September 4, Even when the Cubs come up empty, manager Joe Maddon sees the glass as half full -- at least.

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1 Daily Herald Maddon still pleased after 'intense' loss to Giants By Bruce Miles September 4, 2016 Even when the Cubs come up empty, manager Joe Maddon sees the glass as half full at least. The Cubs suffered some spillage on the basepaths and in the field Saturday as they lost 3-2 to the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field, snapping their winning streak at five games. It was an odd and at times sloppy game, but Maddon professed to having enjoyed the show. He can do that with a team sporting an record. "Intense game, it was a great game," he said. "You can nitpick it all you want. I loved that game. That's very similar to a playoff situation. Things don't always go right or according to plan." From the first through the ninth innings, things were interesting in this battle of Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta and Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner. To wit: The Giants scored a run in the first on a throwing error by third baseman Tommy La Stella, a late addition to the lineup. In the fourth, the Giants got a 2-out run after Joe Panik singled. A wild pitch and a passed ball moved Panik to third, and he scored on a single by Eduardo Nunez. Javier Baez's endless hustle got the Cubs a run in the fifth when he scored from second on Arrieta's infield hit toward third. When I asked Baez if he had an "OFF" switch, he replied: "I'm on all the time." Things got messy for the Cubs in the top of the sixth when Brandon Crawford singled with one out and stole second base as Panik struck out. Crawford then was able to steal third uncontested when Arrieta still had the ball. He scored on a wild pitch. In the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Rizzo who had most of the day off walked to lead off. Dexter Fowler sacrificed down the third-base line, but Rizzo was tagged out running past second base. Kris Bryant popped out to end the game. "I thought I saw third open," Rizzo said. "Posey (Giants catcher Buster) Posey made a good dash there at the end, and I just got frozen." The only play that seemed to bother Maddon was allowing Crawford to take third base unchallenged. "I think the one thing you'd like to get back is Crawford going to third base unencumbered," he said. "That would be the one play. But otherwise, things are going to happen. You're going to have wild pitch or a passed ball. Rizzo's trying to be aggressive there, of course. You'd rather that he had not, but he did. That definitely had an impact, possibly, at the end.

2 "But I loved the intensity and the passion of the game. Why not? If we play with that kind of heart every night, I will take it every day of the year." Baez had moved from second base to third for the top of the sixth. He was shifted over to the right on the Crawford play, but the Cubs said that didn't matter. "Actually, I had him the whole time because he tried like two pitches before that," Baez said. "We have that play with (pitcher) Jon Lester to step off and throw it to the bag. I was there. I think he had two strikes. The fans were very loud, so Jake didn't hear me. I had him the whole time." As for the ace pitchers, each lasted 6 innings, with Bumgarner improving to 14-8 with a 2.51 ERA and Arrieta falling to 16-6 with a 2.84 ERA. Each starter threw 103 pitches, with Arrieta giving up 4 hits while walking two and striking out seven. Even with his record and sub-3.00 ERA, Arrieta may be the most scrutinized pitcher in the game, largely because it's tough to duplicate the Cy Young season he enjoyed last year. "I hear it, but that doesn't affect my play," he said. "The mindset is the same. The objective is the same, just to execute a game plan and keep our team in the game and ultimately win the game. For me, the outing was average, but still good enough to keep us in the game. We just came up a little short, that's all. "We're a really good team, so I like us against anybody." Daily Herald Cubs' Rondon could be activated by Monday By Bruce Miles It looks like the Cubs will get relief pitcher and erstwhile closer Hector Rondon back a day or two earlier than originally thought. Rondon was supposed to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Saturday at Class AAA Iowa and pitch again Monday for Iowa. As it turned out, Rondon threw a 22-pitch simulated game Saturday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs will check him out Sunday, and if all is well, he could be activated for Monday's series opener at Milwaukee. Rondon has been on the disabled list since Aug. 17 with a strained right triceps. "I feel really good," he said. "I'm back to normal right now. My command is really good. I'm going to be the same if I go there or throw here." An august month: The Cubs' Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks were named the National League's player and pitcher of the month, respectively. Bryant compiled a hitting line in August of.383/.472/.748 with 10 homers and 22 RBI. Hendricks was 4-0 with a 1.28 ERA for the month. Opposing batters hit.179 against Hendricks in August. Joe Nathan is back: The Giants purchased the contract of veteran reliever Joe Nathan from Class AA Richmond Saturday and added him to their bullpen.

3 The 41-year-old Nathan worked in 3 games for the Cubs this year after rehabbing in the minor leagues as he recovered from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last season. The Cubs activated him July 24 and designated him for assignment on Aug. 5. During that period, they acquired reliever Joe Smith and Aroldis Chapman. The Cubs said Nathan simply got caught in a numbers game. "At that time, we couldn't fit everybody in," said manager Joe Maddon. "He had one really good game up in Milwaukee, where he got a couple guys on and struck out the side. Just lack of opportunity with us. He's a great guy, a wonderful guy. It just got to the point where we had to accommodate some other guys. I'm really happy that he's there. I'm happy for him." Nathan began his career in the San Francisco organization and he told the media Saturday: "I want to prove to myself that I can still do it." Lineup maneuverings: Jorge Soler was supposed to start in right field Saturday but an ingrown toenail made him a late lineup scratch. Ben Zobrist moved from second base to right field with Javier Baez moving from third to second. Tommy La Stella, who was not in the original lineup, started at third base. Joe Maddon gave left-handed hitters Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward a start off against Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner. Soler was used as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning, and he went into left field before being switched out of the game. Heyward went into right field in the seventh. Rizzo entered the game in the ninth at first base and was thrown out on the base path in the bottom of the inning on a key play. Cubs.com Maddon enjoys postseason intensity of matchup with Giants By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Cubs manager Joe Maddon's first reaction when Javier Baez headed home in the fifth inning, trying to score on Jake Arrieta's infield single, was "Oh no." But that changed, as Baez sped to the plate. "You have to take the bad with the good," Maddon said. "The kid's aggressive." Baez was safe on the play, sliding head first after third baseman Eduardo Nunez overran Arrieta's hit. But that hustle wasn't enough, as the Giants edged the Cubs, 3-2, on Saturday at Wrigley Field to snap Chicago's winning streak at home at nine. "Intense game it was a great game," Maddon said. "You can nitpick it all you want I loved that game. That's very similar to a playoff situation." These two teams could meet again in the National League Division Series. The Cubs have a substantial lead in the NL Central, while the Giants lead the Wild Card standings. "It could be," Arrieta said of a possible October rematch. "We're a really good team. I like us against anybody." If you're going to nitpick, the one play Maddon wasn't happy with occurred in the Giants' sixth, when Brandon Crawford singled, stole second, then swiped third without being challenged. Baez was playing third at the time, and was positioned back because of a defensive shift. "Javy easily gets to third base," Maddon said. "We had talked about that, he was aware of that. What you do at third base, you don't get maybe as deep, you get in a little more. Even though you're off, you're in which permits you to get there soon enough. We just didn't react." Baez said he was in the right position, and sensed Crawford was going to try to steal two pitches before that.

4 "I was there," Baez said. "I think [Arrieta] had two strikes on him and the fans were pretty loud, and Jake didn't hear me. I had him the whole time." Anthony Rizzo walked to open the ninth, but was caught in a double play after rounding second base. "Rizzo was trying to be aggressive there," Maddon said. "You'd rather he had not, but he did. I love the intensity and passion of the game. If we play with that kind of heart every night, I'll take it.... Where did you not see effort? I give our guys credit." Giants starter Madison Bumgarner held the Cubs to one hit over the first four innings, and was chased after six innings. "I think he took advantage of our youth a little bit," Maddon said. "We got his pitch number up. Maybe the approach needs to get better against him in the future. The passion and everything else was there, and I'll take that any day of the week. Our young players are developing into better Major League players. As long as they're showing up and they're right there, I'll take it." Cubs.com Arrieta comes up short as Cubs' streak ends By Carrie Muskat and Chris Haft CHICAGO Saturday was the 20th career start for Madison Bumgarner against former Cy Young Award winners. He was winless in four such outings this season, but ended that streak at Wrigley Field, as the lefty and his Giants topped the Cubs and Jake Arrieta. Bumgarner struck out 10 over six innings in the Giants' 3-2 victory over the Cubs in front of a crowd of 41,250. Arrieta, the reigning National League Cy Young winner, lost for the first time since July 30. The defeat also ended Chicago's five-game winning streak. "You know coming in, it's going to be a close game probably a one-run ballgame and we just got outplayed today," Arrieta said. "They made a few more plays than we did. That was really the turning point in the game." This game wasn't just about pitching, as Brandon Crawford and Javier Baez showed off their baserunning skills. Crawford singled, stole second, then swiped third before he came home on a wild pitch by Arrieta in the Giants' sixth. Baez dashed home from second on an infield hit by Arrieta in the fifth. This series could be a preview of the National League Division Series. The Cubs and Giants entered the All-Star break with the top two records in the Majors, but have gone in different directions since then. The Giants lead the NL Wild Card, but are an MLB-worst since the break, while the Cubs are an MLB best despite the loss. "It could be [a preview]," Arrieta said. "We're a really good team, I like us against anybody." Accenting the intensity of this matchup, each game in this series has been a one-run decision. "Every little thing has mattered in these three games," Giants second baseman Joe Panik said. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bumgarner's best: San Francisco's ace blanked Chicago on one hit through four innings, before the Cubs scratched across runs in the fifth and sixth. Bumgarner (14-8) nevertheless improved to 8-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 12 career starts against Chicago. "He commanded the ball well and did a good job of keeping the ball out of the middle of the plate, for the most part," Giants catcher Buster Posey said of Bumgarner, who walked none in his first road victory since June 30 at Oakland.

