Cub Tracks needs a Doc by the bay

No, Pedro Martinez, I don’t think Harold Reynolds and Greg Amsinger are anywhere near the broadcasters’ hall of fame, and I don’t think John Smoltz belongs there, either. Hand me over some of what you’re smoking, daddy-o. None of those men have either the personality or the delivery, and definitely don’t have the longevity, to warrant such inclusion.

Ok, on to the game. The Cubs played in San Francisco and Alec Mills and a succession of relievers looked decent enough, until the eighth. Robel Garcia and Kyle Schwarber turned on the power as the Cubs made efficient use of their few hits and almost pulled away with a win before grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory. What’s up with Pedro Strop? Damn, man. My heart sank like Al Hedison’s boat (RIP David) as the game-tying fly and then the lead run passed before my eyes. Even JD was taking about Strop moving down the totem pole a tad. That gave me a sad. Help me, help me.

Al will have the recap. Here’s today’s Cubs News and Notes, where we’ll go over the game. As always, * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views.

• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Coming soon: Cole Hamels could rejoin the Cubs by next week; Willson Contreras could be back in the lineup Wednesday. “The Cubs likely will keep three catchers when Contreras returns, which could set up an interesting decision with their second-base depth.” Brett Taylor has thoughts on this and related matters. Michael Cerami also has ideas about Hamels. Corey Freedman also weighs in on Hamels.

• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Playoff-driven Cubs have no patience for Carl Edwards Jr.’s struggles. That’s why he’s back at Triple-A Iowa. Production over potential.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs are preparing to unleash Craig Kimbrel and bulk up their bullpen. “He’s definitely into it,” Joe Maddon said.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Kris Bryant is so on fire that it makes you laugh. “... Bryant is now hitting .296/.406/.557, good for a 150 wRC+, the best mark of his career and the 7th highest mark in baseball.” Bruce Levine seconds this motion.
• Brendan Miller (Cubs Insider): Albert Almora Jr. generating MLB’s lowest offensive value over last year. Yikes. Almora’s 58 wRC+ is tied with Billy Hamilton and Chris Davis for worst in MLB over the past calendar year (min. 400 PAs).
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Trade Rumors: 4 names to watch as Whit Merrifield’s price remains astronomical. Nicholas Castellanos, Danny Santana, Eric Sogard, Jarrod Dyson. Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma {$} have thoughts about this.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jeff Samardzija loves old-school managers. So he’s savoring his last season with retiring Giants skipper Bruce Bochy. “He’s always been a first-class guy, and maybe he’ll come back for another year. You never know.”
• Cubs birthdays: Ginger Beaumont, Ed Holley, Ival Goodman, Chuck Crim, Nomar Garciaparra, Joe Mather, . Also notable: Pee Wee Reese (HoF), Don Drysdale (HoF),

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.