September 16, 2016 Cubs.com Latest, greatest: Cubs clinch NL Central! By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- This spring, Joe Maddon arrived in Mesa, Ariz., with a checklist. One of those items was to win the National League Central, which the Cubs did late Thursday for the first time since 2008, with some help from the Giants. The Cubs missed a chance to pop champagne at Wrigley Field after losing to the Brewers, 5-4, on Thursday. But the Giants beat the Cardinals, 6-2, in San Francisco, and that secured the division title for Chicago. The Cubs now have made it to the postseason in consecutive seasons for the fourth time in franchise history. They also did so in 1885 and '86, and again in 1906-08 and 2007-08. Maddon's checklist this year included getting off to a good start, which the Cubs did, going 17-5 in April. They needed to stay healthy, which was challenged in the third game when Kyle Schwarber suffered a season-ending knee injury. So far, they've managed to avoid any other serious ailments. Maddon wanted the young players to be themselves, knowing they would make mistakes. What he didn't anticipate was the growth spurt. Kris Bryant, last year's NL Rookie of the Year Award winner, is this year's leading candidate for the NL Most Valuable Player Award. Bryant, who has moved from third to the outfield to first to wherever Maddon wants, isn't carrying the workload alone. Anthony Rizzo may be Bryant's biggest threat for the MVP Award, posting his second 30-homer, 100-RBI season. Addison Russell, 22, had a second-half surge, sparked by his selection as the starting shortstop on the NL All-Star team, and has 91 RBIs. Maddon saw the defensive talent Javier Baez had, but couldn't have predicted how well he would adjust to being moved around the infield in Ben Zobrist fashion. When he puts his scout's cap on, which Maddon will often do, he'll remind you that this is just the beginning for the Cubs. "The difference is the youth here," Maddon said. "To be this young and to be this good, that's the part that's different for me, and that's the part that stands out. Everyone is saying how good we are, but I'm telling you, these guys are going to get better." The league is on notice. Maddon's checklist also included the right attitude. The first T-shirts Cubs players were given said, "Embrace the Target," which was the manager's way of telling them to be prepared after a 97-win season and trip to the NL Championship Series in 2015. Bear cubs, a mime, and a disc jockey kept spring camp interesting, and the fun continued in the regular season with a zany suits trip and another pajama party. The toughest stretch was a 24-game run prior to the All-Star break. But after regrouping, the Cubs got a burst of energy when they acquired hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees on July 25. The so-called dog days of August were anything but as the Cubs went 22-6 that month to open a double-digit lead in the Central. The Cubs have overwhelmed opponents, posting a plus-200 run differential. But when all is said and done, it comes down to pitching and defense, and that's where the Cubs have dominated. The starters have led the NL

most of the season, and Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester are 1-2 in the Majors in ERA. Remember, Hendricks began Spring Training battling for the fifth-starter spot. "I'm amazed every night, I love to watch it every night," Maddon said of the defense. "For that group clamoring for offense, just check out some pitching and defense. [Games that end] 1-0 and 2-1 can be so exciting if you know what's going on out there." The Cubs will party after Friday's game against the Brewers. And then they'll start prepping for the next round. "We're proud of what we've done in the season so far," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "In October, you can't make the same type of proclamations. [In the postseason] it's about rising to the challenge and momentum, and playing your best in the biggest spots and getting your breaks. It's a combination of talent, skill and timing, and there is truly no other group I'd rather go into October with. We're set up to fight those battles." -- Cubs.com NL Central title mere stepping-stone for Cubs By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- As good as baseball gets. That's how the Cubs have operated for more than 400 days now, with no end in sight. When they clinched the National League Central title on Thursday night after the Cardinals lost to the Giants, it was a pinch-me moment for the adoring fans who packed Wrigley Field, even if it was more anticlimactic than dramatic. We've known the Cubs were coming since they started their charge to a Wild Card spot in late July a year ago, and here they are, favorites to win their first World Series since 1908. If you listen to the players, you hear that they don't feel like they've done anything yet. "It's kind of like, 'Job well done, now let's move on to the next phase,' " Jake Arrieta said. Whether or not the Cubs go on to capture baseball's Holy Grail this year, they've already marked themselves as a team that will be in the spotlight for years to come. It's not just that they've won 138 of their last 209 regular-season games to establish themselves as a powerhouse, but also how they've risen at the end of the massive rebuilding program launched by Tom Ricketts and executed with brainpower and discipline by Theo Epstein. They hired their Phil Jackson in Joe Maddon and turned over to him a team of complete players who win with style and lose with grace. Their front men are as likable as they are talented, and they all reflect the scouting and think-tank analysis of a front office that has found ways to stay a step ahead, first in Boston and now Chicago. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Dexter Fowler and Arrieta were acquired through shrewd trades or the Draft. Ownership provided the resources to augment the young core with free agents like Jon Lester, John Lackey, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward. They're a group of consummate professionals who look at baseball as a game, not as a business -- and should they forget every now and then, there are role players like David Ross and Travis Wood to put a smile back on their faces. They've got so much talent that they haven't felt the loss of young slugger Kyle Schwarber to a knee injury suffered in their third game.

In the fifth season since Epstein arrived from Boston, the Cubs have left the angst over 101-loss seasons, rooftop views and long overdue Wrigley Field renovations in the past. They've taken Chicago by storm and now stand on the threshold of becoming a modern version of the 1985 Bears, awaiting their ultimate validation in October. Seriously, what's not to like about these Cubbies? They stumbled in the NL Championship Series a year ago, mowed down by the Mets' power arms after eliminating the Pirates and Cardinals. But they had long since exceeded expectations, causing Epstein to proclaim 2015 as "a beautiful baseball dream." What does that make 2016? "A blast," Epstein said Thursday. "It's a great group of guys to be around every day. Last year was kind of a breakthrough season when we snuck up on people. There was a kind of innocence about everything that was really memorable and special. I wondered if it was possible to have as much fun in a year with much different expectations coming in. It's proven to be just as fun." The Cubs went 45-18 down the stretch to get to 97 wins last year. They followed that up with a 25-6 start this season and are on pace to win 104, the most for the franchise since 1910. A year after Arrieta won the NL Cy Young Award and Bryant was a unanimous pick for NL Rookie of the Year, the Cubs have two strong Most Valuable Player candidates in Bryant and Rizzo as well as two Cy Young frontrunners in Kyle Hendricks and Lester. No team has had two position players and two pitchers finish in the top five for those awards in the same year since 2004, when Epstein's Red Sox broke the so-called Curse of the Bambino behind David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling. That's how rare it is to have this much elite talent contributing with maximum efficiency. Two of the team's cornerstone players, Rizzo and Lester, are cancer survivors who fought their way through treatments early in their career just to be able to wear uniforms. Bryant is like Magic Johnson was for the Lakers in the 1980 NBA Finals. He combines his athleticism, hustle and gamesmanship with a willingness to do whatever his team needs. He's started games at third base, left field, right field and first base while making appearances as a shortstop and center fielder. Maddon, the minimalist manager who laughs at billy goats and says batting practice is over-rated, has been a terrific addition since Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer went to an RV park on the Florida Gulf Coast to recruit him two years ago. He guided the Rays from obscurity to the World Series in 2008, but he could see what was being built in Chicago. "To be this young, to be this good, that's the part that's a little bit different to me," Maddon said Thursday. "That's the part that really stands out. ... Everybody's saying how good we are, and that's wonderful, but I'm telling you, these guys are going to get better. They are that good. They deserve every moment they're going to have this season, but they are going to get better. They just need more experience. As they gain more experience, we are going to get better." After building a 10-game division lead in the first 56 games of the season, the Cubs sputtered for a few weeks but have played with machine-like efficiency since the All-Star break. They haven't lost more than two games in a row in that stretch, holding opponents to 2.9 runs per game. "[Our] defense is unbelievable," Maddon said. "I'm amazed every night. I love it. I love to watch it every night. ... If you can pitch it and catch it, you can compete on an annual basis. Why we haven't lost is about pitching, but pitching has really benefited from our defense, too."

Epstein upgraded the bullpen with a midseason deal for Aroldis Chapman, possessor of the most electrifying arm in the Major Leagues. He has helped turn the Cubs' one possible weakness into just another strength. Now comes the hard part. Baseball is not like Premier League soccer. Having the best record at the end of the season merely qualifies you as one of 10 teams in the postseason. You have to earn your championship from there. Here comes the best team. -- Cubs.com Cubs now aiming for NL home-field advantage By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Now that the Cubs have won the National League Central, what's next? Home-field advantage throughout the NL half of the postseason, of course. The magic number to do so is 10. Any combination of wins by the Cubs or losses by the second-best Nationals would give the Cubs the top seed in the NL and the right to face the winner of the NL Wild Card Game, which will be played on Oct. 5. Once the Wild Card winner is decided, the Cubs will open the best-of-five NL Division Series at Wrigley Field on Oct. 7, and the game will be broadcast on FS1 and MLB Network. Game 2 will be Oct. 8 at Wrigley Field, and the series will then shift to the road for Game 3 on Oct. 10 (FS1/MLB Network). If a Game 4 is necessary, it will be played Oct. 11 at the Wild Card winner's home field, and a deciding Game 5 would be played Oct. 13 at Wrigley Field. Both of those games would be broadcast on FS1. As of Thursday, the Giants and Mets were the Wild Card leaders. This season, the Cubs went 4-3 against the Giants, and 2-5 against the Mets, but manager Joe Maddon will be quick to remind everyone that those records don't matter. In 2015, the Cubs were 7-0 in the regular season against the Mets, who then swept Chicago in four games in the NL Championship Series. "Their pitching was unbelievably good," Maddon said of the 2015 Mets. "When you run into hot pitching, there's not much you can do about it." The Mets also swept the Cubs in a four-game series at Citi Field this season, June 30-July 3, and outscored Chicago, 32-11. Those games came during the Cubs' toughest stretch, when they played 24 straight games leading up to the All-Star Game -- won by the American League to secure home-field advantage in the World Series. But Maddon noted the Mets are different this year because of injuries to players like Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and David Wright. "Any team that makes it [to the postseason], the pitching will be good regardless," Maddon said. "Their command last year, under the weather conditions, I was baffled by it, how well they threw and the command they had in extreme conditions in New York. I have to give them a lot of credit." The Cubs took three of four against the Giants at Wrigley Field from Sept. 1-4, including an extra-inning, 3-2 win in the finale when Jason Heyward delivered a game-tying RBI single in the ninth and the game-winner with a single in the 13th. Chicago played in San Francisco from May 20-22, and Jake Arrieta won the first game, but Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks lost the next two. At that time, Jake Peavy and Matt Cain were in the Giants' rotation.

Having the best record isn't enough for the Cubs. "The Cardinals won 100 games last year," Lester said. "No matter what you do during the season, it's nice, it's fun, it's the process, but what matters here is another month. What this team will be remembered for is next month, not during the season and how many wins and all that stuff." Until the postseason begins, Maddon said he expects the players to continue with the same approach. The goal will be to balance rest with staying ready. "I still want us to play like our hair's on fire, and that people are coming after us, which they are," he said. -- Cubs.com Cubs to celebrate division crown today By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- The Cubs didn't get to use their new celebration room on Thursday night to toast their first National League Central championship since 2008. Most of the players had gone home by the time the Cardinals lost to the Giants late Thursday. For the second straight year, the Cubs had to delay their party. Last year, the Cubs missed a chance to celebrate clinching a postseason berth because they didn't know they'd secured a Wild Card spot until the Giants lost on the West Coast. This year, the Cubs began play on Thursday needing a win over the Brewers to clinch, but lost, 5-4, at Wrigley Field. The Giants helped the Cubs by beating the Cardinals, 6-2, at AT&T Park. Although there were cheers from the bars around Wrigley Field as soon as the Giants-Cardinals game ended, the Cubs' party will come after Friday's game, scheduled for a 1:20 p.m. CT start time. "We want to come back here [Friday] and we'll be together and celebrate the way you're supposed to after a win," Cubs catcher Miguel Montero said. "Last year was exactly the same," Montero said. "Regardless, we have to come back [Friday] and win the ballgame. We've been playing good enough to not quit now. We want to keep rolling." The Cubs are the first team to clinch a division title on Sept. 15 or earlier since the 2008 Angels did so on Sept. 10. The last NL team to win a division title by this date was the 2005 Cardinals (Sept. 15). Chicago reached the postseason last year by virtue of a Wild Card berth, and this year, it wanted to avoid a one-game playoff scenario. The Cubs now have made it to the postseason in consecutive seasons for the fourth time in franchise history. They also did so in 1885 and '86, and again in 1906-08 and 2007-08. Cubs manager Joe Maddon wasn't going to wait at Wrigley for the outcome of the Giants game, which ended around midnight CT. "This is just the first step," Maddon said. "We have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet. Let's just get this done. I thought our guys were ready to play tonight." The Cubs were largely silent on social media, clearly focused on the bigger picture: winning in the postseason. Were the Cubs anxious? The crowd of 41,362 at Wrigley Field was definitely amped, especially after Jorge Soler's two-run homer in the second gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead. "I'll use the word 'eager,'" Maddon said. "I think that's a good word, better than anxious. They were ready to go."

