Cub Tracks’ Happ-y together

Welcome to today’s edition of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits from Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, and cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor.

Jed Hoyer met the media again, and the spin has been applied. Pretty high spin rate, too. But hey! The Cubs have been playing better and there’s reason for optimism. Plenty of the blue kool-aid to go around.

Plus Friday night baseball. How could things be better? Justin Steele and Freddy Peralta, two good young pitchers matching up to kick off the three-game series in the city that beer made famous.

I love me some pitchers’ duels and that was dual 0-fers until the bottom of the fifth, when Tyrone Taylor hit one to Johnsonville. Steele’s back tightened up on him, so he exited. Eventually the Cubs responded, as an E5 in the top of the seventh on a Nick Madrigal bounder seemed to change their fortunes some. Pittsburgh-area native Ian Happ then swatted a Matt Bush 3-2 fastball in the general direction of Sheboygan for the Cubs’ first base knock and it was flat-out ON.

Rowdy Tellez got to Brandon Hughes in the bottom of the ninth. We do not like him. He has hit approximately 167 of his 27 homers against the Cubs. That made the Manfred man enter the picture, and his feet smelled like corn chips.

I bet he gets his salsa from New York City.

But Ian Happ tucked into another meatball and lofted toward it La Crosse. Hey man, nice shot.

And Manny Rodriguez got some help from the infield and closed it out. Welcome back!

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• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): ‘Thrilled’ Hoyer sees flashes of 2014 Cubs in ‘22 club. “We’re a lot deeper farm system-wise than we have been in the past,” Hoyer said.
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): What Hoyer, Cubs front office can take away from a strong finish to 2022. “I’d love to finish strong that way I felt in 2014,” Hoyer said.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jed Hoyer is hoping Chicago Cubs history repeats itself with a fateful ending similar to 2014. “... can history repeat itself?”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): From Wrigley visit to ‘active rest,’ Cubs lay out next steps for top draft picks. “It’s definitely a kid’s dream to play in the big leagues,” said Cade Horton.
• Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): If the Cubs have this much pitching, can they go big this winter to catch the Cardinals? “That has been the goal — to really add as much pitching as we possibly can,” Hoyer said.
• Jake Mailhot (Fangraphs*): Justin Steele has a distinctive pitch arsenal. “... Steele has found a niche that he’s been able to exploit.”
• Ryan O’Rourke (Cubbies Crib*): Where does Adbert Alzolay fit into the next great Cubs team? “It feels like, especially with the Cubs working him toward multi-inning outings, that Alzolay’s future is no longer as a starter.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Craig Breslow offers seemingly dismissive assessment of Caleb Kilian’s development. “Kilian has experienced some growing pains this season...”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ young bullpen settling into new roles: ‘We want to hold the bar high for these guys’. “The bullpen has seen a lot of turnover this season...”
• Michael Brakebill (Cubbies Crib*): Jeremiah Estrada has the makings of a big league closer. “Estrada has amassed a ridiculous 73 strikeouts in 46 1/3 frames, good for a 14.2 K/9 mark.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ Nick Madrigal is healthy and getting results by being the player he’s always been. “Since returning to the lineup on Aug. 4, Madrigal is slashing .321/.406/.357 through Tuesday.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Brennen Davis overcomes ‘miserable’ sciatic pain and back surgery to resume playing in the Chicago Cubs farm system. “If you’ve ever had sciatic pain, it is miserable,” Davis told the Tribune Thursday.

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