Cub Tracks loves three-hitters

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Arizona.

You’ll understand the relevance of this later. For now, enjoy the old and the new. And let’s close the book on Willson Contreras ill-formed decision to watch his double.

It’s not so bad (for me) listening to the D-backs broadcasters —they’re my second team anyway (I also like Toronto). I still sorta like Brenly, though I much prefer JD. But they don’t talk over the action very much, and watching Kyle Hendricks when he’s on is always a treat. Was a good Monday for me, with a few small victories and affirmation that I actually have value from several fronts.

Hooray for me. And hooray for our Cubs, who looked good Monday night as they headed in to the final turn before the homestretch. Looked like the Cubs read the reports that they were getting buzzed inside and decided to cheat a tad. Javier Baez and Kris Bryant sure turned on the inside heat. Javy nearly hit another with a one-handed flick in the eighth. Too bad the ninth was so eventful and ruined the one-hit shutout, but hey! A win is a win.

And hooray for the Bears, who should be 2-0 but managed to screw up the first game.

Oh yeah, and hooray for scribes Sean Sears and Jared Wyllys, who seem to have graduated from various smaller blogs to NBC Sports Chicago. Good to see people succeed.

As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

Cubs News and Notes:

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): 10 thoughts on the Cubs as they head on their final road trip of the regular season. “...where they sit currently, what’s working, what’s not and how it could all play out going forward.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Temps rising on Cubs in Arizona with Brewers in hot pursuit. “This is the great thing about a pennant race,” said team president Theo Epstein, whose mere, rare presence on the road suggested the gravity of the moment. “You’ve just got to find a way to win.
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Jesse Chavez has become the most important pitcher in Cubs bullpen. “Chavez leads the Cubs pitching staff in walk percentage, is second in WHIP (behind only Strop) and third in strikeout percentage while pitching 8.1 innings more than any other Cubs reliever.”
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com*): Cubs making it work without designated closer. “The Cubs’ last five saves have been recorded by five pitchers.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs bullpen still unsung despite ranking as the best in the National League. “I honestly think the quality of our bullpen is being overlooked here,” Epstein said.
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com*): Prospect Adbert Alzolay preparing for ‘19 during rehab. “I’ve never been in this position before,” Alzolay said about being sidelined for an extended period.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Joe Maddon backs Willson Contreras and gets defensive about ‘Disrespect 90’. “Listen, he wore it really well,” Maddon said. Paul Sullivan has more on this tempest in a teapot. Jesse Rogers quotes Maddon as saying “It’s over the top.”

• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs have baseball’s worst offense over the last week. “The Cubs are a bad offensive team right now.”
• Sean Sears (NBC Sports Chicago* {$}): Ben Zobrist cheers on his wife during her Today Show appearance. “Julianna Zobrist was on the Today Show promoting her new book.”
• Jacob Meschke (Bicycling): Chicago Cubs Star Zobrist bikes to Wrigley Field in full uniform. “He made the same trip on two wheels for a mid-September game in 2016, his first season with the Cubs.”
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com*): Baez ignites Cubs with 32nd homer. “Baez had been in a mini funk with three RBIs in his last 13 games. He raised his season total to 105 on the homer, tops in the NL.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Ian Happ hopes watching instant video leads to improved results. “We’re trying to figure out a way to be as efficient as possible,” Happ said.
• Sean Sears (NBC Sports Chicago* {$}): Cubs traveled to Arizona without Kyle Schwarber. “...he’ll be more effective later in the week without having to ride airplanes and can some right-handed hitting.”
• Jonah Keri (CBS Sports*): The Terrance Gore effect: How extreme pinch-running specialists could swing close games with their legs. “...think about how often major-league games get decided by one run, and how pivotal results in one-run games can be to a team’s fortunes.”

Food for Thought: