August 12, 2017

CSNChicago.com, Redemption in The Desert: Kyle Schwarber goes deep in first game at Chase Field since ACL injury http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/redemption-desert-kyle-schwarber-goes-deep-first-game-chase-field-acl-injury

CSNChicago.com, How Cubs react without Willson Contreras will define their season http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-cubs-react-without-willson-contreras-will-define-their-season

CSNChicago.com, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras sidelined 4-to-6 weeks with strained hamstring http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-catcher-willson-contreras-sidelined-4-6-weeks-strained-hamstring

Chicago Tribune, Cubs get contributions throughout lineup in 8-3 win over Diamondbacks http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-kris-bryant-john-lackey-javier-baez-20170811-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs prepare to absorb loss of Willson Contreras for up to six weeks http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-willson-contreras-hamstring-strain-20170811-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs uncertain how catching will be divvied up with Willson Contreras out http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-catching-roles-cubs-notes-spt-0812-20170811-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs beat Diamondbacks 8-3 as John Lackey remains unbeaten post All-Star break http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-diamondbacks-spt-0812-20170811-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist displeased with Cubs' 2018 'spotlight' game http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-anthony-rizzo-ben-zobrist-20170811-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ John Lackey wins fifth straight, frustrated by short leash http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-john-lackey-wins-fifth-straight-frustrated-by-short-leash/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber: Return to scene of knee injury just another game http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-kyle-schwarber-return-to-scene-of-knee-injury-just-another-game/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs mull how to stop running game without Contreras catching Lester http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-mull-how-to-stop-running-game-without-contreras-catching-lester/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Willson Contreras might return in September, counting on October http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-put-catcher-willson-contreras-on-10-day-dl/

Chicago Sun-Times, Hamstring injury might not be season-ending blow for Willson Contreras http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/willson-contreras-expected-to-return-to-cubs-by-end-of-season-report/

Daily Herald, Cubs take cautious approach with Contreras injury http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170811/cubs-take-cautious-approach-with-contreras-injury

Cubs.com, Cubs pounce early, pile on to deny D-backs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247898476/cubs-strike-early-add-on-to-defeat-d-backs/

Cubs.com, Avila provides lift after Cubs lose Contreras http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247968522/alex-avila-lifts-cubs-after-losing-contreras/

Cubs.com, Contreras has hamstring strain, to miss month http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247820640/willson-contreras-has-hamstring-strain/

Cubs.com, Schwarber back at Chase, site of '16 collision http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247839952/cubs-schwarber-returns-to-site-of-16-injury/

Cubs.com, Ross was heartbeat of 2 World Series champs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247893408/david-ross-helps-red-sox-cubs-to-titles/

Cubs.com, Lester faces off with lefty Corbin in Arizona http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247813942/lester-faces-off-with-lefty-corbin-in-arizona

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs waste no time in showing they can overcome loss of Willson Contreras http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45350/cubs-waste-no-time-in-showing-they-can-overcome-loss-of-willson-contreras

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' Willson Contreras expected to be out four to six weeks with 'moderate' hamstring strain http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20316820/chicago-cubs-catcher-wilson-contreras-1-month-pulling-hamstring

-- CSNChicago.com Redemption in The Desert: Kyle Schwarber goes deep in first game at Chase Field since ACL injury By Charlie Roumeliotis The last time Kyle Schwarber stepped foot on Chase Field, he was carted off after suffering a gruesome ACL and LCL injury in just the third game of the year that was supposed to end his 2016 season. We all know what happened though in October, when he made a remarkable comeback six months into his recovery to help the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games of the World Series and snap a 108-year championship drought. On Friday, the 24-year-old slugger returned to The Desert for redemption and smoked a solo shot in the top of the sixth inning, guiding the Cubs to an 8-3 victory in their series opener against the Diamondbacks. Alex Avila followed that up with a homer of his own, his second in a Cubs uniform. -- CSNChicago.com How Cubs react without Willson Contreras will define their season By Patrick Mooney Cubs manager Joe Maddon finished the sentence before the reporter could get out the entire question: When something like this happens with a player like Willson Contreras, can that have…

“A galvanizing effect,” Maddon said during Wednesday’s postgame media briefing at AT&T Park, where he had a glass of Big Smooth red wine waiting after a potentially devastating loss to the San Francisco Giants. “Absolutely.” Uh, or maybe go the other way? It spoke to Maddon’s glass-half-full optimism and savvy way of playing offense with the media. It also sounded a little out of touch in the middle of a season where his perceptions haven’t necessarily matched the realities of a disappointing team. “I think something like this – for as bad as it seems on the surface – actually could galvanize the group,” Maddon said. “They know that he’s not here right now. They know how important he’s been to us. And now other guys realize: ‘Hey, let’s go, we have to pick up the slack.’ “I’ve seen it before, where your best player in that moment goes down and all of a sudden everybody else elevates their game a bit. That’s what I’m looking to see.” We’ll see. The Cubs announced the diagnosis before Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field: Contreras will likely be sidelined four-to-six weeks with a strained right hamstring. Suboptimal as Maddon might say, but also not the worst-case scenario feared when it looked like this could be a season-ending injury. “It’s been that kind of year,” pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. “Guys going down, somebody else has to come in and step up. That’s why we have so much depth on this team. “We just got to stick with our approach, stay with what this locker room does. Work on the at-bats, go pitch-to-pitch on the mound and kind of go from there and just win ballgames.” Even with Contreras becoming the kind of two-way catcher whose name could show up in the National League MVP voting, the Cubs have lost three straight series after their 13-3 run between the All-Star break and the July 31 trade deadline. It sounds like Maddon is still searching for the right buttons to push with a 59-54 team that is up only three games on the fourth-place Pittsburgh Pirates, with the St. Louis Cardinals rising and the Milwaukee Brewers fading. “The clubhouse has been great,” Maddon said. “The dugout’s been great. We just haven’t played well. We have not played with the same kind of efficiency that we had been playing with coming out of the break. “Pitching (has been) great. Defense – we still got to make plays. And overall, offensively, we need more consistency out of more people to get this whole thing done. “We came out with a lot of energy, played well post-break. Now we are just getting back into that thing where we have to push ourselves mentally more than anything to get over the hump. “We got to somehow almost like kind of will yourself to win. We just can’t make the mistakes that we’re making that permits the other team to gain an edge.” Hoping for Hawk Harrelson’s will to win to appear in the middle of August? How the Cubs react to the Contreras news, handle the pennant-race pressure and perform over the next 49 games will ultimately define their season. As exciting and as valuable as Contreras has been this year – and central to that World Series run – he still has not played a full season in the big leagues yet. The Cubs still have a reigning MVP (Kris Bryant), a Silver Slugger (Anthony Rizzo) and a World Series MVP (Ben Zobrist) in the middle of their lineup. The Cubs have a former Cy Young Award winner (Jake Arrieta) in their rotation and an All-Star closer (Wade Davis) looming in the ninth inning. Javier Baez and Jason Heyward are two of the best defenders in the game. Cy Young Award finalists Jon Lester and Hendricks fronted the playoff rotation for a 103-win team last year. That group made a point to have “We Never Quit” engraved on the championship rings.

