August 30, Daily Herald, Rizzo's charity work impresses Maddon

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1 August 30, 2017 Chicago Sun-Times, Arrieta s Cy-like run since June key for Cubs, but thoughts with Texas Chicago Sun-Times, Can Cubs do better in free-agent market than trade for Verlander now? Daily Herald, Arrieta continues hot streak for Chicago Cubs Daily Herald, Rizzo's charity work impresses Maddon Cubs.com, Cubs win, go season-high 11 games over Cubs.com, Rizzo donates $3.5M to children's hospital Cubs.com, For Zobrist, timing is everything Cubs.com, De La Cruz leads Cubs heading to AFL Cubs.com, Quintana takes on Nova in series finale ESPNChicago.com, Cubs praise Wade Davis after closing out another win CSNChicago.com, Cubs surge ahead with Jake Arrieta near the top of his game again CSNChicago.com, Ben Zobrist reminds Cubs why he s a money player CSNChicago.com, Oscar De La Cruz headlines group of Cubs prospects heading to Arizona Fall League Chicago Tribune, Wade Davis lets Cubs save record do talking for him story.html#nt=oft03a-1gp2 Chicago Tribune, Jake Arrieta continues ace-like performance as Cubs beat Pirates 4-1

2 Chicago Tribune, Anthony Rizzo emotional during a ribbon cutting at Lurie Children's Hospital Chicago Tribune, Anthony Rizzo nearing two milestones with ample time in regular season Chicago Tribune, As September looms, streaky Cardinals and Brewers hope to keep pressure on column.html Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon, Cubs commit to Hurricane Harvey relief effort story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs manager Joe Maddon: Specialization of youth sports 'obnoxious' Chicago Sun-Times Arrieta s Cy-like run since June key for Cubs, but thoughts with Texas By Gordon Wittenmyer Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta probably won t win his second National League Cy Young Award in three years this fall, but he has put himself on the edges of that conversation with a month left in the season. Who would have believed even that much was possible in May or even as recently as the All-Star break? I just feel good about the way I m throwing the ball, said Arrieta, who on a night he labored without his best stuff still pitched six scoreless innings to beat the Pirates 4-1 on Tuesday. In the first half, for the majority of my starts, I wasn t able to limit damage and either preserve a lead or keep us in the ballgame. I ve been able to make some adjustments, and it s paid off. Arrieta (14-8) has the best ERA in the majors (1.69) since the start of July. He s 7-2 in that 11-start stretch. He hasn t allowed an earned run since the first inning of his start Aug. 18 against the Blue Jays, a span of 17 innings. Where I m at now, I feel confident even if I don t have my good stuff, said Arrieta, who needed 41 pitches to get through two innings but rebounded to retire 13 of the last 15 men he faced. Arrieta, whose ERA was 4.67 through June, suddenly is one off the NL lead in victories and ranks seventh in ERA (3.36), sixth in batting average against (.228) and 10th in WHIP (1.18). His streak has been a big part of the Cubs second-half push into first place in the NL Central. They lead the secondplace Brewers by 3½ games. Heart in Texas A big part of Arrieta s attention this week has been on loved ones in the Houston area trying to withstand the continuing impact of Hurricane Harvey.

