August 16, 2017

Cubs.com, Hendricks regains edge with scoreless start http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/248748240/cubs-kyle-hendricks-sharp-duels-with-reds/

Cubs.com, Cubs' bats cooled as Hendricks duels Reds http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/248652228/reds-beat-cubs-behind-castillo-votto/

Cubs.com, Lackey rides 5-0 streak into game vs. Reds http://atmlb.com/2weRkgR

Cubs.com, Zobrist given 2nd start off for neck stiffness http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/248634838/cubs-rest-ben-zobrist-with-neck-stiffness/

Cubs.com, Wrigley event champions 'lifestyle of activity' http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/248605646/wrigley-hosts-national-play-campaign-event/

ESPNChicago.com, Less is more: Why Joe Maddon is telling the Cubs to show up late http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45401/less-is-more-why-joe-maddon-is-telling-the-cubs-to-show-up-late

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs are getting a lot right -- but aren't plating runners from third http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45406/cubs-are-getting-a-lot-of-things-right-but-plating-runners-on-third-isnt-one

CSNChicago.com, Cubs: Ben Zobrist breaks down what went wrong this season and how he can still make it right http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-ben-zobrist-breaks-down-what-went-wrong-season-and-how-he-can-still-make-it-right

CSNChicago.com, How Carl Edwards Jr. regained his confidence and killer instinct out of Cubs bullpen http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-carl-edwards-jr-regained-his-confidence-and-killer-instinct-out-cubs-bullpen

CSNChicago.com, Cubs don’t see finish line for Addison Russell yet: ‘I don’t think that there’s any rush’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-dont-see-finish-line-addison-russell-yet-i-dont-think-theres-any-rush

CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon's "Step Brothers" moment led to wacky shift on Joey Votto http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/joe-maddons-step-brothers-moment-led-wacky-shift-joey-votto-reds-will-ferrell

Chicago Tribune, Joey Votto's walks a big factor in Cubs' 2-1 loss to Reds http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-reds-spt-0816-20170815-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Hawk Harrelson has a point about Wrigley — but it doesn't matter http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-wrigley-field-complaints-sullivan-spt-0816-20170815-column.html

Chicago Tribune, 'This game is very humbling:' Carl Edwards Jr. on the comeback trail http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-carl-edwards-jr-20170815-story.html#nt=oft03a-1gp2

Chicago Tribune, Cubs manager Joe Maddon explains strategy behind his four-man outfield alignment http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-notes-cubs-four-man-outfield-spt-0816-20170815-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs crap out against woebegone Reds in 2-1 loss as Brewers gain game http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-crap-out-against-woebegone-reds-in-2-1-loss-as-brewers-gain-game/

Chicago Sun-Times, Must be the shoes: Addison Russell tricky arch injury could linger http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/must-be-the-shoes-addison-russell-tricky-arch-injury-could-linger/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ John Lackey at 38: serving up long balls, racking up victories http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-john-lackey-at-38-serving-up-long-balls-racking-up-victories/

Daily Herald, Hendricks continues to work his way back for Chicago Cubs http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170815/why-cubs-pitcher-kyle-hendricks-looked-like-his-old-self-against-reds

Daily Herald, Maddon might use 4-man outfield again http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170815/maddon-might-use-4-man-outfield-again

-- Cubs.com Hendricks regains edge with scoreless start By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks looked more like he did in 2016, which is good news for the Cubs. The right-hander threw six-plus scoreless innings Tuesday night and did not get a decision in the Cubs' 2-1 loss to the Reds. "That was more typical of Kyle," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Hendricks, who has been trying to get back on track after being on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right hand. "He had greater velocity, great location, every pitch was working, [threw his] curveball for a strike, threw the four-seamer really well up to 87 [mph]. Everything was right on." In five starts since returning from the DL, Hendricks has posted a 2.00 ERA, giving up six earned runs over 27 innings. Last year, he led the Major Leagues with a 2.13 ERA. "It was a lot better tonight -- all the things I've been working on came to fruition," Hendricks said. "Fastball command, No. 1, was good, and that's always the key for me. From there, the changeup felt good. I even threw a few good curveballs. The ones I threw were effective. It was a lot of fun today with [rookie catcher Victor Caratini]. He did a good job communicating with me between innings." Hendricks and Caratini were even able to laugh as they walked off the field at the end of an inning. "I do remember us walking off and laughing after a strikeout, and it was a pitch he called and I really wanted," Hendricks said. "It was one of those [times when you're] reading each other's minds. We had a chuckle about it. As the game went on, I saw more and more of those. He was committed to a pitch and it was what I wanted. That's why it was fun out there, just being on the same page."

Caratini was promoted from Triple-A Iowa to help fill in the gap while Willson Contreras heals from a right hamstring strain. Hendricks also was able to contain Reds speedster Billy Hamilton. In the fifth, Hamilton singled with two outs, but Hendricks picked him off with a well-timed throw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo to end the inning. Hamilton did get some payback against the Cubs in the ninth inning, when he swiped his MLB-leading 50th base. For Hendricks, it was an outing to build on. "It's been tough since I've come back from the DL," the right-hander said. "I've been pitching in a lot of tight games, so sometimes I lose my aggressiveness just trying to keep the team in the game and stay close and not give in. Today, I think I did a much better job being aggressive, still in the strike zone, even in a tight game, trying to get quick outs so I could keep the pitch count down." -- Cubs.com Cubs' bats cooled as Hendricks duels Reds By Carrie Muskat and Mark Sheldon CHICAGO -- One day after scoring 15 runs, the Cubs had trouble mustering anything against the Reds and rookie Luis Castillo, who threw six shutout innings in a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night. Joey Votto scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Scooter Gennett in the eighth inning and Billy Hamilton added an RBI single in the ninth to help the Reds even the four-game series. Despite the loss, the Cubs hold a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League Central over the Cardinals and Brewers. "It was a nice team win," Gennett said. "There were a lot of little things that were involved in that ballgame that can get overlooked. Overall, it was a good game." This was a pitchers' duel for six innings between Castillo and Chicago's Kyle Hendricks. It was an impressive outing by the Reds' rookie, who held the Cubs to two hits, both singles, over six scoreless. "Give Castillo credit," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I've not seen that kid before -- he's got a great arm. He doesn't have a good arm, he has a great arm. ... They pitched well -- sometimes the other team does, and they did." The Reds finally broke through in the eighth against reliever Pedro Strop. With one out, Votto walked for the third time in the game and reached third on Adam Duvall's single. Votto then scored on Gennett's fly ball that right fielder Jason Heyward snared on the run in the gap. The Cubs loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth but Raisel Iglesias struck out rookie Victor Caratini to end the inning. Hamilton's RBI single in the ninth turned out to be huge for the Reds as the Cubs tried to rally against Iglesias as he tried for a five-out save. "I kind of got discouraged on the second pitch. I thought it was a ball," Hamilton said. "I stuck in there that at-bat and had enough confidence to hit with two strikes in that situation, and I ended up putting the ball in play, which is what I wanted to do and it ended up being a big-time run for us." Pinch-hitter Kyle Schwarber led off the Chicago ninth with a single after a nine-pitch at-bat and moved up on Heyward's single. Both advanced on Javier Baez's sacrifice and Ben Zobrist followed with an RBI single. But Iglesias struck out Jon Jay and Alex Avila to end the game for his 21st save in 22 chances, and his ninth of more than one inning. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

