Cubby-Blue

Throwback Thursday Kerry Wood portrait.

My buddy Oif saw Kerry Wood walking in a park the other day.
Said he looked in great shape.
KERRY CAN YOU COME BACK?
Okay just kidding.

But... are you checking out MLBTradeRumors about every 5 minutes?
I am.
Because I don't believe Mr. Maddon when he says the team's all set as far as he's concerned.
If I'm him, I'm doing exactly what he's doing, which is trotting out guys like Justin Grimm to communicate "Ummm, we could use a little help here."

The Cubs took sole possession of 1st place last night with the 8-3 W over the Sox, and... I'm working so I didn't get to see but checking the box it looks like nobody hit anybody which means the young Sox didn't listen to their announcer Hawk which makes me like Rick Renteria even more.
And... Mike Montgomery is playing the position he's meant to play now.
The pen is so much more versatile with him there.
The Brewers and Pirates lost, Cards won.
One more Sox game and it's off to Milwaukee, and I expect they'll have their hands full of Cub fans.
3 games to hopefully put a little distance in this thing.
It's an awesome time of year.

Go Cubs.

Cannot WAIT to see Kyle Hendricks take the mound again.

This isn't the biggest news to happen so far this season, but it could be.
Starters going on the DL is horrible so..
Kyle Hendricks coming back and being 100% is huge for the Cubs.
Just ask any Dodger or Nat fan (you did see Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg ,right?)
And... against the Sox who are in the middle of their version of the Cubs Rebuild, so yeah they're not supposed to be good but you won't hear me say that because... that's when some Sox kid you never heard of ruins your day.

Last night was particularly satisfying, wasn't it?
Knock off the Cards again on a night when the New Ace didn't have his best stuff (or nerves or whatever).
But Jose Quintana gets W #2 for his new team.
Big homers from Contreras and Schwarber.
Just... beating the teams you're supposed to beat, even if they happen to be the Cardinals.
And that happened, conveniently, on the same night the Brewers lost so now the correct team is at the top of the Central.

Okay, now can you Cubs just keep winning and stay up there where you belong.

Cubs 3 Cardinals 2. Lester pitches a gem.

Remember that game on Friday?
The one where the Cubs were up 3-2 in the 8th, and then something revolting happened?
Me neither.
Because yesterday we got to see a classic Cubs/Cards game with a couple heavyweight stud aces just mowin' 'em down.
And in the end, the Cub Ace beat the Card Ace and it aced out whatever happened the day before.

Jason Heyward tripled in the 2nd but was still there when John Jay grounded out.
I was SO hoping for that run vs their former team.
There were zeeros through the first 7 innings.
Finally, Jon Lester faltered and gave up a couple long ones back to back.
Cubs nothin' Cards 2 with 6 outs left for our guys.
Jay's on 1st with 2 out and Ben Zobrist up, who smacks a double which scores Jay.
Then the just-recovered-from-the-pinkie-sprain Kris Bryant comes up and hits a busted bat single which scores Zobrist.
Now Anthony Rizzo's up and he's down to his last strike.
So with the 2 outs, Bryant is running on the next pitch which is gloriously Rizzo-dropped into the black hole between CF Dexter Fowler and SS Paul DeJong, Bryant never stops until he slides (feet first!) just past Fowler's throw that Yadier drops and that is called "victory" my friend.
Well, we had to live through 2 Wade Davis walks and Yadier up to bat with those guys on, and the heartburn that came with that.
But Yadier whiffs AND Lester gets the W, so it's all just so. Much. Sweeter.

Such a good game.

Brewers broke their losing streak and keep the 1-game lead over the Cubs, but honestly I'm getting way more concerned with Pittsburgh.
Thankfully, they broke their winning streak, and stay 3 back of the Brewers.
But this Central Division may be waking up.

Sunday Night Game of the Week on ESPN will feature the greatest rivalry in sports, so tune in at 7:05.
Go Cubs.

Maddon on Bryant's pinkie: we dodged a bullet.

Oh sure, Tim.
It's easy to joke about it now.
But yesterday when my buddy Oif said "Bryant's hurt", those are not words I ever want to hear.
Baseball seasons flashed before my eyes.
I kept refreshing a "Bryant" google search.
Finally, x-rays negative, a sprained pinkie, nothing to see here, folks.

And the Cubs win game #6 in a row, sweeping the Braves, while the Crew loses again.
1.5 games out of first.
How can you beat that?
Well how about a week of pure baseball nirvana?
The Cards this weekend, then 4 vs the White Sox followed by the Brewers at Wrigley next weekend.
If you would have told me in March that this Brewer series in August would be kind of a big deal... HAHAHA!
Anywhooo, a day off, hopefully Kris Bryant's pinkie can rest up with the rest of him and be back on the field before the weekend's over.

Go Freaking Super Hot Cubs.

Hey Cubs. Leave .500 waaay behind.

Oh was that spectacular last night, keeping this baby streak alive with the 4-3 win over the Braves.
This .500 thing.
It's been like some kind of fly paper stuck to the Cubs all season long, and I'm sick of it because they're better than that.
Now, they're now a couple over .500 and the Brewers lost their 2nd in a row.
This is fun.
The summer just got way more interesting with the addition of Jose Quintana (canNOT call him "Q" or it brings back memories of Mike Quade), the coming back from the break, the proud sprouting of Willson Contreras proclaiming the Cubs are back, the 3 games in a row of Rizzo longballs, and... winning a couple.
Streaks can't happen without dominant pitching, clutch hitting, and luck.
So in order for this to keep happening, we all have to hope that John Lackey's foot is actually better since he apparently never says anything about not being 100% (but that could help explain his first half, or maybe he really is just... ready to retire).
Anyway, haven't been this excited about a 4-game winning streak in a long time.
You heard Buck Showalter's quote after getting swept, right?
Because it's important.
"We're playing a World Champion team that everyone knew was going to get going at some point..."
Oh yeah.
That's the Cubs.

Quintana makes the Cubs Window brighter.

You know that window.
The one that opened up the day at the Cubs Convention when Theo Epstein said he was done tempering expectations.
That window of time we've got while we watch the Core of Rizzo, Bryant, Contreras, Schwarber, Russell, Heyward, Baez, Happ, Almora, Lester and old guys like Zobrist play our favorite game.
It got a whole lot brighter when Jose Quintana took the mound and struck out a dozen Orioles to wrap up a sweep in Baltimore yesterday.
He looked aMAYzing.
All business, total confidence, no hiccup innings... everything Management said he was.
Should I add "and more"?
Because one would expect that he just made the rest of the rotation better.
Oh, they're not even all here, really.
But I bet that Jon Lester has a really really good start against the Braves at 6:35 Monday night.
Remember how much fun it was last year when the starters were all out-doing one another?
Like it was their own side-bets on each game.
I'd like that back, please.
It was also kinda cool that the Brewers and Cards lost, and it's SUPER important that the Cubs now win a couple more and get the hell away from .500.
Put it in the rear view mirror.
Shine that thing up with a little Quintana.
The next time we'll see him will be next Saturday when the Cards come to town.
Not looking ahead, I promise.
Okay maybe a little.

Go Cubs.