Cub Tracks lit fic

Pedro Strop went Fahrenheit 451! Kyle Ryan’s brain melted! Let’s hope those are red herring subplots and not the main story. I remember when firemen used to put out fires. That was more like Cat People.

You can’t make this stuff up. It didn’t end well. Still...

Only Ernie Banks and Ron Santo got there quicker. And...

Al will have full game details in his recap.

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

• David Haugh (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Joe Maddon’s methods have helped the Cubs rebound into 1st place. Isn’t it time to look at giving him an extension? “Maddon’s contract expires in five months.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs’ win streak ends amid a flurry of walks. “With an eighth straight win on the line, Strop took the mound in the ninth inning against the Marlins and could not corral his command.” More recap from Mark Gonzales.
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Humbled Carl Edwards Jr. returns to Cubs ‘in a really good place’. “... he’ll return to the Chicago bullpen without any sort of jittery movement in his delivery...” Additional intelligence from Gordon Wittenmyer.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Mike Montgomery appears ready to rejoin the Cubs, but the Cubs aren’t ready to make a move. “I’m not sure about the next step,” manager Maddon said Monday.
• NBC Sports Chicago: Willson Contreras on his hot start at the plate [VIDEO].
• Teddy Greenstein (Chicago Tribune* {$}): The incredible journey of Cubs catcher Taylor Davis: From ‘mercy pick’ to getting snubbed by the Cardinals to grand-slam heroics. “Are you Taylor’s dad?” the man finally asked. “I like the way he’s catching.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Anthony Rizzo connects for his 200th career HR. “Rizzo took just a moment to admire his shot and then casually dropped his bat as the Wrigley Field crowd roared.”
• Bill Quinn (Cubs Insider): Javier Báez tells A-Rod he wants to stay with Cubs for entire career. “... the only real question isn’t whether the Cubs want to keep all of these guys — it’s whether they want to stretch themselves financially.”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Cubs IF David Bote has been playing with broken toe. “Bote indicated that it has been getting better since he was hit by Texas Rangers starter Mike Minor in the season opener on March 28.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Kris Bryant’s return is just getting started. “This is an Avengers-level group of offensive performers.”
• Phil Thompson (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. pays a surprise visit to breast cancer survivors: ‘This is bigger than baseball, man’. “This hits home for me, with my dad being a survivor of prostate cancer,” Almora said.
• Matt Martell (Sports Illustrated): Four unexpected strong starts we’re still surprised by. “Through the first 29 games, Jason Heyward is slashing .305/.409/.505 with five homers, 17 RBIs and 17 runs scored.”
• Cubs birthdays: Sam Shaw, Mickey Doolin, Eddie Pick, Al Epperly, John Flavin. Also notable: Dick Williams (HoF).

Food for thought: