Cub Tracks squeaks one out

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.

I admit it. I like the Red Baron in the booth. I really like Pat Hughes on the TV side. Great team. YMMV, of course. Sutcliffe knows so much baseball and is good at talking about that. I do like JD a little better but it’s not a big difference for me.

I don’t like Boog. He’s improved but he rubs me the wrong way.

It was cool to see KB play. I wish he could get back to health. It was cool to see the game after the blackout series.

I think Morel and PCA are going to be sparkplugs on this team for a long, long time. And Jordan Wicks is going to be right there. Really impressed with the young man.

Fun game — highlights below.

Jose Cuas couldn’t hold the lead. Dammit. Wicks deserved the W. Granted, the BABIP gods had something to do with the result but you can’t get beat by the bottom of the order like that.

And they didn’t because Gas Money gets you home.

Michael Fulmer was lucky enough to close it out.

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“He should come back, and I know the fans would appreciate that,” Zambrano said. “Do whatever it takes to get back. Hey, we all make mistakes. I made mistakes. It’d be good for Sammy to come and say ‘I apologize’ for whatever he did.

“Sammy should be here and he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but it’s up to him. I’d like to be the one to bring him back.” — Paul Sullivan.

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs continue to not let bad moments linger: ‘I’ve never seen waver from our group’. “... allowing one day’s struggles to seep into the next is exactly how talented teams fall apart. That’s one thing this team has avoided all year.”
• Sean Guest (Batflips and Nerds): Against the odds, competitive baseball is back at Wrigley Field. “Whichever way you look at it, the Chicago Cubs are one of the feel good stories of the 2023 season.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune*): Chicago Cubs salvage series with a win — and they still control their postseason fate. “When two teams line up with similar records, it’s going to be tough and the little detail here and there is going to push it the other way,” manager David Ross said.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Why Jon Lester reached out about Justin Steele before he became the Cubs’ new ace. “There are some similarities there with how I used to pitch and how he goes about it with his four-seam and whichever breaking ball he decides to use,” Lester said in a phone conversation.
• James Fegan (Chicago Sun-Times*): Luke Little impressing with sweeping slider, but overall command needs work. “With 42 walks, control has historically been the red flag in the hulking 23-year-old’s profile.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Dansby Swanson bought Theo Epstein’s house. “Now that’s a weird connection right there.” Based on Crain’s article {$}.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): What you need to know about PCA’s debut. “Here is an FAQ-style breakdown...” More from MLB.com. More from Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney {$}.
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): Ashley Crow sees film role come to life with Pete Crow-Armstrong’s call-up. “Crow appeared in the 1994 film “Little Big League,” portraying Jenny Heywood.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): North Pole delivered gift of Grace to Cubs. “Alaska in the summertime, it’s all right,” Grace said with a chuckle. “But in 1985 when I was there, I didn’t know nothing about Alaska.”
• James Fegan (Chicago Sun-Times*): Mark Grace, Shawon Dunston reunite as Cubs Hall of Famers. “It means everything to me because this is my buddy,” Dunston said.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): As Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace enter the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, will Sammy Sosa be next? “Sosa’s numbers are not in question. His reputation would be the only thing keeping him out.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Cubs rookies dress up for Mario Kart themed road trip. “I said it multiple times in Spring Training – this is a fun team to be around, a fun group of guys,” David Ross said Saturday.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): The Home Plate Umpire tonight just ran off the field mid-inning. “The umpires had to huddle up and figure out how to resume the game...”

Food For Thought:

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