“Everybody’s got to take it on themselves, more ownership,” Hendricks said. “Just take care of their job, what they got to do. We got to have a few guys step up.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs catcher Willson Contreras sidelined 4-to-6 weeks with strained hamstring By Patrick Mooney Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Willson Contreras is not definitively out for the rest of the season. But the Cubs catcher will likely be sidelined four-to-six weeks with a strained right hamstring at a time when four National League Central teams are now separated by three games. The first step for Contreras will be taking about two weeks off to recover after Thursday’s MRI revealed what the Cubs called a “moderate” strain. Once Contreras is pain free, the Cubs can then ramp up the rehab process. Friday’s timetable could put Contreras in play by mid-to-late September, when the schedule is loaded with divisional opponents. This general outline at least appears to avoid the worst-case scenario that seemed possible when Contreras needed help to hobble off the field during Wednesday’s costly loss to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. This was an alarming development for a first-place team that needs him as a cleanup hitter, the receiver who shuts down the running game and an emerging voice in the clubhouse. The obvious roster move before Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field: Contreras placed on the 10-day disabled list and Victor Caratini promoted from Triple-A Iowa to back up Alex Avila. No one player or combination behind the plate can match Contreras, who leads all NL catchers with 21 homers and 70 RBI and has such a rocket arm. But Avila was good enough for the Detroit Tigers teams that averaged 91-plus wins per season between 2011 and 2014, winning four division titles and an American League pennant. And Caratini – who hit .344 with a .944 OPS in 76 games with Iowa – would have been a September call-up with a bright future. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs get contributions throughout lineup in 8-3 win over Diamondbacks By Mark Gonzales Kris Bryant described the necessary steps to treat his left pinkie as “brutal.” Despite winning his fifth consecutive decision, John Lackey would like to pitch deeper into games than he did Friday night. And Javier Baez put the finishing touches on the Cubs' 8-3 victory over the Diamondbacks with some daring base running. All these developments took some of the sorrow away from the loss of Willson Contreras for at least the next four weeks, as the Cubs received contributions in all facets to make up for the loss of their star catcher. “A great team win there,” Bryant said after collecting three hits. “There were a lot of good at-bats, up and down (the lineup) and guys sacrificing themselves for the team.”

Bryant has made his own sacrifice as he copes with the pain stemming from a left pinkie injury suffered on a head-first slide at Atlanta on July 19. “It’s brutal every day,” Bryant said. “It swells up. It’s actually kind of annoying to go in the training room every day to do all this work just to feel good. But sometimes you have to go through that.” Bryant said the extra rest caused by Thursday’s day off provided only temporary relief. “This is the time of the season where games start piling up, and you have to take a step back and take a breather and not take batting practice or throw as much or take as many swings bcause it’s the time of year where guys get tired.” Bryant was sporting a patch above his left elbow after getting hit by a pitch from Taijuan Walker in the fifth, lamenting the lack of protection that his elbow pad provided. Meanwhile, Lackey tied a career best with a win in five consecutive starts (accomplished twice with the Angels in 2007 and 2008). Lackey has a 3.42 ERA during that stretch, but he’s pitched only 26 1/3 innings. And Lackey let manager Joe Maddon know of his desire to pitch deeper than the 5 1/3 innings he threw Friday before Maddon pulled him. “A little bit,” Lackey said of his frustration. “I feel I’ve been throwing the ball better than to be going five innings. “The way all these analytics dudes are, everybody goes out as soon as they can.” Maddon quipped that he told Lackey “nice going’’ before pulling him. “I knew he would not be happy with that,” said Maddon, who originally planned for Lackey to face the first three batters in the sixth but had to change course once Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run with one out in the sixth to cut the Cubs’ lead to 5-3. “My message to him is primarily by not throwing too many pitches now, he’s going to be strong the rest of the way.” Maddon said Lackey informed him of his desire to pitch deeper, “but I want him to pitch in October.” Lackey, 38, said he understands Maddon’s reasons for pulling him. “I’m definitely not getting younger,” Lackey said. “He’s trying to save me to be strong toward the end. There’s definitely an argument for that.” Lackey improved to 5-0 with a 3.08 ERA in six career starts against the Diamondbacks. The always-entertaining Baez added pizzazz to the victory in the eighth after breaking toward second base as Ian Happ hit a broken bat single to right center. Baez kept running to the point where he ran through the stop sign by third base coach Gary Jones, and then pausing before the throw from relay man Daniel Descalso sailed over the head of catcher Chris Iannetta during the Cubs’ three-run eighth. “There’s Javy,” Maddon said. “Once in a while he might do something that we got to talk to him about, and other times he does that.” Baez couldn’t pick up the ball as he headed toward third base.

“I was getting ready to look down for third base, and I saw (third base coach) Gary Jones waving me,” Baez said. “And right after I passed the base, I saw (Jones) with his arms up, and I said I couldn’t stop. “I kept going with all I had. I kind of stopped a little bit, but then I kept going.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs prepare to absorb loss of Willson Contreras for up to six weeks By Mark Gonzales After carrying the Cubs for nearly six weeks, catcher Willson Contreras is resigned to accepting of the possibility he will miss the same length of time while he recovers from a moderate right hamstring strain. "I just hope my teammates keep doing their job to maintain first place," Contreras said Friday before the Cubs took on the Diamondbacks. The Cubs entered the day's action leading the Cardinals by one game, the Brewers by two and the Pirates by three in the tightening National League Central. As for Contreras, who has 21 home runs and 70 RBIs, he will be limited to taking treatment until he's pain-free, which could take up to two weeks. A more definitive return date could crystalize once his rehabilitation program begins. "Even if it's like three to five weeks or four to six weeks, I'm going to stay positive and going to take it slow," Contreras said two days after injuring his leg while running to first base. "I'm going to make sure when I get back, I (return) at 100 percent and still give 100 percent on the field. "I know (my teammates) are going to play hard and I feel we're going to make the playoffs. I'll be here supporting them." Contreras said the pain has subsided considerably since the injury but wonders if the elements contributed to the ailment. "I've been doing yoga and my routine," Contreras claimed. "I think the weather we had in San Francisco was cold. I got out of the batter's box and felt I put too much weight on my legs to run the bases." Contreras said the left hamstring injury he suffered in 2015 that caused him to miss the final two weeks of the Arizona Fall League was much worse, but the timing of Wednesday's injury makes it extremely challenging for the Cubs with the resurgent Cardinals, Brewers and Pirates making a run at them. "The rest of us will have to pick up the slack because he has been carrying a lot of us offensively," said Ben Zobrist, who took over Contreras' cleanup duties Friday night. "Hopefully we can continue to produce at the level we have been, but that's a big blow to our offense now." Zobrist did his part with a single in the first inning that set up two runs. Kyle Schwarber and Alex Avila, who started at catcher Friday in place of Contreras, drew consecutive walks to score the Cubs' first run, and Chris Herrmann's passed ball gave them another. Kris Bryant, a .170 hitter with two outs and runners in scoring position, hit a two-out single to score Jon Jay in the second. "We're going to miss (Contreras)," said Schwarber, who spoke to Contreras about the rehab process after missing nearly the entire 2016 season because of two torn knee ligaments. "We have a lot of confidence in this offense, too. The big thing, collectively as a group, if someone goes down, we pick him back up.