3 The people we re closest to, we re in direct contact with pretty much on an hourly basis to make sure they re doing OK, Arrieta said of those who remain stuck in their homes. There s a lot of people that are much worse off than the people I m close to. He said he and teammates are providing support to victims. Manager Joe Maddon said a portion of the proceeds from his Respect 90 Burnout Classic charity event Saturday in Glenview are being redirected to hurricane relief, and the Cubs are committing proceeds from the raffle Wednesday to relief efforts. Broken record With his scoreless ninth inning, closer Wade Davis broke Ryan Dempster s 11-year-old franchise record for consecutive save chances converted with 27. He has converted 33 in a row overall, dating to a blown save last Sept. 2 with the Royals. He s rock-solid, Arrieta said. He doesn t show any emotion. He just executes pitch after pitch. He doesn t give in. And he s a very unique closer in the sense that he s got four pitches that he pretty much can utilize at any time. A team spokesman said Davis didn t want to talk about the record and make the game about himself. Chicago Sun-Times Can Cubs do better in free-agent market than trade for Verlander now? By Gordon Wittenmyer The free-agent market doesn t open for two months. But what if there were a pre-september, contenders-only sale for high-end starting pitching? Would the Cubs jump at that market? Should they? Could they if they wanted to? That market exists in the form of 2011 American League Cy Young Award and MVP winner Justin Verlander of the Tigers. Verlander and the Tigers have turned the final days before postseason eligibility locks in into a last-chance sale on the most intriguing name to clear waivers in August. Because Verlander went unclaimed, the only restrictions on a trade involve his full no-trade rights. To be clear, the Cubs had a chance to pursue a trade for Verlander in July and passed, despite the Tigers eagerness and persistent, overstated rumors tied to the Cubs so-called ability to handle much of the big-ticket cost left on his contract. Verlander is 9-8 with a 3.90 ERA overall, but he is 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA and has averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his last eight starts. And the player in the Cubs clubhouse who knows him best seems to like the fit. He s got dominating-type stuff, swing-and-miss-type stuff, which for teams that are looking to go to the playoffs is always a premium, said Alex Avila, who caught Verlander with the Tigers before the Cubs traded for him and left-handed reliever Justin Wilson in July. Typically, you want to have some guys that can miss the bats. He s a guy that s thrown a lot of innings, has a lot of experience especially in the playoffs and has done well in the playoffs. He has the mentality that you look for in a shutdown-type pitcher.

4 Verlander is owed less than $5 million for the rest of this season, then $28 million in each of the next two seasons (plus a $22 million option for 2020 that vests if he finishes among the top five in Cy Young voting in 2019). That price tag has put teams such as the Cubs on the sidelines this summer, despite his talent and their need. Might that change for the Cubs, the Astros or anyone else in the next few days? One report this week said interest in Verlander is heating up again toward the new deadline. And a major-league insider with some knowledge of the Verlander talks said it wouldn t surprise him to see Verlander traded before Friday. It s not that hard to evaluate, said Avila, whose father, Al, is the Tigers general manager. If you look at him compared to the top guys that are going to be free agents, then that s a decision of, as far as a front-line starter goes, you can sign a guy to a five-year deal or trade for [Verlander]. He s on a two-year deal. His option kicks in if he s [in the] top five in Cy Young [voting]. At that point, you d want it to kick in. A lot of people talk about the money, and I m sure that has something to do with it. But also you have to make a trade, which is a lot more difficult than just signing a player. Especially for the Cubs, who would find it hard to come up with the prospects to compete with the Astros or just about anyone else if the Tigers start asking for stronger packages to pay some of Verlander s contract. The Cubs have promoted or traded all their marquee prospects in the last 13 months. The Cubs also will be hunting for at least one more starter to put into their 2018 rotation mix after right-hander Jake Arrieta and John Lackey depart as free agents. General manager Jed Hoyer wouldn t talk about specific players, but he said the front office will look for deals before Friday. It really is the last [two] days we can do something, so we ll have those discussions, he said. But you can never count on it. Daily Herald Arrieta continues hot streak for Chicago Cubs By Bruce Miles Jake Arrieta is back to being appointment watching again. It has been that way since the all-star break, and although Arrieta wasn't his sharpest Tuesday night, he still managed to toss 6 shutout innings for the Chicago Cubs in a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Although he did throw 97 pitches and run some deep counts, Arrieta gave up only 2 hits as he ran his record to 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA since the all-star break. Of his 9 starts since the break, 8 have been quality efforts. Arrieta improved his season record to 14-8 and lowered his ERA from 3.49 to He endured a 25-pitch first inning, giving up a one-out double to Josh Harrison but stranding him at third base. During the unofficial second half, Arrieta has flashed the form that made him the Cy Young Award winner in 2015 with a 22-6 record and 1.77 ERA. Last season Arrieta was 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA. So over the past two-plus seasons, Arrieta has piled up 54 victories. As he tries to pitch the Cubs (71-60) to the playoffs for a third straight year and himself into a mega-contract, the anticipation is back when Arrieta makes a start. "I didn't have great stuff tonight," he said. "In passing, (I) talked to Joe (manager Maddon) just now. When I came out of the game, I told him that was strictly just competing. Tried to mix some things and keep them off-balance at times. They fouled off a lot of good pitches."

