rings are wonderful, but I love banner raisings. That's symbolically there all the time. Every time a kid shows up at the ballpark, he sees that banner. Hopefully we're going to be able to add more." Guest of honor: Joe Maddon revealed Saturday that has invited Soot Zimmer, the widow of former Cubs manager Don Zimmer, to attend Monday's opening-night festivities. Don Zimmer served as a coach with Maddon in Tampa Bay. "I said, 'Zim's going to be there (in spirit), so you might as well be there too,'" Maddon said of his phone call with Soot Zimmer. Baez bounces back: Javier Baez was back in the Cubs lineup at second base, one night after a nasty-looking collision with center fielder Jason Heyward. Baez had to leave Friday night's game after suffering a bruise near his left eye. "Good, good, 100 percent normal," he said. "I'm seeing good." Baez showed no signs of damage except for a bloodshot left eye. He said he began icing the area since coming out of the game. He did take some ribbing from his teammates. "The guy's made of steel," Kyle Schwarber said. As for Heyward, he was not in Saturday's lineup, but Joe Maddon said he had planned to give Heyward the night off against Brewers lefty Tommy Milone. Heyward said he was fine. -- Cubs.com Bryant collects 3 RBIs in win over Brewers By Carrie Muskat and Joe DiGiovanni MILWAUKEE -- Kris Bryant had looked like anything but the reigning National League Most Valuable Player Award winner when he began the season 0-for-14, but that skid is over. Bryant drove in three runs, including a pair on a double in the third inning, to spark the Cubs to an 11-6 victory over the Brewers on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 43,080 at Miller Park. The Brewers were missing some firepower as Ryan Braun was scratched from the lineup because of tightness in his lower back. Jonathan Villar gave them a boost with a leadoff homer, Nick Franklin added a game-tying two-run shot in the fourth and Jett Bandy smacked a two-run homer in the ninth. Villar's and Franklin's blasts came off the Cubs' Kyle Hendricks, the Major League ERA leader last season, who helped himself at the plate with two hits, including a tie-breaking RBI single in the fifth. Hendricks struck out six over six innings in his season debut. "The very beginning of the game, 0-2 pitch, and Villar hits the homer -- we're not used to seeing [Hendricks] giving up homers, period," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That was unusual. He battled through it. We needed those innings to make it work tonight, and he did it."

Bryant added an RBI single in the fourth and also doubled to open the eighth, setting up a four-run inning. Willson Contreras and Javier Baez each drove in two runs that frame. Both Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr. collected three hits as the Cubs totaled a season-high 17 hits. "We knew it was a matter of time," Hendricks said of the Cubs' offense. "I had a good feeling it would be today. You can't hold this offense down for very long. It's good to see them get rolling." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Penmanship: After playing an 11-inning game on Friday night, both teams needed their starters to go deep. Milwaukee's Tommy Milone subbed for starter Junior Guerra, who strained his right calf on Opening Day. Milone lasted four innings, giving up four runs. The Brewers needed 199 pitches from Milone and four relievers to get through the game, taxing an already overworked bullpen. After the game, the team optioned left-hander Brent Suter to Triple-A Colorado Springs but made no corresponding move. "We needed more fielders tonight," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "[The Cubs] get credit for putting the ball in play, for sure, they put the ball in play, but they found a lot of holes." Center of attention: Not many No. 9 hitters can make an impact in the NL, but the Cubs' Almora did his part. Batting behind the pitcher, Almora went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles and a walk. The three hits matched his career high. Almora also made a nice diving catch of Travis Shaw's fly ball to end the Brewers' fifth and strand a runner at second. Statcast™ called for a 65 percent catch probability in three-star territory on the play. "The way Almora has been playing center -- that catch he made for me today was huge -- and the day he had at the plate," Hendricks