R-E-L-I-E-F: Hendricks walked Eugenio Suarez to open the seventh and gave up a single to Jesse Winker before he was lifted for Carl Edwards Jr. The right-hander struck out Tucker Barnhart, pinch-hitter Patrick Kivlehan, and Hamilton to escape the mess. The key pitch may have been the strike-three curve that got Kivlehan. "I was making pretty good pitches there in the seventh, but the leadoff walk was terrible," Hendricks said. Speed bump: The Cubs had a chance in the seventh when rookie Caratini reached on an infield single off reliever Michael Lorenzen and advanced to third on Albert Almora Jr.'s single to left. Almora was thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit. Heyward then lined out to Gennett at second base, and Lorenzen got Baez to ground out to Suarez at third to end the inning. QUOTABLE "You get to the closer and he's facing a strictly left-handed-hitting lineup. There's a lot of challenges with that. They don't run a whole lot of guys up there that aren't extremely reputable players. Very few guys that don't make you a little nervous up at the plate. They created an opportunity, and we were able to withstand it." -- Reds manager Bryan Price, on Iglesias closing out the game ON-BASE MACHINE Votto drew a walk with one out and one on in the first, and with one out in the sixth, he walked again, marking the 20th consecutive game in which he has reached base safely at least twice. That's one shy of Ted Williams' 1948 record of 21 consecutive games. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS • Hendricks did not give up a run in a start for the third time this season and the first time since May 5, when he did so against the Yankees. Since returning from the disabled list, he has a 2.00 ERA in five starts. • Hamilton stole his Major League leading 50th base of the season in the ninth inning. He became the 25th player in the modern era to steal 50-plus bases in at least four seasons, and the 14th to do so in four straight years. The last Reds player to do it was Joe Morgan, who had five straight seasons of 50 or more steals from 1972-76. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW With one out in the Chicago sixth, Kris Bryant hit a grounder that deflected off Castillo to Gennett, who threw to Votto at first. Bryant was called out but the Cubs challenged the ruling. After a review, the call stood. WHAT'S NEXT Reds: In the third game of the four-game series, at 8:05 p.m. ET Wednesday, Homer Bailey will make the start for Cincinnati. Bailey has struggled for consistency since returning but is 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA in eight career starts at Wrigley Field. He hasn't pitched at Chicago since July 10, 2014. Cubs: John Lackey, who will start Wednesday, has been on a roll in the second half. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 3.42 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. He has given up 2.09 home runs per nine innings this season, the highest rate in the Majors. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT from Wrigley Field. -- Cubs.com Lackey rides 5-0 streak into game vs. Reds By Mark Sheldon At a pivotal time of the season, as the Cubs try to remain atop the National League Central, John Lackey has been helping his team rack up wins. Lackey and his club will face the Reds and Homer Bailey on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

In his five starts since the All-Star break, Lackey is 5-0 with a 3.42 ERA, tying a career-high with wins in five straight starts. The last time he did it was from June 6-29, 2008. In his previous start at Arizona, he gave up two home runs among his three runs allowed over 5 1/3 innings. Lackey averages 2.09 homers-per-nine innings this season, the highest rate in the Major Leagues and more than double his career average of 1.00. He is 6-5 with a 3.90 ERA in 16 career starts vs. Cincinnati. Bailey will be making his 11th start of the season since returning from Feb. 18 elbow surgery, and it's been an inconsistent stretch. He did get a win with two runs allowed over five innings in an 11-10 victory over the Brewers on Friday, but the right-hander struggled with command. Bailey walked five batters and threw 102 pitches. Things to know about this game • With three walks on Tuesday, Reds first baseman Joey Votto extended his streak to 20 games of reaching safely at least twice in a game. Hall of Famer Ted Williams holds the modern Major League record (since 1900) of reaching twice or more in 21 straight games. • Cubs infielder Ben Zobrist, who did not start a second straight game Tuesday because of neck stiffness, expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday. He did enter as pinch-hitter in the eighth inning Tuesday. • Two of Lackey's three highest single-game swinging-strike rates this season have come since July 30, including a season-high 17.7 percent last Friday at Arizona. Of the 15 whiffs Lackey got in that game, 13 came with his cutter/slider, including six for strikeouts. -- Cubs.com Zobrist given 2nd start off for neck stiffness By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- It's been a struggle for Cubs veteran Ben Zobrist to stay healthy this season, but he is expected back in the lineup on Wednesday. Zobrist was scratched from Monday's game because of a stiff neck, and the infielder had expected to start on Tuesday against the Reds, but manager Joe Maddon decided to give him another day. Zobrist did enter the game off the bench and worked a leadoff walk in the eighth before knocking in a run in the ninth of the Cubs' 2-1 loss. "I thought one more day might be wise," Maddon said before the game. "I want this guy well in September and October. He's so impactful in the latter part of the season, and he's coming off a myriad of injuries this year, that I didn't want to exacerbate things." Zobrist, 36, was bothered earlier this season by a sore left wrist, and has appeared in 86 games. "It's been tough, a very tough and difficult year for me physically to feel good out there," Zobrist said. "This is one other thing. I'm trying to get back to whole health and feel like I can go out there and do what I can." What caused the neck problem? "Who knows?" Zobrist said. "It could be [bad] pillows." Russell taking caution in recovery

Addison Russell, on the disabled list with a right foot strain, did some light running and hit in the batting cages on Tuesday. The shortstop said there's no timetable for his return. "I'm feeling a little bit better," Russell said. "I'm trying to take this slow. I don't want any setbacks." He's been sidelined since Aug. 3 and was eligible to come off the DL on Sunday. However, he's taking his time. "I don't think there's any rush right now," Russell said. "I'm just going with how my body feels." The plus side to being sidelined now is that Russell could be fresh late in the season. "He'll know [when he's ready]," Maddon said of Russell. "It's definitely trending properly, based on my discussion with him yesterday. I don't have a definitive finish line yet." Unusual shift for facing Votto Maddon used four outfielders against the Reds' Joey Votto on Monday and may do so again. All the statistical data supported the defensive alignment, in which third baseman Kris Bryant moved to the gap in left-center. "When you look at your charts, where does [Votto] hit the ball? And how often does he hit the ball there?" Maddon said. "Why cover where the guy doesn't hit the ball? That's the essence of a shift." Maddon and bench coach Dave Martinez came up with the idea to use four outfielders during their pregame talk Monday. It's something they employed in Tampa Bay against David Ortiz and Jim Thome. Extra bases • Reliever Koji Uehara, on the DL since Wednesday with a neck strain, played catch Tuesday for the second day since he was sidelined. There is no timetable for his return. • The Cubs' athletic training staff hosted a PLAY event at Wrigley Field involving children with Down syndrome. PLAY is the "Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth" campaign formed to raise awareness about children's health issues and the obesity epidemic in the United States. Cubs staff joined the Ruderman Family Foundation, the Taylor Hooton Foundation and Henry Schein Cares Foundation to Educate Area Youth About the Importance of Leading Healthy and Active Lives. The PLAY campaign is made possible by the support and participation of Major League Baseball Charities, the Taylor Hooton Foundation and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation. -- Cubs.com Wrigley event champions 'lifestyle of activity' By John Jackson CHICAGO -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon has dubbed the current homestand "American Legion Week" and told his players to eliminate much of their usual pregame routine. He wants them to rest up and just go out and play -- like they did when they played in summer leagues as kids. Fittingly, the Wrigley Field playing surface was taken over late Tuesday morning by a group of about 75 players from local high schools and other youngsters as the Cubs organization hosted a 2017 National PLAY Campaign event. The PLAY event -- Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth -- was part of a traveling series that will visit all 30 Major League ballparks this season and was hosted by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society.