"It's obviously not what we want to happen, but we have to keep going forward and we're looking forward to getting him back." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs uncertain how catching will be divvied up with Willson Contreras out By Mark Gonzales Deciding on a catcher to handle Jon Lester isn't so easy for manager Joe Maddon. He has spoken to Lester and pitching coach Chris Bosio about whether veteran newcomer Alex Avila or rookie Victor Caratini will catch Lester on Saturday night in his first start since Willson Contreras suffered a right hamstring strain. "We're still debating it," Maddon said. "Without being rash, I want to think it all the way through." The left-handed hitting Avila has nine seasons of major-league experience, but he's batting .136 against left-handers, and Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin has limited left-handed hitters to a .246 mark (compared to a .319 mark against right-handers). Maddon's other option is the switch-hitting Caratini. "I don't think it's wise to nail it down one way or the other," Maddon said of assigning the catching duties. "It's almost like declaring a closer. I don't want to do that right now." Scene of the accident: Left fielder Kyle Schwarber wasn't worried about playing his first game at Chase Field since tearing two ligaments in a collision with Dexter Fowler on April 7, 2016. "I'm sure there will be thoughts running, but I'm not too worried about it," Schwarber said. "It's the only reason why I'm wearing this knee brace. It's a constant reminder, I guess." Schwarber said he wouldn't make any special preparations in his return to left field, other than shagging flies during batting practice. Schwarber did joke that he went to Maddon's office, telling him he had his catcher's gear "just in case." Schwarber's batting average has climbed 15 points since the start of the second half, but he has struck out at a 44 percent rate since the All-Star break. "People say (strikeouts) are part of the game," Schwarber said. "I don't want to be known as a guy who is going to strike out 200 times. I want to be known as a good hitter, so obviously I have to find a way to cut those down." Russell return? Shortstop Addison Russell hit in the Wrigley Field cages and performed light running Friday, but it's unclear whether he will return for the Cubs' seven-game homestand starting Monday. "He's moving along, but we don't have a finish line in sight yet," Maddon said. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs beat Diamondbacks 8-3 as John Lackey remains unbeaten post All-Star break By Mark Gonzales After learning that prized catcher Willson Contreras could be lost for up to six weeks, the Cubs picked up the slack Friday night with an 11-hit attack as they pulled away to an 8-3 victory over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Contreras was batting .274 with 21 home runs and 70 RBIs before suffering a moderate strain of his right hamstring Wednesday at San Francisco. At the plate: The Cubs took advantage of two walks by Taijuan Walker to score twice in the first inning. Kris Bryant, who was batting .170 with two outs and runners in scoring position, hit a two-out single in the second to score Jon Jay. Kyle Schwarber and Alex Avila hit back-to-back homers in the sixth, and Albert Almora Jr.’s pinch-hit single fueled a three-run eighth. On the mound: John Lackey improved to 5-0 lifetime over the Diamondbacks. Lackey induced All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to ground into an inning-ending double play in the first and struck him out in the fourth. But Lackey was pulled after Goldschmidt ripped an opposite-field home run to right with one out in the fifth. Pedro Strop pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his 100th hold with the Cubs. In the field: Right field Jason Heyward ran far toward the right field line to catch a fly by Ketel Marte in the second. Avila, starting in place of Contreras, worked with Lackey without any disruptions. Key number: 5-0 – Lackey's record since the All-Star break. The quote: “The reality is (Contreras) is not here now. In some perverse way, sometimes when that does occur, other people are coming to the forefront.” – Joe Maddon Up next: vs. Diamondbacks at Chase Field, Saturday, 7:10 p.m. LH Jon Lester vs. LH Patrick Corbin. -- Chicago Tribune Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist displeased with Cubs' 2018 'spotlight' game By Mark Gonzales The Cubs' popularity and long-standing rivalry with the Cardinals make them a popular target for national telecasts. But there are limits, according to Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. The two Cubs' veterans are not happy that a rough draft of the 2018 schedule features the Cubs playing host to the Cardinals on July 19 — the Thursday following the All-Star Game — as part of a "spotlight game" as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. "I think it’s brutal," Rizzo said. "I think it’s awful. Look at this year. We needed that (four-day) break." Rizzo pointed out that it will be tough for those players participating in that "spotlight" game to fully enjoy the All-Star break with one less day at home. Teams can be selected to play the "spotlight game" only once during the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which runs through the 2021 season. Rizzo sensed that those games would consist primarily of teams who reach the playoffs on an annual basis. "They need to rest," Rizzo said. Zobrist chuckled while stating "it stinks" to lose a day during the All-Star break. "We don’t want to miss that day (off)," Zobrist said. "We don’t want to have to play that day when no one else is playing. (But) we agreed to other things (in the CBA). That was one of the things we probably had to agree to.

"If you're on one of those teams that has to play that game, it's probably because you’re on a good team or a team that everyone likes to watch. It's one of those things you have to accept." The Cardinals-Cubs spotlight game was first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 2018 schedule has yet to be officially approved. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ John Lackey wins fifth straight, frustrated by short leash By Gordon Wittenmyer PHOENIX – John Lackey gets it. Sort of. “I’m definitely not getting any younger, and [they’re] trying to save me to be strong toward the end,” said the Cubs’ gruff and old-school veteran starter. “There’s definitely an argument for that.” But the longtime rotation horse and playoff veteran has his own argument, which he made fruitlessly when his manager took the ball from him just one out and one home run into the sixth inning of Friday’s 8-3 victory over the Diamondbacks. “I feel like I’ve been throwing the ball better than to be going five innings,” said Lackey, who said he’s been “a little bit” frustrated by the short innings and pitch-count leash he’s been on since the All-Star break. Based on his starts since then, maybe they’re both right. Lackey’s victory over the Diamondbacks in Friday night’s opener of a three-game series at Chase Field makes the Cubs 6-0 in Lackey’s starts since the start of July. It makes him a major part of the Cubs’ surge into first place since the All-Star break – maintaining a one-game division lead over the Cardinals with Friday’s victory. Lackey (10-9) has earned the win in the last five of those starts, albeit pitching five, five, six, five and 5 1/3 innings in those wins. A 1-2-3 inning would have allowed Lackey to get through the sixth, manager Joe Maddon said. But when he gave up Paul Goldschmidt’s one-out homer to cut the Cubs’ lead to 5-3, he was done. “I knew he would not be happy with that,” Maddon said. “Listen, he did his job. He had great stuff. My message to him is primarily that by not throwing too many pitches now, he’s going to be strong the rest of the year. And he’s throwing well; you’ve seen it. You’ve seen an uptick in velocity, the greater break on the breaking ball, and I think part of that is by not beating him up.” It doesn’t seem to be an easy adjustment for Lackey, who has six 200-inning seasons and routinely pitched deep into October, winning World Series rings with the Angels, Red Sox and Cubs. He said he’s not sure what to expect down the stretch as the division race heats up, whether he’ll be leaned on more or whether he should be prepared for more of the same. “The way these analytics dudes are nowadays, they’re ready to get us out as soon as they can,” said Lackey, who recovered from early command issues Friday to roll two outs deep into the fifth before giving up a run. After walking two of the first three he faced, he got Goldschmidt to end the first by grounding a 3-2 fastball to short for a double play. He went on to retire 11 of 13.