5 Maddon echoed his pitcher's sentiments. "You know, he didn't have his best everything, but he pitched; he competed, let me put it that way," the manager said. "A lot of foul balls. He just wasn't missing the bats. They kept extending at-bats. Pitch number got up there, but give him credit, man. "He'll be the first one to tell you he did not have his normal command that he's had the last several outings, but when you compete like that, you deserve the win. He got it. That's what I saw." The game was scoreless until Ben Zobrist led off the bottom of the sixth inning against Chad Kuhl with a first-pitch homer. It was Zobrist's 10th of the season. The Cubs scored twice more in the inning, on a single by Alex Avila and a sacrifice fly by Jason Heyward. Anthony Rizzo added an RBI double in the eighth, his second double in the game. Wade Davis worked the ninth and converted a franchise-record 27th straight save opportunity, surpassing Ryan Dempster's 26, from August 2005-May Davis' 33 straight saves dating to last season with Kansas City represent the longest active streak in the majors. "He's rock solid," Arrieta said. "He goes out there. He doesn't show any emotion. He's extremely well composed. And he just executes pitch after pitch." Daily Herald Rizzo's charity work impresses Maddon By Bruce Miles Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon took the extraordinary step Tuesday of beginning his pregame news conference with praise for first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The praise was for Rizzo's charitable work, specifically a $3.5 million donation from the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation to Lurie Children's hospital in Chicago. Rizzo and his family cut the ribbon on the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation Waiting Room at Lurie Children's. Rizzo unveiled a new mural and a framed Rizzo jersey which has been signed by dozens of patients he has visited at Lurie's. "I don't think there's enough been said about this," Maddon said. "Kind of staggering, $3.5 million given to the Lurie Children's Hospital, and Anthony actually shows up. I talked to him myself. It's one thing to give money. But he's always there. "I know he gets recognition, but I don't know if he gets enough for what he does off the field. That is really impressive, so I just wanted to make sure I started with that." Rizzo talked with reporters at his locker about baseball before Tuesday night's game, but the subject of his charity work also came up. "It's obviously steps in the right direction with the foundation to help out as much as we can," he said. "It was pretty special. I feel like I try to do a really good job of keeping baseball in perspective." Rizzo overcame limited stage classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2008 while a member of the Boston Red Sox minorleague system. Schwarber stays positive:

6 Kyle Schwarber was back in the lineup Tuesday. He was a part of the Cubs' 2015 run to the wild card. But last season he entered September on the disabled list, rehabbing a serious knee injury. He returned to help the Cubs win the World Series. It has been an up-and-down season this year, with Schwarber getting sent to Class AAA Iowa in late June for a stint to work on his swing and his mental approach. "This is a big learning experience for me," he said. "I'm not looking negatively on it. I look at this as a positive outlook, to be on a winning ballclub and to know what it's like to struggle and know how to get yourself out of it." Injury updates: Shortstop Addison Russell took Tuesday off after going 1-for-3 with a double Monday in the first game of his injuryrehab assignment at Class AAA Iowa. Russell will play 6-7 innings for Iowa on Wednesday as he recovers from a foot injury. He could be back this weekend. Reliever Justin Grimm (finger) pitched 1 inning Monday at Iowa, giving up a home run. He is scheduled to pitch again Thursday. Left-handed ace Jon Lester (shoulder fatigue) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday at Wrigley Field. He could return to the rotation as early as Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. Hurricane help from Cubs: Cubs Charities will chip in Wednesday to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey by donating that night's 50/50 raffle proceeds to the American Red Cross. Fans can purchase 50/50 tickets from uniformed Cubs Charities sellers starting two hours before the game until the middle of the seventh inning. The winning ticket will be announced at the top of the ninth, and the winner will receive a check for half of the net proceeds from raffle sales. The other half will be donated by Cubs Charities to the American Red Cross. Cubs.com Cubs win, go season-high 11 games over.500 By Carrie Muskat and Adam Berry CHICAGO Jake Arrieta made quality pitches when needed, got enough support in a three-run sixth inning sparked by Ben Zobrist's solo homer and Wade Davis set a franchise record for consecutive saves in the Cubs' 4-1 win over the Pirates on Tuesday night. With the win, the Cubs are now a season-high 11 games over.500 and have a 3 1/2-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central. "We can't concern ourselves with the way other teams are playing behind us, we have to continue to play our game," Arrieta said. Arrieta struck out four and scattered two hits over six scoreless innings but admitted he didn't have his best stuff. He said he's changed his mindset the last couple months so "even when I don't feel I have my 'A' stuff, I just go out there and try to show a quality mix of pitches and change some speeds and allow them to put the ball in play and get weak contact." It's worked. He is now 7-2 with a 1.69 ERA since the start of July.

7 Chad Kuhl fell to 0-4 in six career starts against the Cubs. On Tuesday he was charged with three runs on seven hits, including Zobrist's homer, over 5 1/3 innings. He pitched five scoreless innings, then ran into trouble in the sixth. He has completed six innings in just seven of his 27 starts this season. "They're a pretty aggressive club," Kuhl said. "They hit some good pitches early in counts, then had a few longer atbats, a little mix of both.... Just guys that can work at-bats, guys that can get on base, steal bases, hit the long ball. They've got a special lineup over there." Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Kuhl is "evolving well." "Here's a young man with a really good arm, but he's pitching now, and that's the scary part," Maddon said. "When I first saw him, I thought he was more throwing the baseball, and now he's pitching. Give him credit. He's going to be a good starter for them." Anthony Rizzo had three hits and connected in the eighth for his 200th career double, and second of the game. He drove in Kris Bryant, who had walked to open the inning, to raise his RBI total to 94. Davis now holds the Cubs' franchise record for consecutive saves, notching his 27th in a row to top the old mark of 26, set by Ryan Dempster (Aug. 2, 2005 to May 1, 2006). Davis also has 33 straight successful save chances, dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the Majors. "He's a pitcher," Maddon said. "You saw two 3-1 counts [in the ninth], but he came back in both of [the batters]. He does not give in. He's got a starting pitcher's mentality as a reliever, as a closer. He's got weapons for righties and lefties it doesn't matter who the hitter is. He's got something for everybody, whether it's the cutter, the curve, the elevated fastball. He's a pitcher." Arrieta was impressed. "He's rock solid," Arrieta said. "He's a very unique closer [because] he has four pitches that he can utilize any time. That's rare to see from a guy in the ninth inning most of them are one- or two-pitch guys. That allows him to do more than most can in his position." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Catching up: Alex Avila hasn't provided much offense since joining the Cubs, but he delivered in the sixth. Zobrist smacked the first pitch he saw from Kuhl 405 feet into the right-field bleachers for his 10th home run. Kyle Schwarber then walked, and one out later, reached third on Rizzo's double to right, although he was nearly hit by the line drive. Tommy La Stella was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Avila delivered an RBI single to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead and chase Kuhl. "La Stella's been hot. Avila's driven in some runs, but it's a guy with a ground-ball rate that's higher, plus [Kuhl had] handled him a couple times," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "That was just part of the decision I made, and it didn't work out." R-E-L-I-E-F: The Pirates collected as many hits against reliever Koji Uehara in the seventh inning as they did against Arrieta over six. With one out in the seventh, Uehara served up John Jaso's ninth home run, a 373-foot shot into the right-field bleachers. Uehara was chased one out later when pinch-hitter Elias Diaz singled, but Pedro Strop took over and struck out pinch-hitter Jose Osuna to end the inning. QUOTABLE "There was a little bit of frustration in the first half with the way things were going. I might have focused on the results a little too much rather than just focusing on trying to execute and refine my repertoire. Now, where I'm at, I feel confident that even if I don't have my good stuff and if I'm without two pitches, the two pitches I do have are more than enough to get the job done." Arrieta

8 "It just kind of happened. I was trying to really shrink down my strike zone with the run deficit. I wasn't going to swing at anything unless it was right there. My timing was on and all that stuff, and it just happened to be right there, and my timing just happened to be on. That doesn't happen very often. When it does, it's like, 'Oh, yeah, cool, I have this game all figured out.' Until my next at-bat, then it's like, 'Oh, [shoot], there it goes.'" Jaso, on his home run off Uehara SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Jaso reached base four times in a game for the first time since Oct. 2, 2016, in St. Louis. His homer was his first since Aug. 7. BATTER UP Strop rarely gets an at-bat he's 0-for-1 in his career at the plate but he did get a chance to bat with two outs in the seventh, and he launched a long fly ball to center that the Pirates' Andrew McCutchen caught and looked a little surprised by. "He hit that ball really well that's a double in any kind of gap," Maddon said. WHAT'S NEXT Pirates: Right-hander Ivan Nova will start for the Pirates as they wrap up a three-game series against the Cubs on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field. Nova is five innings away from setting a career high for a single season, but he has slowed down in the second half. Since the break, he has a 6.00 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET. Cubs: Left-hander Jose Quintana will close the series on Wednesday. This will be the second time Quintana faces the Pirates he also did so on June 16, 2015, at PNC Park, and lost despite putting up a quality start. He's coming off a rough outing against the Phillies in which he gave up six runs over five innings and took the loss. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT. Cubs.com Rizzo donates $3.5M to children's hospital By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO A cancer survivor himself, the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo has been a regular visitor to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, trying to boost the spirits of the kids there. On Tuesday he delivered a $3.5 million gift to the hospital and cut the ribbon on the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation Waiting Room. "It was a long time in the making," Rizzo said. "It's obviously a step in the right direction for the foundation to help as much as we can. Today everything came to fruition. To see the jersey that the kids signed when we go there, it was pretty special." Rizzo, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma when he was a Minor Leaguer in the Red Sox organization, unveiled an interactive mural in the waiting room and a framed Rizzo jersey, which the patients have signed during his visits. His foundation has created two endowed funds for patients being treated for cancer and their families. One provides grants on a case-by-case basis for families facing financial hardship due to unexpected needs. The second supports two oncology Child Life specialists, a position funded entirely by philanthropy. "It's kind of staggering," manager Joe Maddon said of the foundation's efforts. "It's one thing to give money, but he's always there [visiting patients]. I know he gets recognition, but I don't think he gets enough." Rizzo hasn't forgotten the days when he had to undergo treatment.

9 "Today was a day when I had flashbacks [about] sitting in the waiting rooms and going through the treatments and being sick," Rizzo said. "I don't do that much, but today was one of the days when it got to me." His message to kids is "Stay Strong, Dream Big," and he has tried to share that with the patients he visits. "I feel I try to do a really good job of keeping baseball in perspective," he said. "You go out there between the lines and give it your all, give it your best, and that's all you can do. There's so much more to life than baseball. It's a balance you have to learn how to balance that. You have to go out there and have a job to do. I put my heart and soul into baseball, and when I leave the field, I try to just be Anthony, not the baseball player." Jon Lester, on the disabled list since Aug. 18 with fatigue in his left shoulder, was to have a side session on Wednesday. He threw 47 pitches over three innings in a simulated game on Monday, and the Cubs want to see how he feels after Wednesday to determine the next step. Shortstop Addison Russell, sidelined since Aug. 3 with a strained right foot, will play his second game with Triple-A Iowa as part of a rehab assignment on Wednesday. He went 1-for-3 with a double in his first at-bat on Monday. Reliever Justin Grimm, out since Aug. 18 with an infection in his right index finger, will pitch for Iowa on Thursday. He struck out two and served up a solo home run in one inning on Monday. Maddon wanted to ride the hot bat and inserted Tommy La Stella at second base for his fourth straight start. La Stella, whose role is primarily as a reserve, was batting.364 in August. "He knows his place," Maddon said. "He doesn't complain when he doesn't play a lot. He's doing so well, it's hard to keep him out. He's hitting for power, too.... He's got a really powerful swing. I want to ride that a little bit." Cubs Charities will join the fight to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey by donating Wednesday's 50/50 Raffle proceeds to the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross is working to provide safe shelter and comfort for the many people affected by the storm. Fans will be able to purchase 50/50 raffle tickets from uniformed Cubs Charities sellers starting two hours before the game until the middle of the seventh inning. The winning ticket will be announced at the top of the ninth inning, and the winner will receive a check for half of the net proceeds from the raffle sales. The other half will be donated to the American Red Cross. Those not attending Wednesday's game can make a donation to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Harvey disaster relief and recovery efforts by visiting Maddon is hosting the "Burnout Classic and Casino Night Fundraiser" on Saturday at Fields Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/RAM in Glenview, Ill., and will donate a portion of the proceeds to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The event will include a silent auction, plus 15 to 20 classic '60s and '70s Mopar muscle cars on display. Cubs.com For Zobrist, timing is everything By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO It's taken Ben Zobrist longer than he'd like to get his timing, as his season has been interrupted by injuries, including a sore wrist, which is difficult for any hitter to overcome. That's why Tuesday night's home run felt so good for the veteran, who smacked a leadoff shot in the sixth inning of the Cubs' 4-1 win over the Pirates. "It felt great," Zobrist said of his homer, No. 10 for the season and his first at Wrigley Field since June 11. "I've been driving the ball more the last week or so. It wasn't cheap either drive the ball to the middle part of the field and hope that something good happens. Everything felt really good on that.