The players were joined on the field by other kids from the National Down Syndrome Society, and everyone took part in some casual baseball drills and even got to hit in the Cubs' new batting cage under the left-field stands. The event, though, was about much more than baseball. "This isn't a skills camp where we're teaching them the skills of baseball," said Mark O'Neal, the PBATS president and the Cubs' director of medical services. "It's just to get them out on the field and let them enjoy the Wrigley Field experience: fly balls, ground balls, hitting. The majority of what we're trying to do is get across the message of the PLAY Campaign, which is to promote a lifestyle of activity to try and really educate them on being active and combat childhood obesity." Cubs head trainer PJ Mainville worked with several groups of 15-20 at a time, and he talked to them mostly about nutrition and proper hydration, as well as how the ingredients that athletes put into their bodies can affect their performance. Mainville then ran everyone through some basic warmup drills -- just like the ones the Cubs usually do before batting practice. "I think the platform that we're on here opens up an opportunity for them to come see how things are done on this level," Mainville said. "I think there's more buy-in: 'If these guys are doing it, then I think it's something I feel like I'm more apt to try.' "Obviously, we're providing options for these guys and the knowledge base to make good decisions for their health -- staying active, their nutrition decisions -- and ultimately giving them a little piece of that puzzle and seeing how far they can take their own athletic abilities." Some of the players may have heard elements of Mainville's message before, but he had everyone's rapt attention. Wrigley Field will do that. "Definitely," Mainville said. "This stage here is rare, not only the youth, but I think the parents have as much fun coming down here. It makes our job easier to grab their attention." John Miller of the Henry Schein Cares Foundation talked with small groups in the Cubs' dugout about a variety of non-baseball issues, including proper hydration, the importance of cleanliness and the benefits of getting sufficient sleep. Tavis Piattoly of the Taylor Hooton Foundation -- which is named for a former youth player who died from steroid use -- also talked about using nutrition to reach physical goals instead of looking for shortcuts. "You look at guys like Jake Arrieta that take great care of themselves and focus on the food first, nutrition," he said, referring to the Cubs right-hander. "Right now, we have about 2 million high school students that use anabolic steroids, and the last thing they think about is nutrition. They're looking for that answer because they're not thinking about their diet. If they just changed a couple of things with their diet, they wouldn't be looking for that answer in a pill or a powder." -- ESPNChicago.com Less is more: Why Joe Maddon is telling the Cubs to show up late By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs reliever Brian Duensing isn’t sure whether he likes the extra down time. And rookie Ian Happ said he felt disoriented on Day 1. You wouldn’t think those would be the thoughts and emotions of employees being asked -- make that, told -- to arrive at work later than usual. But that’s the problem in baseball, according to manager Joe Maddon. Players are so used to one routine, it’s hard for them to break from it. For one week, every August since 2009, a Maddon-managed team is allowed to show up to the ballpark no more than three hours before first pitch and is encouraged to come even later. It’s called American Legion Week, in

reference to when Maddon would have a day job and then "show up at 5 p.m. for a 5:30 game" in American Legion ball. Even more than normal, he wants less work from his players before games this week. “Taking 50 swings or 100 swings has nothing to do with our success right now,” Maddon said. “There are so many disconnected thoughts in our game about work and how you work. At some point you have to turn it all down and go out there and play unencumbered. That’s what this week is all about. Play the game of baseball like it was designed, how you grew up with it.” There’s actually a fine for showing up earlier than three hours before game time, in the form of a bottle of $100 wine (with receipt). Newcomers to American Legion week were teetering on having to make a run to the liquor store as several found it difficult to adjust on the first day, Monday. “I thought I was late all day long,” Duensing said. “I don’t know about this. I’ll let you know at the end of the week.” Happ added: “I am not used to this at all. It feels weird.” But ask veterans, and they love it -- though it’s not easy convincing players that less work is better for them. All they’ve ever known is to come in early and take their swings, to go along with all the video teams have at their disposal to watch now. Maddon figured out years ago that trying to do more at this time of year is the wrong tactic. As a coach with the Angels, he saw fatigue in August, not an uptick in play. “One of the things we did was hit a lot, and we’d hit on Sunday mornings for an hour,” Maddon said. "In retrospect, I’d see guys fade by the end of the season. I was the hitting coach, and I was in the middle of all that. I thought that was the right way to do things, too.” But over time, Maddon changed his mind. And so when other teams hit the dog days of August, his would back off ... and be fresher for it. The results have been stunning. Since 2009, Maddon’s teams are 130-91 in August, not including this season. Since he came to Chicago, the Cubs are 10-1 during American Legion week. The results more than justify the strategy, though Maddon insists he would employ it no matter the win/loss record. “He figured out they needed a break,” longtime bench coach Davey Martinez explained. “It’s a grind every day. Guys need a break. So we told them to come later to the park. Show and go.” It occurred to Maddon after his first trip to the World Series in 2008 with the Tampa Bay Rays. The next season, he saw a predictably more fatigued group as the year wore on. At that point he declared "less is more," telling his players to come in later. “This is the time of the year that you really have to fight through,” Maddon said. “I’m talking post-All-Star break into August, because this is the time when you’re a little bit fatigued. That’s why we’re doing the American Legion Week. If you’re able to maintain at this particular point, here comes September and I promise you our guys will be charged up every day. September provides its own energy.” Few executives or veteran players have ever heard of a manager telling his players to come in late for an entire week. It’s just not the norm, but the Cubs' front office has bought in. General manager Jed Hoyer was asked if the Cubs' record in August (41-15) under Maddon in 2015 and 2016 is a coincidence. “Oh no, it’s not a coincidence at all,” Hoyer said. “I remember when I was with the Red Sox, always feeling like the Rays played great at the end of the season. Why is that? And I do think part of it is that there’s an accumulation of moments over the course of the year where Joe discourages batting practice and tells guys to come in later. "People might think that only has value in that moment, but I think what Joe realizes is that there is a bank account to part of that. You’re just, like, putting in an energy savings account, and I think that our guys have been really fresh and healthy down the stretch.”