Jason Heyward, who hit an RBI double in the eighth, planned on his usual postgame routine. He was going to get dinner and then check the scores. If he was still in the Wrigleyville area, all he had to do was listen to the cheering fans and honking car horns. "We didn't earn it with a win tonight," Heyward said. "[The Brewers] played us one run better. We'd like to think about it as it's not up to anybody else, it's up to us." -- Cubs.com Cubs fall to Crew, but clinch after Cards lose By Carrie Muskat and Brian Hedger CHICAGO -- The Brewers spoiled the Cubs' party plans on Thursday, but just before midnight, Chicago was able to celebrate. The Cubs lost, 5-4, to the Brewers after pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett smacked a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. A few hours later, fans were cheering in Wrigleyville. The Cubs were the National League Central champions for the first time since 2008. The Cubs claimed the division title after the Giants beat the Cardinals, 6-2, in San Francisco late Thursday. Chicago manager Joe Maddon had already left the ballpark, and the players did not plan on sticking around for the outcome of the game, especially with a 1:20 p.m. CT start on Friday. Last year, the Cubs secured a postseason berth as one of the NL Wild Card teams after the Giants lost on the West Coast. "Last year was exactly the same," Cubs catcher Miguel Montero said after Thursday's game. "Regardless, we have to come back tomorrow and win the ballgame. We've been playing good enough to not quit now. We want to keep rolling." The Cubs would've preferred a party on their terms and Jorge Soler revved up the crowd of 41,362 at Wrigley when he hit a two-run homer in the Chicago second, but the lead was short-lived. Milwaukee took a one-run lead in fourth before the Cubs tied it later in the inning. The game remained tied at 3 in the Brewers' seventh when Domingo Santana doubled to lead off the inning against Justin Grimm. One out later, Martin Maldonado walked and Gennett, batting for starter Jimmy Nelson, lined a double down the left-field line. Grimm had given up one run over 22 2/3 innings in his previous 28 appearances. It was the Brewers' first win at Wrigley in seven games this season, and they trail the season series, 10-6. "It was just a flat-out good ballgame," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Obviously with where they're at, there was great energy in the park tonight, and I thought it was a game we were going to do everything we could to win. We answered that energy and we used that energy for us. We played a very good baseball game. "There's no question that spots like this help us. They expose us to great situations." The Cubs closed to 5-4 with two outs in the eighth on Jason Heyward's RBI double, and had two on, but Tyler Thornburg struck out rookie Willson Contreras to end the inning. Thornburg, who pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save, fell behind 2-0 on Contreras before coming back to strike him out. "Tyler Thornburg, when he was in, there's no bigger situation," Counsell said. "He's not going to be in a bigger situation. He's not going to be in a better atmosphere, and our guys are not going to be in better atmospheres than that." Thornburg agreed. "It's pretty awesome, I'm not going to lie," he said of the energy in the ballpark. "I've only had one other time where the crowd noise was definitely noticeable, I think in 2013 in St. Louis might be the last time, when I was a

starter. But that was pretty awesome. I've never gotten the opportunity to throw in the playoffs, but that's about as close as I can imagine." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Soler power: Addison Russell led off the Chicago second with a popup that third baseman Hernan Perez and shortstop Orlando Arcia converged on, but the ball dropped between the two. Russell was safe on the infield single. Soler followed with his 12th home run, a shot Statcast™ estimated had an exit velocity of 114 mph, the hardest-hit home run by a Cubs player this year. Soler entered batting .208 in September, but the Cubs are hoping he can have a postseason like last year, when he batted .474 with three home runs in seven games. Double trouble: Keon Broxton pulled the Brewers to within a run, 2-1, on his second homer in the past three games to start the fourth, but the three-run inning was keyed on back-to-back doubles with two outs. They were hit by Santana and Arcia, who followed Santana's double with a two-run double of his own to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Santana added a second double in the seventh and scored on Gennett's double. "Tonight, he swung the bat very well," Counsell said about Santana. "He was in the middle of the field tonight, which is a good thing. Even the line-drive out [in the eight] was against a tough right-hander, which was a good sign, as well. He's doing a good job and he's in a nice place." Six-pack: Making his fifth start as the Cubs' sixth starter, Mike Montgomery scattered four hits over six innings, including Broxton's solo homer. The one pitch he said he'd like to have back is the one to Arcia in the fourth that resulted in a two-run double. The lefty, who struck out seven, helped himself in the fourth. With two outs and Heyward at third, Montgomery lined his first-career hit and collected his first RBI with a single to center to tie the score at 3. The Cubs may have Montgomery make another start as they try to give their starters enough rest heading into October. "That was a lot of fun," Montgomery said of his first hit. "I went to Davey [Martinez, bench coach] after my last at-bat, and said, 'Tell me something, give me something to work with. I need to get better swings on the ball.' I went out there and tried to make a good swing. It was pretty cool to get that hit, especially in that situation." Big 'K': Nelson allowed a run in the fourth, surrendering the lead after the Brewers went ahead, 3-2, in the top half, but it could've been worse. Montgomery and Dexter Fowler were on first and second with two outs, when Kris Bryant stepped into the batter's box amid "MVP!" chants. Nelson struck him out swinging to end the inning. REPLAY REVIEW In the Brewers' eighth, Ryan Braun singled to lead off and Joe Smith tried to pick him off with a throw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Braun was called safe, but the Cubs challenged the ruling, and after a review, the call was overturned. WHAT'S NEXT Brewers: Chase Anderson will get the start Friday and face the Cubs for the third time this season and in his career. He's 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in the first two starts, allowing just two earned runs in 9 1/3 innings. Anderson is 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in his past nine starts overall. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT. Cubs: John Lackey is scheduled to start the second game of this four-game series, and he'll be happy to be back at Wrigley Field on Friday. The right-hander is 6-4 with a 2.44 ERA at home this season. He's given up four earned runs over 12 innings in two starts against the Brewers this season. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT. --

Cubs.com Lackey's postseason prep to continue vs. Crew By Brian Hedger John Lackey and the Cubs will try to keep their dominance at Wrigley Field going against the Brewers, a day after they clinched the National League Central. Chicago dropped the series opener Thursday, but wrapped up the division title when the Cardinals fell to the Giants in San Francisco. Lackey, in his first season with the Cubs, will make his 15th start at home, where he's 6-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 0.958 walks/hits ratio and .196 average against. His 4.54 ERA in 12 road starts is 2.10 points higher. The Cubs, meanwhile, have the best home winning percentage (.708) in the Major Leagues. "This is a very talented team," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of the Cubs. "I wouldn't have an explanation about [their home record]. It's a home-field advantage, certainly, playing here, and they do a good job at it. The fans know and everybody knows this is a good team, and they're doing their job at home." Right-hander Chase Anderson will start for the Brewers, facing the Cubs for the third time this season and for his career. In the first two starts, Anderson went 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA, allowing just two earned runs in 9 1/3 innings. Anderson is 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in his past nine starts, including a scoreles, 5 2/3 innings no-decision in his most recent time out, last Saturday against the Cardinals. Three things to know about this game • Brewers infielder Jonathan Villar is closing the gap on Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton for the Major League lead in stolen bases. Hamilton, who's out with an oblique injury, has 58. Villar has 54. • Lackey is 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA in his last six starts. He's 5-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 10 career starts against the Brewers, including a 3.00 ERA in two outings against Milwaukee this season. • The Cubs have only hit two home runs off Anderson. They were hit by Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward, who recently ended an 0-for-23 slump. Bryant (1-for-5) and Heyward (2-for-10) both have a career batting average of .200 against Anderson. -- Cubs.com Epstein proud of how Cubs have handled expectations By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- This season is Theo Epstein's fifth as the Cubs' president of baseball operations, and it's been a blast. The Cubs went 61-101 in 2012 in Epstein's first year at the helm, and this season, they have the best record in the Major Leagues, clinched the National League Central and are on pace for more than 100 wins. "This year is really different from last year, because of all the expectations we had coming in," Epstein said Thursday. "Last year, we were able to sneak up on people and go on a joy ride in the second half of the season into October. It almost felt like the only thing that mattered was what was going on in the clubhouse. "This year, before we even reported to Spring Training, there were all these expectations and that kind of crept into the clubhouse and the guys handled it incredibly well and embraced the challenge and didn't back down from any situations."

In 2015, the Cubs won 97 games, secured a National League Wild Card berth, then ousted the Pirates in the NL Wild Card Game before beating their rivals, the Cardinals, in the NL Division Series. But the ride ended when they were swept by the Mets in the NL Championship Series. Can Epstein compare the Cubs at all with what he did with the Red Sox? "It'd be great if there were parallels between the '03 Red Sox to the '15 Cubs, and then therefore, the '04 Red Sox to the '16 Cubs," he said of the 2004 Boston team that won a World Series. "Every group is unique and we'll see how it plays out. This year's team has distinguished itself for every challenge thrown it's way, including expectations." Epstein hasn't taken time to reflect on what he and his staff have accomplished. "It's not navel-gazing time just yet," he said. "We have a lot ahead of us. It all boils down to how you perform in October. We're rightfully proud of the regular season we've had, and it's meaningful, but it's never time to look back after that. If you have a good enough regular season, it's time to play for what really matters. We're on the doorstep of that, and that's what we're focused on." The Cubs lost, 5-4, to the Brewers on Thursday at Wrigley Field, but they clinched the Central Division shortly before midnight when the Giants beat the Cardinals, 6-2, at AT&T Park. Epstein said the staff has had general conversations regarding the playoff roster, but they won't finalize anything until they know who their opponent will be. If the Cubs do post the best record in the NL, they will face the Wild Card winner in the Division Series. For now, Epstein is enjoying the team, along with the Cubs fans. "It's a blast," he said. "It's a great bunch of guys to be around every day. Last year was our breakthrough season where we snuck up on people. There was an innocence about the whole thing that was memorable and special. I wondered if it was possible to have as much fun in a year with much different expectations coming in, and it's proven to be just as fun." -- Cubs.com Wood, longest-tenured Cub, savoring '16 season By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Travis Wood is the longest-tenured Cub, joining the team in 2011 when the pitcher was acquired from the Reds along with Dave Sappelt and Ronald Torreyes for reliever Sean Marshall. In Wood's first season, 2012, the Cubs lost 101 games. This year, the Cubs were on pace for more than 100 wins. "We've definitely come a long ways from when I got here in '12," said Wood, who has gone from the rotation to the bullpen over that stretch. "Me and [Anthony Rizzo] are the only guys I remember from the start, and other than that, there are all new faces." The Cubs acquired Rizzo from the Padres in January 2012. Wood was eagerly waiting to see what this year's Cubs team will do. "I've lost 100 before, but I've never won 100," Wood said. "I hope we can get there." • Cubs reliever Pedro Strop, on the disabled list since Aug. 11 with a torn meniscus in his left knee, threw a bullpen session for the first time on Thursday. The Cubs are hoping he can be activated in time to get five or six appearances during the regular season.

• The Cubs named outfielder Eloy Jimenez and right-handed pitcher Trevor Clifton the organization's Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. The two prospects will be honored at Wrigley Field prior to the Sept. 23 game against the Cardinals. Jimenez, 19 and the Cubs' No. 2 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, was named the Midwest League Most Valuable Player and Prospect of the Year after batting .329 with 40 doubles, three triples, 14 homers, 65 runs scored and 81 RBIs in 112 games with Class A Advanced South Bend. He led the league in doubles, slugging percentage (.532) and OPS (.901), ranked second in RBIs and total bases (230) and ranked third in batting average. He also led all Cubs Minor Leaguers in average and was second in RBIs. Clifton, 21, went 7-7 with a 2.72 ERA in 23 starts with Class A Myrtle Beach, earning Carolina League Pitcher of the Year honors. He led all Cubs' Minor Leaguers, and ranked third in the Carolina League, with 129 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched. He was named as both a Carolina League mid-season and post-season All-Star, leading the league in ERA and WHIP (1.16). Clifton made two postseason starts with Myrtle Beach, allowing one run over 12 innings, including six scoreless innings in Game 3 of the Mills Cup Championship Series on Tuesday. A 12th-round Draft pick in 2013, he is ranked as the eighth-best prospect in the Cubs' organization by MLBPipeline.com. • Who does Cubs manager Joe Maddon think about when he's had teams secure postseason spots? It's the coaches. "When you get to that particular moment, I look at the coaching staff," Maddon said Thursday. "Having been a Minor League grunt and a Major League grunt for many years, it really impacts the lives of the coaches. ... I was that guy, and I know how it paid for my daughter's wedding in 2002. Otherwise, Sarah would not have had the wedding she had. It really matters, and it matters to that group of people." -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' loss only delays the celebration for newly crowned NL Central champions By Bradford Doolittle CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs had to leave Wrigley Field without a celebration on Thursday, but they knew their time to rejoice is all but inevitable. And that time will come Friday. The Cubs dropped a 5-4 contest to the Milwaukee Brewers in a game that was just a tiny detail in the big picture. With the loss, Chicago’s magic number to clinch the National League Central remained at one when they left the ballpark. But that number fell to zero about 90 minutes later, when the Giants finished off a 6-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in San Francisco. The St. Louis loss did for the Cubs what they hoped to accomplish Thursday before a raucous, sellout crowd and a gaggle of celebrity fans, including black-clad actor John Cusack, who hobnobbed with the sports writers on the field before the game. “The atmosphere tonight was probably one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of,” Cubs starter Mike Montgomery said. “The situation we had tonight, where we could have clinched, but the vibe and the way the fans were and the guys around the clubhouse today, that was a lot of fun. It was unfortunate we couldn’t win.” The Cubs cleared out of the clubhouse quickly after the game, knowing they had a quick turnaround for Friday’s afternoon game. The team made the decision beforehand to head home in the event of a loss rather than watch the Giants-Cardinals game in the clubhouse. Chicago plans to celebrate after Friday’s game. Bubbly included.

“They were eager,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I’ll use that word instead of 'anxious.' They were ready to go. I just thought we had a really good way about us today, and we just made a couple of mistakes we normally don’t make. It’s just going to happen.” Nobody was wringing their hands over the loss, even before the result from the West Coast came in. There were good things and bad things from the night, as in every contest, and the only thing different was the amount of scrutiny in this game. Celebrities. Cameras that seemed to have multiplied while the team was on its road trip. Everyone on hand to see the Cubs storm the mound at the end of a clinching win. “It would have been wonderful to do that for the fans right there,” Maddon said. “We were unable to do so. That’s part of the uncontrollable nature of the game.” While the players were long gone, a lot of fans watched the end of the Giants-Cardinals game at the bars surrounding Wrigley. When the Cardinals made their final out, the neighborhood erupted in cheers. Fans spilled out along the sidewalks of Clark and Addison, and the streets became filled with honking cars. It wasn't a World Series type of eruption. More like an appetizer. On the field, the Cubs got a nice outing from Montgomery, who held the Brewers to one earned run over six innings — three runs overall — and struck out seven, his high-water mark since arriving in Chicago. Montgomery’s one bad frame was the fourth, when after a rare Addison Russell error extended the inning, the pitcher gave up back-to-back doubles. The second of those to Orlando Arcia drove in two runs. “It felt good,” Montgomery said. “I’d like to have that fourth inning back. I thought I made a lot of good pitches.” Montgomery, who has earned no-decisions in all five of his Chicago starts, knotted the game in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out RBI single. Both the hit and the RBI were the first of his big league career. “That was a lot of fun,” Montgomery said. “I went to [bench coach] Dave [Martinez] after my last at-bat and said, ‘Give me something to work with, I need to get some better swings on the ball.’ He told me a couple of things.” The other bright spot for the Cubs was a two-run shot from Jorge Soler in the second inning, a laser shot into the left-field bleachers. That continues a prolonged hot streak for the outfielder: Since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 5, Soler’s .915 OPS ranks second on the Cubs only to Kris Bryant. On the downside, Russell had three errant throws at shortstop, one of which was saved by first baseman Anthony Rizzo, but two of which resulted in his first two-error game of his career. “Obviously we wanted to clinch it today,” catcher Miguel Montero said. “That didn’t happen. There is no reason to be disappointed. We’ve done the job all year long, and we’ve got another shot tomorrow.” So the Cubs may have celebrated on their own, in the wee hours of the morning, after learning of the St. Louis loss. They may celebrate a little more when they get to the park on Friday. And they definitely will celebrate after Friday’s game. “We deserve it,” outfielder Jason Heyward said. “We earned it. Fun year, exciting year. We don’t write it up that way to be storybook, but it’s a good thing.” One way or another, there'll be a party, one the Cubs hope is the first of many over the next six weeks. Because while the first celebration will be sweet, they know it’s not the one that matters. But before they can get to the others, there's more than two weeks left in the regular season. It will be a time for rest and preparation for the postseason, when everybody’s record resets to 0-0. “When you get to the playoffs, the regular season doesn’t matter,” Heyward said. “Nobody is going to feel bad for you for having too much rest. I don’t think any of us will feel bad for having too much rest.” --

ESPNChicago.com 25 Cubs vs. The Curse: Projecting Chicago's playoff roster By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Now that the Chicago Cubs have clinched a spot in the postseason for the second consecutive year, let's take an early peek at what a playoff roster might look like. As manager Joe Maddon has indicated several times recently, some on the roster will be determined by who the opponent is, so adjustments will be made accordingly based on a first-round, best-of-five series. Because the Cubs used 11 pitchers and 14 position players last year in the National League Division Series, we'll use that as our standard here, but that's no guarantee as pitching coach Chris Bosio has already indicated they might want more help in the bullpen. Position player locks: Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Dexter Fowler, Willson Contreras, David Ross, Matt Szczur, Tommy La Stella. On the bubble: Miguel Montero, Chris Coghlan and Albert Almora. My call: If the Cubs keep 14 position players, the decision may not be that difficult here. Montero and Coghlan would probably get the edge based on a couple of factors: They're both veterans and they're both left-handed. The Cubs likely would be OK with carrying three catchers -- especially when one is a rookie and another is 39 years old -- as that would give Maddon more flexibility within a game. If Fowler needed to come out late for defensive reasons, a better case could be made for Almora. Szczur is more than capable as a late-inning defensive replacement as well. Coghlan might be on the outside looking in if the Cubs keep only 13 position players. La Stella and Szczur get the edge because of their ability to come off the bench and deliver a hit or walk. There is a chance Almora makes it over Coghlan no matter how many they keep, but with righty closers throughout the NL postseason, lefty bats off the bench could be most important. Pitching locks: Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, Aroldis Chapman, Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon, Justin Grimm, Travis Wood, Carl Edwards Jr. On the bubble: Joe Smith, Mike Montgomery, Rob Zastryzny, Trevor Cahill, Jason Hammel. My call: The Cubs are deeper in the bullpen this year than last, and if they play the Giants or Cardinals they will absolutely want another left-hander back there, so Montgomery actually might be closer to a lock than on the bubble. Remember, Wood has been awful against righties, so he's almost a one-batter pitcher in a close game unless lefties are stacked next to each other in the lineup. Smith and Hammel have allowed too many home runs, which can change a postseason game quickly. Zastryzny is a rookie and if not for Montgomery's presence, he might make the roster. Cahill could be the odd man out as he has been inconsistent and is best suited for long relief, a spot the Cubs hope they won't need come October. With weeks until the postseason, things could change simply based on who gets hot down the stretch. And how many pitchers versus position players they keep will undoubtedly be an intense discussion between the Cubs' front office and their manager. --

ESPNChicago.com The 'inevitable' crown: Clinching just the beginning for Cubs By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- There was no rush to celebrate on the mound. No dramatic walk-off moment to send the Wrigley faithful into a clinching frenzy. The players didn't even stick around to see if they would end the night as division champions or have to come back to cut that final '1' off the magic number themselves Friday afternoon. Sure, it's anticlimactic to back into the playoffs, but when you do it on Sept. 15 -- or is it 16 -- it hardly takes away from the sentiment. The Chicago Cubs lost their "clinching" game to the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on Thursday night, but when the St. Louis Cardinals fell in San Francisco later in the evening the Cubs could still call themselves NL Central champions. It was only a couple of days ago, while the Cubs were in the midst of taking two of three from those Cardinals, that outfielder Dexter Fowler declared it was "inevitable" his team would clinch soon enough. It was an easy statement to make considering it's September and the Cubs held a 17-game lead at the time, but he could have made the same declaration on Aug. 15, July 7 or even all the way back on June 1. The Cubs' first division title since 2008 was months in the making and has felt "inevitable" since their incredible 25-6 start. "It's a lot different scenario than last year," pitcher Jake Arrieta said Thursday. "Not knowing where we were playing [in October]. Trying to catch the Cardinals. They had a lead and held onto it. Knowing where we're going to go [this year] and having a brief period of off time to prepare, it just gives us a lot of options." Last year the Cubs made the postseason quite easily but fought hard to capture the division, eventually failing by three games to St. Louis. That push took its toll as Arrieta, the eventual Cy Young winner, hit a wall by the time the Cubs got to the NLCS. He wasn't the only one as manager Joe Maddon exacted all he could out of his young team -- but this year things can be different. "Overall ... treat it like a spring training," Maddon said regarding the rest of the regular season. "The kind of work you do before the game and the lineups. Make it more spring training-like." To truly understand how this season came about, and where it goes from here, we need to go back to the end of last year and the beginning of this one. The Cubs were just figuring out who they could be in the second half of 2015 and rode a wave of youthful talent all the way to the NLCS. Those four games -- all losses to the New York Mets -- did nothing to diminish the excitement created by the previous months. Remember, the youngest team in the league had won its final eight regular-season games, shut out Pittsburgh in the wild-card game and steamrollered the Cardinals in the divisional round. Bowing out quietly to the Mets wasn't viewed as the end of anything, just the beginning. Fast forward to this spring. A short offseason brought one of the more memorable quotes from reigning Rookie of the Year -- and current MVP candidate -- Kris Bryant. He was asked how he viewed 2016 coming off of 2015. "It's just a continuation," Bryant said back in February. "With a three-month break. That's what it feels like in here. We're just going to pick up where we left off but hopefully play a little longer this year." Picking up where they left off is exactly what the Cubs did, partly because of Bryant's mindset and partly because Maddon made sure of it. With offseason expectations through the roof, he took advantage of it all instead of running away. He instructed his team to "embrace the target" and in doing so the players were locked in by the time April arrived. This team's greatest moments came early when other teams -- including contending ones -- were still feeling their way. Meanwhile, the Cubs were firing on all cylinders right from Game 1, a 9-0 drubbing of the Los Angeles Angels.

