The last time we met, the Cubs had just been robbed of a victory by Keon Broxton, whose catch of an Anthony Rizzo deep fly spelled the end of a comeback attempt.
Little did we know (because we’re not Al), but that catch apparently pilfered the Cubs whole offense, save a stray long ball from Kris Bryant Friday night. Somnolence was the order of the day Saturday as the Cubs wasted an excellent John Lackey outing by failing to drive in any runs whatsoever, despite a few good chances.
Ahem. That’ll be enough of that. Minute Maid is starting to remind me of the Astrodome, and what a chamber of horrors (83-137 under the dome from 1965-99, 146-207 all-time) that was for the Cubs. And a lot of that record was compiled originally when the Cubs were pretty good. Leo the Lip had plenty of choice comments about the “Eighth Wonder of the World” back in the day. Strangely enough, he also managed the Astros.
Here’s some Cubs news to wash that all away. As always * means autoplay on (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). Hey, let’s get some runs!
- Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times): Houston becomes focused Cubs’ latest home away from home. Well, for lots of fans, anyway.
- Bruce Miles (Daily Herald-{$}): Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros renew old rivalry. Things don’t feel quite the same, though.
- Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Cubs come up short in critical moments that may prove pivotal in October. "Sometimes you have to give credit to the pitcher," Miguel Montero said.
- Jordan Ray, Richard Dean (MLB.com): Cubs flash stop sign for George Springer's wheels. "We play that game often, man," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
- Jordan Ray (MLB.com): Cubs tested as they battle through hit slump. "It's baseball," Cubs designated hitter Miguel Montero said.
- Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times): As stakes rise for Cubs, so does resurgent Montero’s value. Miguel Montero is playing his way onto the postseason roster, if he was ever off it.
- CBS Chicago: Will Cubs carry 3 catchers on postseason roster? David Ross is on board with that. “...the Cubs suggest they’ll carry three catchers on their postseason roster.”
- Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): I’m running out of words to describe Cubs D. “If you watch these plays really closely, you can actually see Jon Lester’s ERA and FIP moving in opposite directions.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Javy gonna Javy, Jason gonna Jason: Your daily dose of defensive goodness. [VIDEOS] Good defense never gets old.
- Cat Garcia (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Rizzo vs. Bryant for MVP and comparing apples to oranges. “...it’s hard to remember a time when these two young sluggers were not peanut butter to each other’s jelly.”
- Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune*): Cubs waste strong John Lackey outing with poor hitting in clutch. Contact was scarce.
- Richard Dean (MLB.com): Cubs aim to claim rubber game behind Jake Arrieta. Arrieta will be making his first career appearance against Houston.
- Big Magoo (Razzball.com): Bear Or Bull: Jake The Snake Gives His Ratios The DDT. Arrieta is not as good as he was last year. Wrestling metaphor works though.
- Ken Rosenthal (Fox Sports*): Kyle Hendricks could start in the postseason before Lester or Arrieta. [VIDEO]
- Bradford Doolittle (ESPN-Insider {$}): Could the Cubs run themselves out of the postseason? “...the Cubs are conservative until they get on base.”
- Quinn Allen (Fansided*): Chicago Cubs: How soon until we see top prospect Ian Happ? Next September, would be my guess.
- Charlie Wilmoth (MLB Trade Rumors): Rangers claim RJ Alvarez from Cubs. Minor-league reliever was DFA’d earlier this week.
- Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): Thom Brennaman is whining about Cubs Fans again. “enough already”
- Patrick Mooney (CSN Chicago*): How the Cubs almost landed Carlos Correa as their franchise shortstop. They chose Albert Almora Jr when Correa didn’t fall to them.
- Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Could Cubs be Bears? Joe Maddon offers his assessment. “We’ve very athletic,” Maddon said. “There’s always those comparisons to be made. We’d have a nice team.”
- George Castle (Baseball Under Glass): Savvy scout can claim credit for some of Cubs' position-player success. A profile of former Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken.
- Ted Cox (DNAinfo): Wrigley has an empty seat? Aldermen support honor for POW-MIAs. A new City Council resolution designates an empty seat in remembrance.
- Ron Leiber (The New York Times): What should a Cubs Fan pay to realize a lifelong dream? $3,000? 5,000? 10,000?
Food for thought:
- Prof. Sophie Scott (BBC News): The science of laughter. “Wherever you find laughter, its roots are in tickling...”
- Leah Crane (Smithsonian.com): Can we save Mars from ourselves? “When we travel to Earth-like worlds, contamination may be inevitable.”
- Science Daily: Researchers debunk 'five-second rule': Eating food off the floor isn't safe. "Bacteria can contaminate instantaneously."
Keep it over the plate, Jake. Thanks for reading. See you Tuesday.