He’s 5-0 with a 3.22 ERA since finishing the first half with a 5.20 ERA and questions about whether he should be moved to the bullpen – or moved out. “I think the rest was definitely good for me, for sure, with the All-Star break,” he said. Enough that he doesn’t feel the need for more rest in the sixth inning on his start days. “Which I’m very much aware of,” Maddon said. “But I want him pitching in October.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber: Return to scene of knee injury just another game By Gordon Wittenmyer PHOENIX – Kyle Schwarber was ready for the question Friday when he returned to the scene of the crash for the first time since suffering a season-ending knee injury last season. “Any ball hit out to left-center, I’m just going to sit down,” the left fielder said with a laugh. Nobody was laughing the last time the Cubs played a series at Chase Field in Phoenix, not after Schwarber was carted off the field three games into the season after colliding with center fielder Dexter Fowler. He was in left field again Friday for the opener of a three-game series against the Diamondbacks. “I’m sure there’ll be thoughts running, but overall I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “It’s not like I’m going to go out there and cry. It’s not going to affect how I play. I’m not going to go crazy or anything like that.” Besides, he has more important things to think about these days, entering Friday’s game as a .193 hitter who rarely starts against left-handers. The Cubs’ two-time postseason hitting hero has shown some improvement at the plate since a two-week demotion to the minors before the All-Star break, but his strikeout rate has actually jumped since then, too. He said he’s feeling better at the plate these days and remains “confident,” but he’s also aware of the strikeouts. “I don’t want to be known as the guy who’s going to go up there and punch out 200 times; I want to be known as a good hitter,” he said. “You’ve got to find a way to cut those down, but you can’t let them effect you during the game or anything like that.” Manager Joe Maddon has occasionally suggested that Schwarber’s struggles this year trace back to coming off the knee injury and all the missed time. Schwarber, who calls his knee brace a daily reminder of last year’s outfield crash, doesn’t buy it. “Whatever I’ve gone through this year and since I came back, it’s just a big learning process,” Schwarber said dismissing any cause-and-effect relationship to the injury. “I’ve learned a lot about baseball and it’s all positive stuff.” Russell update: Injured shortstop Addison Russell (foot strain) hit in a batting cage and did “very light” running back home in Chicago on Friday. Russell, who hurt his foot trying out a new pair of baseball shoes in practice, has made slow progress. He’s eligible to return from the DL Sunday but might not be back for another week or more. --

Chicago Sun-Times Cubs mull how to stop running game without Contreras catching Lester By Gordon Wittenmyer PHOENIX – The Cubs began learning Friday how they’ll manage the next month or more without cleanup hitter Willson Contreras in the lineup. On Saturday, they’ll get their first real lesson in life without Contreras behind the plate. That’s when Jon Lester starts for the first time this year without his strong-armed personal catcher, who took over this year for former personal catcher David Ross. The Cubs have 20 games left against the top three base-stealing teams in the National League – including the Diamondbacks this weekend – and some insiders are bracing for a “track meet” no matter who gets the call behind the plate. “Willson’s a force in preventing that, there’s no question about it,” manager Joe Maddon said. “And I’m very aware of the Diamondbacks. The best way to stop some really good runners is to not let them on first base.” Maddon said before Friday’s game he’s still “debating” whether veteran Alex Avila or rookie Victor Caratini will catch Lester on Saturday. Lester downplayed the significance of being without his safety-net catcher down the stretch. “We’ll figure it out,” he said. “Alex has obviously been around for a long time. We’ve got a game report, and we’ll try to execute it. “We’ve got to execute pitches regardless of the fingers they put down. That’s what it comes down to, not necessarily who’s behind there. We’ve got to execute the game plan and execute the pitch. If we don’t do that, it doesn’t really matter.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Willson Contreras might return in September, counting on October By Gordon Wittenmyer PHOENIX — Cubs catcher Willson Contreras doesn’t know if his hamstring will heal fast enough to put him back in the Cubs’ lineup by the end of September. But he seemed certain Friday about having a role to play for this team in October. “I just hope that my teammates keep doing their job to [keep] the team in first place,” said Contreras, who was put on the disabled list Friday with a “moderate strain” to his right hamstring. “I feel like we’re going to make the playoffs, and I’ll be here supporting them. “This team is really special. We don’t give. I’m hoping to be back before the end of the season. If I’m going to be back for the playoffs, that’s going to be a lot better.” Contreras, who suffered the injury running out a grounder Wednesday in San Francisco, is expected to miss four to six weeks – a timeline that could put him back on the field for the final three series of the year, which includes eight games against Milwaukee and St. Louis. But the high-energy Contreras also said he doesn’t plan to return until he feels sure he can play at his usual “120 percent” level.

“I’m not going to rush anything. I’m going to take my time,” he said. “I just talked to the doctor, and he told me to take it slow because he knows my game and he knows how I like to play.” Contreras is expected to be limited to playing catch and maybe some light swings in the batting cage for the next two weeks as the medical staff waits for him to be pain-free. At that point, he’s expected to begin more rigorous rehab work and have a better idea when he might return to the lineup. The team’s hottest hitter for more than a month, Contreras, 25, was batting .274 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs in 102 games this season. He said by Thursday he was able to walk normally and on Friday felt “way better.” Meanwhile, The Cubs nursed a one-game division lead into its series opener Friday against playoff-contender Arizona without its top hitter over the past month. Recently acquired veteran Alex Avila started behind the plate Friday and is expected to get most of the playing time in Contreras’ absence, although manager Joe Maddon said he’s keeping an open mind about possibly giving rookie Victor Caratini more than an occasional start. Caratini, who debuted in late June, was recalled Friday to fill Contreras’ roster spot. “We’re going to miss him, but we’ve got a lot of confidence in this lineup, too,” left fielder/emergency catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “The good thing is that as a group if somebody goes down we always pick him back up.” Contreras’ ability to neutralize the opponents’ running game is a major loss, especially against the aggressive Diamondbacks this weekend. Replacing his bat in the cleanup spot, protecting Anthony Rizzo, could be just as challenging. In 31 games batting fourth – most of that in the last six weeks – Contreras is hitting .305 with 13 home runs, 35 RBIs and a 1.060 OPS. “Pretty outstanding,” said Maddon, who had Ben Zobrist batting cleanup Friday. “So there’s a different dynamic for Rizzo to deal with right now. In the past you’ve seen all the good work that Zo’s capable of doing there, too, so we’ll see. “Obviously, it’s difficult to not have his name in the lineup tonight after all the wonderful things he’s done all year, and especially since the All-Star break what he’s meant to us, even his energy,” Maddon added. “But the reality is he’s not here right now. “In a perverse way sometimes when that occurs, other people just come to the forefront.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Hamstring injury might not be season-ending blow for Willson Contreras By Staff The Cubs remain hopeful injured catcher Willson Contreras will return before the end of the season after an MRI on his injured hamstring Thursday revealed a strain. It’s not considered a worst-case scenario. But the team’s hottest hitter is expected to miss at least a month, which could put him back in the lineup for the final two weeks of the season. That could be an especially critical point for the National League Central-leading Cubs, who play their closest pursuers — St. Louis and Milwaukee — in 11 of their final 16 games.

The Cubs were expected put Contreras on the disabled list with the right hamstring strain before Friday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Victor Caratini was flown in from Class AAA Iowa to take his place on the roster. On Wednesday, Contreras suffered the injury while running out a grounder in the eighth innings against the Giants. He grabbed his right hamstring and hopped past first base before collapsing in the outfield grass. Caratini is batting .344 with 10 home runs and 59 RBI in 76 games this season at Iowa. He has seen time with the Cubs this season. He was promoted to the big leagues June 28 after Miguel Montero was designated for assignment. In limited at-bats behind Contreras, he hit .192 during 11 games before being sent back to Iowa on August 1. The injury is a big blow to the Cubs lineup as Contreras, the reigning NL player of the week, was 10-for-22 (.455) with five home runs and 13 RBI in six games last week and is hitting .311 with 10 homers and 29 RBI in 22 games since the break. Contreras is no stranger to hamstring injuries. In 2014, Contreras suffered a pulled hamstring that ended his Arizona Fall League season. -- Daily Herald Cubs take cautious approach with Contreras injury By Bruce Miles When it comes to hamstring injuries, nobody really knows the answer. That is why the Cubs are taking a cautions approach with catcher Willson Contreras. The Cubs put Contreras on the 10-disabled list Friday with what they described as a "moderate right hamstring strain." The injury is likely to keep Contreras out of action 4-6 weeks. Contreras suffered the injury running to first base in Wednesday's series finale at San Francisco during a 3-1 loss to the Giants. During an off-day Thursday in Arizona, Contreras underwent an MRI, which revealed the strain. Before Friday night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, the Cubs recalled catcher Victor Caratini from Class AAA Iowa. He will back up veteran Alex Avila, whom the Cubs obtained in a July 31 trade with the Detroit Tigers. A best-case scenario would have Contreras back before the regular season ends and would allow him to contribute to a possible final push to the playoffs. "Hamstrings are so unpredictable," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters Friday. "Let's just play it out. Obviously, it's difficult to not have his name in the lineup tonight, all the wonderful things he's done all year, especially since the all-star break, what he means to us, even his energy. The reality is he's not here right now." Contreras has been one of the Cubs' most important and consistent players during and up-and-down season, even as they led the National League Central entering Friday. He has a hitting line of .274/.342/.519 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI. The first course of action will be for Contreras to rest and become pain free.

"Even if it's three to five weeks or four to six weeks, I'll stay positive, and I'm going to take it slow and make sure when I get back, I get back 100 percent and can still give 100 percent on the field," Contreras told reporters before Friday's game. "I don't want to rush anything. I'm going to take my time. "It feels bad because now I can't be on the field, helping the team. But I'm still here and I'll be with the team, supporting them." The Cubs entered the night 1 game ahead of the surging St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central. Contreras not only had put up big numbers, but he has been a catalyst on the team, even since his major-league debut in June of 2016. The pickup of Avila at the nonwaiver trading deadline was fortuitous for the Cubs. They were looking for a veteran backup to Contreras after the trade of Miguel Montero to Toronto in early July. Caratini came up in late June after Montero was designated for assignment. He batted .344 with 10 homers and 59 RBI in 76 games with Iowa. He was 5-for-26 with 1 homer in his first go-round with the Cubs this season. -- Cubs.com Cubs pounce early, pile on to deny D-backs By Steve Gilbert and Carrie Muskat PHOENIX -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon wants his team to find ways to score runs without relying on the long ball, and Friday night they heeded his call, and threw in a couple homers, too, in an 8-3 win over the D-backs at Chase Field. It was a good win for the Cubs, who learned earlier in the day that catcher Willson Contreras will be sidelined at least four weeks with a strained right hamstring. "It's nice to see everyone step up when someone goes down," Chicago's Kris Bryant said. "It's always been that way here, and it's kind of awesome to see." Chicago took advantage of a rocky first inning by D-backs starter Taijuan Walker to draw a pair of walks and score two runs despite hitting just one ball out of the infield. The Cubs added a run in the second, thanks in part to a hit by pitch, to stake John Lackey (10-9) to a 3-0 lead. The D-backs rallied for a pair of runs in the fifth on a two-run homer by David Peralta, but the Cubs got those runs back in the top of the sixth when Kyle Schwarber and Alex Avila hit back-to-back homers. "That was large," Maddon said of the homers. "[The D-backs] were getting back in the game and then 'Schwarbs' and Avila put them back on their heels a little more. That was a nice answer." Paul Goldschmidt's homer in the bottom of the sixth chased Lackey, who now leads the National League in home runs allowed with 29. "We had some opportunities early offensively," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "John Lackey made some big pitches when he had to and got out of some early messes and we couldn't capitalize on some key moments. I think he gets better when he gets backed into a corner and he made some pitches against some really good hitters." Hopes of a D-backs comeback faded quickly in the eighth as the Cubs collected four singles and a walk to score three insurance runs. The inning was highlighted by Javier Baez running through a stop sign and scoring from first base on Ian Happ's base hit to right. According to Statcast™, Baez's dash home was timed in 9.43 seconds, second fastest by a Cubs player this year.

