Cub Tracks’ Yu, you got what I need

If what you need is a Cubs victory, that is — Yu still walks way too many batters but otherwise did a decent job of preventing baserunners. I don’t mind Chad Wallach’s good night so much cuz his dad was one of my favorite players, and the Cubs won on the road, which made an otherwise blah day considerably less drab. And it’s better than Biz Markie’s ‘singing’, no matter what.

Yu did okay:

Here’s today’s Cubs News and Notes. Everything is #narrative today. As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

• Doug Glanville (The Athletic {$}): On Jackie Robinson Day, the work continues. “Something often gets lost...when we look at pioneers.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 3 takeaways from the Angels-Cubs series, including Joe Maddon’s ‘millennial’ plan. “I’d much rather the other team just bludgeon you with hits as opposed to them just receiving walks,” said Maddon.
• Tom Musick (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks ‘still battling’ after first three starts. ‘‘It was closer than the last one, so I’ve got to stick with what I’m doing in my side work.,’ Hendricks said.
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Chronicling Brandon Kintzler’s transformation from doghouse to circle of trust in Cubs bullpen. “Tommy (Hottovy) simplified my delivery,” Kintzler said.
• Jeff Burdick (Cubs Insider): These two factors could be contributing to the Cubs’ bullpen wildness. “... framing and data-dumping...”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Thoughts on Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras and where the Cubs stand right now. “A robust offense should help give the beleaguered Cubs bullpen some breathing room...”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Addison Russell’s potential return to the Cubs is delayed a couple of days because of Sunday’s postponement. “... can’t happen until May 3 at the earliest.”
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): Meet the most productive hitter in the Cubs’ organization. 27-year-old shortstop Dixon Machado.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Kris Bryant’s early struggles aren’t health-related, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing there. “... a combination of swing mechanics, timing, and also pitch-recognition” are suggested as the culprits. Based on a Sahadev Sharma article {$}.
• Brendan Miller (Cubs Insider): Kyle Schwarber fighting astronomical whiff rate against secondary pitches. “Schwarber’s failure to make contact against breaking and offspeed stuff is way more pronounced this year than last.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Schwarber to concerned Cubs fans: ‘bear with us’. “People are just being a little reactive to the whole situation,” Schwarber said Monday night.
• Christina De Nicola (MLB.com*): Cubs injury updates on Victor Caratini, Mike Montgomery. “They’re coming along well,” Maddon said. “Everybody’s moving forward, but no finish lines on anybody yet.”
• Ashok Selvam (Eater Chicago): The bourbon from the Chicago Cubs CEO is only for the richest fans. “... exclusively for premium ticket holders.”
• Cubs birthdays: Tommy Sewell, Babe Phelps, Ed Winceniak, Frank Fernandez, Antonio Alfonseca, Albert Almora. Also notable: Alton Brown (?!), Paul Waner (HoF).

Food for thought: