Cub Tracks keeps it close

Suddenly that ledge seems far away. Of course, Cub Tracks always believed. But there was a lot of jostling outside BCB’s office window as even the boss was admiring the view. There could still be just a short postseason gallop — it’s happened before. But the Cubs should still be playing at this time next week.

The professor was in. The Hawk blew in over the lake and led the stretch.

Let’s GO! As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). No food for thought today. We’ll have Sunday brunch, with music, instead.

Cubs News and Notes:

Must be the whiskey.

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Embrace the target: The psychology behind the Cubs’ never-panic attitude. “Attitude is​​ a decision. Control the controllables. Every day counts. Be present, not perfect.” Thank you, Ken Ravizza.
• Derrick Goold (St Louis Post-Dispatch*): Cardinals on the verge of elimination after sloppy 8-4 loss to Cubs. “On a rainy afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cardinals’ season dimmed.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): With no time to spare, Cubs finally look like a playoff team again. “Good at-bats, that’s the formula,” Anthony Rizzo said.
• Bob Nightengale (USA Today*): Cubs hope whiskey shot isn’t the end of their celebration. “It dawned on the Cubs on Thursday that they never got around to celebrating their playoff berth...”
• James Neveau (NBC Chicago*): Time set for potential Cubs-Brewers tiebreaker game. Monday afternoon at Wrigley Field, 3:05 p.m. CT, unless a game is required to break a tie between the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers to decide the National League West crown. Then it would slide to 12:05 CT.
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com*): With win, Cubs inch closer to clinching Central. “Win two more games,” Kris Bryant said.
• Zack Moser (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): If the Cubs lose the Division, it’s not because of the weather, Pt. 2: Catcher and Infield. “...very few catchers have been able to take a beating over as many innings as Willson Contreras and still produce anything with the bat.” (part one)
• Vinnie Duber (NBC Sports Chicago*): Championship teams need dominant pitchers, and Cubs sure have one in Kyle Hendricks. “This is what you live for,” Hendricks said.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Mike Montgomery prepared to unleash full Monty for Cubs in final start. “I know it could be an important game for us. I’m going to prepare like it’s a playoff game,” said Montgomery.
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Rizzo, Cubs show Carl Edwards Jr. they have his back. “Rizzo trotted out to the mound with a message for Edwards and was followed by pitching coach Jim Hickey from the dugout.”
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com*): Maddon: Baez’s ‘skills, acumen’ set him apart. “He’s done a nice job of staying focused and centered,” Maddon said. “It’s probably difficult to not be thinking about that. But I also believe that 99 percent of his thoughts are about winning the division right now.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): How DARE YOU, Joe Maddon?! Comparing Javy Baez to … David Eckstein ... “David [Eckstein] had that same kind of thing about him where he would see things, he’d come off the field and I’d be standing there and we’d talk about maybe something I saw and something that he saw, we’d try to morph it together,” Maddon said. Builds on Vinnie Duber article.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs’ David Bote says better eating habits have helped sustain his success. “...throughout the course of the season getting quality food, sleep studies that we do and making sure they’re not letting the wear-down process happen.”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Addison Russell’s ex-wife: ‘Wasn’t ready’ to talk in ‘17. “Melisa Reidy-Russell says she felt talking to investigators about abuse allegations against her ex-husband Addison Russell was the right thing to do after turning them down twice.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Kris Bryant silenced his doubters in a way only he can. “Wainwright left the ball over the heart of the plate and Bryant did not miss it one bit.”
• ESPN: Watch Kris Bryant discuss his home run in the Cubs 8-4 win over St. Louis on Friday [VIDEO].
• Daniel Kramer (MLB.com*): Baez, Rizzo, Bryant have top-selling jerseys. Market these people, MLB.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Why Cubs exec Jason McLeod’s time might have arrived for first GM job. “...if a team had interest, and it’s the right opportunity, yeah,” McLeod said. “There is a time I do see myself in a situation where I could possibly be running an organization.”

Rock out, BCB.