said. Added Bryant: "You look at [Jason] Heyward, Albert, Jon Jay -- they are all Gold Glove caliber." QUOTABLE "It wasn't the start I was looking for, but luckily we came out swinging today. Finding the strike zone wasn't the problem. I was throwing across my body, and things were kind of off." -- Hendricks SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Milone was the first left-hander to start a game at Miller Park for the Brewers since Tom Gorzelanny on Aug. 21, 2013, against the Cardinals. He was the first southpaw to start a game for the Brewers versus the Cubs since Randy Wolf on June 7, 2012, at Miller Park. • Hendricks matched his career high with two hits, something he has now accomplished three times. It also marked the second time he has done so against the Brewers (Sept. 18, 2016). "I think early I noticed I didn't have it, so I knew I'd have to do anything I could," Hendricks said of his hitting. "Luckily, we ended up swinging it enough to score enough runs." WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Jake Arrieta will close the series against the Brewers at 1:10 p.m. CT on Sunday at Miller Park. In his first start, Arrieta gave up one unearned run over six innings against the Cardinals. He's 4-1 with a 2.56 ERA in his last five starts against the Brewers. Brewers: Braun (lower back tightness) may be out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game as the Brewers' seven-game homestand ends on Sunday. Zach Davies will start for Milwaukee. He allowed six runs in just 4 1/3 innings in his first start, a 6-5 loss to Colorado. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

-- Cubs.com Baez returns 1 day after scary collision By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE -- Javier Baez went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs in Saturday's 11-6 win over the Brewers, one day after a violent collision with teammate Jason Heyward that resulted in a bruise above the infielder's left eye. "The doctor came and checked me out and everything was fine," Baez said on Saturday before the game. "I told him I was ready to play today." Baez did not have a headache from the crash. "The guy's made of steel," teammate Kyle Schwarber said. Baez and Heyward collided in shallow center field in the sixth inning of the Cubs' 2-1, 11-inning loss to the Brewers at Miller Park as both chased a fly ball by Hernan Perez. Heyward popped up immediately after the incident to get the ball, but Baez stayed on the ground, eventually leaving the game. He did not have to undergo concussion protocol. "I said, 'When I saw you out there, it was starting to swell, and I was concerned you weren't going to be able to see properly,'" Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of his conversation with Baez. Cubs fans were concerned, and to respond to everyone, Baez posted on Twitter. "Everybody was asking and I couldn't respond to all the messages, so I put it out there in public," Baez said. Heyward did not start on Saturday, but that was because the Cubs had planned on giving him a day off rather than face Brewers lefty Tommy Milone. Heyward has a hit in each game this year. Including Saturday, Baez has started four of the Cubs' five games at second base. Is he the everyday second baseman? "I haven't even thought about it," Maddon said. "[Ben Zobrist] is at second [on Sunday], and Javy is off." Maddon does like Baez's defensive abilities. "I'm going to try to balance it as much as I can," Maddon said. "It's not just about Javy being the everyday second baseman, it's how do you get [Albert Almora Jr.] in the lineup, how do you get [Jon Jay] in the lineup? What you've seen is a good indicator of what we'll be able to do." Maddon didn't want to name Baez the regular there -- he likes having versatile players to move around. "It's always about semantics," Maddon said. "Whatever you say, it sticks. People hold you to that. When it comes to baseball players, if you say one thing and try to make him into something else, it freaks them out." -- Cubs.com Determined Bryant breaking out of early slump By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE -- OK, Kris Bryant isn't perfect. How do we know? The reigning National League Most Valuable Player Award winner told Cubs manager Joe Maddon that he made a mistake on the basepaths when he was thrown out at home plate in the eighth inning against the Brewers.