5 Of his matchup against Arrieta, Bumgarner said, "You're not really pitching against him.... You're pitching against the Cubs' lineup." On your mark: Willson Contreras doubled to open the second, and that was the Cubs' only hit off Bumgarner until the fifth, when Baez singled to lead off. Baez then stole second when Matt Szczur struck out. Arrieta chopped an infield single that third baseman Eduardo Nunez overran, and Baez hustled home to cut the score to, 2-1. Bumgarner struck out pinch-hitter Jorge Soler and Dexter Fowler to end the inning. "We were aggressive on the bases, and that's what we preach and what we do and we're going to look bad doing it sometimes and we're going to look really good, and that play Javy made was incredible," said Anthony Rizzo, who was doubled off second in the ninth inning after making an aggressive turn. Base-ic instinct: Brandon Crawford manufactured a sixth-inning run with shrewd baserunning. He singled off Arrieta, stole second base, then proceeded to pilfer third, when he realized that he could beat Baez to the bag in the event of a throw. Reaching third proved essential for Crawford and the Giants, as a wild pitch enabled him to score. "The one [play] you'd like to get back was Crawford going to third base unencumbered," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Missed opportunities: The Cubs loaded the bases in the sixth against Bumgarner, but he gave up a sacrifice fly to Baez and then escaped by striking out Szczur. Chicago loaded the bases again in the seventh, but Hunter Strickland got Addison Russell to fly out to right to end that threat. The Cubs were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS First baseman Brandon Belt dropped a first-inning popup, ending the Giants' franchise-record streak of consecutive errorless games at 17. It wasn't a routine play for Belt, who had to cope with the sun and the tricky wind as he converged around the pitcher's mound along with other infielders for the ball. REPLAY REVIEW Baez dove head first into first base in the Cubs' eighth, and was called safe. But the Giants challenged the ruling, saying Belt had flipped to Sergio Romo, who stepped on the bag in time. After a review, the call was overturned and Baez was out. WHAT'S NEXT Giants: Johnny Cueto will make his 15th career start at Wrigley Field in Sunday's 11:20 a.m. PT series finale. The right-hander is 5-5 with a 3.22 ERA lifetime at the Friendly Confines. Cueto also is 8-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 14 road starts this season. Cubs: John Lackey returns from the disabled list to make his first start since Aug. 14. Lackey had been sidelined with a right shoulder strain. He has thrown five straight quality starts, going 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA in that stretch. Lackey also has done well at Wrigley Field, where he has a 2.47 ERA in 13 starts. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT.

6 Cubs.com Bryant, Hendricks earn NL honors for August By Cash Kruth Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks have been named National League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, after August performances that could lead to much bigger awards for both. Bryant had a slash line of.383/.472/.748 with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs in 27 August games. He led the NL in slugging percentage, ranked second in homers and on-base percentage, third in batting average and tied for seventh in RBIs. The versatile Bryant, 24, entered Saturday hitting.305/.402/.586 with 36 homers and 91 RBIs. He is among the favorites for the NL Most Valuable Player Award heading into the season's final full month, which would continue a personal trend. He won the 2013 Golden Spikes Award as the nation's top collegiate player, won multiple Minor League Player of the Year awards in '14, and he was last season's NL Rookie of the Year Award winner. Hendricks also continued his season-long dominance in August. The 26-year-old right-hander was 4-0 with a 1.28 ERA and WHIP in six starts, including an Aug. 1 shutout against the Marlins. Hendricks is now 13-7 with a Major League-leading 2.09 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) this season, including two complete games. Cubs.com Rondon throws simulated game By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Hector Rondon threw a 22-pitch simulated game on Saturday before the Cubs' 3-2 loss to the Giants, and if all goes well, the Cubs' reliever could be activated from the disabled list on Monday. Rondon has been sidelined since Aug. 17 with a right triceps strain, and the Cubs said on Friday that the right-hander would go to Triple-A Iowa for two rehab outings. Instead, Rondon threw at Wrigley Field. "If I go [to Iowa] or throw here, it's almost the same," said Rondon, who talked to Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. "Today, I felt really good." Rondon said he threw all of his pitches during the session. "I feel really good, and I'm back to normal now and my command is really good," he said. "Everything was good today." Cubs manager Joe Maddon said they'll know more on Sunday. "He was bouncing around in the food room," Maddon said. "The [athletic] trainers reported back that it was well done." Outfielder Jorge Soler was slated to start on Saturday, but was scratched because of an ingrown toenail. He did come on as a pinch-hitter in the fifth and stayed in the game in left field, before being lifted from the game in the seventh inning. Kris Bryant made his fifth start at first base on Saturday, subbing for Anthony Rizzo, who was given some rest with Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner on the mound. Bryant has played the majority of the season at third base, but also has 31 starts in left and 11 in right. Maddon thinks Bryant could even play shortstop. "For a guy like [Bryant] to embrace that role makes all the difference in the world," Maddon said. "As other players come up through the system, [they'll say], 'K.B. did it, so why can't I do that?'"

7 Maybe Bryant will play other positions. "His hands are good, his arm is fine, his feet have gotten better there's all sorts of things this guy can do," Maddon said. Maddon remembers his first conversation with veteran David Ross was a phone call, after the Cubs had signed him. Maddon pulled his 1967 Galaxy over to a parking lot in Tampa, Fla., to make the call. "Everything was made apparent in that one conversation," Maddon said of Ross, who is retiring after this season. "He's fun, passionate, wanted to win, great teammate all that came through in the phone conversation. When you get to meet him and match that up, it's true. That's why I keep saying this guy will be very good post-career in whatever he wants to do." Cubs.com Lackey aiming to give Cubs series win over Giants By Chris Haft Cubs right-hander John Lackey will make his first regular-season appearance against the Giants since June 15, 2009, when he starts Sunday's series finale. But few Giants fans have forgotten Lackey, despite the seven-year gap. Pitching for the Angels, Lackey went 2-0 against the Giants in the 2002 World Series including a Game 7-clinching win in which he yielded one run and four hits in five innings. San Francisco will counter with right-hander Johnny Cueto (14-5). Cueto is 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA and a.203 opponents' batting average in his last 10 starts against the Cubs. Three things to know about this game The Giants own a record in series finales this season. Lackey is 6-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 home starts this season, compared to 3-3 with a 4.68 ERA in 11 assignments on the road. Cueto is coming off his shortest outing as a Giant. He worked 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday against Arizona. ESPNChicago.com Planning a clinching party, shoring up playoff questions atop Cubs' to-do list By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO The biggest task for the Chicago Cubs in September might just be planning a party to match the one they held in the visitors clubhouse in Pittsburgh after winning last season s wild-card game. It was quite the celebration. Of course, that game came in October. This time it will be a division title the Cubs will be celebrating earlier than anyone could have predicted considering their nearly insurmountable lead in the NL Central. When you re a wire-to-wire leader with a comfortable cushion, party planning becomes very important. After the celebration is complete, there are some issues for the remainder of the month to keep an eye on:

