Cub Tracks can’t win for losing

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.

Scoring early and often is a pretty good recipe for success in Major League Baseball. The Cubs deployed that principle and Drew Smyly held the Brewers down, though they did get crooked in the third. He was having a tough time, though. As were the Cubs. The lead wouldn’t last for long.

In the end, it wasn’t to be. And it was ugly.

Nick Madrigal has a hammy. He’s day-to-day. Do better, Cubs.

* means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled sarcasm font in the comments.

• Tyler Koerth (Wisconsin Sports Heroics*): Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell has message for Chicago Cubs fans. “It’s good coming back from 6-0, so that’s fun. It was a good crowd today for sure. Loud. Obviously lots of Cubs fans. Hopefully they had fun.”
• NBC Sports Chicago*: Here’s why Cubs pitcher Michael Fulmer had to bat in Monday’s game. “... the Cubs lost their designated hitter when Christopher Morel had to shift to third base in the bottom of the fourth inning.”
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): Struggling Cubs enter most important week of the 2023 season. “Discussions have swirled over whether the Chicago Cubs should be buyers or sellers at the MLB trade deadline...”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): In a ‘must-win’ game in divisional series, Cubs suffer devastating loss in front of Chicago-centric Milwaukee crowd. “We just didn’t execute well the last half of the game,” Dansby Swanson said.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs on precipice of another summer sell-off after blown 6-run lead and gut-punch loss. “It’s rarely essential to win a few games in July, but that’s the position in which the Cubs find themselves.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): What we learned about the 2023 Cubs in the first half. “I love our team,” Marcus Stroman said. “I feel like things haven’t gone our way at all. But the commitment and the drive and the attention to detail is there...”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): 3 offseason decisions the Cubs are paying dearly for right now. The impact of these moves have the potential to derail Chicago’s postseason hopes.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): As Cubs struggle, their All-Star trio shows how it looks when things go right. “After a hot stretch that found them creeping ever closer to the top of the division, they’ve collapsed yet again...” Jon Greenberg has more {$}.
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): Iowa Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia could be the cure to Chicago’s bullpen issues. “Ever since making the move, Palencia has been on the fast track to the big leagues − as a reliever.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Brailyn Márquez joins Myrtle Beach Pelicans for first affiliated experience since 2020. “... he’s worked his way back slowly and managed to make three scoreless appearances in Mesa.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Willson Contreras drama reaches new heights in St. Louis. “According to Michael Kay, who calls games for the YES Network and ESPN, Contreras was calling pitches that pitchers didn’t even have in their arsenal.” You can say that again, SI.
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Nick Madrigal leaves early with hamstring tightness. “It may end up being nothing, though it’s hard to overlook his history with leg injuries and the fact that he really needs to be at full health in order for the bat to play.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Christopher Morel finally got a start at third base, but he probably won’t get many for now. “The Cubs, themselves, see the potential for Morel to establish himself as a full-time third baseman, so eventually, he’s going to need very regular starts there to make it happen.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Seiya Suzuki is slumping hard, but what’s really going on? “... it’s not a bad time to sit him him down. In theory, anyway.”

Song of the Day:

Food for Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the opinions of writers whose work is linked to in this series of articles. Thanks for reading!