The Cubs didn't need that run -- Bryant had driven in three in Saturday's 11-6 victory at Miller Park -- but he went up to Maddon immediately after the play happened. "It was stupid baserunning," Bryant said. "[Third-base coach Gary Jones] told me, 'Make it go through,' and obviously, [Anthony Rizzo's ball] didn't go through. I take a lot of pride in my baserunning. It's always something. I told him, 'Sorry.'" Maddon appreciated the effort, and the third baseman's humbleness. "He came right up and says, 'I made a mistake,'" Maddon said. "It's so refreshing. They know when they've screwed up. You don't have to go get them. They know when they mess up, and they're highly accountable." Maddon and the Cubs also appreciated that Bryant is no longer 0-for the start of the 2017 season. He began hitless in his first 14 at-bats and ended that skid with an infield single in the fifth inning on Friday that bounced off the third-base bag. "I've never hit the bag, ever, my whole life," Bryant said. "The baseball gods were on my side with that one. ... I still don't feel anywhere near comfortable there, but it's nice to get the hits out of the way." Bryant smacked a two-run double in the third for his first extra-base hit and RBIs of the season, added an RBI single in the fourth and knocked another double in the eighth. He's still working on his timing. It'll come. The Cubs have only played five games. "You'll never see him [frustrated]," Maddon said. "Of course, I've seen him [frustrated]. He's like everybody else, he gets a little bit wide-eyed and huffy and puffy and all that stuff. None of us like to be frustrated. Am I concerned? Absolutely not. When he goes through a moment like that, I know you'll see him absolutely hot in the very near future." Bryant, who belted 39 homers and drove in 102 runs last season while batting .292, doesn't take his frustrations out on strength and conditioning coordinator Tim Buss or his teammates -- at least as far as we know. "Just get more determined," Bryant said of his approach when things don't go right. "I realize this is part of being a big leaguer is to deal with the 0-for-12 and the 0-for-13 and the bad stretches and know it will turn around because it always does. It's part of the learning process. I'm planting the seeds to keep learning and taking notes in the back of my head. For me, it's be more determined up there." -- Cubs.com Happ, Candelario go deep for Iowa in second straight game By Manny Randhawa A pair of top Cubs prospects continued their hot start to the Minor League season on Saturday, as Ian Happ (Cubs' No. 2, No. 26 overall) and Jeimer Candelario (Cubs' No. 4, No. 93 overall) each homered for the second consecutive game to help lead Triple-A Iowa to a 10-9 win over Oklahoma City. Happ, a switch-hitter batting from the left side, belted a two-run homer well over the left-field wall in the third inning to extend the Cubs' lead to 5-2 over the Dodgers on Saturday night. He finished the game 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk to go with the two RBIs. On Friday, the 2015 first-round Draft pick hit his first Triple-A home run, a solo shot in a 7-5 win over Oklahoma City. Candelario hit a three-run shot to left in the first inning on Saturday before adding a two-RBI double in the fifth, increasing his RBI total to a Pacific Coast League-leading 10. The 23-year-old third baseman also hit a first-inning homer in Friday's win.

Happ is coming off a tremendous Cactus League performance during Spring Training with the Cubs, as he batted .383 with seven doubles and five home runs in 60 at-bats. In 134 games between Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee last season, Happ hit .279/.365/.445 with 15 home runs. Candelario split the 2016 season between Tennessee and Iowa, batting .283/.376/.464 with 13 homers in 132 games. He was briefly called up in July, appearing in five games for the Cubs and going 1-for-11 with a single. -- Cubs.com Maddon invites Zimmer's widow to opener By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE -- In a sentimental tip of the cap to a mentor, manager Joe Maddon invited the widow of former Cubs manager Don Zimmer to Monday's home opener against the Dodgers at 7:05 p.m. CT. Maddon, who managed the Rays from 2006-14, got to know "Soot" Zimmer when her husband was a consultant with Tampa Bay from '04-14. "I don't think 'Soot' has missed an Opening Day, and I did not want it to happen this year," Maddon said. The Cubs will raise their championship banners on Monday at Wrigley Field. Don, who managed the Cubs from 1988-91, inspired Maddon. Zimmer would bring some Coney Island hot dogs, and the two would talk in Maddon's office. "He liked the way I did things, his advice to me was spectacular," Maddon said in a March 2015 interview. "'Zim' wasn't young at that time, but guys in his position normally are there to give advice regarding evaluation of players. Zim