Cub Tracks is out to launch

The simCubs brought the lumber again Saturday in the park, and will be bringing their brooms to the ballpark today. The Nationals hardly knew what hit them as the Cubs batted around and then some in the seventh inning, pounding extra-base hits and deep flies in a nine-run uprising.

Tyler Chatwood pitched seven shutout innings and Dan Winkler took over and pitched two shutout frames of his own. Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, David Bote, and Jason Heyward all connected for home runs, with KB’s homer in the sixth looking like the game-winner it turned out to be after a tense zero-to-zero affair. Schwarber and Heyward hit back-to-back jacks, with JHey’s circuit clout capping the scoring. Patrick Corbin took the loss, his second against three victories, having allowed one earned run before the Cubs turned the Nationals’ relief corps into meatloaf. Chatwood won his second and looked good doing it, walking no batters in the outing and striking out three.

Today Yu Darvish will oppose Anibal Sanchez. Al will have more information about that in the game post at 2:30 p.m. CT, for our 3 p.m. start. I’ll drop the specific URL to the contest in the game thread, but you can lurk at the BCB Media Center and catch it there as well. All past games and highlights reels are available there too, if you want the full #simCubs experience.

And now, here’s Cub Tracks News and Notes, the only links column that really matters. 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.

• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Basket cases at Wrigley Field. “Fifty years since its debut on May 7, 1970, it lives.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Quarantine reading: What ‘Homegrown’ tells us about Theo Epstein’s Boston Red Sox in 2011 — and what it means for the Chicago Cubs now. “Check back in five years.”
• Alex Myers (Golf Digest*): Chicago Cubs infielder fires 69—and still manages to lose by 11 shots to PGA Tour pro. “Ian Happ was beaten by someone who plays golf for a living on the PGA Tour.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Launch angle. Exit speed. Spin rate. Rapsodo’s analytical devices are important tools for baseball players — and they’re how Kris Bryant is staying sharp. “It’s a great hitting tool,” Mike Bryant, Kris’ father and personal hitting coach, wrote in a text message. (Cub Tracks is waiting to hear from Rapsodo for more info)
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs outfielder wishes Happ-y Mother’s Day. “I’ve just been able to lean on her through everything,” Happ said.
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): Five round draft sounds like death knell for Minor Leagues as we knew them. “Some believe this is a money-saving scheme for most MLB clubs since each will save in the neighborhood of $1 million from rounds 6-10 alone.” Keith Law has more on this {$}.
• Cubs birthdays: Charlie Ferguson, Bill Davidson, Freddie Maguire, Russ Bauers, Jim Hickman, Merritt Ranew, Tim Hosley, Pierce Johnson.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading! Happy Mother’s Day!