Did Baez run through the stop sign from third base coach Gary Jones? "Of course he did," Maddon said. "When the ball was hit," Baez said, "I didn't know where it was, and I was going full speed and I was getting ready to look down for the base and saw 'Jonesy' waving me and right after I passed the base, I saw him with his arms up. I was like, 'I can't stop.' I went with all I have. I stopped a little bit but I kept going." With the win, the Cubs maintained a one-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Getting Goldy: After his teammates spotted him a two-run lead, Lackey walked a pair in the bottom of the first inning and it looked like the D-backs might put up a crooked number with Goldschmidt stepping to the plate with one out. Lackey, though, got Goldschmidt to bounce into an inning-ending double play. "It took me a second to get the fastball command," Lackey said. "I was obviously a little off. I really found one of my better sliders of the year and I rode that for a while and felt pretty good." When Maddon came out to pull Lackey in the sixth, the manager got a little bit of an argument from his starter. Maddon expected that. "He did his job and had great stuff," Maddon said. "My message to him was that by not throwing too many pitches now, he's going to be strong the rest of the year. He's been throwing well, you've seen the uptick in velocity, and better break on the breaking ball." Sticking with him: Walker finished the top of the fifth having thrown 100 pitches, and even though Chris Herrmann reached on an infield single with one out, Lovullo elected to let Walker hit for himself, and he bunted a two-strike pitch foul for the second out. Then in the top of the sixth, Walker allowed back-to-back homers to start the frame. "We were trying to get him through that sixth inning and set some things up for our bullpen that was maybe a little thinned out," Lovullo said. "But unfortunately made some mistakes that inning and basically was the difference in the ballgame." QUOTABLE "We worked good at-bats, used the middle of the field, came through in RBI situations -- not a bad formula." -- Maddon on the Cubs' offensive approach SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Goldschmidt has now hit four home runs in his last two games against the Cubs. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Jon Lester will start on Saturday night. The lefty is 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA since the All-Star break. The question is, who will catch him? With Willson Contreras sidelined, either Avila or rookie Victor Caratini will be behind the plate. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m. CT. D-backs: Patrick Corbin will get the start Saturday at 5:10 p.m. MST against the Cubs. The left-hander was roughed up by the Cubs on Aug. 1 at Wrigley Field when he allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in just three innings. --

Cubs.com Avila provides lift after Cubs lose Contreras By Carrie Muskat PHOENIX -- When the Cubs acquired reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila from the Tigers at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, the focus was on the left-hander and how the bullpen got a boost. The Cubs didn't know how important Avila would be until Friday. "Having Alex is a huge deal for us," Chicago's John Lackey said. "We've got a veteran guy who has been in this situation before. He hit a huge homer tonight and he'll fit right in there and do fine." Avila and Kyle Schwarber hit back to back homers on Friday to help the Cubs post an 8-3 win over the D-backs in their first game without Willson Contreras, who will miss at least four weeks because of a right hamstring strain. "I just play when my name's called," Avila said, downplaying his role. "With [Contreras] going down, it's unfortunate for us as a team and for him. He's one of the best guys in our lineup, but guys have to pick up the slack over the course of the time he'll be out, and today we were able to do that." Not only did Avila provide some offense -- and a well-timed bunt in a three-run eighth inning -- but he helped get Lackey back on track after a rough first inning. The right-hander walked two but got Paul Goldschmidt to hit into an inning-ending double play. "Alex is really calm back there and he's carried out the game plan that they've called very well," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Avila did get some help regarding Lackey. Pitching coach Chris Bosio spotted something in the right-hander's mechanics, and they were able to correct it in-game. "Usually catching back there, it's a little difficult to notice something mechanically because at that point, I'm focusing on the release point," Avila said. "A lot of that will come from the pitching coach and being able to see from the side." Avila also talked to Wilson after his outing in which he walked a batter, struck out the next one, then gave up a single before he was pulled. "His stuff is tremendous," Avila said of Wilson. "I think maybe at times he's been overthrowing a little bit. He's been pretty amped up every time he's come out, and maybe trying to be too fine with his pitches. That will happen with everybody. Like I told him, he'll get back in a role that he's had before. With his arsenal, Joe will keep putting him out there in big situations and he'll be big for us." Maddon wasn't sure how he'd use Avila, 30, and rookie Victor Caratini, who was called up from Triple-A Iowa. The veteran will likely be paired with Lackey down the stretch. "Alex is a pro and a good hitter," Lackey said. "Good hitters usually call good games." -- Cubs.com Contreras has hamstring strain, to miss month By Carrie Muskat PHOENIX -- Willson Contreras said Friday he felt much better than when he injured his right hamstring, but the Cubs catcher knows he needs to take his time before trying to return. An MRI revealed Contreras has a moderate right hamstring strain, and he was expected to be sidelined a minimum of four weeks, the team announced on Friday. Contreras was placed on the 10-day disabled list and catcher Victor

Caratini was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Contreras, 25, injured his leg running to first base in San Francisco on Wednesday. "Even if it's three to five weeks or four to six weeks, I'll stay positive and I'm going to take it slow and make sure when I get back, I get back 100 percent and can still give 100 percent on the field," Contreras said. "I don't want to rush anything. I'm going to take my time." The first step is for Contreras to be pain free, which will likely take about two weeks. The Cubs will then step up his rehab process, and the team will have a better idea of the timeline then. "Hamstrings are so unpredictable," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Let's just play it out. Obviously, it's difficult to not have his name in the lineup tonight, all the wonderful things he's done all year, especially since the All-Star break, what he means to us, even his energy. The reality is he's not here right now." The loss of Contreras creates a huge hole in the Cubs' lineup. Since the break, he has led the team, batting .311 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Contreras has been such a key piece that Maddon inserted him in left field last Saturday and at first base on Wednesday to keep his bat in the lineup. "It feels bad because now I can't be on the field, helping the team," Contreras said. "But I'm still here and I'll be wtih the team, supporting them." Contreras ranked fourth in the National League among cleanup batters with a .305 average. In 31 games there, he had 13 home runs and 35 RBIs. "We just lost a big part [of the offense]," Kyle Schwarber said. "We've got a lot of confidence in this lineup. The good thing is when someone goes down, we pick him back up. It's obviously not what we wanted to happen. We've got to keep going forward." Anthony Rizzo may miss Contreras the most since the catcher was batting behind him. "We're losing the production, we're losing a guy who's high energy, but it's part of the game," Rizzo said. "Obviously it's time for other guys to step up, myself included. It's part of the game. You can't sit here and 'Woe is me' over it." Maddon said he wasn't exactly sure how he'd split the catching duties between Alex Avila, 30, acquired from the Tigers at the Trade Deadline, and Caratini. This is Caratini's second stint with the Cubs. In 11 games from June 28-Aug. 1, he went 5-for-26 (.192), including a home run on July 30. Schwarber was ready if needed. "I went into Joe's office and said, 'I've got my catcher's gear here just in case,' so if it does happen, it happens," Schwarber said. Contreras sprained his left hamstring during the Arizona Fall League in 2015 but said that injury felt different and more intense than this one to his right leg. "I just hope my teammates keep doing their job to [keep] the team in first place," Contreras said. "I feel like we're going to make the playoffs and I'll be here supporting them." -- Cubs.com Schwarber back at Chase, site of '16 collision By Carrie Muskat

