Cub Tracks goes on and on, my friends

The simCubs earned meatloaf in Turner Field and will wrap up the set there later today, hoping to make a clean sweep of the series and head into the All-Star break with a head of steam. Maybe they can get some lamb chops for us while they’re out.

Kris Bryant was 3-for-5 with two doubles, Jason Heyward took a walk for a run, and Willson Contreras drove in an important run with a single to right, among other highlights. Alec Mills wasn’t too bad, and the Cubs’ bullpen held on for the win, Craig Kimbrel throwing his 30th save, good for a tie for the league lead.

Today, Yu Darvish stands tall against Mike Foltynewicz. Al will have more about that game in the game post at 2:30 p.m. CT, Friday, after which I’ll post the actual URL to the stream at 3 p.m. CT. Or you can catch the game at the BCB Media Center and also catch past games and game videos, if you want the full #simCubs experience.

And now, here’s Cub Tracks 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.

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 4 takeaways from Chicago Cubs camp, including Jon Lester’s plan for the MLB restart and the new ‘Skinny Rizz.’ “Skinny Rizz, Big Rizz, Strong Rizz, Bad Ankle Rizz, he’s still got power,” Anthony Iapoce said. “Until he tells you he doesn’t, and the monsters from ‘Space Jam’ took it like they did last year.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Here’s how Cubs are mapping out pitching plan. “It’s going to be very difficult,” Tommy Hottovy said.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Lord of the Rings: Lester’s eyes on title No. 4. “A ring’s a ring,” Lester said on Friday. “I’m still fighting for that. I don’t care if it’s 60 games or 190 games or whatever it is.” Gordon Wittenmyer talks Lester. Sahadev Sharma {$} loads the bases.
• Brendan Miller (Cubs Insider*): Curveball data offers optimism for Craig Kimbrel’s future. “... there is a reason to be optimistic about Kimbrel‘s 2020 season.”
• Maddie Lee (NBC Sports Chicago*): Why Cubs hitters are catching up to pitchers earlier than expected. “Guys are hitting in the garage off the tee, they’re hitting in open fields by themselves while somebody’s flipping them balls,” Iapoce said.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Would the Cubs really trade Kris Bryant in the middle of a pandemic? “Right now, it’s hard enough to predict what tomorrow or next week will look like,” Epstein said.
• Sahadev Sharma {$}): Cubs want players to speak their minds, as long as they get facts right. “You guys all know how I feel and how we feel as an organization,” Epstein said.
• Cubs birthdays: Hank Schreiber, Al Glossop, Jack Warner, Tom Gorzelanny,

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading! Please remember that posted political content must be directly baseball-related or it is subject to deletion without notice.