An expanded roster and the adrenaline of the pennant race take care of September, but those hot August days feel a lot better without hours of outdoor batting practice. “I love to take swings,” Kris Bryant said. “But you need a break in this game. Joe gets that. He’s always thinking of us. I’ve only had one manager, but he understands the physical as well as mental part of the game. And then gives us some space.” Bryant seems to be doing just fine with less work. He’s been an on-base machine during this stretch. Maybe he'd be doing this kind of damage anyway, but Maddon isn’t taking any chances -- and ultimately, neither he nor his staff will hear any complaints, no matter how unnerving it is for the newbies. “No one complains they’re being asked to come to work two hours after the rest of the league,” Martinez said with a smile. “[Maddon] took a chance because we would be criticized if it didn’t work, but it has.” -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs are getting a lot right -- but aren't plating runners from third By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- There aren’t many things the Cincinnati Reds do better than the Chicago Cubs, but getting a runner home from third base with less than two outs is one of them. In fact, every team in the league does it better than the Cubs, who lowered their 44 percent success rate even further after the losing to the Reds 2-1 on Tuesday. “I have nothing to complain about,” manager Joe Maddon said after the game. “They pitched well. Sometimes the other team pitches [well]. And they did.” It came down to this: The Cubs failed in their big attempts late in the game, while the Reds succeeded in theirs. The home team got first crack in the bottom of the seventh inning in a scoreless game. Victor Caratini was on third base with one out, but Jason Heyward lined a ball right to Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett. Javier Baez followed with a ground ball to third base, stranding Caratini. “I hit it hard,” Heyward said more than once. “I got out.” In the next inning, Gennett was able to get a ball up in the air to right field while Joey Votto stood on third base with one out. The sacrifice fly plated the first run of the game. And in the ninth, Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton singled to score Jesse Winker from third with one out. The Cubs weren’t done. In the bottom of the ninth, after Kyle Schwarber and Heyward singled to put runners on first and second, Baez executed a sacrifice bunt, setting up an RBI single by Ben Zobrist. But once again a runner stood at third base with one out. This time Jon Jay struck out on four pitches and a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30115/alex-avila">Alex Avila also struck out, ending the game and leaving Heyward 90 feet away as the tying run. “Just trying to get in there and have a good at-bat,” Jay said. “I thought that second-pitch slider was going to come down in the zone, but it stayed up. Just trying to get the job done. I didn’t do it tonight.” These are situations that could play out in a big game in September or October. The Cubs need to score runs from third base with less than two outs -- if it’s possible -- over the final weeks of the regular season. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs: Ben Zobrist breaks down what went wrong this season and how he can still make it right By Patrick Mooney

Ben Zobrist is a self-made player who feels months behind where he should be, freely admitting: “If we were in September right now, I’d be like: ‘Uh-oh.’” The Cubs have played that long game all year, hanging around and slowly moving ahead in the National League Central race, hoping they will peak at the right time and the muscle memory will take over in October. That just seems to be getting harder and harder for their World Series MVP. “We’re still where we need to be,” Zobrist said, “even though I have not played anywhere near my capability this season.” Zobrist is a man of faith, so he will try not to feel snake-bitten, even as the injuries keep piling up, scratched from Monday’s game with a stiff neck and held back in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. But watching Zobrist work a pinch-hit walk in the eighth inning and line an RBI single off Reds closer Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning underlined how much the Cubs need him without Dexter Fowler leading off and Willson Contreras hitting in the middle of their lineup. Coming off back-to-back World Series runs, there were questions about whether or not a stiff neck would prevent Zobrist from being ready for Opening Day. Playing a doubleheader on May 9 at Coors Field stressed his lower back and sidelined him again. An awkward swing on May 26 at Dodger Stadium would eventually put him on the disabled list with a sore left wrist and force him to miss most of June. Playoffs? Personal three-peat? The Cubs are a 62-56 team with a 1.5-game lead in the division. Zobrist is also too much of a realist to think that he can just flip a switch when he’s hitting .223 with an OPS that’s roughly 80 points below the league average and he hasn’t homered since the first game after the All-Star break. “Right now, I’ve got more important things to worry about and they’re more minute,” Zobrist said. “Am I doing the things I need to do to have a good, quality at-bat? If I can start doing that again, then I’m very confident that when we get to that time, I’ll be able to do what I normally do. But that’s a long ways away for me, still. “I’m trying to get to the point where I normally am in May. I’m not thinking about playoff time. I need to get back to that May time where I’m getting things where they need to go.” After getting shut down by the New York Mets’ power pitching and swept out of the 2015 NL Championship Series, the Cubs identified Zobrist as the switch-hitter to diversify their lineup and set an example for their young players. Whatever happens from here – the Cubs believed his ability to handle fastballs and play multiple positions would keep him productive through his mid-30s – Zobrist has already been worth every penny of that four-year, $56 million deal. “I’ve always been a hands/wrists/forearms (hitter),” Zobrist said. “That’s been one of my strengths: Let the pitch get deep and still get my hands to the front of the zone. That’s been really difficult to do. In June, it was impossible for me. “And when that went, it was like: ‘OK, this is a tough one,’ because I tried to play through it. It just wasn’t healing and I wasn’t able to do the work. That’s when I hit the DL. I had to figure out (that) I have to get the wrists and the hands completely healthy. Or else I shouldn’t be out there, because the pitchers are too good.” At 36, Zobrist is old enough to remember watching the championship celebrations for Michael Jordan’s Bulls on TV, childhood memories that inspired him to give a speech during that massive Grant Park rally last November, a scene that he envisioned when he took a hometown discount to sign with the Cubs. “Age is about figuring out how to take care of you, because every guy is a little bit different,” Zobrist said. “There’s no formula once you get to a certain point. When you’re 25, the formula is nothing. It’s essentially just like: ‘Show up. Do the work. And you’re going to be able to do what you know how to do.’

“But as you get a little bit older, you start kind of going: ‘OK, what is it about me that I have to do to get back to where I feel great on the field?’ That’s a learning experience that’s constantly happening. “Whereas before, you didn’t really have to do anything to get ready. You could just basically pick up a bat and run down to the cage and start swinging as hard as you want to swing. “And now it’s like: ‘OK, if you want to go 100 mph, you’re going to have to take longer than 2.whatever seconds to get there.’ You’re going to have to really ramp it up and figure out those particular issues for you as a player that are going to pop up.” Nights like this – the rest of the team going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, almost getting shut out by a last-place team and missing the dimensions their World Series MVP brought to this lineup – make you wonder if there will be enough time for Zobrist and the defending champs to figure it out. -- CSNChicago.com How Carl Edwards Jr. regained his confidence and killer instinct out of Cubs bullpen By Patrick Mooney Carl Edwards Jr. unleashed a big curveball that froze Cincinnati Reds leadoff guy Billy Hamilton with a check swing and forced Cubs catcher Victor Caratini to make a hockey goalie-style block in the dirt with two runners on. They all looked at third base umpire Ron Kulpa, who signaled strike three as the crowd of 36,698 roared on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. The Cubs hope that seventh-inning scene is more of a big-picture look at the rest of their season than the final score in a 2-1 loss. The Cubs believe Edwards can be an Andrew Miller-type presence during the playoffs, maybe their future closer. By striking out all three batters he faced, Edwards kept it a scoreless game and bailed out Kyle Hendricks, who looked more like last year’s major-league ERA leader. Edwards screamed and pumped his fist as he walked back to the dugout, an emotional release from the slump that had manager Joe Maddon getting what-do-you-do-with-C.J.? questions. “It’s more mental than anything,” Edwards said. “I know this game is very humbling. I can look good for 30 straight appearances. And then all of a sudden – four/five big games – I can be hurt again. I just look at it as going out there and having fun. “I knew in the back of my mind that I would get over it because I’m a strong-minded guy. It wasn’t (anything) physical. I don’t know how I lost confidence, but I lost it. Right now, I'm just slowly getting it back. And I’m feeling more and more comfortable going out there every day.” After watching Edwards blow the save and give up a grand slam to Matt Wieters during a potential playoff preview against the Washington Nationals in early August, Maddon compared the situation to a great shooter in basketball: “You just keep throwing it back out there.” “I don’t want to run away from him,” Maddon said. “He’s really good. He had a bad couple days. Hitters go through slumps. Pitchers go through slumps. Managers go through slumps. Writers go through slumps. We all go through slumps. “I love the guy. I absolutely love him. I love the teammate that he is. He had a couple tough days. Everybody does.” Edwards actually had a 1.07 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP through his first 27 appearances this season – and then put up a 6.55 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP across his next 25 games. Still, there is so much to work with here, from the swing-and-miss stuff (70 strikeouts in 48.1 innings) to his natural feel for pitching to the internal drive that allowed him to blossom as a former 48th-round draft pick.