Even then there was a feeling it could be a special season as Angel Stadium was full of Cubs fans. That scene would play out over and over again on the road as chants of M-V-P were directed toward Kris Bryant at Dodger Stadium, and Ryan Braun was booed at his home park in Milwaukee. Those are only two examples of when the Cubs had an extremely vocal crowd cheering for them on the road. "The fans have been incredible," Fowler said. "All year long, wherever we go. I've never seen anything like it." Even well before clinching late Thursday, players were thinking about a longer postseason run then they had the year before. The Cubs have followed the path of many teams before them. First came learning how to win, then actually doing it and now comes finishing the job. Even though Maddon often reminds people he doesn't have fully developed players at many key positions, the Cubs simply don't have a glaring weakness this year. All areas of their game are better than last season. "As a team, it was our first goal, but the focus of this group has been far beyond that," Cy Young candidate Kyle Hendricks said. "We know where we have to go, so it's a small stepping stone." That has been the theme since returning to the playoffs became a sure thing -- so basically since spring training. As far as the Cubs are concerned, Thursday was just the beginning of what's to come. They might have backed into the title but in reality they took it from day one. -- ESPNChicago.com Is it good to be an early MLB clincher? By ESPN Stats & Information Is there any benefit or harm to clinching a division title early? The Cubs tied for the fifth-fastest division clinching by games since 1996 (the first full season of the wild-card era). Cubs fans will probably take a fatalistic view of this stat, per the Elias Sports Bureau: Of the seven teams to clinch the earliest since 1996 (the first non-strike season in the wild-card format), two made the World Series, but only the 1998 Yankees won it all. This might simply be a product of baseball being a sport in which the best team doesn't always win, given the sport's playoff structure. Nonetheless, here's a look at the seven teams to clinch within their first 148 games, with a summary of how each of their seasons concluded. 1999 Cleveland Indians The Indians wrapped up the AL Central in 139 games, partly because no other team in the division finished within 10 games of .500. Extended time to cruise didn't knock them out of the postseason, but Pedro Martinez did. With a 2-0 series lead in the ALDS, the Indians lost Games 3 and 4 at Fenway Park, then blew leads of 5-2 and 8-7 in Game 5, as Martinez carried the Red Sox with six no-hit innings of relief. Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove was fired as a result of the collapse, despite a 97-win season. 2002 Atlanta Braves The 101-win Braves wrapped up the NL East in 141 games but were beaten in the NLDS by a 95-win Giants team that went to the World Series. Tom Glavine was the culprit in this one, losing twice and posting an ERA over 15.00. The Braves went 52-28 at home but lost both Games 1 and 5 in their ballpark. 1998 New York Yankees

Nothing got in the way of the 1998 Yankees, who clinched the AL East in 143 games. They swept the Rangers in the ALDS, and then ran into a small roadblock against the Indians in the ALCS. That series was 2-2 before the Yankees won the final two. The Yankees then swept the Padres to win the first of three straight World Series titles. 2008 Los Angeles Angels The Angels won a weak AL West, winning 100 games when no one else had a winning record, so they clinched at the 145-game mark. But they didn't last in the postseason, going out in four games against the 95-win Red Sox. The Red Sox won these games late, scoring twice in the ninth inning of Game 1 to turn a 2-1 lead into a 4-1 lead, twice in the ninth in Game 2, to win 7-5, and once in the ninth in Game 4 to win by a run. 2001 Seattle Mariners The 2001 Mariners won 116 games and clinched in their 146th game (the same number it took the Cubs). But there was a feeling that season that some AL teams were close in talent, even though they weren't close in record. The Indians took the Mariners to the elimination game of the ALDS and the Yankees beat them in five games in the ALCS. 2004 St. Louis Cardinals The 2004 Cardinals went 105-57 and wrapped up the NL Central with 15 games to go. They beat the Dodgers in the NLDS, then got taken to seven games by the Astros in the ALCS. Then they ran into the Red Sox, who became a team of destiny after coming back to beat the Yankees in the ALCS. The Red Sox swept the Cardinals in four games. 2005 St. Louis Cardinals The Cardinals again won the division easily, clinching it in their 148th game. But this time, the combination of Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt took them down in an NLCS rematch, rendering a 100-win season wasted. But an 83-win Cardinals team won the World Series the next year. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Clinch NL Central, But Wrigley Bash Will Wait Another Day By Patrick Mooney Miguel Montero stood at his locker late Thursday night with his hands behind back his back, holding designer sunglasses, not high-tech goggles. The Cubs catcher wore a white Miami Beach Golf Club hat and a pinkish-orange Lululemon polo shirt instead of 2016 National League Central Champions gear. There was no ear-splitting music blasting from the sound system. The reporters surrounding Montero after a 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers could actually hear what he was saying inside the Wrigley Field clubhouse and not worry about getting drenched in champagne and beer. With the magic number still suspended at one, the Cubs didn’t wait around to see if Johnny Cueto and the San Francisco Giants would beat the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park and hand them the division title. “There’s no reason to be disappointed,” Montero said. “It’s a great feeling, because regardless, we can actually have a chance tomorrow and the next day and the next day. It’s not like we have that much pressure on our back because they’re going to catch us or something like that.” Exactly. By the time the Cardinals lost on the West Coast, a few minutes before midnight Chicago time, the Wrigley Field video boards had turned to black and the night crews were cleaning up from a raucous crowd of 41,362 that didn’t get to see the party that will now wait until Friday.

Up in the Wrigley Field press box, you could hear the car horns and cheering throughout the neighborhood once San Francisco’s 6-2 victory over St. Louis went final. Instead of that game, the TV screens inside the Wrigley Field clubhouse had broadcast a message: Schedule for Friday DRESS AT 11:30 a.m. Game at 1:20 p.m. against Brewers And if the Giants did win Thursday night… “I’ll probably go to a club,” Montero said. “No, just kidding. I’m going home. I’m going to watch a TV show or something like that, because I don’t really watch baseball that much. The reality is that I don’t care what happens (to the Cardinals). I want to come back tomorrow and win a game and celebrate on our own. “It tastes a little different.” Yes, the Cubs are a different team, with their ritualistic celebrations, a Party Room built into their state-of-the-art-clubhouse and a nonchalant attitude toward advancing to consecutive postseasons for only the fourth time (!!!) in franchise history (1885-86, 1906-08 and 2007-08, when they last won the division and captured back-to-back titles). “Well, I’m sure they’ll have it taped off, plastic everywhere, to make sure nothing’s ruined,” pitcher Jake Arrieta said before the game. “But I don’t know how crazy we’ll get. We’ll enjoy it, for sure. But the next one – as they continue to come – will get bigger.” After changing the culture around this team, pushing so many of the right motivational buttons and pulling all those in-game levers, manager Joe Maddon didn’t plan to extend his 30-minute rule or change his morning Starbucks routine. “Sure, go home,” Maddon said. “I am.” Because ultimately a World Series-or-bust team with multiple MVP and Cy Young Award candidates will be judged in October. And, once again, Maddon delivered a win-or-lose line that would hold up for this news cycle. “This is just the first step,” Maddon said. “We have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet.” Now the Cubs can align their rotation for October, deal with any nagging injuries, lock up home-field advantage through the NL Championship Series and prepare for whatever team – St. Louis, San Francisco, New York Mets – emerges from the wild-card battle. “It’s what we envisioned all along,” Arrieta said. “I’m just proud of all the guys in here for growing and learning at such a quick pace, especially the young players in this locker room. And to all do that together has really put us in this position we’re in right now. It’s given us the ability to have this lead, give guys rest and move forward into the most important part of our season.” When Maddon came here with the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2014, the Cubs were a fifth-place team playing out an 89-loss season, but he still felt the energy at Wrigley Field, looking up at the lights and the crowd and feeling like he was in the middle of a computer-generated scene from “Gladiator.” As Maddon kept listening to modified versions of the disappointment question during Thursday’s postgame news conference, he should have snapped and screamed: “Are you not entertained?” “To some it might be anti-climactic,” Maddon said. “But 93 wins, that’s not a bad season. However we get this accomplished, I’ll take it.” --

CSNChicago.com How Cubs Built A Division Champion Ready To Dominate October For Years To Come By Patrick Mooney What an American League official said one day in spring training remains true in the middle of September: There isn’t another team out there with more talent than the Cubs. That doesn’t guarantee a parade down Michigan Avenue, because the playoffs can be random and cruel, involving elements like luck, health and matchups. Still, Theo Epstein’s front office and Joe Maddon’s coaching staff created an ideal team for the 162-games-in-183-days marathon, layering depth and versatility into a star-studded roster. The Cubs clinched the National League Central title late Thursday night and will now advance to consecutive postseasons for only the fourth time in franchise history (1885-86, 1906-08, 2007-08), an unreal statistic and a sharp contrast to what appears to be such a bright future. “There’s no team I’d rather be going into October with,” Epstein said. “There are never favorites in October the same way there are in the regular season. The regular season is — I know people make fun of me for saying it — but it is a meritocracy. “The best teams rise to the top. So we’re proud of what we’ve done and the season so far. And then October — you can’t make the same type of proclamations. It’s about rising to the challenge and momentum, playing your best in the biggest spots and getting your breaks. “It’s a combination of talent, skill and timing. There is truly no other group I’d rather go into October with. I think we’re set up to fight those battles.” Here’s how the Cubs built a division champion that’s positioned to dominate October for years to come: • Instead of coasting after a 97-win season and assuming this team would get better, chairman Tom Ricketts authorized a spending spree that approached $290 million, showing more appetite for risk and a degree of financial flexibility that had been in doubt during the rebuilding/learning-curve years for his family’s ownership group. The Cubs took a big-game pitcher (John Lackey) and a Gold Glove outfielder (Jason Heyward) away from the St. Louis Cardinals, signed the game’s premier super-utility guy to play second base and diversify their lineup (Ben Zobrist), brought back another swingman for their bullpen (Trevor Cahill) and lucked out when a qualifying offer dragged down Dexter Fowler’s market and the Baltimore Orioles tried to slow-play negotiations with the you-go, we-go leadoff guy, leading to a surprise deal in spring training. The Cubs had already ramped up after an 89-loss season in 2014, firing manager Rick Renteria and giving Maddon a five-year, $25 million contract, investing $155 million in Jon Lester, an All-Star lefty and two-time World Series champion, and adding clubhouse influence and veteran presence behind the plate (Miguel Montero and David Ross) and at the back of their rotation (Jason Hammel). • Epstein expected those big-market resources when he took over baseball operations in October 2011 but pivoted when a new collective bargaining agreement severely limited spending in the draft and on the international market. The Cubs got creative, working around some of the organization’s financial restrictions and executing a series of brilliant trades that transformed a team that finished in fifth place every season between 2010 and 2014. The Cubs flipped Scott Feldman to Baltimore in the middle of the 2013 season, turning the final 15 starts in a one-year, $6 million deal into a Cy Young Award winner (Jake Arrieta) and a top setup guy (Pedro Strop). Not that a cold-blooded executive is about to turn sentimental reflecting on how far this franchise has come.