8 Starting pitching rest: It has been a season-long goal of the Cubs to keep their starters fresh for October this time around. Last season, Jake Arrieta in particular hit a wall come the National League Championship Series. Manager Joe Maddon already limited his starters to about 100 pitches per start in August and will continue that trend into September. The Cubs could add a sixth starter and might even skip a pitcher here or there to prepare for baseball s second season. Bullpen returnees: Perhaps more important than anything else in September besides that division-clinching party, of course is the status of the Cubs' seventh- and eighth-inning relievers. Pedro Strop (knee) and Hector Rondon (triceps) should feel fresh as long as they can find their form when they come off the disabled list. Rondon should return early in the month while Strop will take a little longer. Both are huge pieces to the Cubs' puzzle in the bullpen. Starter John Lackey is also returning from injury (shoulder), though in plenty of time to prepare for October. Left-handed hitting tryouts: The Cubs are down a lefty or two for their playoff roster so the return of Tommy La Stella and Chris Coghlan from the minors should be a boost to the offense from that side of the plate. Lefty Miguel Montero didn t hurt his cause coming off the bench on Monday against lefty Jeff Locke to deliver the gamewinning hit. La Stella, Coghlan and Montero will battle for a spot or two on the playoff roster. La Stella should have the edge as a somewhat accomplished pinch hitter. There s no question the Cubs could use help from the left side of the batter s box. Other playoff-roster implications: The Cubs have had the best five-man starting staff in baseball for much of the season, but one starter will have a different role come playoff time. Right now, odds are Jason Hammel will either head to the bullpen or be left off the best-of-five divisional playoff roster entirely. Nothing is set in stone and the final few starts of the season could determine roles for October, including starters in the first round. Several bullpen positions will be up for grabs come playoff time, so September will undoubtedly tell us more about young Rob Zastryzny as well as Felix Pena, Mike Montgomery and others. Health: There won t be a ton of meaningful games for the Cubs in September, but they ll want to maintain their overall lead for home-field advantage throughout the NL postseason. Besides that, it s all about health as injuries are about the only thing that could slow the Cubs' momentum heading into October and their chance to end the longest championship drought in pro sports history. ESPNChicago.com Jake Arrieta is again good, not great, as Cubs' winning streak snapped By Bradford Doolittle CHICAGO In a way, Jake Arrieta is on a philosophical quest: His measuring stick is the Platonic ideal of himself, and it s not an easy one to live up to. Remove all you know about Arrieta and his well-publicized arbitrary end points, and Saturday s outing was fine. Though the Chicago Cubs dropped a 3-2 decision to the San Francisco Giants to snap a five-game winning streak, Arrieta (16-6) held the Giants to three runs, just two earned, over six innings. He drove in a run at the plate, and if the Cubs had fully capitalized on a bases-loaded scoring chance in the sixth, he might have even escaped with another win. Jake had really good stuff, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. He had a really good fastball today. But Arrieta didn't spoil fans for nearly a year with these good, not great, outings. His dominance through the latter part of 2015 and into this season was all but unrepeatable. Yet because that standard was set, we can all sit back and pick apart the differences between reality Jake Arrieta and the Platonic Jake Arrieta. Overall, it was OK, Arrieta said of his outing. I had an opportunity to prevent some things from happening. Just have to do a better job of being more aggressive in that situation. A little bad luck, a little missed execution. That s about it.

9 Arrieta s outing could have been pristine if not for some uncharacteristic mistakes for the Cubs, the kind of miscues you expect from a typical young team but not this one. In the first, Arrieta hung a curve to Angel Pagan for a double. The right-hander appeared to work around that, but third baseman Tommy La Stella overthrew Kris Bryant at first base, plating Pagan with an unearned run. In the sixth, Brandon Crawford stole second and third, the latter coming when he outraced Javier Baez to the thirdbase bag. Baez had shifted over to the shortstop hole with Brandon Belt at the plate, and Arrieta didn t hear Baez when Crawford broke. I think the one thing you d like to get back is Crawford going to third base unencumbered, Maddon said. The miscommunication bit the Cubs when Arrieta buried a slider for his National League-high 12th wild pitch of the season to score Crawford. So two of the three Giants runs scored without the benefit of an RBI, enough to make the difference in a thin-margin game. It happens from time to time, Arrieta said. You like to see it happen as infrequent as possible. It s not very common with our group of guys. That's inarguable when a team has a 16½-game lead in its division. The blips and blurps of the regular season are part of the journey for everyone. Heck, Maddon seemed thrilled with Saturday s game. Intense game, Maddon said. It was a great game. You can nitpick it all you want, I loved that game. That s very similar to a playoff situation. For both the Cubs and Arrieta, the rest of the regular season is less about the daily ups and downs and more about staying on the right side of the threshold between good and great. How great does Arrieta need to be? What happened between those arbitrary end points would be nice between June 4, 2015, and May 25, 2016, he went 27-2 with a 1.36 ERA. But that s not likely to happen again. Nevertheless, perhaps what Arrieta did Saturday will be good enough in the postseason, especially on a staff with two other Cy Young Award contenders in Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester. Yet there is that number 108 representing the years in Chicago s championship drought, and no margin is too narrow for Cubs fans. For Arrieta to approach his ideal self, he needs to rediscover his slider as a wipe-away pitch. In July and August, Arrieta struggled to command the offering, often missing under the strike zone, as he did on that second wild pitch Saturday. That was particularly problematic against lefties: During those two months, Arrieta struck out 11 percent of lefties when using his slider but walked 22 percent. I hear [about the scrutiny], Arrieta said. But that doesn t affect my play. The mindset is the same and the objective is the same. During August, Arrieta hit the zone on just 43 percent of his sliders, about 10 percent less than last season and the early part of And likely because of that, he has started to throw the pitch less often. "I'm not concerned," Maddon said before the game. "He's pitched pretty well. It's hard to nail down everything all the time, perfectly. It really is. Last year, we saw near-perfection. It's crazy how good he was, how everything worked." It s not fair to criticize a player for being good. It s just that we ve seen Arrieta at his best. On Saturday, he offered up a sizzling fastball that registered 94 to 95 mph with movement. His curve, with a couple of exceptions, was good, as was his hard sinker. It s just that slider, that wipe-away pitch which made so many opposing batters look helpless during that arbitrary year on the calendar it still wasn't a weapon. Arrieta hit the strike zone on just three of his 13 sliders Saturday.

10 He s probably somewhere between that, last year, and what s happening right now, Maddon said. There s probably a middle ground that he s finally going to get into and stay there. The good news? Come on. It s pretty much all good news. Here might be the best news of all: As good as Arrieta has been, we all know how much better he can be. I want to believe and I do believe he'll get back into it," Maddon said. "I know they are working on different things right now. I just think that's the nature of the game. They're not robots. They're not computers. CSNChicago.com Mistakes Doom Jake Arrieta, Cubs As Winning Streak Comes To A Close By Tony Andracki The Cubs can't come out on the right side of every one-run ballgame. After five straight wins, the Cubs looked imperfect in a 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants in front of 41,250 people at Wrigley Field Saturday. The Jake Arrieta-Madison Bumgarner matchup proved to be a solid pitcher's duel, but Arrieta and the Cubs gifted the Giants all three runs. Tommy La Stella - inserted into the lineup when Jorge Soler was a late scratch - committed a throwing error in the first inning to hand the Giants their first run. In the third, two Arrieta wild pitches put Joe Panik on third base for Eduardo Nunez's seeing-eye single into shallow right field. In the fourth, Brandon Crawford singled, stole second, jetted to third when the Cubs left the bag vacant on a shift and then scored on another Arrieta wild pitch. "You knew coming in it's going to be a close game," Arrieta said. "Probably a one-run ballgame. We just got outplayed today. They made a few more plays than we did. "[The mistakes] happen from time to time. Obviously you'd like to see it happen as infrequent as possible. It's not very common with our group of guys. You don't expect to see those things often." The Cubs had a ninth inning rally killed when Anthony Rizzo - inserted into the game in the eighth inning - got caught too far off second base on Dexter Fowler's bunt and was thrown out trying to get back to the bag. "Intense game. It was a great game," Joe Maddon said. "You can nitpick it all you want; I loved that game. That's very similar to a playoff situation. "Things don't always go right or according to plan. I think the one thing you'd like to get back is Crawford going to third base unencumbered. But otherwise, things are going to happen. You're going to have a wild pitch or a passed ball. Rizzo is trying to be aggressive there - you'd rather he had not, but he did. "But I love the intensity and the passion of the game. Why not? If we play with that kind of heart every night, I will take it." Despite the miscues, Arrieta had an overall solid outing - three runs (two earned) on four hits and a pair of walks against seven strikeouts in six innings. But he picked up his sixth loss of the season in the process, his first defeat in September since Sept. 7, 2013.