“A big thing has been my dad sending me messages,” Edwards said, “every day telling me to pray and meditate. He knows me like a book. It’s just getting those words from him and seeing those messages before I go out to the game. And taking that message with me: No matter what happens, I’m here for a reason.” Keep it simple. Don’t overthink it. Be yourself. “He’s always done that,” Edwards said. “(When) I was struggling real bad, he told me: ‘Every day, just go back to backyard baseball. Say a prayer. Miss you. Meditate and just know, son, you’re there for a reason. And no matter what the outcome is, I’m going to still love you regardless.’ Just my dad being my dad. He basically taught me pitching growing up, so he’s the one that knows me best.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs don’t see finish line for Addison Russell yet: ‘I don’t think that there’s any rush’ By Patrick Mooney Addison Russell is clearly dealing with something more complicated than the minor injury he expected to heal during a 10-day stay on the disabled list. The Cubs still don’t have a real timeline for when their All-Star shortstop will completely recover from the plantar fasciitis and strained muscle in his right foot. “I don’t think that there’s any rush right now,” Russell said Tuesday at Wrigley Field. “I’m just going to go off how my body feels.” Russell – who had been eligible to be activated on Sunday – didn’t sound at all optimistic about returning to the lineup during this seven-game homestand against the Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays. The Cubs anticipate Russell will need a rehab assignment in the minors at some point to begin getting his timing back. “When it comes to guys being injured, finish lines and all that stuff, I never pay attention to them,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He was smiling the other day, which I thought was a good sign. But he’ll know, and the trainers will tell me: ‘Now it’s getting real close.’ “We’ll see. It’s definitely trending properly, but I don’t know the definitive finish line yet.” Russell has been working out for several days, doing agility drills, hitting in the cage and throwing on the field while getting more treatment. Though Maddon misses Russell’s steady play at shortstop – and understands what his absence means for defensive harmony, overall depth and mix-and-match possibilities – the Cubs have an ultra-talented backup in Javier Baez. This has been a difficult season for Russell, both personally and professionally, going through divorce proceedings, becoming the subject of a Major League Baseball inquiry, dealing with nagging soreness in his right shoulder and hitting .241 with 10 homers and 36 RBI in 97 games. The hope is this will reenergize a player who had been so important during last year’s World Series run. “That’s kind of what I’m looking forward to,” Russell said. “I’m definitely taking this time to evaluate my body, get stronger, so I can be that much more impactful whenever I come back.” -- CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon's "Step Brothers" moment led to wacky shift on Joey Votto By Tony Andracki Joe Maddon and Davey Martinez might have to start going by "Nighthawk" and "Dragon."

They already came as a package deal in the workforce, as Martinez joined Maddon in the trek from Tampa Bay to Chicago before the 2015 season. When gameplanning for the Cincinnati Reds series, the celebrity manager and his bench coach had a "did we just become best friends??" moment. The two had the same thought at the same time: Play four outfielders against red-hot Joey Votto. "Davey and I were talking. It was almost like that scene in 'Step Brothers' — 'Did we just become best friends?'" Maddon said. "Thought the same thing at the same time — four outfielders! It was kinda like that. "Sometimes it can be that extemporaneous. They're telling me all this stuff about how many days in a row he's been on base two times. That's crazy. You know he's gonna get on base, whether it's a walk or a single. "So go ahead. Just try something differently and see if it influences what he's thinking a little bit. But it obviously didn't [Monday]. Pulls the ball down the right-field line. That's the last thing you were looking for right there and it happened." Maddon emphasized that part — just giving Votto a different look. At the very least, it may mess with his head a bit if not his swing. The Cubs were only worried about the bunt or the popup down the left-field line with the wacky shift and alerted shortstop Javy Baez about that as third baseman Kris Bryant moved out to left-center. There was also the added factor that Jose Quintana gives up more fly balls than grounders and Votto rarely hits the ball on the ground the opposite way. "Why cover where the guy doesn't hit the ball?" Maddon asked. "Whereas you can cover more where he does. That's the essence of the shift. "I wanted them to attempt to hit a groundball over there as opposed to driving the ball. ... You want to take them away from what they do best." -- Chicago Tribune Joey Votto's walks a big factor in Cubs' 2-1 loss to Reds By Mark Gonzales The drive to the 2016 World Series title gave the Cubs a taste of the pressure they will experience at least until the National League Central race is decided. "It's going to come down to execution, just like always," Ben Zobrist said. "I don't anticipate any of the pressure of the important games late in the season will be a problem for any of our guys because we got the experience." The Cubs didn't break through the late-inning pressure Tuesday night after forcing impressive Reds rookie right-hander Luis Castillo out of the game after six innings in a 2-1 loss at breezy Wrigley Field. With the tying run and winning runs on base with one out, Jon Jay and pinch-hitter Alex Avila struck out against Raisel Iglesias to end the game. Despite the loss, the Cubs (62-56) maintained a 1 1/2-game division lead over the Cardinals and Brewers with some solace that Kyle Hendricks returned to his old form with six-plus shutout innings. But the Cubs missed plenty of late chances to tie or take the lead.