“It’s not like navel-gazing time just yet,” Epstein said. “We got a lot ahead of us. We really do. It kind of all boils down to how you perform in October. We’re rightfully proud of the regular season that we’ve had — and that’s meaningful — but it’s never time to look back. “It’s time to play for what really matters. We’re on the doorstep of that. That’s what we’re focused on.” • Yes, the Cubs had some mismatched pieces, misevaluations, misplaced priorities and an unstable environment that couldn’t lead to long-term success after winning back-to-back division titles in 2007 and 2008. But the Jim Hendry administration didn’t leave the cupboard bare. Trading Andrew Cashner, Jeff Samardzija, Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza and Sean Marshall helped the Cubs construct half of an All-Star infield (Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell), acquire another Cy Young Award candidate (Kyle Hendricks) and remodel their bullpen (Justin Grimm, Carl Edwards Jr., Travis Wood). The Hendry regime also drafted Javier Baez and Matt Szczur and signed Willson Contreras out of Venezuela, creating the network in Latin America that helped Epstein’s group close a $30 million deal with Jorge Soler in the summer of 2012, and later identify Gleyber Torres, the other headliner in the blockbuster trade with the New York Yankees for superstar closer Aroldis Chapman. • Unfortunately for Cubs fans, Ricketts — an executive with long-range vision and a real interest in the farm system — gained control of the team too late in the game to stack up drafts with high-risk, high-reward, high-priced players, the way Epstein kept betting on amateur prospects for the Boston Red Sox. But the Cubs crushed a pick they couldn’t afford to whiff on, drafting Kris Bryant No. 2 overall out of the University of San Diego in 2013 after the Houston Astros chose Stanford University pitcher Mark Appel. Bryant evolved into last season’s NL Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-Star third baseman and a leading MVP candidate. A 101-loss season also gave the Cubs the second pick in the Rule 5 draft at the 2012 winter meetings, which turned out to be another great scouting find. After missing almost three full seasons, Hector Rondon came back from Tommy John surgery and complications with his right elbow to live up to the promise the Cleveland Indians once saw when they named him their minor league pitcher of the year in 2009. Rondon notched 30 saves last season and graciously handled losing his job to Chapman, saying he would do whatever he could to help the team win. First-round selections Albert Almora Jr. (2012) and Kyle Schwarber (2014) could also be in next year’s Opening Day lineup, assuming Fowler cashes in elsewhere as a free agent and there are no lingering effects from Schwarber’s season-ending knee surgery. After using 107 picks on arms since 2012, the Epstein administration finally had a drafted-and-developed pitcher break through and make the big-league club this year, with homegrown lefty Rob Zastryzny looking like an interesting option for October. Drafting pitchers — and waiting around for years hoping they’ll get good enough and stay healthy — won’t matter much if the Cubs can keep identifying high-upside, change-of-scenery guys like lefty Mike Montgomery. But with all these 20-something stars roaming around the North Side — and promises of a new TV deal and the $600 million Wrigleyville renovation project in full swing — consider this the warning shot heard around the NL Central. “Everybody’s saying how good we are, and that’s wonderful,” Maddon said. “But I’m telling you — these guys are going to get better. They are that good. They deserve every moment that they’ve achieved to this point of the season. But they’re going to get better, because they just need more experience. And as they gain more experience, we are going to get even better.” --

CSNChicago.com Cubs Clinching Party Delayed Until Friday After Loss To Brewers By JJ Stankevitz The Cubs will have to wait a little longer for an inevitable party to celebrate winning the National League Central. Specifically, they'll celebrate that achievement Friday after clinching the franchise's first division title since 2008 despite losing to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Scooter Gennett’s go-ahead two-run double in the seventh proved to be the difference as the Cubs lost, 5-4, to the Brewers in front of 41,362 fans at Wrigley Field hoping to revel in a win to move the team's magic number to zero. But the clinching moment happened to be far more anticlimactic, coming when the St. Louis Cardinals lost, 6-2, to the San Francisco Giants just before midnight Thursday. Players decided before the game to go home and not wait around for the Cardinals-Giants result in the event they didn’t beat Milwaukee. The celebration will now take place following Friday's day game against Milwaukee. Early on, it looked like the Cubs would be able to get a party going and, when it would be time to party, party hard Thursday night. Manager Joe Maddon didn’t think his team, on the verge of clinching a division title, looked anxious coming into the evening. “I’ll use the word eager,” Maddon said. “I think that’s a good word. I think that’s better than anxious. I thought we had a really good way about us today and again we made a couple mistakes that we normally don’t make, but it’s just going to happen.” Jorge Soler smashed a two-run home run in the second inning, pausing a bit to admire his work as the ball whistled into the left field bleachers. But the Cubs weren’t able to cruise through the evening against their fourth-place divisional counterparts thanks to a rare error by shortstop Addison Russell, which sparked a fourth-inning Brewers rally. With two out in the inning — and after Brewers center fielder Keon Broxton launched a solo home run to center — Russell, on a ground ball off the bat of third baseman Hernan Perez, threw up the line toward first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who couldn’t catch the ball. Perez reached, and Domingo Santana and Oswaldo Arcia followed with back-to-back doubles to bring home a pair of runs to put Milwaukee ahead. Montgomery, who struck out seven over six innings, thought he pitched well outside of the mistake that Arcia hit for that two-run double. “I felt good,” Montgomery said. “I’d like to have that fourth inning back but I thought I made a lot of good pitches.” But the Cubs quickly equalized thanks to an unlikely source in Montgomery. With two out and Jason Heyward on third, Montgomery grounded a fastball on the outer third of the plate into center for his first career hit and an RBI single. Montgomery threw six innings, his highest total since being traded to the Cubs from the Seattle Mariners in July, and mixed his pitches well. His curveball, which Maddon described as a “premium” pitch was highly effective — Montgomery threw 28 curveballs, 22 of which were strikes, 17 of which swung at and eight of which generated swings and misses, according to BrooksBaseball.net. “He threw the ball well,” catcher Miguel Montero said. “I think it was just one bad pitch, just one bad pitch — hit the double and scored the two runs, but other than that he threw the ball really well. He struck out seven guys and he was pretty good. He was sharp.” Milwaukee re-took the lead in the top of the seventh when pinch-hitter Gennett flipped a double down the left field line to bring in a pair of runs off Cubs right-hander Justin Grimm.

The Cubs couldn’t mount a late comeback, though, despite Jason Heyward’s two-out RBI double off Brewers right-hander Tyler Thornburg in the eighth. With the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on first, pinch-hitter Willson Contreras struck out looking on an inside curveball to end the inning. Dexter Fowler struck out, Kris Bryant grounded out and after Rizzo walked, Ben Zobrist grounded out to end the game. “We made a couple mistakes here and there and it cost up a couple runs,” Montero said. “I thought we played a good game and we just gotta come back tomorrow and finish them.” Thanks to the Cardinals-Giants result, though, the Cubs no longer have any finishing to do in the NL Central. -- CSNChicago.com Pedro Strop Ramping Up For October And Getting Ready To Strengthen Cubs Bullpen By Patrick Mooney Pedro Strop wore a blue “HOPE 2016” T-shirt that symbolized this team’s World Series expectations. It also reflected his optimism after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee in mid-August – and then straining his right groin while trying to come back to what the Cubs believe will be a dominant playoff bullpen. Ramping up for October, Strop reported no issues after completing a 20-pitch bullpen session on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Manager Joe Maddon believes the hard-throwing reliever is getting “close” to full strength and again becoming another option to set up in front of Aroldis Chapman. “Everything was like game mode right there,” Strop said before the Cubs tried to beat the Milwaukee Brewers and clinch a National League Central title. “I feel good.” Strop – who’s put up a 2.89 ERA, 21 holds and 56 strikeouts in almost 44 innings – plans to go through at least one more bullpen session and hopes to return to game action next week. “That’s what everybody’s thinking right now: Get ready for October,” Strop said. “Don’t push anything now. Just make sure you’re pain-free. We don’t need another setback.” -- CSNChicago.com With Eloy Jimenez And Trevor Clifton, Cubs Expect Pipeline To Keep Producing Talent By Patrick Mooney Even on the verge of clinching the division – and with a clear vision for their everyday lineup through the 2021 season – the Cubs still need the pipeline to keep producing talent if they want to own the National League Central. Eloy Jimenez and Trevor Clifton are part of that next generation of prospects, with the Cubs naming them the organization’s minor league player and pitcher of the year before Thursday night’s potential party at Wrigley Field. Still only 19, Jimenez shined at the All-Star Futures Game and became the Midwest League MVP at Class-A South Bend. Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 – and given a $2.8 million bonus as one of the brightest prospects in that international class – the dynamic outfielder led the league in doubles (40), slugging percentage (.532) and OPS (.901) while finishing second in RBI (81) and third in batting average (.329). Clifton stood out in a farm system that has struggled to produce impact pitchers and match first-round hitters like Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr.

Clifton went 7-7 with a 2.72 ERA in 23 starts for advanced Class-A Myrtle Beach, becoming the Carolina League’s pitcher of the year. The 21-year-old right-hander led all of the organization’s minor-league pitchers with 129 strikeouts in 119 innings and ranked first in the Carolina League in ERA and WHIP (1.16). Theo Epstein’s front office believes pitching can come from anywhere in the draft, using a 12th-round pick on Clifton in 2013 and buying him out of his commitment to the University of Kentucky. -- CSNChicago.com Eloy Jimenez Tabbed Cubs Minor League Player Of The Year By Tony Andracki Eloy Jimenez put his name on the map in 2016. The 19-year-old outfielder earned the Cubs minor league player of the year honor Thursday after a breakout season in which he hit .329 with a .901 OPS and took home the Midwest League MVP and Prospect of the Year honors. The Cubs also named Trevor Clifton the minor league pitcher of the year. Jimenez exploded onto the national prospect scene at the Futures Game, hitting a long home run and making a ridiculous catch down the right-field line. He flashed that power during the season, too, as he hit 14 homers with 40 doubles in 112 games with Class-A South Bend, driving in 81 runs and stealing eight bases. Jimenez signed with the Cubs out of Cuba in August 2013. Clifton - a 21-year-old right-hander - was the Cubs' 12th-round pick in 2013 and went 7-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with Advanced Class-A Myrtle Beach this season. He struck out 129 batters in 119 innings across 23 starts while cutting down on his walks and hits per nine innings for the fourth straight season. Clifton was named the Cubs' minor league pitcher of the month in May and August. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs clinch National League Central as Cardinals lose to Giants 6-2 By Mark Gonzales For one of the few times this season, the Cubs relied on some help late Thursday night to take their first step toward achieving their ultimate goal of winning the World Series. The Cubs collectively didn't stick around their clubhouse after a 5-4 loss to the Brewers that would have secured their first National League Central title since 2008. But they were rewarded later when the rival Cardinals lost 6-2 to the Giants at AT&T Park, thus giving the Cubs (93-53) the division title and plenty of time to rest and plan for the playoffs. That came hours after the Cubs blew a 2-0 lead and saw the Brewers snap a 3-3 tie on pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett's two-run double in the seventh off reliever Justin Grimm before a crowd of 41,352 at Wrigley Field.

"I don't know if (the players) are going home, but I am," Maddon quipped of his decision not to wait for the outcome of the Cardinals game with the Giants. "We have much bigger baseball fish to fry in our skillet." Cheers could be heard from surrounding Wrigleyville bars after the completion of the Cardinals' loss. The Cubs plan to celebrate after Friday's game, in which they will field a lineup of reserves behind starter John Lackey. The Cubs made a late run in the eighth when Jason Heyward doubled in a run, but rookie pinch-hitter Willson Contreras took a called third strike on a curveball with the tying and winning runs at the corners. "We celebrate after every win," Heyward said. "So when we lose, we don't celebrate. But we do understand that tomorrow is tomorrow, it's another day. It's only a one-run (loss), not a bad game." The Cubs had hoped to clinch without any help. They have been progressing nicely with a robust lead and Maddon utilizing that luxury by resting his starting position players more than usual in the last three weeks. But the first of two throwing errors by usually dependable shortstop Addison Russell allowed the Brewers to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the fourth after a home run had put them on the board. "Nothing is a lock in this game," Maddon said. The Cubs haven't lost two consecutive games since dropping five consecutive games on July 5-9 that brought brief panic to some of their followers. Left-hander Mike Montgomery provided some quality depth in his fifth start as the Cubs' sixth starter. Aside from a three-run fourth, Montgomery pitched with plenty of comfort as he retired the final seven batters in his six-inning stint and tied the game with his first major-league hit — a two-out RBI single — in the fourth. The Cubs' ability to stay out of ruts and sustain a double-digit lead since Aug. 6 prompted questions of Maddon about whether this was the best team he has managed from a personnel standpoint. Maddon hinted that that these Cubs — with Kris Bryant, Russell, Jorge Soler and Javier Baez all younger than 25 — had a chance to be better in the future. "When you're projecting now and in the future, everyone is saying how good we are, and that's wonderful," Maddon told a pack of reporters in a crowded interview room before the game. "But I'm telling you, these guys are going to get better. They are that good. They deserve every moment they've achieved to this point of the season. "But they're going to get better. They just need more experience. And as they get more game experience, we are going to get better." Soler, whose development was stunted for nearly two months because of a hamstring injury, launched a home run to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the second. -- Chicago Tribune NL Central champion Cubs 'have much larger baseball fish to fry' By David Haugh Plans for a good night's sleep, and probably a glass of wine, prevented Joe Maddon from caring whether his team stuck around late Thursday to see the Giants beat the Cardinals to clinch the National League Central title for the Cubs after they failed to do the job themselves.