PHOENIX -- Friday is the first time the Cubs' Kyle Schwarber was back at Chase Field since he tore two ligaments in his left knee in a freak collision in the third game of the 2016 season. "Any ball hit out to left center, I'm just going to sit down," Schwarber jokingly said. He was starting in left field and was injured in a collision with center fielder Dexter Fowler as both chased a ball in the left-center gap. Schwarber was lost for the season, but made a miraculous comeback to be the designated hitter in the World Series for the Cubs. That incident at Chase Field is not one Schwarber wants to remember. "[It's] the only reason I'm wearing this dang knee brace," Schwarber said. "[The brace is] a constant reminder every day." He didn't mark his calendar for the Cubs' return to Arizona. "It's not any different than just coming to the ballpark any other day," he said. "It's not like I'm going to go out there and cry. What happened happened, but it's not going to affect how I play. "I'm sure there will be thoughts running, but I'm not too worried about it." Cubs manager Joe Maddon had forgotten the incident happened at Chase Field until he was reminded. "That's hopefully a fluke accident that you'll never see again," Maddon said. "It happened to happen here. ... He just needs to know where the center fielder is at all times -- or does the center fielder need to know where he is at all times?" Schwarber went on to homer Friday night in the Cubs' 8-3 win over the D-backs. Worth noting • With Willson Contreras out a minimum of four weeks with a right hamstring injury, how will Maddon assign the playing time between catchers Alex Avila and rookie Victor Caratini? "I don't know," Maddon said Friday. "My thought is to be open minded about it. Let's play out the weekend, and moving into next week, just keep an open mind. I don't think it's wise to nail it down one way or the other. ... Let's just see how they look like in a game situation and try to make our best case." Contreras had taken over as Jon Lester's regular catcher but Maddon wasn't sure if Avila, a veteran, would take over that job. The problem on Saturday is the Cubs will face Arizona lefty Patrick Corbin, and Avila is a left-handed hitter. One thing that is certain is Avila, acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Tigers, is ready for more work. "He's fine -- he's ready to go," Maddon said. "He's done it before. He has no issues." • Addison Russell, placed on the 10-day disabled list one week ago with a right foot strain, did some work in the batting cage on Friday and light running. Russell stayed in Chicago to do his rehab and there is no time table for his return. "It's moving along but we don't have a finish line in sight," Maddon said of the shortstop's rehab. • Reliever Koji Uehara continued to get treatment on Friday for a neck strain. There is no timetable for his return. "The thing I want to impress upon him is how important he is to us," Maddon said. "When you're dealing with a veteran player like him, I do a lot of listening and not talking." --

Cubs.com Ross was heartbeat of 2 World Series champs By Barry M. Bloom PHOENIX -- Every season is different, but when one analyzes the struggles of the defending World Series champion Cubs in 2017, venture no further than two significant roster changes: the retirement of veteran catcher David Ross, and to a lesser extent, center fielder Dexter Fowler moving to the Cardinals as a free agent. Both players had a huge impact, especially in the World Series. Both players homered in last year's epic Game 7 victory over the Indians that won the Cubs their first World Series since 1908. "They're both missed sorely, badly, but I don't think that's the entire reason we're floundering right now," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said on Friday night before the Cubs opened a three-game series against the D-backs at Chase Field. Fowler set the table as the club's leadoff hitter, opening Game 7 with a homer off Indians ace Corey Kluber at Progressive Field. "I used to tell him, 'You go, we go,' and it was true, man," Maddon said. "When Dexter was hot, we were really, really hot." "Grandpa Rossy," though, was the heart and soul of the Cubs both on the field and in the clubhouse. He was Jon Lester's personal catcher going back to their days in Boston when D-backs manager Terry Lovullo was the bench coach under manager John Farrell. "We miss David for his edginess," Maddon said. "Beyond catching Jon, which he did a great job with, he supplied a voice, especially among the younger players. He held them accountable in the clubhouse and on the field, too." Long before Ross became a folk hero in Chicago, he was the Red Sox's backup catcher behind Jarrod Saltalamacchia in 2013 for a team that defeated the Cardinals in six games to win the World Series. It was Ross' second tenure with the Red Sox after a one-month stay at the end of the 2008 season. Ross was limited to 36 regular-season games during the 2013 season due to a pair of concussions. He had another in Chicago during the 2015 season, and that recurring injury eventually caused him to retire at 39 after the last World Series. "There were times when what I was going through was overwhelming," Ross said during the 2013 Fall Classic. "My wife and the doctors said, 'You can't think about that. It's just taxing your brain.' The best thing they did was give me a plan of attack, almost a rehab program for my brain. I saw progress, and that's when I realized, 'I can come out of this.'" Ross returned and was paired with Lester, making a major contribution to the Red Sox in that World Series. He was hardly a household name at the time, just a journeyman player with the sixth of his seven teams during 15 seasons. His seventh-inning double in Game 5 at Busch Stadium drove in the winning run. But he turned into a favorite go-to-catcher, not only for Lester, but for fellow starters John Lackey and Jake Peavy. Ross started and caught Lackey in the Game 6 clincher at Fenway Park. "David Ross was the backup catcher, but from the last week of the season on, he started to play every day," Lovullo said Friday. "He was deserving of that. He brought a sense of calmness to the pitchers. He worked game plans. He read swings. And he had some big at-bats, as well. "It was very similar to what he did last year with the Cubs. Chicago embraced him at a different level. He's a very popular player, publicly and privately. In Boston, he was loved there, too."

Lester became a better pitcher with Ross as his catcher. Because of Ross, the left-hander reached a comfort level toward the end of 2013, finishing with a 15-8 record and 3.75 ERA season. Most importantly, Lester was 4-1 that postseason, with two of those wins coming against the Cardinals in the World Series, during which he allowed one run on nine hits over a combined 15 innings. "Lester had a great game plan, and at that point of the season, [he] probably needed somebody to help him get to the next level and understand the stuff he had," Lovullo said. "David Ross was fearless in that department. He guides things in a good direction. That's what Lester needed at that time of his career, and you can see what he's turned into now." Lester and Ross both signed with the Cubs as free agents before the 2015 season, and the marriage continued to the very last game of the '17 World Series when Maddon brought Lester in to replace Kyle Hendricks in the fifth inning and Ross at the same time. It was the last time the two teammates worked with each other, causing a major alteration in the way the Cubs do things this season. Last year, Lester was 19-6 with a 2.44 ERA with Ross catching all 32 of his starts. This year without Ross, Lester is 9-6 with a 3.94 ERA through his first 24 starts. No two seasons are alike, but this is a major difference. "It's hard to replace guys like Rossy," Maddon said. "I'm not talking physical ability as much as I'm talking about presence, the people, the heartbeat. Those are the things that they supply for us that are impossible to measure, that are really important to success." -- Cubs.com Lester faces off with lefty Corbin in Arizona By Jarrid Denney and Carrie Muskat Patrick Corbin has been almost an entirely different pitcher when he takes the mound at Chase Field. The 28-year-old left-hander is 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA in home starts this season, but is 2-8 with 6.79 ERA on the road. The main reason for the high road ERA was Corbin's disastrous May; he allowed eight earned runs in his first road start and seven in his last, leaving him with a 9.00 ERA for the month. He has also surrendered 16 homers in 57 innings on the road, compared to six in 71 2/3 innings at Chase Field. The D-backs hope Corbin can keep up his strong performance at home when they take on Jon Lester and the Cubs on Saturday night. Lester is 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA on the road this year and 2-0 in five career starts against the D-backs. On Aug. 1, he held the D-backs to three runs over four innings in a 16-4 win. With catcher Willson Contreras sidelined because of a hamstring injury, it means someone else has to match up with Lester. Cubs manager Joe Maddon wasn't sure who that would be between veteran Alex Avila or rookie Victor Caratini. Avila is a left-handed hitter, and the Cubs will be facing a lefty in Corbin. Caratini is a switch-hitter. The other dilemma with Contreras gone is who bats cleanup. Maddon was hoping Ben Zobrist could resume that role, which he did last year. "The trend I like when I talk to [Zobrist] is he feels good," Maddon said. "I've seen him when he gets to moments when it's not so good and then something clicks." Things to know about this game

• Corbin is 1-2 with a 2.55 ERA (7 ER in 24.2 IP) over his last four home starts. • Lester has held left-handed batters to a .185 batting average (22-for-119) this season, while right-handers are hitting .262 (103-for-393) against him. • A.J. Pollock is 5-for-12 in his career against Lester with two extra-base hits. His .417 average is tops among Arizona players who have faced Lester at least 10 times. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs waste no time in showing they can overcome loss of Willson Contreras By Jesse Rogers PHOENIX -- When injured Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras made an appearance in the dugout during the game Friday, he had to have been impressed with what he was seeing. The team said it would rally in Contreras' absence, and that's exactly what it did in beating the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-3. And in the middle of all the action was Contreras' replacement, veteran Alex Avila. "Guys have to pick up the slack over the course of time that he's out," Avila said after hitting a sixth-inning home run. "Today we were able to do that." Avila's long ball came immediately after Kyle Schwarber hit his 19th of the season. He's a middle-of-the order bat that the Cubs could really use while Contreras mends his right hamstring. "It was a really good offensive day today and baserunning day as well," Schwarber said. It wasn't just the long ball that won the game for the Cubs. In fact, other than the two home runs, the Cubs tallied nine singles and five walks to pull away from the Diamondbacks, who had just won a series over the Cubs in Chicago. Javy Baez went from first to home on a hit-and-run while the Cubs took full advantage of Arizona miscues. If manager Joe Maddon was looking for signs his team was past the emotional letdown of losing its hottest player, he got it. The middle of the field got a heavy workout from Cubs hitters, especially late in the game as Chicago added three runs in the eighth. "Look at the at-bats," Maddon said. "Kris Bryant might be finding that little niche in his swing. That looked powerful and familiar tonight." Bryant was on base five times Friday though he called dealing with his ongoing pinkie injury "brutal." He can add another ailment as after the game Bryant was wearing a patch on his left elbow, where he was hit by a pitch. He also walked and singled three times. It wasn't just the team that played well. Maddon also had a better game than his counterpart, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo. Lovullo waited too long before pulling starter Taijuan Walker, who came out for the sixth to face three lefties despite having already thrown 100 pitches. That's when Schwarber and Avila pounced. "He made a couple mistakes and we were able to hit them hard," Avila said. "That's really it. You try to get the pitcher to get the ball in the middle of the plate and hit his mistakes." The high pitch count was a result of solid early game at-bats, including a first inning that resulted in two runs, one via a walk to Avila with the bases loaded. Maddon wouldn't make the same mistake with John Lackey, pulling him in the sixth with a 5-3 lead after he gave up his second home run in as many innings. Though the conversation on the mound lasted a few extra seconds,

there was no talking Maddon out of making the move. Normally, that might cause some consternation with Lackey -- and perhaps it did -- but the Cubs have bigger fish to fry than getting their pitcher through a couple of extra outs. "He did his job," Maddon said. "My message to him is by not throwing too many pitches now he's going to be strong the rest of the year." Lackey is 5-0 since the All-Star break while silencing his many first-half critics. Maddon made the right moves with his bullpen as well, getting Justin Wilson out of the game before it was too late. Wilson still is finding his way with his new team, but just like the hitters in regard to Contreras, the rest of the relief staff picked up the new guy. And besides, the trade with the Tigers already is paying off because Avila seemingly can handle the bigger role just fine. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Avila is the second catcher this season to execute a sacrifice bunt and hit a home run in the same game. The other? Contreras. "Having Alex is a huge deal for us," Lackey said. "We have a veteran guy that's been through this situation before. He's going to be able to fit right in there and be fine. "Alex is a pro. He's a good hitter. And good hitters usually call pretty good games." So think about it, in the first game without Conteras -- who's expected to miss a month -- the Cubs' starting pitcher held down a good offense, the team's relief staff did similar, the lineup had contributions from many pieces and the manager made solid decisions. You can even include the front office in the win. The staff didn't just settle for any backup catcher. It traded for a starter as if it knew he would be needed in that role. It was a good Game 1 without Contreras, indeed. "Lackey competed, offense did its thing and we played pretty solid defense," Schwarber said. "We picked each other up with Willson going down." -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Willson Contreras expected to be out four to six weeks with 'moderate' hamstring strain By Jesse Rogers PHOENIX -- Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras will be out about a month after pulling his hamstring in a game Wednesday, according to the team. The Cubs called the injury a "moderate' strain," which is typically a four-to-six-week injury. The Cubs will re-evaluate Contreras in about two weeks, once he is deemed pain free. On Friday, Contreras said he felt bad he couldn't be out there to support the team. "I'm going to take it slow," Contreras said. "I'm going to make sure when I get back I can play with 100 percent. The next day [Thursday] I could walk normally and today [Friday] I feel a lot better." The news of the strain correlates with what Contreras was telling teammates and others after the injury, believing he escaped the worst. Contreras, 25, pulled up lame a few feet from first base after hitting a grounder to third base in the eighth inning of the Cubs' 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants. He was on the ground for a few minutes before being helped off the field. "Obviously it's difficult not to have his name in the lineup tonight, with all the wonderful things he's done all year, especially since the All-Star break," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said before Friday's game.

Kyle Schwarber, who was lost for the season in Game 3 in Arizona last year, knows what it feels like to rally around an injured teammate. "We're going to miss him, but we have a lot of confidence in this lineup," he said. "Collectively, as a group, when someone goes down we always pick them right back up. It's not what we wanted to happen, but we have to keep going forward and look forward to getting him back." Contreras was one of the hottest Cubs before he went down. He has 21 home runs and 70 RBIs this season. The Cubs called up rookie Victor Caratini from Triple-A Iowa to take Contreras' place on the roster, and recently acquired veteran Alex Avila will take over regular catching duties. --