was still able to give you strategy for the game and really was outstanding with all that." Zimmer passed away in June 2014 at the age of 83. "I said [to Soot], 'Zim's going to be there, so you might as well be there, too,'" Maddon said. "She's really a fun lady, infectious laugh. Obviously, I got to know her well because of 'Coach Zimmerman.' It's appropriate she'll be at another Opening Day, and to be at this one. I thought it was necessary, not only because of her affiliation with the Cubs, but with me." Worth noting • The Cubs employed a five-man infield in the 11th inning on Friday, and although it didn't come into play, it's something that they will likely try again. Kyle Schwarber moved from left field to first base, and first baseman Anthony Rizzo slid to second. "It's like anything else on defense," Maddon said. "When a hitter's not used to seeing it, it bothers him." • Reliever Hector Rondon has been tweaking his mechanics, and on Friday threw a scoreless inning against the Brewers. What adjustment did the Cubs make? "Subtle," Maddon said with a smile. "I honestly can't say. We made an adjustment." • Rizzo wrote "Dom" on his cap for Saturday's game in honor of his cousin, Domenick, who found out Saturday he needs a heart transplant. --

Cubs.com Wrigley renovations match on-field product By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- Almost six years have passed since Tom Ricketts and his president of business operations, Crane Kenney, sat in seats atop the Green Monster at Fenway Park to watch the Cubs drop the opening game of an Interleague series. They were there on a scouting mission, taking in all the ways that the Red Sox have improved their crown-jewel stadium. Their cover was blown when Kenney grabbed a home run crushed by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. But these days, it is Ricketts and his staff who are hitting home runs -- not just with the drought-breaking championship last November, but in their transformation of Wrigley Field. After three offseasons of massive work done in often freezing weather, they're closing in on completion of the overhaul they tagged the 1060 Project. Fans will see the progress for themselves on Monday night, when the Cubs open the gates and raise a sparkling new World Series banner. There was still a construction-site feeling to the ballpark on Saturday afternoon when I walked around it. But workers were polishing railings and adding the finishing touches to the new plaza on the west side of the park, officially known as The Park at Wrigley. The new west gates at Wrigley will be in use for the home opener against the Dodgers. Those should ease the congestion for fans entering and exiting games, as it will be possible to get into and out of the upper deck without joining the crowds in the main seating bowl. The plaza spreads out from south of the team's new office/Hall of Fame/retail building, where the Cubs store occupies the ground level. The team is in the process of transitioning into its office space there, but the plaza becomes fully operational next week. There's a video board where games will be shown, as well as a lawn that will be used for farmer's markets, music and other neighborhood activities. The biggest part of the work this winter came in digging down 24 feet to lay the foundation and build the walls that frame the new club that will be below the home-plate seats. Work couldn't begin until after Game 5 of the World Series, but the club was always seen as a two-year project -- so it won't make its grand opening until 2018. Demolishing and rebuilding the best seats in the park was plenty of work for one winter. The most visible change on Monday will be that bullpens have been moved from down the outfield foul lines to newly built areas under the outfield bleachers. Relief pitchers will be warmer and drier than in seasons past, but maybe not as fully engaged as they've been throughout Wrigley's 103-season history -- which dates back to the Chicago Whales of the Federal League. There was a romance that came with fans being able to carry on conversations with players in the bullpen, which even Hall of Famers felt. Phil Niekro always considered Wrigley among his favorite parks. "I'd go out there just to smell the place," Niekro said. "You'd smell beer, popcorn, catsup, mustard. ... Sometimes when I wasn't pitching, I'd go down and sit in the bullpen just to enjoy the park, the people. I'd stick my hand behind my back and somebody would give me a little popcorn, maybe even a hot dog. What a great place." None of the recent work at Wrigley has been as visible for fans as the construction two years ago, when the outfield bleachers were torn down and rebuilt to accommodate video boards. The heavy lifting last winter was on the Cubs' clubhouse, which -- like the American Airlines 1914 Club -- was scheduled over two years because it involved excavating before the construction.

