Cub Tracks actually smiles

Cubs win. Kyle Hendricks throws a Maddux (Al’s recap). Appropriate! We have additional coverage in today’s Cubs News and Notes. As always, * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

“I didn’t know the exact number, but I knew it was low,” Hendricks said of his pitch count. “Also, Willy and I did a really good job of recognizing how aggressive they were early, even to start the game. So, once we made good pitches within the first two of the at-bat, they kind of kept being aggressive and we just were able to take advantage.”

Hendricks laughed when asked if he was available to pitch on Saturday.

”For sure,” he said. — Jordan Bastian.

• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Why the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry matters again. “That’s what makes the NL Central so special to me,” Jason Heyward said.
• Ben Clemens (Viva el Birdos): Cards lose to Cubs 4-0: The Darkest Timeline. “Milwaukee is about 90 miles from here, but as far as Jack Flaherty is concerned, it could be 4000.”
• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): ‘There’s another dimension out there, brother’: Yeah, Joe Maddon is feeling good about the Cubs. “Our guys are pretty sharp mentally right now,” he said. “That’s really what’s controlling all this.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Hendricks throws Cubs’ first Maddux since 2009. “Righty holds Cards to 4 singles in 81-pitch gem to open rivalry series.” Jesse Rogers has more. Tony Andracki takes cuts too. Sahadev Sharma closes it out.
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): With tough decisions coming soon, Cubs’ bullpen plan may be coming into focus. “... left-handers Mike Montgomery and Xavier Cedeno are nearing the end of their rehab assignments and Carl Edwards Jr. looks to be righting the ship in Triple-A Iowa.”
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): Iowa Cubs pitcher Trevor Clifton built his tiny house with his dad. Now it could be yours. “Everything’s for sale,” Clifton said. “I’m actually paying Adventureland to stay there, which is more expensive than I thought.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): What Willson Contreras is doing on the field is all the more impressive given what’s going on back home. “... the world in which he is living right now doesn’t take place solely on the baseball diamond.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Addison Russell moving back to 2nd base at Triple-A. “Cubs looking to keep Javier Baez at shortstop full time.” Steve Greenberg has more. Paul Sullivan chimes in.
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): As advertised: Daniel Descalso fitting in nicely with Cubs. “He’s a professional, man,” Joe Maddon said of Descalso earlier this season.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): David Bote wasn’t content with just making it to the majors and now he’s thriving with the Cubs. “... he went from a low-level minor-leaguer to a fan favorite in one of the best baseball towns in America.”
• WGN-9: Cubs’ Kris Bryant, wife Jessica gives girl taunted by video game all-star treatment. “Kris and Jessica saw the story, and reached out to Marie in a video chat.”
• Laura Messer (Cubs Insider): More Heyward stats give reason to be encouraged by early returns. “Heyward has increased his HR rate to nearly 5% while also nearly doubling his walk rate to an elite-level 16.2%.”
• Dan Caesar (St Louis Post-Dispatch): Buck, now 50, to end hiatus by calling Cards-Cubs game. “It will be Buck’s first broadcast since Jan. 20, when he called the NFC championship game.”
• WGN-9: Scenes from new movie ‘The Last Summer’ shot at Wrigley Field — even in the scoreboard. Includes interview with stars.

• Cubs birthdays: John Malarkey, Vic Saier, Ted Turner, Ox Miller, Cy Block, Joe Borowski, Miguel Cairo, Ben Grieve.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.