Cub Tracks edges toward the ledge

GAMETHREAD WORD. I’m just one beleaguered scribe, but I’m gonna ignore the hell out of that game and just go forward, going forward. The heart-shaped box people (Hey! Wait! I got a real complaint!) have already spoken and the pavement below the ledge is slippery with the slightly flattened forms of jumpers. I slipped and almost fell when I left the BCB offices for lunch. No point in cleaning up, as the queue is still growing.

The Good Ship Cub looks to be headed for dark waters. My scrying glass is half full. Just ask any other scribe. David Kaplan, for example. Or Jon {$} Greenberg. Hello, second place.

Vote early and often.

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). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used here as sarcasm font.

“I feel like I got back to the original me. Playing on a consistent basis, I think, had a lot to do with it. I was able to hone in on my approach and just play the type of baseball that I know how to play.” — Addison Russell

(links to videos about Russell’s return, courtesy of Bleacher Nation): Russell, Maddon, Jed Hoyer.

Luis Diaz of the Atlanta Braves, Marcos Encarnacion of the Chicago Cubs and Eliezer Mejia of the Seattle Mariners drew 72-game suspensions without pay after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. All are on Dominican Summer League rosters.

Ian Krol of the Minnesota Twins pitches for Triple-A Rochester of the International League. He was suspended 50 games without pay following a second positive test for a drug of abuse. — AP.

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): ‘Pen sinks Cubs in second straight walk-off loss. “The loss dropped Chicago’s record to 23-39 away from Wrigley Field this season.”
• Matt Snyder (CBS Sports*): Cubs terrible road record could cost them a postseason berth. “... at this point it’s hard to believe the Cubs are favorites to win the division.”
• Dave Sheinen (Washington Post*{$}): As 2016 title slips further into distance, Cubs’ core hopes to maximize its time together. “...the only certainty in this game is that Father Time remains undefeated, even against something as huge and powerful as the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Yu Darvish may never walk another batter. “It’s become clear over the last month or so that Darvish is pitching like the guy the Cubs thought they were getting last season.”
• Khobi Price (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Anthony Rizzo’s message to Little League players: ‘Have fun, no matter what’. “Rizzo surprised three Little League teams at the 2019 Canon Little League Baseball Minicamp by helping them run drills.”
• Noah Cloonen (Beachbound and Down): Through the players eyes: How Ben Zobrist’s rehab assignment shaped the Pelicans. “He treated the practice like a game and I want to be a big leaguer like him,” Aramis Ademan said.
• Jason Catania (MLB.com*): Nicholas Castellanos, Rafael Devers chasing doubles history. As Len Kasper mentioned on the big broadcast, ‘tis a feat rarer than the 60-homer season.
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Top prospect Nico Hoerner emerging as a ‘safe bet’ in Cubs system. “... he has regularly rotated between shortstop, second base and even center field, with encouraging results:as regularly rotated between shortstop, second base and even center field, with encouraging results.”
• Cubs birthdays: John Buzhardt, Bill Landrum, Thomas Neal, Victor Caratini. Also notable: Boog Powell.

Food for thought:

I thought the Philadelphia Experiment was over... Thanks for reading.