Cub Tracks’ TKO

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we have nouvelles for you. The less said about Connor McGregor the better. Say no more, écuyer.

Kyle Hendricks, trying to get his season back on track, faced Minnesota rookie Joe Ryan. Ryan has some real stuff, but the Cubs got to him a little bit, again. Max Kepler took the Professor deep for a pair of coups de circuit. Professor might want to have a tête-à-tête with the baseball gods.

Hendricks did log a good-quality start. He just didn’t get enough &%$@?! runs, if you’ll excuse my French. He only got deux and the Twins doubled their pleasure with quatre. Mot de fil de jeux sans frontiers! Sacre bleu fromage!

Jeux Sans Frontières (English: Games Without Frontiers or Games Without Borders) was a Europe-wide television game show. In English-speaking countries, the show is also known as It’s a Knockout, the title of the BBC’s domestic version.

The Cubs got a little closer but the Twins added another run. 5-4 was the final. So the teams split the season series, each sweeping on the road.

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• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Manager David Ross celebrates Jon Lester after former Cub wins 200th game. Lester won 77 of his 200 career victories from 2015 to 2020 as a member of the Cubs.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Alec Mills struggles, but is part of rotation’s future. I think Mills has made a pretty strong case for a guy that you can count on and a reliable starter,” said David Ross.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 3 thoughts as the Chicago Cubs kick off their final homestand of the season, including Willson Contreras getting hot before an interesting offseason. Mills, Contreras, and old friend Lester are on her mind.
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): For Cubs’ young arms, evaluation doesn’t have to end in the rotation. “While the Cubs are giving Adbert Alzolay, Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele a chance to start, team could continue to evaluate them as bullpen weapons.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): How Cubs rotation could offer glimpse into 2022 staff. Alzolay, Steele and Thompson have shown flashes this season.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): Codi Heuer continues to have dramatically more success with the Cubs – but how? “Batters may be making more contact overall now that Heuer is with the Cubs, but the quality of that contact is significantly worse.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Chicago Cubs have sorted out the late innings quicker than anticipated. “... Heuer, who came over in the Kimbrel deal, and Rowan Wick...” Payton Haverman has more.
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): 2021 season ends prematurely for promising Cubs rookie Alfonso Rivas. “He figures to be in the mix as the Cubs put together their position player group for 2022 and beyond.”
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Finding quality depth key for Cubs as team builds toward the future. “The Cubs have gotten a lot out of their depth this season with big performances by Frank Schwindel, Rafael Ortega and Patrick Wisdom.” Sahadev Sharma also opines {$}.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): After breaking Cubs’ rookie home run record, what is Patrick Wisdom’s ceiling? “... Wisdom has finally gotten his shot to shine in the big leagues.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Who’s got next? Teen prospects race to be next Javy Báez. “... if there’s a new age dawning for Cubs’ shortstops, it might be this: 19.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): ‘I knew that was in there’: How Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ broke out of a horrid slump to produce a torrid 6-week stretch. “There was a lot of bad luck involved early, and so it was just that belief that over the course of 162 games, things are going to work themselves out.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): It is “Doubtful” that Jason Heyward returns this season. “Heyward seems to want to return, but you just don’t want to mess around with the kinds of more serious concussion symptoms he was dealing with...”
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): 10 topics to follow during what could be interesting offseason for Cubs system. “It’s been a pretty transformative year for the system due to the influx of talent via international free agency, the draft, and, of course, the trade deadline.”
• Naomi Waxman (Eater Chicago*): A Wrigleyville Pub runs out of luck after 50 years. “A fixture for Cubs fans, Blarney Stone, will close after the North Siders’ season ends.”

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading le mots mauvais.