11 Arrieta's season ERA sits at 2.84 and he's in the running for the National League Cy Young Award, but he's still coming under scrutiny for falling short of the ridiculous stretch he went on in the second half of last season. "I hear it, but that doesn't affect my play," he said. "The mindset is the same, the objective is the same - to execute a gameplan, to keep our team in the game and ultimately win the game. "For me, the outing was average. It's still good enough to keep us in the game. Just came up a little short. That's all." Maddon tried to explain Arrieta's so-called "struggles" before Saturday's outing. "I'm not concerned. He's pitching pretty well," Maddon said. "It's hard to nail down on everything all the time perfectly. Last year, we saw near-perfection. We really did. It was just crazy how good he was. "... For a variety of reasons, this game is very difficult. Things get off just a little bit and sometimes you don't even realize. I want to believe and I do believe that eventually he'll get back into it. I know they're working on different things right now. "I just think that's the nature of the game. They're not robots. They're not computer-chipped where they can be programmed to do something specifically. But I'll take everything else he's done. It's still another spectacular year. It's easy to nitpick him based on what he had done last year." The Cubs scratched together two runs off Bumgarner in six innings - the first coming on a heads-up play from Javy Baez to score on Arrieta's infield dribbler and the second on Baez's sacrifice fly. But Bumgarner struck out 10 in his six innings and improved to 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA against the Cubs this season. In his career, he is 8-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 12 starts against the Cubs. The only saving grace for the Cubs lineup Saturday was they forced Bumgarner out of the game in six innings after 103 pitches. "He was very good," Maddon said. "I think he took advantage of our youth a little bit. You gotta start guessing for a while. But we got his pitch number up. We got him out of there in time. "Maybe the approach needs to get a little bit better against him in the future. The passion and everything else was there and I'll take that every day of the week. "As young players are developing into better major-league players, as long as they're showing up and they're right there, I'll take it." CSNChicago.com As Hector Rondon Nears Return, Postseason Bullpen Coming Into Focus For Cubs By Tony Andracki Hector Rondon doesn't feel like going to Iowa, but this isn't a Tommy La Stella situation all over again. Rondon is returning from a triceps injury and the Cubs said Thursday he would head to Triple-A Iowa for a rehab stint beginning Saturday. Instead, the former closer threw a simulated game against teammates Miguel Montero and La Stella at Wrigley Field Saturday morning and said he feels 100 percent. Rondon threw 22 pitches - working both fastballs and offspeed - and reported no pain. He doesn't think he needs a rehab assignment and would prefer to stay with the big-league club until he's activated.

12 Manager Joe Maddon said he and the Cubs wanted to see how Rondon felt Sunday before determining an ultimate plan, but the setup man could return to the bullpen as soon as Monday. "I'm feeling really good," Rondon said. "I'm back to normal right now. My command is really good." Whenever Rondon does return, that will give Maddon his eighth inning guy back to help bridge the gap to closer Aroldis Chapman. Pedro Strop was also close to a return, on his way back from a knee injury before he ran into a groin pull. He admitted he was frustrated with the setback, but intends to return within another week or so. "I kept my arm strength up," he said. "I've been throwing normal since surgery. I just went like five days without throwing and after that, I was throwing normal. "I'm pretty on top of my arm. I don't want to waste time. I'm keeping my arm ready so by the time my legs are good, I'll be good to go." At this point, the Cubs just need to get Strop and Rondon healthy before playoffs as they figure to form an important back end of the bullpen with Chapman. Carl Edwards Jr. also appears to have carved out a postseason spot with his emergence (3.04 ERA, WHIP, 12.2 K/9). The rest of the relief corps for October isn't as set in stone with another four weeks still left in the regular season. Justin Grimm has only allowed one run in 22 appearances since late June and Travis Wood has been Maddon's most reliable left-handed reliever dating back to last season. Trevor Cahill has been solid as both a starter and reliever since returning from injury and was dominant down the stretch for the Cubs last season. Mike Montgomery is currently working as a starter, but has had success this season in the bullpen for the Seattle Mariners and mixed results with the Cubs. Then there's Joe Smith and Rob Zastryzny. Smith is a 32-year-old side-arming right-hander in his 10th big-league season. He's posted a 2.67 ERA in 404 games over the last six seasons and went to the playoffs with the 2013 Cleveland Indians and 2014 Los Angeles Angels. Smith got out to a shaky start with the Cubs before hitting the disabled list with a hamstring injury and returning to throw two dominant innings against the Giants Thursday. "[He] could really change [the complexion of the bullpen]," Maddon said. "The fact you could bring him in and get a ground ball.... His presence, I mean the guy's been around. He's got that veteran component about him and he's definitely not scared." Zastryzny is the opposite of Smith - a left-handed rookie getting his first taste of life in "The Show." But Zastryzny has also found success as the first pitcher drafted by Theo Epstein's front office to make it to the majors, allowing only seven hits and one run in 10.1 innings while striking out 12. Can he make the cut for the postseason bullpen?

13 "He's making a push, I'll tell you that," Maddon said. "I feel good when he comes in the game.... I knew nothing about him before this. I heard about him, but when you shake his hand, talk to him in the dugout, he's right there. "It's about what the guy's feeling inside and his makeup is outstanding. You feel good about him being out there because you think he can get it done." CSNChicago.com Cubs: Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks Take Home Monthly Accolades By Tony Andracki Major League Baseball named Kris Bryant the National League player of the month and Kyle Hendricks the pitcher of the month for August. Could this be a harbinger of season awards, too? Bryant has been good all season but was on another level in August, staking his claim to the NL MVP award with a OPS, 10 homers and 22 RBI. He finished the month on a 13-game hitting streak in which he posted a.462 average, OPS, 17 RBI and 19 runs in the two-week span. Meanwhile, Hendricks put his name in the NL Cy Young conversation with a 1.28 ERA in 42.1 innings, posting a quality start each time out (6) and sporting a ridiculous 0.78 WHIP. Hendricks started the month with a complete game shutout of the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field and finished with seven shutout innings of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He leads the majors with a 2.09 ERA. Chicago Tribune Cubs' Kris Bryant closing in on 'pretty' number 100 RBIs By Chris Kuc Falling one RBI short of 100 last season didn't eat away at Kris Bryant's psyche during the winter months, but reaching that number is a goal for the Cubs slugger now. "Of course everybody wants to have the round numbers and make it look all pretty," Bryant said. "Last year after we kind of clinched a spot in the playoffs and I was looking at the scoreboard and seeing 98 and 99 RBIs. I put so much pressure on myself. Then during the offseason I didn't think about it one time. Bryce Harper won the MVP last year and he had 99 RBIs." Bryant is a prime candidate to win MVP honors this year. With nearly a month to go before the playoffs he has 91 RBIs and 36 home runs. On Saturday, Bryant was named the National League Player of the Month for August after hitting.383 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs in 27 games. He almost is assured of knocking in 100 runs, though it is not a priority. "One thing I've really learned and taken to heart is that it really doesn't matter what your individual goals or numbers are," Bryant said. "Those are only ways to help make yourself better and ultimately help the team out. I did that last year and it's what I hope to do every year."