"I don't know," the Cubs manager answered when asked if players were going home instead of watching the Cards-Giants game on clubhouse televisions. "But I am." The direction the Cubs are headed remained just as clear despite a sloppy 5-4 loss to the Brewers that merely delayed the inevitable. Addison Russell committed two errors and Kris Bryant got picked off, but there is nothing wrong with the Cubs that rest can't cure. "A couple mistakes we don't normally make," Maddon said. All they did was put a damper on the party planned at Wrigley Field, which now will be held Friday thanks to the Giants' 6-2 victory. For Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, the day's thick anticipation that greeted him on the way to the ballpark always seemed like a matter of when — not if. Arrieta began the season as the reigning Cy Young Award winner on a team picked to win the World Series, so in many ways, he has come to expect the excessiveness of Cubdom. A man who poses nude for a national magazine accepts the nature of sports stardom in our city. So Arrieta was right where he always thought he would be on this mid-September day, addressing the pros and cons of clinching the division so early for a team with hopes of playing so late into October. "You can feel it, you really can," Arrieta said of the excitement that began to build five hours before the first pitch. A sign outside Murphy's Bleachers asked: "Do You Believe In Magic?" A fan carried a poster on Grace Street that promised: "It's Gonna Happen." Construction workers on Rush Street wished Maddon good luck, and schoolkids on Clark Street waved to the Cubs manager. Actor John Cusack watched batting practice from the on-deck circle. Media members filled every chair on the bandwagon, er, in the interview room. When Jorge Soler drilled a 416-foot home run into the left-field bleachers to make it 2-0, the crowd of 41,362 roared like a baseball town on the verge of something special. Like it feels Chicago is. "It's what we envisioned all along," Arrieta said. Perhaps not if you're Cubs lefty Mike Montgomery, who threatened to become the answer to a trivia question with six strong innings: What obscure pitcher started the game the Cubs played when their magic number was one? Back in the season opener April 4, Montgomery pitched two innings in relief for the Mariners. More than five months later, as the Mariners pursued the second AL wild-card spot, the midseason acquisition tried etching his name into Cubs history. "One of the best games I've ever been a part of," said Montgomery, the victim of two unearned runs. How fitting that Montgomery played a major role in a potentially memorable game. The value of the Cubs' No. 6 starter speaks to the versatility of the deepest roster in baseball, a pleasant problem as the Cubs prepare to pare it for the playoffs. If that dilemma worries President Theo Epstein, he hid it well behind a wall of stoicism. He sounded neither concerned nor terribly confident, more like someone asked to review a movie before it ends. "It's not navel-gazing time just yet," Epstein said. "It's all about what we do in October."

It always has been since the Mets swept the Cubs 11 months ago. When asked if that World Series-or-bust mindset began to take shape in spring training, Maddon referenced the winter meetings — reality he relishes, stakes he craves. "Why would you ever want to work somewhere where there are no expectations?" Maddon said. "It's fun." It's hard to imagine a manager enjoying his job any more than Maddon, even as the difficult roster decisions loom. He identified the top priority after the Cubs clinch: Rest key players who might be fighting nagging injuries. If this isn't Maddon's first rodeo, he acknowledged it might be the first time he has managed a team with as many options as the Cubs offer heading into the playoffs. With due respect to the 2008 Rays team Maddon led to an American League pennant, he gave the Cubs the edge in starting pitching and talented youth. "To be this young and this good ... that's the part that stands out to me," he said. Maddon gets it, not caring whether the Cubs backed into a division title because "we have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet." He clearly appreciates managing this team as much as he savors the success of everyone who contributes, from its stars to the bullpen coaches and staff assistants. Those are the people Maddon will think of first whenever the corks start popping, the ones to whom the longtime minor-league manager and major-league bench coach relates best. "My first thought always goes there," Maddon said. "I was that guy. I know in 2002 how that (playoff share) helped pay for my daughter's wedding." Money time awaits Maddon's Cubs again — and not a moment too soon. -- Chicago Tribune From bench time to playing time for Cubs' reserves By Mark Gonzales Even before the Cubs clinched the National League Central title shortly before midnight, manager Joe Maddon planned to start many of his reserves Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers. So, who needs the work? Willson Contreras could use some at-bats as well as more innings behind the plate after Miguel Montero got his second wind in the four weeks. Outfielder Chris Coghlan and infielder Tommy La Stella, both battling for a playoff roster spot as left-handed hitters, would welcome more at-bats. The Cubs also could take an extended look at outfielder Albert Almora Jr., who can play all three outfield positions and could suffice as a solid defensive replacement. Matt Szczur, the Cubs’ best pinch-hitter during the first four months of the season, is deserving of more work. Among the relievers, Carl Edwards Jr. has been treated with kid gloves but hasn’t pitched since Saturday. Left-hander Rob Zastryzny would seem like a longshot to make the playoff roster, but he hasn’t pitched since Sept. 4. Maddon will try to find a blend of keeping his rotation sharp enough without extending them while using the relievers in specific situations in preparation for the playoffs. Catcher Tim Federowicz and infielder Munenori Kawasaki also could receive starts soon as Maddon said it wouldn’t be surprising to give his starting position players as many as three consecutive days off to heal from any injuries.

-- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon's post-clinch prescription for Cubs involves plenty of rest By Mark Gonzales The Cubs will opt for lineups that resemble a mid-March exhibition game once they clinch the National League Central title. That's the biggest of manager Joe Maddon's three priorities as the Cubs prepare for the postseason. "Resting guys who might have more dings, that would be No. 1 for me," Maddon said Thursday. "I have ideas with that." Maddon also would prefer not to use his relievers for more than two consecutive games, and the Cubs have the depth to avoid that. Maddon plans to treat the final 21/2 weeks of the season as a spring training setting, experimenting with various lineups and perhaps using relievers in situations they could be called on to fill in the playoffs. It's possible that only Jon Lester (184 innings) and Jake Arrieta (1791/3) will get enough opportunities to reach the 200-inning mark, as Maddon would like to put a 100-pitch limit on his starters once the Cubs secure the division title. Winter wonderland for Schwarber? Teammates who have seen Kyle Schwarber work out have been extremely impressed with his recovery from season-ending surgery in April to repair torn ligaments in his left knee. And there is a chance the Cubs could have a better look at his progress before spring training, which originally was set as the target date for his return to action. "Winter ball, at some point, is a possibility," said President Theo Epstein, who was hesitant to elaborate on details of Schwarber's timetable or current status. Said Schwarber: "We're going to see if it works out. I still have another follow-up appointment." The Cubs also haven't ruled out Schwarber returning to catcher. All systems go for Arrieta: Arrieta said he felt 100 percent and was amused to learn of a FanGraphs report that stated he might be headed toward an injury after his fastball spin rate had dipped from last season and his velocity was down 1.5 mph in his last start. "When I'm throwing 95-96 mph on Saturday, yeah," Arrieta deadpanned. Flu-like symptoms hindered Arrieta in his last start Sunday in Houston and his fastball dipped to 91 in the latter innings. Meanwhile, reliever Pedro Strop threw 20 pitches in a bullpen session and said his left knee feels fine. Strop could throw another session Sunday and believes he could return next week. --

Chicago Tribune Thursday's recap: Brewers 5, Cubs 4 By Paul Skrbina The berth-day party at Wrigley Field was postponed for at least a day Thursday after the Brewers spoiled the Cubs’ plans to celebrate their first National League Central title since 2008 with a 5-4 victory. The Cubs' magic number stayed at one, pending the outcome of the Cardinals late game at the Giants. Should the Cardinals lose, the Cubs will celebrate after Friday afternoon’s game against the Brewers, a team official said. Cubs starter Mike Montgomery did all he could to keep the plans on track, allowing three runs (one earned), four hits a walk and striking out seven in six innings. After the Brewers untied the score against Montgomery with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, the Cubs pitcher tied it 3-3 with a seeing-eye single up the middle to score Jason Heyward in the bottom of the inning. It was his first major-league hit and first RBI. But the Brewers untied it again in the seventh when pinch-hitter Scotter Gennett hit a two-run double off reliever Jason Grimm for a 5-3 lead. Heyward’s second double of the game pulled the Cubs within one in the eighth. The scoring began in the second, when Addison Russell's infield single preceded Jorge Soler's two-run home run. What followed Soler's 12th home run was loudness from a crowded Wrigley Field, many of whom were barely saw the ball, which had an exit velocity of 114.1 miles per hour, according to statcast, making it the hardest hit long ball of the season for the Cubs. But the lead was brief. Keon Broxton cut it in half with a leadoff home run off Montgomery in the fourth. Russell's two-out throwing error extended the inning before Domingo Santana and Orlando Arcia hit back-to-back doubles, leading to two unearned runs and a 3-2 Brewers lead. Russell made another throwing error in the eighth. At the plate Cubs catcher Miguel Montero had two hits. On the mound Grimm allowed two hits, two runs and struck out two in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. In the field Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist made a diving catch of Domingo Santanta’s line drive to end the Brewers’ eighth. Third baseman Kris Bryant made a diving stop and threw out Yadiel Rivera by a hair to end the Brewers’ ninth. On the bases Bryant was picked off second base by Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado to end the Cubs’ seventh inning. Key number

51-21. Cubs’ record at Wrigley Field this season, best home record in the majors. The quote “We can just text each other.” – Cubs manager Joe Maddon on whether his team would stay at Wrigley to watch the Cardinals game should the Cubs lose. Up next Vs. Brewers, 1:20 p.m. Friday, CSN. RH John Lackey (9-8, 3.35) vs. RH Chase Anderson (8-11, 4.53). -- Chicago Tribune Cubs have to wait out Cardinals loss to clinch National League Central By Paul Sullivan Waiting has been an occupational hazard for the Cubs for longer than a century now, and with more than two weeks left in the regular season, there was no real urgency to clinch the National League Central title Thursday night at Wrigley Field. The deal was all but done, and in truth the race likely was over in early June when the Cubs took their first double-digit lead. But everyone wanted to get it done as quickly as possible, if only to reward patient Cubs fans whose energy the club has been feeding off of all season long. "You can feel it, you really can," pitcher Jake Arrieta said before the game. "I feel like it's almost been something you could feel all year in this ballpark especially, and really even on the road. We travel so well. … They've been with us from the first day of spring training, talking playoffs and World Series, and now we're in that position." But with a frenzied crowd of 41,362 on hand to watch it happen, the Cubs lost 5-4 to the Brewers and were forced to await the result of the Cardinals' late game in San Francisco. When all was said and done, the Cubs backed into the title with the Cardinals' 6-2 loss, and celebrated apart at their own domiciles. After the Cubs' loss, the players showered, dressed and left the fog-free clubhouse with no signs of distress and as much interest in the Cardinals-Giants game as a Tibetan monk. "I'll check the score," Anthony Rizzo said. "I have other stuff I can watch." Manager Joe Maddon, who typically watches an episode or two of "The Office" before going to bed, seemed more interested in checking in on the goings-on at Dunder-Mifflin than what was happening at AT&T Park. He told his players to "just go home" afterward. "We can just text each other," he said. "I've been through this before, haven't I?" Um, yes. Last year, as a matter of fact, when the Cubs clinched a wild-card berth after a loss in the afternoon to the Pirates and the Giants' late-night loss. Maddon recalled his Rays backing into a division title in 2008 in Detroit after waiting for a Red Sox game to end. "We lost a game during the day, but it was at a more humane time when the (Red Sox) game was being played, so when we all got back to the clubhouse in Detroit we celebrated after," he said. "Guys were already out, and we were in pretty good shape. We had an evening party."