While some finishing touches remain -- the biggest being the relocation/expansion of the visitors' clubhouse -- the work to be completed in the ballpark is minor compared to the ongoing construction outside. A hotel and other residential/retail buildings are in progress on the west side of Clark Street and south of Addison Street. It's amazing that Ricketts and his staff have been able to renovate Wrigley without having to play some regular-season games elsewhere, like the Yankees borrowing Shea Stadium in 1974 and '75. The scale of what has been done every winter is audacious. But season after season, it's been completed in time. The only thing that moved faster was the rise of Theo Epstein's team from doormat to champions. There's a lot for the Cubs and their fans to celebrate next week, and I'm pretty sure they will. -- ESPNChicago.com So much for Kris Bryant's 'slump' By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE -- No other reigning MVP had gone more at-bats without mustering a hit to start the season than Kris Bryant, but the Chicago Cubs third baseman didn't become discouraged. Self-evaluation is perhaps Bryant's best attribute, and that awareness could explain what led to such a quick turnaround at the plate. It’s why manager Joe Maddon -- as well as Bryant himself -- showed very little angst when the 25-year-old began the season 0-for-14. After an infield hit on Friday, he broke out for three more on Saturday to go along with three RBIs in the Cubs' 11-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The slump is over. “When he goes through a moment like that, you just know he’s going to get hot in the very near future,” Maddon said after the game. It’s what Cubs fans have gotten used to over Bryant’s first two years in the big leagues. No one was surprised to hear he took his opening-week struggles in stride. Every out made was just motivation for the next at-bat. “I don’t feel anywhere near comfortable up there, but it’s nice to get some hits out of the way,” Bryant said casually at his locker late on Saturday. It was just days ago, at the end of spring training, Bryant declared he was locked in for the start of the season. Even MVPs can be wrong. “The brighter the lights, the guys are throwing harder, their pitches look a little different,” Bryant said of the difference between spring games and regular-season ones. “Start out slow in spring training, adjust. Start out slow in the regular season and adjust. It’s a game of adjustments.” As the MVP goes, so do the Cubs. It wasn’t long ago Maddon hinted he thought the Cubs could average five runs a game this season. That’s a lot for a National League team, but after Saturday, they’re approaching that mark -- averaging 4.6. Of course, it took 11 in one night to get them there, which means there wasn’t a ton of offense in the first four games of the season. The Cubs nearly got to five per game last season, and that was without a certain pudgy left fielder in the lineup until the World Series. And it doesn’t hurt when your pitchers have five hits in five games, including two from Kyle Hendricks on Saturday. Also, their part-time No. 9 hitter, Albert Almora Jr, is hitting .571, so maybe five runs per game is possible. The Cubs did all their damage on Saturday without even squaring up on a ton of balls. “Those couple bloopers always help,” Maddon said.