14 Close: Reliever Hector Rondon, who has been sidelined since Aug. 17 with a strained right triceps, threw a 22-pitch simulated game Saturday and could be activated off the 15-day disabled list Monday. The plan had been for Rondon to head to Triple-A Iowa to round into form. "Anything I can do in Iowa I can do here in batting practice," Rondon said. "I'm feeling really good. I'm back to normal." Oops: The Giants had gone a franchise-record 17 games without an error and were closing in on the record for consecutive error-less games since 1913 before first baseman Brandon Belt dropped a Ben Zobrist popup in the first inning of Saturday's 3-2 victory at Wrigley Field. Extra innings: Kyle Hendricks was named NL pitcher of the month for August. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 1.28 earned-run average in six starts. Jorge Soler was a late scratch from the Cubs' starting lineup with an ingrown toenail. The outfielder pinch-hit in the fifth inning and struck out. Chicago Tribune Here's one 'Bum' the Cubs don't want to see in October By Paul Sullivan It's hard to say which team the Cubs would like to avoid most in the first-round of the postseason. The Dodgers have an untouchable closer and a rotation full of left-handed starters, and the Mets handled them easily in last year's National League Championship Series. The Cardinals are the Cardinals. But figuring out which pitcher they would like to see least is probably a no-brainer. Madison Bumgarner, who beat Jake Arrieta and the Cubs 3-2 Saturday on a made-for-instagram afternoon at Wrigley Field, has the kind of stuff North Side nightmares are made of. In the gridlocked visitors' clubhouse after the Giants victory, Bumgarner conceded Saturday's game had a playoff feel, which is something he knows a little about. "It did," he said. "Just because we're going up against a team that, I don't know if they have clinched yet, but they're going to be there, so and we're planning on being there. It was a playoff-type of matchup. We lost a couple of tough ones the first two games. Your mindset don't really change though." So what would facing Bumgarner in October be like? The numbers don't lie. Arguably the best postseason pitcher in history, Bumgarner has a 2.14 ERA in 881/3 postseason innings, including a 4-0 record and 0.25 earned-run average in five World Series appearances. And after handcuffing the Cubs over six innings Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks, Bumgarner improved to 8-2 against them in 12 career starts, with a 2.25 ERA. Unless Bumgarner had to start the wild-card game, the Cubs could face him twice in a potential five-game Division Series. Bumgarner probably would pitch in all five games if Giants manager Bruce Bochy let him. Getting into October is the hard part for the Giants, the most enigmatic team in baseball. They finished the first half with the game's best record at 57-33, but their record in the second half is the worst in the majors. "You could look at a lot of things," Bochy said. "It's all about coming out here every day and giving it your all. And really, the first two games they played well. This is the best ballclub in baseball. Look at their record. The guys are fighting hard."

15 No matter what the Giants' record, Bumgarner believes they have enough talent and heart to win in the postseason as long as they get in, pointing to their wild ride to the 2014 championship. "No question about it," he said. "Right now, as bad as it seems, we're still in a better spot than we were in We still have the division in our sights for sure. It's just about getting in. If you get in, it's a whole different deal." Bumgarner's moment of truth Saturday came in the sixth inning after the Cubs loaded the bases with one out on Willson Contreras' bloop single. Javier Baez's sacrifice fly pulled the Cubs to within a run before Bumgarner reared back and struck out Matt Szczur on a 3-2 cutter. "He did a terrific job," Bochy said. "That's a tough lineup, and we needed a win in the worst way going against their guy. It was a great matchup, an exciting and tense game. I know 'Bum' had to be on fumes there that last inning, but he found a way to get a big strikeout there, and the boys finally got a couple of breaks." One of those breaks came in the sixth when Bochy said Brandon Crawford "ambushed" Arrieta, stealing third without a throw when the Cubs defense shifted and Arrieta ignored him. Crawford then scored on a wild pitch. Bochy called it huge, knowing Arrieta "throws some breaking balls in the dirt" that can get away. Another break came in the ninth when Anthony Rizzo rounded second on Dexter Fowler's bunt and was nailed returning on Joe Panik's throw to Crawford. The double play took the last breath out of the Cubs. "They have the heart of their order up, a man on second, and it's little different game," Bochy said. "Heads-up on Panik and 'Craw' to get the big double play." The Cubs' jumbo-sized lead may have taken some of the sizzle out of this series, but the first three games have been nail-biting from start to finish. If this is a preview of October, stock up on the Zantac. Chicago Tribune Cubs uncharacteristically sloppy during 3-2 loss to Giants By Chris Kuc Anthony Rizzo rounded second base and suddenly saw the open base he was eyeing was no longer quite so open. The first baseman tried to scramble back to the bag but was tagged out to dash any hopes of a ninth-inning rally Saturday at Wrigley Field. "I just got frozen," Rizzo said. "Bad baserunning play on my part." It was one of a series of difficult moments for the Cubs during a 3-2 loss to the Giants that snapped their five-game winning streak before a sun-drenched crowd of 41,250. Uncharacteristically, the Cubs allowed a run to score on an error and later let a runner race to an uncovered third base. Jake Arrieta then uncorked a wild pitch to score him. "It happens from time to time," Arrieta said of the ragged play. "It's not very common with our group. But we had opportunities. Regardless of where we were at in the game we were still in striking distance." The opportunities were there because of another strong effort from Arrieta, who was locked in a duel with Giants ace Madison Bumgarner in what could be a potential postseason preview between the teams.

