Cub Tracks’ slip of the RISP

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.

Adios, Luis Torrens. We hardly knew you.

The Stro Show premiered in Washington, D.C. for the 2023 season opposite the sometimes wayward offerings of Nationals pitcher Jake Irvin, who had heretofore called Frontier Field his home. Irvin kept the Cubs from hitting the ball all over the ballpark by throwing it around himself, and that was effective.

Marcus Stroman was who he is. He kept the ball down and graciously allowed the Nationals to make soft contact and ground the ball to Swanson and Hoerner. He logged another quality start but Adbert Alzolay didn’t bar the door and the Cubs succumbed 2-1. Ian Happ’s misplay in the bottom of the seventh contributed. The Cubs were unable to reply in kind. Al has details in his recap.

Better luck today, with Jameson Taillon taking the ball.

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• Will Sammon, Brittany Ghiroli and Eno Sarris (The Athletic {$}): MLB’s pitch clock is a success, but some still fear an injury reckoning is coming. “Get in shape,” Max Scherzer said. “Be ready for this.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs GM Carter Hawkins talks about *COUGH COUGH* promotion decisions. “Hawkins concedes that the Cubs’ front office does think about certain unnamed players daily, and about how they could or could not be incorporated at the big league level.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times*): Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon takes important step in rehab, but rotation hole looms. “The Cubs will gauge how Taillon feels Wednesday.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Hayden Wesneski used sinker/ghange combo more than ever against Nats. “My work in between starts is getting a lot better,” Wesneski told reporters after the game.
• Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib*): 3 likely candidates to start for the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. “There are limited options right now...”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs dream coming true for Miguel Amaya with big-league call-up. “The Cubs hope to get an extended look at Amaya this season so they can better plan for 2024.”
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): How the Chicago Cubs fixed Christopher Morel’s swing. “He’s really improved,” Marty Pevey said. “He’s had a swing mechanic flaw that he’s really worked on and it’s going to allow him not to chase spin quite as much.”
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery*): Cubs promote slugger who was destroying A-ball. “... there was no denying that Haydn McGeary was putting up some jaw-dropping numbers in college and after one month in A-Ball with the South Bend Cubs, he’s now heading to Double-A.”
• Mark Feinsand (MLB.com*): With a bright future, a look back: Q&A with Cubs VP Jared Banner. “After the World Series in 2018, I felt like it was time for a new challenge.”

Food for Thought:

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