The Cubs pounded out 17 hits, but some just fell in, while others were hit to the wall. None left the yard, which isn’t a bad thing. There was some baton passing from one player to the next, which was reminiscent of last year’s World Series offense. Plus, the Cubs earned six walks on Saturday -- yet another tribute to 2016. “Hopefully we can turn the page on this whole opening week and play our game,” Bryant said. In other words, the monkey is off his back, as well as the team’s, after scoring just 12 runs in the first four games, all nail-biters. By turning a 4-4 tie into an 11-4 lead on Saturday, the Cubs finally had a moment to breathe. Maddon was asked how the mild-mannered Bryant reacts during a slump. Publicly, he’s as cool as they come, but he is human, after all. “You get a little wide-eyed, huffy and puffy and all that stuff,” Maddon said. And how did Bryant respond to his struggles? The only way he knows how. The way that earned him Rookie of the Year in 2015 and the MVP award in 2016. He explained it in four words. “Just get more determined,” he said. Then he finished the thought with the type of advice a veteran might dispense. “This is part of being a big leaguer,” Bryant said. “Knowing that it will turn around, because it always does.” -- CSNChicago.com Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks And All The Ways The Cubs Have To Win By Patrick Mooney MILWAUKEE – Kris Bryant, the National League's reigning MVP, notched three hits to raise his .063 average 119 points on Saturday night and drove in his first three runs this season. The All-Star third baseman ended the sixth inning by charging Nick Franklin's bunt and finishing the barehanded play with a strong throw across the field. Yet Bryant still felt the need to apologize for making the first out in the eighth inning at home plate, because third base coach Gary Jones had told him to run only if Anthony Rizzo's groundball bounced past the Milwaukee Brewers' drawn-in infield. "KB actually made a mistake running the bases," manager Joe Maddon said after an 11-6 win at a Miller Park awash in Cubbie blue. "You know what, though, when he does, he comes right up and says: ‘I made a mistake.' It's so refreshing that they know when they screw up. You don't have to go get them. They know when they mess up and they're highly accountable. "That's what I'm talking about when I'm talking about the core guys. Yeah, they're good, but they're more than good as baseball players. They're just solid. And that's why they've been able to accomplish what they have in a short period of time." The Cubs have so much talent that Kyle Hendricks started last year's World Series Game 7 and began this season as the No. 5 starter. On a team with this much star power and personality, Hendricks can lead the majors in ERA and become a Cy Young Award finalist and still kind of blend into the background. The defending World Series champs showed a sellout crowd of 43,080 how many different ways they have to win. Hendricks didn't have the usual feel for his fastballs – or the same sharpness with his changeup and curveball – in his first outing since March 31. It didn't really matter, either, because Hendricks could pitch like this all year and become a 20-game winner.

The Cubs scored 800-plus runs last season and might have a more explosive offense with Kyle Schwarber hitting leadoff and all the other young guys being a year older and more experienced. The Cubs played defense at a historic level last season and might be better up the middle now with Javier Baez taking over at second base and Albert Almora Jr. flying in and out from center field. A full season of a healthy Wade Davis should change the entire complexion of the bullpen. So Hendricks could take a deep breath when the Brewers scored two runs before he got his first out of the 2017 season. Hendricks could retire 10 in a row and exhale again after walking Kirk Nieuwenhuis and watching Franklin blast a game-tying, two-run homer onto a right-center field patio deck in the fourth inning. The Cubs generated 17 hits against a journeyman starter (Tommy Milone) and a rebuilding pitching staff. A "Let's go, Cubbies!" chant started in the eighth inning after Willson Contreras lined a bases-loaded double into left-center field, flipped his bat toward the Milwaukee dugout and sprinted to second base. "We knew it was a matter of time," said Hendricks, who chipped in with two hits, an RBI and a run scored while going six innings to earn the win (while four earned runs pushed his ERA to 6.00). "You can't hold this offense down for very long. It's good to see them get rolling, and now hopefully we can just go from here." Team "D-Peat" believes defense should never go into slumps. On a nightly basis, the Cubs make highlight-reel plays look routine. Almora ended the fifth inning by racing in from center field to make a sliding catch, popping back up with a smile on his face and slapping Schwarber's hand after robbing Travis Shaw, Milwaukee's No. 3 hitter. All this on a night that saw another World Series contender call up a spot fifth starter from Triple-A Syracuse. The Washington Nationals watched Jeremy Guthrie get two outs and give up 10 runs in a 17-3 football-score loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. After the final out here on Saturday night, the white W flags popped up all over Miller Park. One more game in Milwaukee and the Cubs will get to return home and hear the roar at Wrigley Field, see the World Series banner go up and get their championship rings. You might even see a reaction from the unflappable superstar who wants more. "I realize that this is part of being a big-leaguer," Bryant said, "to deal with the 0-for-12s and the 0-for-13s and the bad stretches and just knowing that it's going to turn around, because it always does. It's part of a learning process. I'm planting the seeds to keep learning, and taking notes in the back of my head." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs: Joe Maddon Invites Don Zimmer's Widow To Wrigley Banner-Raising Ceremony By Patrick Mooney MILWAUKEE – Joe Maddon's people skills and sense of baseball history led him to invite Don Zimmer's widow, Soot, to Monday night's home opener at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs will raise their 2016 World Series banner. This is personal for Maddon, who managed the Tampa Bay Rays while Zimmer worked as a senior adviser for the organization. Zimmer managed the Cubs for three-plus seasons – including the 1989 team that won 93 games – and died in 2014 at the age of 83. "I don't think Soot's missed an Opening Day," Maddon said before Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. "I don't know how many years it's been – she's not missed an Opening Day. So I did not want it to happen this year. "I left her a phone message. We kept playing phone tag. I finally got her yesterday. And I said: 'Zimm's going to be there, so you might as well be there, too.' So she conceded.

