The #1 source for #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news and notes. The Cubs lost a tough one as the Orioles pecked a hole in their playoff plans, but only a small one. Meatloaf can be had today.
The going is weird. Cub Tracks™ turned pro a long time ago. Cub Tracks™. Where the great ones run AWAY.
Ryne Sandberg Day at the ballpark. The land of 23.
#23 Willi Castro, playing second Saturday, has certainly made an impression, eh? Nice. Scored the first run on a #23 Nico Hoerner double [VIDEO], tripled later [VIDEO]. #23 Reese McGuire joined in the fun and clubbed a sac fly [VIDEO] for the Cubs’ second tally and Hoerner drove Castro in [VIDEO] for the third in the fourth.
Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano had a lot of blue-shirted company on the bases. It could have been worse. The Cubs swatted at least a trio of warning-track outs with runners on.
All-Star #23 Matthew Boyd wriggled out of things, as he does, and threw zeroes, as he does, played some quality defense, and did his best to bring home the meatloaf. He walked nobody and turned in another quality start.
#23 Ryan Brasier had a spot of difficulty as he allowed the first two men in the top of the eighth to reach base, and he yielded to #23 Caleb Thielbar, who gave up a run after two sharp liners for outs and then delivered a meatball to Gunnar Henderson that gave the Orioles a one-run lead.
#23 has to hit the game-tying home run though. Right? Right?
#23 Taylor Rogers heaved the rock in the ninth and acquitted himself well. But there is no joy in Wrigleyville. #23 PCA has struck out.
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- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jed Hoyer ‘the right guy’ to guide Chicago Cubs future, Tom Ricketts says — with or without Kyle Tucker. “I’m thankful to be here for a long time,” Hoyer said Thursday. More from Patrick Mooney {$}.
- Levi Weaver, Ken Rosenthal and more (The Athletic {$}): Trade grade: In landing Andrew Kittredge, Cubs set to reinforce bullpen. “One thing Kittredge does exceptionally well: he gets batters to chase.”
- Zoe Grossman (Marquee Sports Network*): Cubs takeaways: What we learned as lead slips late in loss to Orioles. “Even with his struggles against Milwaukee, Boyd’s ERA on the season still stands at 2.34 — a mark good enough for second-best in the NL behind Paul Skenes and fourth-best in all of MLB.”
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Utility man Willi Castro makes immediate impact in Cubs debut, sets up as key role player for title chase. “The Cubs landed Castro at the trade deadline, and the man of many positions had two hits and scored twice in his debut with the club Saturday.” Sahadev Sharma has more {$}.
- Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): ‘I was pretty nervous’: Iowa Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie reacts to not being traded. “But the call never came.”
Food for thought:
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