Maddon neglected to mention the Rays had to wait until almost 1 a.m. for the Yankees to beat the Red Sox and thus clinch Tampa Bay's first division title. Some players were already out at the local casinos, but they all convened at Comerica Park and partied into the early hours of the morning. Miguel Montero joked that he would be going to a club instead of home. "No, I'm going home and watch a TV show or something because I don't really watch baseball that much," he said. "I don't care what happens to (the Cardinals). I want to come back and celebrate on our own. Obviously if it happens tonight, we'll be champions, which is not a bad feeling for tomorrow." Jason Heyward said he had planned to go out to eat and then go home without going out of his way to see if the Cubs had clinched. "I'm sure somebody will have a way of letting me know," he said. "I'll see. You always check the other scores at night." But Heyward said he doesn't watch "SportsCenter" because he's not that into watching baseball highlights after playing a game. To some fans, baseball is all-consuming. To some players, it's a job. And when your job is done, sometimes you like to tune it out and simply relax. "Baseball is my world," Heyward said. "This is a clubhouse, but it's also like a sports arena. We get to see football scores here and all that stuff. When I go home, it's easy to just wind down." So the disappointing end to an otherwise intense game was basically shrugged off by Maddon and his players. They know they could lose 16 in a row and still win the division, and it was just a missed opportunity to satisfy a packed house ready to bust loose. In the end, it was party delayed, not party denied. -- Chicago Tribune Secondary ticket market thriving on tonight’s Cubs-Brewers game By Tim Bannon When the Cubs originally set the face-value ticket prices for tonight's game at Wrigley Field against the Brewers, little could they have imagined what would be on the line. Many upper-deck seats went for less than $15. Now the secondary market has many of those tickets on sale for more than $100. With a win tonight, the Cubs will clinch the National League Central title. "Demand is very high," Steve Buzil of Sitclose ticket brokers said Thursday. Tickets on that site for tonight's game start at $103 for upper-deck seats and top off at $635 for box seats. On StubHub, standing-room-only tickets start at $51. The asking price for a box seat near the dugout is $999. Buzil said many of his customers are weighing the cost of going to tonight's game or saving their money to be able to buy playoff tickets, when prices are expected to soar.

He also said once the Cubs clinch, it will be a "buyer's market" for the rest of the regular-season games. The exception could be the Cardinals series next weekend, when St. Louis fans are likely to drive up demand as the wild-card race nears a conclusion. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs clinch with Cardinals loss, but don’t wait around for it By Gordon Wittenmyer Barely 45 minutes after the Cubs’ 5-4 loss to the Brewers on Thursday night, the Giants were heading into the late innings in San Francisco, leading the Cardinals in a game that would – about an hour later – clinch a division championship for the Cubs. A game that made the Cubs the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season. A game that gave the Cubs their earliest postseason clinch in franchise history, during their most dominant season in more than 80 years. The Cubs’ response to standing on the brink of that first significant milestone moment of the year? They went home. With Friday’s pregame work schedule on several of the clubhouse video screens, and football on the others, a handful of players dressed and filtered out of a quiet clubhouse, no champagne in sight. “We didn’t earn it,” said right fielder Jason Heyward, who doubled twice, drove in a run, scored another and represented the tying run at third when rookie Willson Contreras struck out to end the eighth. “We celebrate after every win,” Heyward said. “When we lose, we don’t celebrate. Tomorrow’s another day.” Anyone who wasn’t sure how dramatic the difference between this year’s run to the playoffs and last year’s surprising 97-win season and run to the National League Championship Series should be convinced after Thursday night. With their magic number for clinching their first division title in eight years at one, and the chance to wait out the Cardinals’ 6-2 loss to the Giants for the go-ahead to party, they kept their minds on their own business and scattered for the night. “Listen, I am as eager as everybody else is,” said manager Joe Maddon said, who expected the team to celebrate after Friday’s game . “Pragmatically, let’s do this, let’s move it along, and let’s get ready for the next step. “This is just the first step. We have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet.” After all, the season has been thick with the sense of this inevitability almost since Maddon began to “embrace the target” during the winter meetings, and at least since their 25-6 start – certainly since they opened their first 14-game lead over the Cardinals more than a month ago. “This year’s really different from last year because of all the expectations we had coming in,” said team president Theo Epstein, whose club is in play for his first 100-win season in 14 years running front offices. “Last year we were able to sneak up on people and go on this little joy ride the second half of the season into October,” Epstein said. “It felt like the only thing that matters was what was going on in the clubhouse. This year before we even reported to spring training there were all these expectations that kind of crept into the clubhouse, as you would expect. And the guys have handled it incredibly well, embracing the challenge and not backing down

from any situation and preparing to get off to good starts in both the first and second halves, and executing on that.” After a 6-15 slide into the All-Star break, the Cubs came out of the second half winning 20 of 26 – and 28 of 38 – and never looked back. “And while being really businesslike in that approach, they’ve managed to have a ton of fun along the way,” he said. “It’s been really impressive to see.” Players kept their eye on the prize and talked about bigger games ahead even as they planned their party. “We’ve had a lead for such a long time and been able to do what we’ve done,” Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta said. “It’s kind of like, ‘job well done’ and move on to the next task. “We’ve got 15 games or so left,” he said. “We’ve got to keep our guys healthy, make sure to get our guys reps and finishing on all cylinders for when the playoffs come.” The Cubs still have to close out home-field advantage for the National League playoffs and hold their big lead over the Nationals. And they have two weeks to make sure they’re healthy and lined up for Game 1 on Oct. 7. “It’s what we envisioned all year,” Arrieta said. “I’m just proud of all the guys in here for growing and learning at such a quick pace, especially the young guys.” A year ago, the Cubs were in a similar position of waiting until the next day to celebrate after backing in the night before. That party was more intense than they expect this one to be. “I don’t know how crazy we’ll get. We’ll enjoy it for sure,” Arrieta said. “But the next one, as they continue to come, will get bigger.” That’s what Epstein was talking about when describing the difference this year, and the nature of this team and its purpose. “It’s not navel-gazing time just yet,” Epstein said. “We’ve got a lot ahead of us. It boils down to October. “We’re I think rightfully proud of the regular season that we’ve had and that’s meaningful, but it’s never time to look back after that. If you have a good enough regular season, then it’s time to play for what really matters. We’re on the doorstep of that.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Dominant Cubs clinch early, but fans still worried By Rick Telander You can sprint in, you can walk in, or you can back in. Getting in is the point, right? So even if the Cubs fell down the stairs with their shoelaces tied together — losing 5-4 to the lowly Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night at Wrigley Field, then clinching the National League Central a couple hours later when the Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals in San Francisco — they got in. It may have been past manager Joe Maddon’s bedtime when the matter was put to sleep. At 10:30 p.m., Joe said he was going home, West Coast outcome be damned. If he didn’t find out until waking up Friday morning, that was “OK,” he said with a shrug.

His routine would be the usual: “Starbucks, get the lineup in, and get back out here.” He added, “We have much larger baseball fish to fry.” So after Maddon was in his onesie at home, counting sheep, the Cards lost and the Cubs thereby snagged the division with a superb 93-53 record, clinching earlier than any Cubs team ever has. You could ride in on a tortoise if that’s how it gets done. How many times have the Cubs made the end of their season irrelevant? That is, getting to a point where the last days or weeks of the regular season don’t mean anything in particular. We’re not talking about clinching early. That’s rare. But often, they are so far out of the running for postseason play that the last days of September are their time to work on late-summer tans while bringing in garden crops and dozing. Let’s just mention, for example, the half-decade from 2010 through 2014. In those sleepy five seasons, the Cubs finished fifth, fifth, fifth, fifth and fifth in the NL Central. Steady. They averaged 93 losses. During that spell, managers Lou Piniella, Mike Quade, Dale Sveum and Rick Renteria were sacrificed on the altar of “We Suck-dom.” The tanking and rebuilding led to the abundance of talent the Cubs now have, as well as the acquisition of crafty, champagne-loving Maddon. From the packed rooftops to the notorious Bartman area to the bleachers to the box seats, everyone knew they were watching what may be as special a Chicago ballclub as there’s ever been. Imagine, the Cubs have two possible NL MVPs in third baseman Kris Bryant (37 homers, 114 runs scored) and first baseman Anthony Rizzo (31 homers, 38 doubles, 101 RBI). Plus, they have three Cy Young-caliber pitchers in Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta. They’re loaded everywhere. But you know what the cautionary part is? They’re the Cubs. What could go wrong? Nothing. Everything. I shouldn’t have said that, but what does 108 years of failure whisper in my ear? Never, ever celebrate early. And it’s always early. “There’s a huge benefit to having the best record in the league,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said before the game. And there is. But with all the giddiness, there remains the fact the Cubs have not made it into a World Series — even to lose one — since 1945. I’m old, but I wasn’t born then. I’m guessing you weren’t, either. While watching from the press box as the Brewers pulled ahead, I got a call from a friend. “They couldn’t lose 17 in a row, could they?” the friend, a die-hard Cubs fan, asked fairly seriously. See what I mean about history? Still fresh in fans’ minds are the two excellent seasons of 2007 and 2008, years when the Cubs finished first in their division — by a dominant 7½ games in 2008, even — only to be swept in the first round of the playoffs each year. So are there problems associated with clinching early? Yes.

“I still think this isn’t the type of team that’s just going to roll over and stagnate and get too rusty,” said Epstein. He’s likely right. He built this team from the bottom up, saying at the beginning of 2015 that the Cubs should win, after the lousy product he’d placed before us for several years. Chicago actor and lifelong Cubs fan John Cusack showed up at the park to root for his team. I idly mentioned to him that one of my favorite movies was the old Disney flick “The Journey of Natty Gann,” in which he played a kid hobo during the Depression, riding the freights with a young girl who had befriended a wolf. “That was in the fall of 1984, when the ball went through Leon Durham’s legs in the Padres playoffs,” Cusack recalled sadly. “The next day, honestly, I could barely say my lines. I was terrible.” For now, though, all smiles! -- Chicago Sun-Times Springtime in September for Cubs after clinching By Gordon Wittenmyer Now that the Cubs have clinched their first division title in eight years, they plan to return to spring training. That includes the kind of lineup manager Joe Maddon figures to run out against the Brewers for much of the rest of the four-game series. “You’re going to enjoy [Friday’s] lineup,” he said. “Resting guys more specifically that might have little dings, that’s No. 1 for me,” Maddon said of his first priority after clinching. “I have ideas with that. It would be specific guys to not play even for a couple, three, four days. “Beyond that, with the bullpen, just to make sure to work them no more than two days in a row,” he said. “Overall, just to treat it like spring training.” Maddon said he didn’t expect that to get in the way of some of the awards drives for players, with Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo in the MVP race and as many as three pitchers in the Cy Young conversation. “They’re still going to play a lot,” he said. “But the overarching concept would be to work backwards [from Game 1 of the playoffs in building schedules]. “Try to manipulate the work in the manner that satisfies everybody and gets everybody rest.” Strop close to return Setup reliever Pedro Strop said he felt “good” Thursday after throwing his first full-speed bullpen session since suffering a groin strain two weeks ago during rehab for knee surgery. Strop – the Cubs’ final link to a fully healthy roster – threw 20 pitches and expects to throw another by Sunday before looking at a possible return to game action next week. That would give the him a chance at the “five or six” appearances Maddon said he hoped to see from the late-inning right-hander before the playoffs start. Strop, who has been on the DL since Aug. 11, just wants to make sure he doesn’t have a setback before October, he said.