16 "You can nitpick it all you want but I loved that game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's very similar to a playoff situation. Things don't always go right or according to plan. I love the intensity and passion of the game. If we play with that kind of heart every night I will take it every day of the year." Some shaky fielding put the Cubs down early. Tommy La Stella made a wild throw from third base for a first-inning error that allowed the initial run to score. After the Giants went ahead 2-0 in the fourth on an RBI single from Eduardo Nunez which came on the heels of a wild pitch and then passed ball the Cubs began clawing back and halved the deficit in the fifth thanks to a hustling Javier Baez. Arrieta grounded a ball to third that Nunez couldn't handle and Baez raced second to score on the infield hit. In the sixth, a wild pitch from Arrieta scored Brandon Crawford to make it 3-1 before the Cubs answered in their half with a sacrifice fly from Baez. The Cubs had a terrific opportunity to seize control in the seventh when they had the bases loaded but Addison Russell lined out to right to end the threat. Arrieta lasted six innings and gave up the three runs two earned on four hits while walking two and striking out seven. Bumgarner was better, also going six innings but allowing two runs on five hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts. "You know coming in that it's going to be a close game, probably a one-run ballgame," Arrieta said. "We just got outplayed." It was another effective start for Arrieta but his second consecutive missed opportunity to record his 17th victory. At still-impressive 16-6 with a 2.84 ERA, the veteran hasn't been able to match the historic feats from last season en route to his capturing the National League Cy Young Award. "It's almost impossible to live up to that physical standard," Maddon said. "He's probably somewhere between last year and what's happening. It's still a spectacular year." Said Arrieta: "I've had some uncharacteristic three-run homers that have really hurt me this year. Sometimes (the opposition) capitalize on mistakes and perform and have success as well. I'll stick with the plan and try to be better the next time out." Chicago Tribune Saturday's recap: Giants 3, Cubs 2 By Chris Kuc Jake Arrieta came up on the short end of a pitching duel with Madison Bumgarner and the Chicago Cubs fell to the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The loss snapped the Cubs five-game winning streak and dropped them to on the season. At the plate Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras each had two hits for the Cubs. Arrieta and Javier Baez each knocked in runs. Eduardo Nunez was 1-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Giants. On the mound Arrieta went six innings and gave up three runs two earned and four hits while walking two and striking out seven. Trevor Cahill, Justin Grimm and Travis Wood each pitched scoreless innings of relief.

17 Bumgarner also lasted six innings and gave up two runs on five hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts. Big number 5: Times the Cubs have had winning streaks of at least five games this season. That is tied for the most in baseball. The quote "I don t think we had a bad game today. Watching from the bench, guys were grinding out at-bats and we put ourselves in a couple of positions against one of the best pitchers in the game. We just didn t come out with a win." Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo Up next Vs. Giants, Sunday, 1:20 p.m.; WLS-Ch. 7. RH John Lackey (9-7, 3.41 ERA) vs. RH Johnny Cueto (14-5, 2.98). Chicago Tribune Baseball lifer argues against changing the game to speed things up By Paul Sullivan With September call-ups clogging bullpens, managers have an easier time making late-game pitching changes, knowing they don't have to worry about running out. That's certain to bug Commissioner Rob Manfred, who floated the idea of restricting the use of relievers in innings or games in order to speed things up. "I am in favor of something like that," Manfred told ESPN in July. "We've spent a ton of time on this issue in the last few months. The problem with relief pitchers is that they're so good. "I've got nothing against relief pitchers, but they do two things to the game: The pitching changes themselves slow the game down, and our relief pitchers have become so dominant at the back end that they actually rob action out of the end of the game, the last few innings of the game. "So (restricting the usage of) relief pitchers is a topic that's under active consideration. We're talking about that a lot internally." Manfred is thinking outside the box, usually a good thing in baseball where change tends to come at a glacier-like pace. But he seems to be obsessed with game times and increasing offense in an apparent attempt to get younger fans interested in baseball. Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti is one of many veteran baseball observers who believes the game is fine just the way it is. "They want to speed up the game and they want to score more at the same time?" Righetti asked before Saturday's Cubs-Giants game at Wrigley Field. "How do you manage that?" Righetti, a baseball lifer, said you can't change the rules just because modern-day relievers are more talented than their predecessors. That's just the way the game has evolved. "I'm sure in a general sense, watching as a fan, you see these great, hard young throwers come in and get these outs, you're probably going 'Oh, my God, our team doesn't have a chance,' " he said. "But you know how long that