Cub Tracks comes up short

Just throwing it out there, but Javy Baez might be the most exciting player in baseball. Len Kasper has been right before. But he wasn’t exciting enough on a day when Yu Darvish didn’t have his best stuff.

There are other things to get excited about, like the debut of David Bote, and more somber news, as Danny Farquhar has suffered a brain hemorrhage.

We will have to wait til later for the meatloaf. In the meantime, here’s the news —as always * means autoplay on (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

Cubs news and notes:

Yu Darvish has failed to pitch at least 5 innings in 3 of 4 starts as a Cub this season. Tonight he was pulled in the fifth after giving up a 2-0 lead, allowing 5 runs to score with two outs. And once again he apparently let some adversity get the best of him as he walked pitcher Tyler Anderson before the floodgates opened. Last start it was a balk that admittedly did him in. Darvish’s ERA rose to 6.86 after his 4.2 IP, 5 run outing on Saturday vs the Rockies. It also included four walks. The Cubs signed him to a 6-year, $126 million deal this past off-season. — Jesse Rogers

• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune*): Cubs’ Albert Almora Jr. making most of leadoff time. “We’re doing the right thing, have the right approach,” Almora said. “It makes the opponent think more and put pressure on themselves.”
• Owen Perkins (MLB.com*): Almora Jr. ranges 87 feet to snare ball in gap. ”Almora raced toward the fence, catching the ball on the run with his back to the plate for a jaw-dropping basket catch as he hit the warning track.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune*): Good times are rolling for Cubs’ Javier Baez. “I’m seeing the ball right when (the pitcher) releases it,” said Baez.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em: Javy Báez and the Cubs hit it hard in Denver. “We got great talent,” said Baez. “It was awesome,” Ben Zobrist said.
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Baez-Almora a suddenly dynamic duo Cubs can’t break up now. “You are going to see everyone play,” Maddon said. “I hate to disappoint people, but everyone is going to play. And they’re all going to play well. I promise.”
• William Chase (Cubs Insider): Refreshed Ben Zobrist turning back the clock and filling gaps. “...the production a healthy Zobrist can deliver is an underrated element...”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Why is Ian Happ whiffing so much? The Cubs believe they have the answers. “He’s missing pitches he should be whacking on,” Maddon said.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune*): Kris Bryant comfortable moving from second to third in Cubs batting order. “I love it,” Bryant said Saturday before batting third for the third consecutive game. “It’s probably my favorite spot to hit.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune*): David Bote shares how he learned he was being promoted to the Cubs [VIDEO].
• Owen Perkins (MLB.com*): Bote gets hit in hometown in 1st MLB at-bat. “Because of his bat, he can play all over the place,” manager Joe Maddon said.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.