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Take the series with the Pirates as evidence that there will be plenty of ups and downs with youth. And that "split squad" line-ups are often ineffective against contenders in September.
From Comcast SportsNet
- The Cubs will let Javier Baez work his way out of what they hope is a slump.
- Arismendy Alcantara's speed and versatility has given the Cubs a lift.
- Cool story here. Pedro Strop and Starlin Castro did a little cooking for a couple of the Pirates as part of a pay it forward baseball tradition.
From Cubs Den
- Here's round two of a look at whether pitching really wins championships.
- Could the Cubs exploit a market inefficiency by adding an outfielder this offseason?
From Cubs.com
- Rick Renteria believes Arismendy Alcantara can be a lead-off man.
- The Cubs helped make a return trip to Wrigley special for a fan who had suffered a serious injury.
From ESPNChicago.com
- Eric Jokisch's debut opportunity came so quickly he didn't have time to be nervous.
- Jesse Rogers says Neil Ramirez is deserving of some Rookie of the Year votes.
From the Chicago Tribune
- Welington Castillo wants to be the backstop when the Cubs turn the corner.
From the Chicago Sun-Times
- Despite a rough series with the Bucs, the Cubs' bullpen showed something.
- The front office is perplexed by Travis Wood's tailspin.
From the Daily Herald
- The lead-off spot is still something of a problem for the Cubs.
- Len Kasper thinks anonymity is hurting baseball discourse.
Today's food for thought
- There is evidence for icy plate tectonics on the Jovian (Jupiter) moon of Europa.
- You can marvel at the awesome sight and sound of a volcanic blast.