Trailing by two runs in the ninth, Javier Baez followed orders by executing a sacrifice bunt against Iglesias with no outs and runners on first and second. "That was such a tough matchup for (Baez)," Maddon said. Zobrist hit a hard single to right field to score Albert Almora Jr., but Jason Heyward was held at third base. "I got to trust my third base coach there," Heyward said. "It's a tough one to read there. That ball was hit that hard to my left. I got to make sure the second baseman (Jose Peraza) isn't hanging out there like he had been." Said Maddon: "It was a great (hit) by Zobrist. He just hit it in the wrong spot." Rookie Victor Caratini was stranded at third as the tying run in the seventh, and he struck out with the tying run at second to end the eighth. Joey Votto drew three walks and reached base at least twice for the 20th consecutive game, moving him within one game of the record held by Ted Williams in 1948. Votto drew a walk off Pedro Strop and scored on Scooter Gennett's sacrifice fly to snap a scoreless tie in the eighth. Billy Hamilton's RBI single in the ninth off Justin Willson loomed larger in the bottom of the inning. Hendricks pitched efficiently until the seventh, when he allowed a walk and a hit. He was replaced by Carl Edwards Jr., who continued his comeback by striking out three consecutive batters to keep the game scoreless. "I was reminiscing from last year in tight situations, and I feel more comfortable," Edwards said. "It's more mental than anything. "I know this game is very humbling." -- Chicago Tribune Hawk Harrelson has a point about Wrigley — but it doesn't matter By Paul Sullivan The latest salvo in the ongoing war between Ken "Hawk" Harrelson and the Cubs was fired Monday night on the internet when Anthony Rizzo hit a home run onto Sheffield Avenue. The Cubs' official Twitter account tweeted a highlight of Rizzo's blast captioned with a quote from the baseball: "I'll never step foot in that ballpark again." Cubs fans immediately recognized the team was trolling the White Sox announcer, who recently said he would "never step foot" again in Wrigley Field. It was a clever way of throwing shade at the Hawk, whom Cubs fans love to hate, and kept alive a feud that basically was a one-way affair until Monday. It began when Harrelson ripped pitcher John Lackey after the Cubs pitcher hit four Sox batters on July 25. It continued in Boston a couple of weeks ago, when he said the visiting clubhouse, press box and TV booths at Wrigley were the worst in baseball. "It's a joke," he said. "It really is." Harrelson isn't the first to rip the accommodations at Wrigley Field. Ozzie Guillen made it an annual tradition when he was Sox manager, making the rat the official rodent of the ballpark.

Harrelson obviously is an expert at trolling Cubs fans, but does he have a point? Having worked in 29 of the 30 current major-league press boxes, I can attest Wrigley's is far from the worst. That designation has to go to Angel Stadium, where the press box is located well down the right-field line because the greedy owner put a club behind home plate. The White Sox's press box, while comfortable, also was moved down the first-base line for similar reasons, and also has a less than desirable view. Wrigley's box is open and spiders hang from the rafters every August, but it has Wi-Fi that mostly works and electrical outlets, so no one complains. The Cubs acknowledge the visiting clubhouse is cramped and inadequate. Construction on a new one is slated to begin next year with completion set for 2019, before they finally build a new press box. Cubs VP of Communications Julian Green said last year the Cubs were not trying to be "malicious" to the visitors. "I don't think anyone would say the current visiting clubhouse framework is leading to a competitive disadvantage," Green said. Reds starter Scott Feldman, a former Cub, begged to differ. "It's horrible," Feldman said. "This one and Boston are both similar. You get some good and bad when you have these cool, historic parks. It's great playing the game outside. It's awesome. Everybody loves playing here and in Boston. "I'd much rather it be renovated like the home (clubhouse). It gives them a huge home-field advantage in both (Wrigley and Fenway Park), an enormous home-field advantage. "But if I was the owner of a team, I'd make the visiting side as bad as possible. Why wouldn't you? Their priority is for them to win." The Cubs haven't really taken advantage of that "enormous" edge in clubhouses, taking a 30-26 home record into Tuesday's game against the Reds. Harrelson was right about the cramped Wrigley TV and radio booths, which lack windows and can be miserable to work in during frigid conditions in April, May and late September. But veteran Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman said he learned from former Reds executive Dick Wagner that it just doesn't matter. "In 1974, Wagner sat me down and said 'Let me give you some rules to live by,'" Brennaman said. "He said when you're broadcasting early in the year and it's cold outside, nobody gives a damn how uncomfortable you are. Whether it's 35 (degrees) or it's 105, they don't care. They turn the radio on to listen to the game. "What (Harrelson) said about the press box here, nobody gives a damn about that. They tune you in to listen to the game. They're not interested in what your problems are." Brennaman said every visiting broadcaster who comes to Wrigley knows it isn't the best environment to work in because the park is 103 years old. "Why dwell on it?" he said. "It is what it is, and it certainly is sufficient enough for me to do my job. Now if there was something about the whole configuration (of the booth) that presented some constraints, I'd have a problem with it. "But I don't. And like I said, nobody cares."

The bottom line is that Hawk is right — Wrigley is old and often an uncomfortable place to work for players, writers and broadcasters. But at least it's not sterile like so many other ballparks, and as Brennaman said, nobody cares anyway. -- Chicago Tribune 'This game is very humbling:' Carl Edwards Jr. on the comeback trail By Mark Gonzales Carl Edwards Jr. admitted he was willing to allow one run if he could turn a double play after inheriting a scary situation Tuesday night. But Edwards turned in one of his most impressive performances of the season by striking out three consecutive batters and stranding the tying run at third base in the seventh inning of the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Reds. “I was going to take that,” Edwards said of the possibility of giving up a run for two outs. After experiencing control problems less than two weeks ago, Edwards has rebounded at a key time for the Cubs, who are without Koji Uehara (neck). Edwards has struck out his last five batters. He struck out two to preserve a one-run lead in the seventh inning of Sunday’s 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks, and he struck out Tucker Barnhart, Patrick Kivlehan and Billy Hamilton with Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker in scoring position to end the seventh Tuesday night. Edwards' curve looks sharper, as evidenced by his strikeouts of Ketel Marte and Gregor Blanco of the Diamondbacks on Sunday and freezing Kivlehan. “I know this game is very humbling,” said Edwards, who has struck out 70 in 48 1/3 innings “I can look good for 30 consecutive appearances and all of a sudden in four or five big games I can be hurt again. I just look at it is going out there and having fun. Make simple better and make the game much simpler than overthinking.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs manager Joe Maddon explains strategy behind his four-man outfield alignment By Mark Gonzales Put your defenders where they hit it. That's manager Joe Maddon's strategy against select left-handed power hitters, such as Reds star Joey Votto. On Monday night, Maddon employed a four-outfielder alignment during Votto's fifth-inning at-bat. "You want to take them away from what they do best," Maddon said, explaining that Votto was more likely to hit the ball in the air than on the ground to the left side against left-hander Jose Quintana. Maddon wanted to use the strategy as an Angels coach when Jim Thome played for the Indians, and he finally did so when he managed the Rays and Thome played for the White Sox. "I know (David Ortiz) didn't like it," Maddon said. "You can ask him." Maddon said the decision to employ the four-outfielder alignment occurred after assessing the data with bench coach Dave Martinez.