"It's just appropriate that she's going to be at another Opening Day. And to be there for this one – I thought it was necessary, based on not only her affiliation with the Cubs, but (my connection) with their family." Beau Zimmer, Don's grandson and a TV reporter with a CBS affiliate in Tampa, will accompany Soot for what should be an unforgettable event for generations of Cubs fans. "Rings are wonderful, but I love banner raisings," Maddon said. "That's symbolically there all the time. Every time a kid shows up at the ballpark, he sees that banner. And hopefully we're going to be able to add more." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs: Javier Baez Beginning Takeover Of Second-Base Job By Patrick Mooney MILWAUKEE – Cubs manager Joe Maddon kept Javier Baez in the lineup the day after a full-speed, head-on collision with Jason Heyward in shallow center field left him looking like a boxer with a bloodshot left eye and dark bruising around that eyelid. Baez started all 17 playoff games at second base last year. Baez has now started four of the season's first five games at second base, pushing Ben Zobrist toward the outfield and into more of a super-utility role for the defending World Series champs. At what point does Baez become your everyday second baseman? (Hint: It's already happening.) "I haven't even thought about that," Maddon said before Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. "Zo's at second base tomorrow. Javy's off tomorrow. Today's lineup was not based on the collision at all. I had that lineup made up before the game. "I'm going to try to balance it out as much as I can. Part of it is it's not just about Javy being the everyday second baseman. How do you get (Albert) Almora in the lineup? How do you get (Jon) Jay in the lineup? How do you keep Zo in the lineup as often as possible? That's really what it comes down to. "So pretty much what you've seen to this point, I think, is like a good indicator of what we're going to be able to do with everybody being healthy." Baez generates more highlight-reel plays and buzz on social media, but Zobrist is still a clubhouse leader, All-Star second baseman and World Series MVP. Zobrist is in the second season of a four-year, $56 million contract signed with the idea of ending the 108-year drought and focusing on one position to help preserve his body through his mid-30s. Beyond the respect for Zobrist, Maddon also seems to be trying to avoid anointing Baez, a player so confident he got the Major League Baseball logo tattooed onto the back of his neck as a teenager. Throughout spring training, Maddon answered questions about the second-base dynamics by identifying Zobrist as the primary option with Baez as a defensive rover. "It's always about semantics, man," Maddon said. "You got to be (careful). Whatever you say, it sticks. And then people hold you to that, which they should. When it comes to baseball players, man, if you say they're one thing and then try to make them into something else, it really freaks them out." This is also the direction where Maddon sees the game trending, lineups built with analytics and matchups in mind, rosters becoming less top-heavy and revolving more around depth and flexibility. Maddon has talked about the year he never formally named a closer for the Tampa Bay Rays and just kept going to the same guy in the ninth inning for save situations.

"Without naming a closer, without naming a second baseman, without a naming an eighth-inning guy or a seventh-inning guy, it really creates a lot more latitude, which you need in today's game," Maddon said. "Our group needs that. I think it's going to become more prominent throughout the industry where you might name a closer only and then the rest of the guys will just be out there and be ready. Position-player-wise, we're just different, I think, with all the versatility that we do have." --