Cub Tracks bounces back

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.

There are reports that Dansby Swanson has resumed taking BP. Nick Madrigal is ahead of schedule. Ben Brown turned his ship around Tuesday night with a dominant 9K performance. The Professor is expecting a pupil.

Former Cub Trevor Williams took the hill opposite Hendricks. Mike Tauchman gifted Kyle with a crooked number and he rode that to a quality start, giving up a single earned run in his six innings. Julian Merryweather gave up a couple and Merryweather got the win despite giving up the tying runs, as the Cubs scored five in the eighth inning to pull ahead for good. Yan Gomes delivered the tie-breaking sac fly as a birthday present to himself. The rest of the relief corps handled their business.

Fun at the old ballyard. Box score and info. Al has details in his recap.

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• Reuters*: Nico Hoerner’s slam propels Cubs past Nats. “Nico Hoerner’s first career grand slam highlighted a five-run eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs overcame blowing a two-run lead in the top of the frame to beat the visiting Washington Nationals 8-3 on Wednesday night.”
• Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs draft pick Matt Shaw has a plan to get to Wrigley Field as soon as possible. “However the Cubs map out his next steps, Shaw will have clear ideas about his career path.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Chicago Cubs officially sign 10 more Draft Picks. “... they’ve signed 17 of their 20 picks so far.” Alex Shapiro has more.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Two years after the great sell-off, are the Chicago Cubs in a better position? “... now Hoyer faces the same dilemma...”
• Ryan Taylor (NBC Sports Chicago*): MLB insider believes Cubs will be sellers, predicts optimal outcome. “Jon Heyman believes the Cubs will sell at the deadline and names players they could flip come Aug. 1.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): For Chicago Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather, locked-in mechanics and health has been a consistency game changer. “Staying within my delivery, my mechanics have had ups and downs this year, but I feel like when my mechanics are right everything comes from there,” Merryweather told the Tribune.
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times*): Could Cubs’ blowout win vs. Nationals be a sign of things to come — or just a blip? “Can a night like that jump-start a team?”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): David Ross really doesn’t have any good lineup options right now. “... this team is kind of like a mid-tier racecar that doesn’t have the best engine or driver.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times*): ‘That’s a veteran move’: Cubs’ Miguel Amaya impressing with growth behind the plate. “I take pride in myself learning every single day, being around all these guys,” he said. “I’m just proud of myself to be here and help the team.”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Summer Awakening: Top of Cubs order coming alive to put slumps in rearview mirror. “Offensive ruts are part of the baseball season.”
• Brady Farkas (Fan Nation*): Chicago Cubs star Dansby Swanson aiming for return this weekend. “... Ross said Wednesday that he’s optimistic Swanson (heel) will be able to return this weekend, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Patrick Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni can thank their Cubs teammate for breakthrough games. “I thought we did a pretty good job in between the starts of having a plan,” Jameson Taillon said. “I threw a sim game Friday to [Patrick] Wisdom and [Miles] Mastrobuoni. I might’ve locked them in a little bit. They’ve been hot ever since.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Cubs not willing to promote Matt Mervis again until team’s priorities shift. “... the Cubs want Mervis to play without added pressure...” Refers in part to Sahadev Sharma article {$}.

According to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, the Cubs have kept Mervis at Triple-A Iowa because of changes that they are making to his swing after his first stint in Chicago.

“Mervis is working on very specific but small mechanical adjustments with Iowa hitting coach John Mallee,” Sharma reported. “He’s also focused on getting back to making the type of swing decisions that helped him get back to the big leagues in the first place.”

The Cubs are approaching the situation with caution, wanting Mervis to make those adjustments in a lower-pressure environment.

• Casey Drottar (MLB.com*): ‘He’s electric’: Suzuki charges Cubs’ offense with four-hit night. “Hopefully he can build off today, because he looked really good tonight,” said Ross.
• Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib*): Grading the 2021 Cubs trade deadline moves two years later. “It’s been two years since the Chicago Cubs’ front office tore down the World Series winning core. Let’s look back at the series of deals that changed the franchise.”

Song of the Day:

Food For Thought:

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