"It almost was like that scene in 'Step Brothers' when we became best friends," Maddon quipped. Votto beat the shift with a double down the right-field line. Banged-up Ben: Ben Zobrist admitted he's been frustrated by his injuries this season as Maddon kept him out of the starting lineup for a second straight day to rest his aching neck. Zobrist pinch-hit in the eighth inning and drew a walk. "It's been tough," said Zobrist, who has missed four games due to back stiffness, three weeks because of a sore left wrist and two games for his current neck stiffness. "It's been a very tough and difficult year for me physically and it's another little thing." Zobrist thinks he could have hurt his neck while taking extra swings in an effort to work out of his season-long malaise. "I want this guy well in September and October," Maddon said. "And he's coming off myriad injuries I didn't want to exacerbate." Russell running: Shortstop Addison Russell performed running and agility drills, but it appears unlikely he will rejoin the Cubs by the end of the homestand, which concludes Sunday. "The way it's panning out, I don't think there's any rush," Russell said. Russell has experienced infrequent discomfort in his right foot and is wearing insoles to alleviate pain. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs crap out against woebegone Reds in 2-1 loss as Brewers gain game By Gordon Wittenmyer Ben Zobrist, a World Series winner with the Kansas City Royals two years ago and a World Series MVP for the Cubs last fall, talked before Tuesday’s game about getting back in the lineup after his latest nagging body ache. Then he talked about a division race that looks nothing like last year’s. Zobrist took one step forward — returning in the eighth inning and eventually driving in the Cubs’ only run — before the Cubs took one step back in a 2-1 loss to the last-place Cincinnati Reds after squandering late scoring opportunities. With 44 games left, the Cubs are only 1½ games better than the Milwaukee Brewers, a team that nobody picked to be anywhere near the playoffs. They’ve lost eight of their last 13, and they’re bracing for a fight to the final days of the season, when they’ll face the St. Louis Cardinals and Brewers in eight of their last 11 games. Zobrist, for one, said he wants to see some serious separation from the pack by then. But could there be a benefit in October for the on-again, off-again defending champs in a nail-biter race in the National League Central? “Last year, it was nice to kind of cruise,” said Zobrist, who returned from a stiff neck and singled in Kyle Schwarber with one out in the ninth — with Jason Heyward reaching third on Zobrist’s hit before eventually being stranded there. “I worried more last year than I would this year if we make the playoffs, because last year, you know, if you kind of shut it off and then try to turn it back on, that can be difficult. I felt like we did a good job last year of turning it back on the last week, trying to get back into that playoff mode. This year, we know all the way through we’re going to have to be mentally there.”

If a close race is a good thing for the Cubs over these final six weeks, then consider Tuesday’s loss a blessed event as they flailed yet again with men in scoring position (1-for-9). They left 10 men on base — half in the final two innings. Talk about Embrace the Suck. Kyle Hendricks’ best start since returning from the disabled list and a clutch, three-strikeout appearance by setup man Carl Edwards Jr. went for naught against a Reds rookie starter and a mediocre bullpen. The Cubs managed just two hits in six scoreless innings by impressive, hard-throwing Luis Castillo, who was making his first career start against them. Seeing a kid with such good stuff for the first time made it hard to adjust, Heyward said. The Cubs showed good fight, said manager Joe Maddon, who had “nothing to complain about.” And if Hendricks, who pitched into the seventh with the kind of command that won him an ERA title last year, continues to look like this the rest of the way, the rotation could look whole again for the stretch run. But if bad teams keep treating the Cubs like their personal playoff opponents — Heyward even called this a “playoff-like game” — and their allergies to men in scoring position continue, buckle up. The loss was a lost opportunity for the Cubs to increase their 1½-game division lead over the second-place Cardinals, who lost in Boston. And the third-place Brewers beat the Pirates to move into a virtual tie with the Cards for second. “We’re in a decent spot, but we’re not exactly where we want to be,” Zobrist said. “If the playoffs started now, we’d be in there. But we’d like to be playing even better than we are and kind of run away with the division if we could.” The Cubs’ remaining schedule is certainly built for it. Tuesday’s game was the second of 13 straight against last-place teams. Seventeen more the rest of the way are against teams that currently have losing records. “We really have to do the best we can to just keep the pedal to the metal and make sure we win our division, and everything else we’ll just address it as it comes,” Zobrist said. -- Chicago Sun-Times Must be the shoes: Addison Russell tricky arch injury could linger By Gordon Wittenmyer Could shortstop Addison Russell be sidelined into September by his foot injury — believed to require only a minimal stay on the disabled list when he went on the 10-day DL two weeks ago? He has no idea, and neither do the Cubs. “No timetable right now,” Russell said after noting that the “strain” in his right foot involves plantar fasciitis, a tricky, sometimes-persistent injury to the arch. Entering Tuesday night’s game, the Cubs were 5-6 since Russell last played. The injury “snuck up” on him, he said, as he broke in a pair of new baseball shoes during the first week of the month. “I feel like those shoes may have not been as worn as I wanted them to be,” he said. “I’m switching shoes in and out, day to day. So I don’t think it had anything to do with the shoe — or it could have had something to do with the shoe. I think it was more something that just crept up on me.”

Either way, the 2016 All-Star — who has struggled on and off the field this year — is forced to tread lightly on the foot during rehab work as he gets used to insoles and waits for the pain to subside enough for the medical staff to offer a better idea of a timeline. “It’s definitely a position I don’t want to be in, but I have to take advantage of the position I’m in, getting stronger in the gym, doing my treatment and supporting my teammates,” Russell said. “I’m definitely taking this time to evaluate my body and get stronger so I can be that much more impactful when I come back.” Russell won’t play during this weeklong homestand. Even if he were to be healed enough to play shortly after that, manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday he expects Russell to need at least a brief minor-league rehab assignment. Meanwhile, Javy Baez has played every day at short in Russell’s absence, underscoring both the luxury the Cubs have in a second big-league-caliber shortstop and the need to get Russell back to stabilize the middle infield. “Javy’s having a wonderful year overall. It’s just a matter of putting him out there too often sometimes,” Maddon said after Baez committed a costly error during a loss at Arizona on Saturday night. “I like to give him a break once in a while. Right now there’s no break. We need Addison back to balance it out. When Javy’s on the other side, we’re really good on the infield.” NOTES: Manager Joe Maddon said he expects World Series Most Valuable Player Ben Zobrist to return to the starting lineup Wednesday after two days of resting a sore neck. Zobrist pinch-hit Tuesday. • That four-man outfield that Maddon employed against the torrid-hitting Joey Votto on Monday night? Maddon and bench coach Davey Martinez decided on it before the game after poring over the hitting and pitching charts and coming to the same conclusion almost simultaneously. “It was almost like that scene in ‘Step Brothers’ when they became best friends,” Maddon said. “We thought the same thing at the same time: ‘Four outfielders.’ ” • With a second walk in the sixth inning Tuesday, Votto extended his streak of reaching base at least twice in a game to 20 — one short of Ted Williams’ 1948 record. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ John Lackey at 38: serving up long balls, racking up victories By Steve Greenberg No one serves up a bigger, better meatball than Cubs right-hander John Lackey. With a National League-high 29 home runs allowed this season, he has raised the delivery of the delicious hit-me pitch to something of an art form. He could set the ball on a tee at home plate, but that would be gauche. He could look in at hitters and point the way to Waveland Avenue, but he’s practically doing that anyway. It’s simple, really: He chucks it, they crush it. But that’s pretty much the only way to a 4.82 ERA, isn’t it? There’s just no nice way to say it: Lackey isn’t the pitcher he used to be. But here’s the crazy part: The brusque Texan, who’ll turn 39 the day before the World Series begins, is the best thing the Cubs have going right now. ‘‘Says who?’’ Lackey shot back with a sneer this week. Says the bottom line, that’s who. Who cares if Lackey surrendered two more homers in his most recent start? So what if he hasn’t thrown more than six innings in a game in more than two months? The dude is 5-0 in five starts since the All-Star break. Would you believe the Cubs haven’t lost a game Lackey has started since June?

