Cub Tracks adds up to nothing

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

Eric Hosmer’s new walkup music:

Not that it mattered, since Hunter Greene gave the offense the day off. Everybody has bad days. Maybe not all at once, mind you, but hey, get it over with and move on.

Christopher Morel isn’t a right fielder, but at least the ball didn’t do a Canseco. The Reds had a day where they were unstoppable. But the Cubs ended up with a couple of hits, a Morel victory as one of those was Christopher’s — he broke up the no-hitter.

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• Peter Marzano (NBC Sports Chicago*): Historic no-shutout streak ends for Cubs with 9-0 loss. “Before Friday, the Cubs’ most recent shutout loss was on Sept. 24, 2022, when the North Siders fell 6-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs aren’t playing blame game (at least not yet) as they keep trying to find solutions. “There’s never only a Plan A.”
• Regina Ham (Fan Nation*): Chicago players most likely to be moved at trade deadline. “Chicago spent over $300 million signing free agents this winter.”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): The ripple effects of Kyle Hendricks’ return to Cubs’ roster. “The Cubs have preached depth all season and even during the offseason.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): After ‘long road back,’ The Professor returns to the lectern. “I’m not expecting him to be midseason form, peak Kyle,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said before Thursday’s game. Jon Greenberg has some Hendricks {$}.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Why the Cubs aren’t overly concerned with Jameson Taillon’s slow start to the season. “He’s never really struggled like this before,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): What is Hayden Wesneski’s task at Triple-A Iowa? “... just go back to compete mode and go get guys out.”
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times*): If big-league hitting is a puzzle, Cubs’ Matt Mervis figures he has the smarts to solve it. ‘‘I enjoy learning about what I’m interested in,’’ he said.
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs trying to get Madrigal ‘back on track’. “(We’re) just trying to get him back to finding his timing and putting good swings on the baseball.”
• Greg Huss (North Side Bound): Why Statcast is telling you not to give up on Brennen Davis. “... he’s whiffing far less and he’s chasing almost never.”
• Larry Hawley (WGN9*): A special week for a Palatine native & Cubs outfielder. Mike Tauchman.
• Sam Neumann (Awful Announcing*): Keith Hernandez, Gary Cohen have fun with Boog Sciambi during Mets-Cubs broadcast. “Boog bought in,” Cohen said. “He decided that he wanted to be on the broadcast.”

Food for Thought:

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