Strop has a 2.89 ERA in 50 games this year. He allowed just one run in six playoff appearances (1.80 ERA) for the Cubs last October. He went, they went After losing a series in Milwaukee last week, an important boost to the Cubs’ clinching effort was a weeklong surge by Cubs’ leadoff man Dexter Fowler. Fowler was 0-for-19 over five games before coming back from an off day last week to go 8-for-20 with two homers and seven walks (.556 on-base percentage) in the next six games – four of them wins – leading up to Thursday’s homestand opener. “It’s baseball,” said Fowler, who went 1-for-5 Thursday. “You’re going to go through those ruts. It’s a matter of getting out of them as quickly as possible.” Notes: Right fielder Jason Heyward, who has struggled at the plate all year, hit two doubles Thursday — his first extra-base hits since Aug. 29. … Class A outfielder Eloy Jimenez – the Midwest League MVP – was named the organization’s minor-league player by player development officials. Jimenez, 19, hit .329 with 57 extra-base hits, 81 RBIs and a .901 OPS in 112 games for South Bend. … Right-hander Trevor Clifton, the Cubs’ minor-league pitcher of the year, went 7-7, with a 2.72 ERA in 23 starts with Class A Myrtle Beach, earning Carolina League pitcher of the year honors along the way. He struck out 129 in 119 innings. … Myrtle Beach joined short-season-A Eugene of the Northwest League in winning league championships for the Cubs’ system. It was the second straight title for Myrtle Beach. -- Daily Herald Rozner: Chicago Cubs win NL Central, but celebration on hold for a day By Barry Rozner No, John Lackey didn't come here for a haircut, as it were. He also didn't sign with the Chicago Cubs to win a division title or make the playoffs. For that matter, Jon Lester, David Ross, Joe Maddon and Theo Epstein can say the same thing. Been there, done all of the above. They came to the North Side of Chicago to win a World Series, and anything short of that will be unsatisfying. And while there's no clock on their chance to do that -- having opened a window that should remain so for several years -- 2016 offers a tremendous opportunity. "Everyone here knows what's at stake and everyone has their eye on one thing," Ross said. "It doesn't mean you can't enjoy the ride. It doesn't mean you don't recognize the victories along the way." Maddon has always been a play-hard, celebrate-hard kind of guy, so even though the Cubs seemingly clinched the Central Division in spring training, he insists his guys will enjoy the moment when they get a chance to celebrate a division title at Wrigley Field. With 41,362 in attendance Thursday night, and in the ballpark for one purpose only, the Cubs dropped a 5-4 decision to the Brewers and were forced to put their party plans on hold. If you're surprised that the Cubs will make such a big deal out of a conclusion so foregone, remember that with a week to go in the season last September the Cubs clinched just before midnight Friday when San Francisco lost to Oakland on the West Coast.

They had long since left the park, having lost a game that day, and some were home and asleep when it happened. They came to the park Saturday having already secured a playoff berth, lost yet again, and then began their celebration as if they had just won a game. On the surface, it appeared at least a little bit odd. But Epstein and Maddon explained then that it would have been out of character for that team to leave Wrigley Field without celebrating, and -- in fact -- they wanted the players to acknowledge what they had done and the manner in which they had done it. That Saturday night party, by the way, traveled to another venue and went until dawn. So even now, with a 17-game lead going into Thursday night, they believe it important to take note of the work they have put it and the success they have had since beginning the task in mid-February. It doesn't mean they believe this is the only objective. It is only the first step. "The goal is to win a World Series and we put ourselves in a position to do it and you want to do it," Epstein said. "That's the ultimate barometer of whether it was a successful season. That's the big prize and that's why we're here." The fans came here Thursday night prepared to put a cap on the regular season, but the ballclub was unable to give them what they wanted. Just like last year, it happened again late at night in an empty ballpark when the Giants beat the Cards on the West Coast, giving the Cubs the division title. Still, the Cubs will get their party in short order and they're not about to apologize for it. "That decision (to celebrate) fits the ethos this team has," Epstein said. "It would seem artificial to say, 'Let's limit the amount we celebrate because there are more steps ahead or because we didn't clinch exactly the way people demand.' "It doesn't make sense. If you accomplish something as hard as winning the National League Central you should celebrate, especially when the personality of the club is being oneself and enjoying oneself." One of the leaders who insisted on the delayed festivities a year ago, Lester will again be at the forefront of the merriment. "I actually think it's really important that you stop and take a minute -- or a long night -- to remember that you've earned this," Lester said. "Then, you get back to work and start getting ready for the postseason. "We all started the season with the same goal in mind and that hasn't changed. We want to win the World Series, but we can't do that tonight, so it's good to let loose and enjoy it when it happens. I can't see how anyone could have a problem with that." As tens of thousands walked away disappointed Thursday night, on that account at least Lester could find no argument. --

Daily Herald Brewers spoil party, but Cubs still clinch NL Central By Mike McGraw There was a festive atmosphere at Wrigley Field on Thursday. Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward called it a "hungry" atmosphere. Fans were ready to erupt. In fact, a couple of random fireworks exploded just outside the park while the game was underway. But in the end, there was no party. With a chance to clinch the NL Central division title, the Cubs lost to Milwaukee 5-4. So the fans who filled Wrigley didn't get to witness a rare on-field celebration. The Cubs had a 17-game lead at the start of the night, and just before midnight the Cubs still had that 17-game lead and had clinched the division with the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-2 defeat at San Francisco. None of the Cubs planned to wait around for that result. "We're not going to stick around tonight," Heyward said in the clubhouse after the Cubs game. "We didn't earn it with a win. It's not up to anybody else. It's up to us. So whatever happens in San Francisco is what happens in San Francisco and tomorrow is tomorrow." Another reason not to wait is the Cubs and Brewers on Friday afternoon, and Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said the plan is to celebrate after the game. He expects to use an unusual lineup either way in Game 2 of the Brewers series. "I am as eager as anybody else in this room," Maddon said. "However, pragmatically, let's do this, let's move it along and then let's get ready for the next step. This is just the first step. I mean, we have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet. Let's just get this done." A couple of unusual things happened in Thursday's game. On the positive side, starting pitcher Mike Montgomery collected the first hit and initial RBI of his career, scoring Heyward with a single up the middle. Granted, this is just Montgomery's second season in the majors, but he was happy to snap an 0-for-11 run at the plate. "That was pretty cool getting that hit," Montgomery said. "The atmosphere tonight was probably one of the best I've ever been a part of. It was unfortunate we couldn't win. I thought we played a good game." On the negative side, shortstop Addison Russell made 2 errors in the same game for the first time in his two-year career. An errant throw to first base with two outs in the fourth led to a pair of unearned runs when Domingo Santana and Orlando Arcia followed with doubles down each foul line to put the Brewers ahead 3-2. Montgomery's RBI single evened the score in the bottom of the fourth, but the Brewers tacked on 2 runs off reliever Justin Grimm in the seventh on Scooter Gennett's pinch-hit, 2-run double that landed just fair inside the left-field line. Russell's second error came in the eighth inning but didn't cause any damage. The Cubs pulled within 5-4 in the bottom half on a Heyward RBI double. But with runners on the corners, pinch hitter Willson Contreras was called out on strikes to end the inning. "It might be anticlimactic, but however we get this accomplished, I'll take it," Maddon said. "I'll be happy with it. Honestly, I can't be upset about anything. Our guys were fabulous. They were ready to play tonight. It didn't work. Let's see what happens in this other game and either way, we'll come back tomorrow." The other game went the Cubs' way.

-- Daily Herald Cubs' Strop throws, may return next week By Mike McGraw Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop threw a bullpen session before Thursday's game and suggested he will be ready to return to game action next week. Strop was a valuable setup man this season, but he has been on the disabled list since Aug. 11, when he suffered torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee. He also had a groin strain during rehab, delaying his return. "Everything was like game mode right there," Strop told reporters Thursday after his session ended. "I feel good." The hope is Strop will be able to get at least 5 appearances in before the regular season ends. He has posted a 2.89 ERA with 21 holds and 56 strikeouts in 43⅔ innings this season. Epstein on expectations: Cubs president Theo Epstein praised his team before Thursday's game for excelling this season despite the pressure of high expectations going in. "Last year we were able to sneak up on people and go on a joy ride in the second half of the season into October," Epstein said. "It almost felt like the only thing that mattered was what was going on in the clubhouse. "This year, before we even reported to spring training, there were all these expectations, and that kind of crept into the clubhouse and the guys handled it incredibly well and embraced the challenge and didn't back down from any situations. Epstein obviously is hoping the Cubs can replicate his experience in Boston, when the Red Sox lost in the 2003 ALCS, then won the World Series the following year. The Cubs were swept by the New York Mets in last year's National League championship series. "We have a lot ahead of us," he said. "It all boils down to how you perform in October. We're rightfully proud of the regular season we've had, and it's meaningful, but it's never time to look back after that." Minor-leaguers shine: On the verge of clinching a division title, there's always an eye on the future. The Cubs named outfielder Eloy Jimenez and right-hander Trevor Clifton their minor-league player and pitcher of the year, respectively, on Thursday. Jimenez, 19, was named Most Valuable Player and Prospect of the Year in the Midwest League. The Dominican Republic native hit .329 with 40 doubles, 14 home runs and 81 RBI in 112 games for Class A South Bend. Clifton led all Cubs minor-league pitchers with 129 strikeouts in 119 innings. A 12th-round draft pick in 2013, Clifton went 7-7 with a 2.72 ERA at Class A Myrtle Beach and was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Year. The Maryville, Tennessee, native allowed 1 run in 12 innings during 2 postseason starts as Myrtle Beach won the league championship. Cubs notes:

After Wednesday's shutout victory at St. Louis, Jon Lester's ERA improved to 2.40 on the season, second in the majors to teammate Kyle Hendricks at 2.03. The last time the top two pitchers in ERA were from the same team was in 2005, when Houston's Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte finished 1-2. … Heading into Thursday's action, the Cubs were 25-6 at home since the all-star break. … Anthony Rizzo joined Billy Williams as the Cubs' only left-handed hitters to post multiple 30-home run, 100-RBI seasons. -- Daily Herald Young Cubs soar past all expectations, caution flags By Bruce Miles ST. LOUIS -- With the Chicago Cubs on the cusp of winning the National League Central, it's fun to look back at some of the things the team was saying before the season began. The one caution coming from the front office was that "all progress is not linear," especially with the Cubs' young players. In other words, some of these kids might take a step backward this year before going forward again. That didn't happen. Not only has the progress been linear, in some cases it has been exponential for the Cubs, now 93-52 on the season after a 7-0 victory Wednesday over the St. Louis Cardinals. Kris Bryant went from Rookie of the Year to the leading MVP candidate in the National League. Kyle Hendricks went from a nice No. 5 starter to a Cy Young candidate. Addison Russell went from a highly touted prospect to a player chasing the 100-RBI mark. Javier Baez has gone from a question mark with his big swing to an exclamation point with his dazzling defense and improving approach at the plate. "When you really look at how young players perform, you talk about that in ups and downs," said Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer. "But some of these guys have made a quantum leap from a year ago, Kris most notably by cutting his strikeout rate as much as he did. Obviously he's having an incredible season. "Addison, obviously, has made tremendous leaps. Kyle, Javy. I'd like to think some of that is contagious. These guys see the progress other guys are making, and it kind of pushes them along. I also think it's sort of the nature of really good young players, that sometimes they can make jumps people didn't expect." Bryant had a solid 2015 to build on, and he has done that, dropping his strikeout rate from 30.6 percent last year to 21.8 this season, entering Wednesday's series finale at Busch Stadium. Bryant's on-base percentage last year was a solid .369, but he had it to .391 Wednesday. Russell has seen slight upticks in his batting average and OBP, but he became a 20-homer man, and with a few hits with men on base in the final days of the season, he's looking at 100 RBI. Hendricks, who pitched a near-no hitter Monday, has gone from a record of 8-7 with a 3.95 ERA last year to 15-7 with a league-leading 2.03 this year. While it helps that these players are supremely talented, something else has to be at work, too. "Talent has a lot to do with it -- not alone," manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday. "Just the whole atmosphere (with) the veteran players has had a lot to do with that. The coaching staff has a lot to do with that. "I think it's the approach we take that has a lot to do with it, meaning we expect mistakes. They're going to make mistakes. They're not going to be perfect.

"Our coaches do a great job of explaining situations and physical mistakes to our players. I think one of the things we talked about from Day One is, 'I want you to be yourself.' I also think that not fatiguing them by a lot of extra work matters, too. "You have to have good players and then around that build an atmosphere, a situation that's conducive to learning. And also to not be afraid of making mistakes." Success, of course, breeds success. The Cubs won 97 games last year and rode a season-ending eight-game winning streak into the postseason and into the National League championship series. Because of that, Maddon didn't seem to think there were any "revelations" with this year's team. "I felt good in spring training," he said. "Last year really set a lot of it up. The conversations we have in camp, the individual meetings we have with everybody, I think those are really, really important in setting the tone for the season. I think we stay with that really well. Whatever we map out from the beginning, we don't vary from it, so the player knows what to expect. "And I think the straightforward approach works, always. These guys have no surprises during the course of the year. We pretty much know what to know in advance." --