Cub Tracks passes on the chili

Welcome to today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™, featuring material from current beat writers, bloggers, and the occasional in-house habitué, moonlighting. These pieces center around #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball.

Crafty veteran southpaw Drew Smyly faced the Reds and promising young Cuban pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez Monday at the Great American Ballpark. Smyly applied a little magic to get out of the first, where he wasn’t exactly sharp, and Nick Senzel robbed Ian Happ of extras for a pulse-pounding beginning, and away we went... it was nice to be able to see the game, which continued on in that relatively quiet manner, with the pitchers telling the story, until the Cubs dialed up some exit velo in the top of the fourth after a Mike Moustakas miscue. Cincinnati retorted with a crooked number...

But Ian Happ, the ex-Bearcat and Pittsburgh-area native, lodged a ball in the stands himself and that was all she wrote. Al has details in his recap.

Hopefully today’s contest has similar results.

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• Henry Palatella (MLB.com*): Get to know the Cubs for HRDX. “It’s hard to talk about Major League Baseball without talking about the Chicago Cubs.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): MLB Trade Deadline: Cubs’ Trade-Chip Power Rankings. “It’s a shame that a team in Chicago is doing this,” one rival scout said before Monday’s game.
• Alexander Patt (Cubbies Crib*): Breaking down Justin Steele’s superb month of May. “... Steele now has the lowest ERA (3.82) and FIP (2.73) among starters who have started at least five games and leads the pitching staff in strikeouts (38).”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): How sidearm reliever Scott Effross developed into a weapon for the Chicago Cubs: ‘He’s not fazed by the moment’. “He can do a lot of different things. But it all comes back to just the consistency of the work for him and him being able to be himself no matter what that situation is,” said Tommy Hottovy.
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs’ Higgins taking nothing for granted after major injury. “It definitely puts it in perspective of what you’re going to do after baseball and stuff like that,” Higgins said of being sidelined for as long as he was last season. Brett Taylor has a lot to say.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): ‘There’s no tension’ between Jed Hoyer and Willson Contreras as trade deadline looms. “Willson and I get along great,” Hoyer said. “I talk to him almost every day. There’s no tension there.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): The futures of Tony La Russa and Willson Contreras could lie in past White Sox and Cubs seasons. “Cubs fans have made their feelings about Contreras known. Now they wait for Hoyer’s answer.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs get ‘good news’ on Contreras’ hamstring injury. “Contreras, who exited early Saturday with hamstring tightness, is day-to-day, the Cubs said Sunday.” Mark Potash has more. Sahadev Sharma has some notes {$}.
• Pete Grathoff (Kansas City Star*): Ex-Royal Frank Schwindel was part of a feat unseen by Cubs since Ernie Banks played. “That was a good one.” Schwindel told MLB.com. “Especially to put the team ahead right there. It was a fun two batters right there, a great team win.”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): A devastating injury nearly cost Christopher Morel his career — instead, it defined him. “My doctor told me there was no cure and I couldn’t play baseball again,” the 22-year-old rookie said.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): According to MLB Pipeline, the Chicago Cubs are now up to three Top 100 prospects. “In addition to outfielder Brennen Davis (16) and shortstop Cristian Hernández (85), the list also now features outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong at 97.”
• MLB.com*: Davis rehabbing back issue in Arizona. “He’ll be fine,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said.

Food for Thought:

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