Lackey, who has lifted his record to a respectable 10-9, will make his 23rd start of the season Wednesday against the Reds at Wrigley Field. It only seems as though he has been widely criticized before, during and after each of the previous 22. ‘‘Everybody was writing him off,’’ teammate and close pal Jon Lester said. ‘‘Well, guess what? There’s still obviously a lot left in the tank.’’ Nevertheless, there’s basically no chance the Cubs will re-sign Lackey for next season. And with Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana to lean on, it’s conceivable that the Cubs might not have much use for him if they get to the playoffs. How does Lackey feel about all the doubts he’s facing at this late stage in his terrific career? When you really peel the onion, mustn’t it be hurtful to him generally to be considered the least important member of the Cubs’ rotation? ‘‘Are you serious?’’ he said. Well, yeah. ‘‘Man, I really don’t care what anybody says. What do I have to prove, really? I have three world championships. This is my 16th year in the big leagues. Whatever.’’ A skeptic might point out that Lackey’s ERA is the second-worst of his career and that his major-league-high 2.09 homers allowed per nine innings is more than double his career average. But can we stick to the real point here? The man has earned victories in five consecutive starts for the first time since 2008. What gives? ‘‘Pitching is a little bit of luck and, obviously, executing pitches,’’ Lester said. ‘‘When you do miss your location, it’s a matter of [whether] they pop it up or hit it over the fence. I feel like those mistakes have been minimized for him. ‘‘The thing that always bit Lack was the three-run homer; it always happened at the wrong time. That’s not happening now. He just looks good. He looks fluid right now.’’ Lackey’s explanation is a bit, shall we say, shorter. ‘‘There isn’t really anything to it,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m just pitching.’’ And flying ‘‘W’s,’’ one after another. Frankly, what else matters? -- Daily Herald Hendricks continues to work his way back for Chicago Cubs By Bruce Miles Kyle Hendricks was back to his old, efficient self Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. After going 7 innings only once in his previous 4 starts since he came off the disabled list, Hendricks pitched into the seventh, putting a pair of runners aboard before Carl Edwards Jr. came in and struck out the next three batters.

It was an overall solid outing for Hendricks, who gave up 5 hits and no runs. Hendricks got a no-decision as the Reds came away with a 2-1 victory. Cincinnati scored once in the eighth against Pedro Strop (3-3) and once in the ninth against Justin Wilson to take a 2-0 lead before the Cubs put across a run in the bottom half. Pinch hitter Alex Avila was called out on strikes with runners on first and third to end the game. "It was a lot better tonight," said Hendricks, whose ERA dropped from 3.70 to 3.45. "Kind of all the things I've been working on came to fruition a little bit. Fastball command, No. 1, was good. That's always the key for me. "From there, changeup felt really good. Even threw a few good curveballs. Didn't throw a lot today, but the ones I threw were effective. It was a lot of fun out there today with Vic (catcher Victor Caratini). We were working really well together." There's a whole lot that goes into it when Hendricks looks like the major leagues' ERA champ of 2016. The biggest thing is pitch efficiency. Hendricks had that, throwing 93 pitches over his 6-plus innings. "Right on, he did really well, came out with a little bit greater velocity, great location, every pitch was working," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team fell to 62-56. The Cubs lead the Cardinals and Brewers by 1½ games in the National League Central. The other part of the success equation for Hendricks is getting enough disparity in miles per hour between his fastball and his changeup. Hendricks' fastball was clocking around 84-85 mph, with several at 86 and at least one at 87. The changeup was consistently around 77-78 mph. When a wide disparity is there, Hendricks is able to elicit soft contact. Entering Tuesday, the hard contact against Hendricks was up by about 10 percent over last year's rate. "When there's more separation between fastball and changeup, you're going to get more swings, weaker contact," Maddon said. "Last year that was the one thing about him he was noted for: weak contact against. When you have weak contact against, the defense becomes bigger. "One of the things I've always talked about is we catch line drives, meaning that you want to be in that spot when the guy hits the ball hard. But if you elicit weaker contact, then your guys are all over the place. "That's what he did all last year, really, a lot of weak contact." The Cubs did little against Reds starter Luis Castillo, who worked 6 shutout innings. Caratini and Albert Almora Jr. opened the seventh with singles against Michael Lorenzen, but Almora was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. Jason Heyward lined out, and Javier Baez grounded out to end the inning. The Cubs loaded the bases without a hit in the eighth, but Caratini struck out against Raisel Iglesias to end that threat. Kyle Schwarber led off the ninth with a pinch single before Heyward singled. After a bunt by Baez, Ben Zobrist singled home a run before Iglesias struck out Jon Jay and Avila. -- Daily Herald Maddon might use 4-man outfield again By Bruce Miles

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon has used the four-man outfield before, during his days as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays. In those days, he liked to do it against the likes of David Ortiz and Jim Thome. In Monday night's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, Maddon went with a four-outfielder alignment against on-base machine Joey Votto in the fifth inning. Maddon moved third baseman Kris Bryant into left-center field. Votto foiled the strategy by pulling the ball down the right-field line for a double. But Maddon may continue with the four-man outfield in certain situations. "I just thought yesterday with Votto being as hot as has been, just give them a different look," Maddon said Tuesday. "It just depends on who's pitching or what the situation looks like. "Here's the thing: When you look at your charts, where does he not hit the ball? And how often does he not hit the ball there? "My point is, why cover where the guy doesn't hit the ball whereas you can cover more where he does? That's the essence of the shift." Votto entered Tuesday having reached base at least twice in 19 consecutive games, a Reds record since 1900 and the longest such streak in the major leagues since Barry Bonds reached at least twice in 20 straight games in 2004. Votto made it 20 with a pair of walks Tuesday over his first three plate appearances. The major-league record is 21, set by Ted Williams in 1948. Maddon said he and bench coach Dave Martinez came up with the idea for Votto before Monday's game. One more day: Ben Zobrist, who was a late lineup scratch Monday, sat again Tuesday with a stiff neck. "I probably could have played today, but he wanted to be careful with it," Zobrist said, referring to Joe Maddon. "It's been tough. It's been a very tough, difficult year for me physically to feel good out there." Zobrist may be able to start Wednesday night. When asked what caused the problem he said: "Could be pillows. I'm taking free pillows." Testing it out: Shortstop Addison Russell worked out on the field Tuesday afternoon as he recovers from a right-foot strain. Russell is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list, but the Cubs don't want to rush him. "I'm feeling a little bit better," he said. "I'm still just trying to take this thing slow. I don't want any setbacks. I don't think there's any rush right now," Russell said. "I'm just going with how my body feels." --