Cub Tracks’ uphill both ways

Welcome to today’s edition 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 and attempt to distill the zeitgeist into a potent potable. Please enjoy immoderately.

The Cubs played two Saturday, in the park. Can you dig it? The first game was a competitive affair but the RISP gods still hate the Cubs, who are worse than random chance would have it. That takes real effort. 2-1 Mets in 11, and the losing streak extended to eight games. David Ross didn’t last the game, as he was bounced in the third after arguing balls and strikes. Ramon DeJesus had a bad day at the office.

The second game was a nailbiter as well. The Cubs got to Max Scherzer for a couple of runs and Drew Smyly only surrendered one, with Rafael Ortega responsible for one. Ian Happ was ejected in the third inning, while David Ross was being interviewed (h/t Brett Taylor).

There were positives. Marcus Stroman threw well. The bullpen looked decent. Pretty soon we’ll know who will be on the team for the rest of the year, or at least who will be available for roster jenga.

But, in the end, it was two more one-run losses in a loss leader of a season. 3-11 in extra innings, 11-22 in one-run games. 100 losses seems very possible.

Sad times, Cub fans. They still play the blues in Chicago.

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When the Cubs faced the Brewers in Milwaukee on the 4th of July, Brewers closer Josh Hader had a microscopic 1.05 ERA and a 1.71 FIP. The Cubs wound up scoring on Hader both times they faced him that series, and now less than two weeks later, his ERA is 4.50 and his FIP is 3.88. That much damage in just six appearances, the last two of which have been absolute implosions. And it all started with the Cubs touching him up, so clearly, they broke him. — Brett Taylor.

• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): July is supposed to be a sports snoozer, but not this year in Chicago — it’s wild and weird. “Our teams — the Cubs, the White Sox, the Blackhawks, the Bears — are up to all sorts of strange business and busyness.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): With their highest draft pick since 2014, the Chicago Cubs look to land their next franchise player at No. 7. “Among the players the Cubs could target with their first pick: third baseman Cam Collier (Chipola, Fla., JC), shortstop Termarr Johnson (Mays, Ga., High School), outfielder Elijah Green (IMG Academy), shortstop Zach Neto (Campbell), shortstop Brooks Lee (Cal Poly) and corner infielder Jacob Berry (LSU).”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Cubs roster moves: Pitching staff receives a boost while top prospects continue to ascend in farm system. “The Cubs made a flurry of moves over the last two days, up and down their organization.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs’ Marcus Stroman finishes up-and-down 1st half on high note. “Felt pretty good,” Stroman said after the Cubs’ 2-1 extra-inning loss. “Thought it was a positive step in the right direction coming off the IL.”
• Alexander Patt (Cubbies Crib*): Cubs top pitching prospect Caleb Kilian battling command issues. “Something seems out of whack with Kilian.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Lefty Steven Brault joins Cubs after ‘enlightening’ road to team. “If they call my name, I’ll be ready to go and go out there and dominate — just this time wearing blue.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Will Cubs have Willson Contreras, Ian Happ or a plan by next homestand? “... if the Cubs trade both Happ and Contreras before the deadline, it’ll mark the second year in a row they’ve had two All-Stars and then traded them both...”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): ‘3 HRs or nothing’: Can PCA top Davis’ Futures Game? “That’s a joke that some of us have been making since we found out that I’d be going,” Crow-Armstrong said with a laugh.
• Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Happ made himself an All-Star. Now Cubs must decide what that means at the deadline. “I definitely played with guys who have had a little bit of a smoother road,” Happ said. Joshua Burt has some thoughts.
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): A blockbuster trade for Juan Soto isn’t going to happen. “Trading Soto would hurt, but might be one of the only ways for the organization to quickly replenish its farm system.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Former Cubs reliever Pedro Strop is apparently onto his second career — as a recording artist.

Food for Thought:

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