10 "It just felt more like me when my hands are working and everything is working the way it normally does. It's been difficult to get to that place after my wrist injury. I feel like I'm getting closer." Zobrist was sidelined from June 16 to July 1 because of the wrist, and batted.208 in 21 games in July. So far in August, he's hitting.278 in 24 games. What's changed, though, is regular playing time. With Addison Russell sidelined and Tommy La Stella playing well, manager Joe Maddon has been using different lineups that often don't include Zobrist. "Timing-wise, [lack of regular playing time] makes it more difficult, but that would be an excuse," Zobrist said. "I'm not going to use that. It's more about getting comfortable. I've had more than 300 at-bats. I've got to get comfortable at some point. "I think as long as I keep making strides and keep working and grinding, I'm hoping the best is ahead of me in the season. That [home run] felt a lot more like the kind of swing I'm capable of putting on the ball. It's just been very difficult to get to that place with my hands until more recently." Zobrist hasn't talked to Maddon about how playing time will be sorted out once Russell returns from the disabled list. Javier Baez has subbed for Russell and was batting.295 in August. Baez could play second, which may move Zobrist to the outfield. "When Addy comes back, who knows what's going to happen," Zobrist said. He feels his best is still to come, and the Cubs will need all the help they can get if they want to play deep into October. "I know I'm capable of a lot more offensively than I've done," Zobrist said. "If we can play well the last month of the season and get into the playoffs, everything that's happened up to that point, it's [not as important as] what's going to happen in October. That's what I'm thinking about now." Cubs.com De La Cruz leads Cubs heading to AFL By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Right-hander Oscar De La Cruz, ranked No. 1 on MLBPipeline.com's list of top 30 Cubs prospects, will play for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, which starts on Oct. 10. De La Cruz, 22, who was 4-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts at Class A Myrtle Beach, will be joined on the Solar Sox roster by pitchers Pedro Araujo, Alec Mills and Jake Stinnett; catcher Ian Rice; infielders David Bote and Jason Vosler; and outfielder Charcer Burks. Mills is ranked 20th on the list of Cubs prospects, and Burks is 22nd. Araujo, 24, was 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA in 42 games at Myrtle Beach, striking out 79 over 61 2/3 innings. Mills, 25, who was slowed by an ankle injury this year, has made three starts at Triple-A Iowa. Stinnett, 25, a second-round Draft pick in 2014, has pitched at Myrtle Beach and also Double-A Tennessee, and has given up three earned runs over 19 2/3 innings in 12 games. Bote, 24, who has primarily played second base, was batting.270 at Tennessee with 14 home runs, 28 doubles, three triples and 57 RBIs in 121 games. Vosler, 23, was batting.250 in 123 games at Tennessee with 21 homers, 18 doubles and 81 RBIs. Burks, 22, was batting.264 in 117 games at Tennessee with 10 homers, 19 doubles, three triples and 16 stolen bases. Tennessee hitting coach Jacob Cruz will be on the Mesa Solar Sox coaching staff.

11 The Arizona Fall League is a "finishing school" for prospects who are close to the Majors. Generally speaking, if a team sends a player to the AFL, it's an indication that the club thinks he has the chance to contribute in the big leagues in the near future. The league is composed of six teams, with five organizations represented on each. Every MLB team is required to send at least six players from its organization. The AFL will conclude with a championship game on Nov. 18 at Scottsdale Stadium. The Solar Sox are comprised of prospects from the Astros, Athletics, Nationals, Tigers and Cubs, and will play their games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. Cubs.com Quintana takes on Nova in series finale By Adam Berry Throughout the Hot Stove season, the Pirates were linked to the two starting pitchers who will take the mound against each other on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field: Ivan Nova and Jose Quintana. The Pirates re-signed Nova to a three-year, $26 million deal in December, while Quintana remained with the White Sox until the Cubs acquired him during the All-Star break. Nova has delivered what the Pirates needed most innings. He has thrown 165 2/3 in 26 starts, and he's five frames away from topping the career-high mark he set in But he has slowed down after a sensational start, posting a 6.00 ERA in the second half. "The steadfastness of taking the ball, the reliability and dependability of taking the ball, have been huge. He models what you want to see out of a top guy in your rotation," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "I do think there's some wear and tear that can be picked up along the way. I think it's been a really good edification process for him as well." Quintana has seen mixed results since moving to Chicago's North Side, going 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA in eight starts. Since striking out 12 over seven scoreless innings in his outstanding Cubs debut, he has posted a 5.31 ERA. Three things to know about this game Nova threw a season-high 39 pitches in the upper two-thirds of the zone in his most recent outing, according to Statcast, and six of his opponents' eight hits came from those locations. He thrived in April by pounding the bottom of the zone with sinkers, curveballs and changeups. The Pirates may be without setup man Juan Nicasio by the time they return to Wrigley Field on Wednesday. The veteran right-hander was reportedly placed on irrevocable outright waivers, which means he can be claimed without the Bucs receiving anything in return. The Cubs were expected to have a refresher course on Wednesday and Thursday to prep for the final month of play. Hitting coach John Mallee got a head start on Tuesday, working with players on situational hitting. "We need to get better at that," manager Joe Maddon said. "As we move down the stretch drive, to win the close games, tough games, you have to be able to do those things well." Maddon met with the coaches last week to formulate the plan. He's done this the last two seasons. "There's a lot of good stuff going on, but here comes September, staring us in the face," he said. "To make hay this month, you've got to play a complete game on a nightly basis. We are capable of pitching well, catching the ball

12 well. If we make the mental adaptation in the box, we can play good offense, too. I think it's in the mind. You can practice your physical swing as long as you want, but if you're not able to make the adaptation mentally, it's not going to work." ESPNChicago.com Cubs praise Wade Davis after closing out another win By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO Cubs closer Wade Davis didn't see what the big deal was, so he decided not to speak to the media late Tuesday night after saving his franchise-record 27th consecutive game. That probably won't come as a surprise to his teammates and manager, considering he's as low-key as they come. The right-hander simply doesn't want to talk about himself, leaving others to speak for him. "To have the record here is pretty impressive," manager Joe Maddon said after the Cubs' 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. "He's a pitcher. He has a starting pitcher's mentality as a closer. He has weapons for righties or lefties. It doesn't matter the hitter. Good for him because that [record] will probably last for a while." Ryan Dempster had the previous Cubs record, set over the 2005 and '06 seasons. Davis, meanwhile, is now 27-for-27 in save attempts this season, and according to ESPN Stats & Information, he's the only pitcher in the majors (among 49 who have three or more saves) who hasn't blown one in His success comes back to that starting pitching mentality his manager mentioned. Tuesday's winner, Jake Arrieta, concurred. "He's a very unique closer in the sense that he's got four pitches that he can pretty much utilize at any time," Arrieta said. "That's rare to see from a guy that pitches in the ninth inning. Most of them are one- and two-pitch guys. That allows him to do a lot more than most can in his position." Davis is set to be a free agent this offseason after coming over in the deal that sent struggling outfielder Jorge Soler to the Kansas City Royals. He's letting his pitching do the talking for him while helping the Cubs to first place in the National League Central. CSNChicago.com Cubs surge ahead with Jake Arrieta near the top of his game again By Patrick Mooney Even if the Cubs and Jake Arrieta didn t exactly map it out this way, they re still back in first place, with a chance to make history again before the Cy Young Award winner cashes in somewhere as a free agent and lands a nine-figure megadeal. It s not 2015 all over again, when Arrieta morphed into the hottest pitcher on the planet and toyed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It s definitely not 2016, when the Cubs put it in cruise-control mode and then slammed on the accelerator in the playoffs. But anything s still possible in 2017 when manager Joe Maddon sees a hybrid version of Arrieta powerful, reliable and efficient during Tuesday night s 4-1 win at Wrigley Field. Arrieta didn t feel like he had his A game against the Pirates, yet he still allowed only two hits and put up six scoreless innings, another sign of his resourcefulness in a season that began with questions about his mechanics, velocity, blister problems and walk-year stress.

13 It s no coincidence that the Cubs have overtaken the Milwaukee Brewers the division lead is now 3.5 games at a time when Arrieta has gone 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his nine starts since the All-Star break. I wouldn t say I lacked confidence, Arrieta said. I think there was a little bit of frustration, at times, throughout the first half with the way things were going. And I might have focused on the results a little bit too much, rather than just focusing on trying to execute and refine my repertoire and be a little bit better moving forward. But now where I m at, I feel confident that even if I don t have my good stuff or if I m without two pitches the two pitches I do have are more than enough to get the job done. Arrieta never let it get out of control, working around Josh Harrison s double in the first inning. Arrieta escaped another jam in the second inning after hitting John Jaso, giving up a single to Jordy Mercer and throwing a wild pitch. Arrieta walked two batters in the fourth and responded by inducing an inning-ending double play. By now, everyone should understand that Arrieta is not a one-year wonder or a pitcher whose stock fluctuates on a start-to-start basis. A driving force behind a World Series winner is now 14-8 with a 3.36 ERA in his contract year and gaining more and more momentum. He was very stoic through the moments when things weren t going so well, Maddon said. He never complained. He never pointed a finger. Didn t say: I got the wrong catcher or the wrong game plan or the wind s blowing out. He never said anything. He just kept pitching. Those are the kind of guys I would love to be teammates with. Those are the kind of guys that win. He was at the top of his game. It got away from him for a bit. And he just worked his way back. He s going back to the top again. CSNChicago.com Ben Zobrist reminds Cubs why he s a money player By Patrick Mooney The Wrigley Field sound system started blasting Whoomp! (There It Is) on Tuesday night as the 95-mph fastball Ben Zobrist hammered 405 feet disappeared into the right-center field bleachers. That song was released in 1993, or the year Kyle Schwarber was born, or the year before Ian Happ was born, or the year after Javier Baez was born. The Cubs have enough young talent and solid role players and Zobrist has been feeling some combination of the effects from his age (36), injuries (neck, back, wrist) and back-to-back World Series runs that manager Joe Maddon doesn t seem to view Zorilla as the same automatic in the lineup anymore. But think back to last year s playoff run and how Zobrist delivered so many clutch hits: the ninth-inning RBI double off Sergio Romo that helped avoid a dreaded elimination game vs. Johnny Cueto, Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants; the perfectly placed bunt that shifted the momentum in the National League Championship Series, ending a 21-inning scoreless streak against the Los Angeles Dodgers; and the go-ahead double in the 10th inning of an epic Game 7 that earned him a 50th anniversary edition convertible Camaro as the World Series MVP. Fast forward to the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when Zobrist led off and drilled the first Chad Kuhl pitch he saw, snapping a zero-zero tie and sparking a three-run rally in a 4-1 victory. That combined with a blowout win for the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park gave the Cubs a 3.5-game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers in the division race. I know that I m capable of a lot offensively a lot more than what I ve done, Zobrist said. But the bottom line is we ve got a great team and we re playing much better the second half than we were the first half. And if we can play well the last month of the season and get into the playoffs, everything that s happened up to that point (won t matter). It s more important what s going to happen in October.

14 That s the way I m thinking of it right now. Everything that s happened up to this point whether you like it or not personally it matters way less than what s going to happen. That can do a lot to kind of help you forget about some of the negative things that you ve had to go through. Sure, there have been times where the Cubs missed Dexter Fowler s presence at the top of the order, while completely understanding it did not make sense to come close to matching that five-year, $82.5 million offer from the Cardinals. But in many ways, that championship lineup revolved around Zobrist, a switch-hitter with the patience to wear out pitchers, the bat speed to drive in Kris Bryant, the juice to protect Anthony Rizzo and the sense of professionalism that set an example in the batter s box and in the clubhouse. Maddon still sounds sold on the idea of a Baez-Addison Russell middle-infield alignment whenever the All-Star shortstop is activated from the disabled list. Maddon has even started Tommy La Stella at second base for four straight games and admitted that it will be difficult to divide up the at-bats and keep all the outfielders happy. Zobrist said he hasn t discussed his role down the stretch with Maddon, someone he s worked with since breaking in with the 2006 Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Everybody s getting kind of partial playing time except for KB, Rizz and Javy, Zobrist said. And when Addie comes back, who knows what s going to happen? It s kind of the way that it is right now for our club, because we got a lot of capable guys. Sometimes, you don t know whether we re playing the hot hand or we re playing some sort of matrix to figure out who s going to play that day. We try not to worry about that as players. We just look at the lineup. If you re in it, you get ready for the start. If you re not, you get ready for the fifth or sixth. That s just the way you play it. It s less about getting a certain number of at-bats and more about just being ready (for) the ones you do get. But Zobrist has shown signs of heating up homering twice in his last four games, notching extra-base hits in five of his last eight games, getting on base more than 33 percent of the time since the All-Star break and already proven that he can handle the best pitching on the planet on the game s biggest stages. It just felt more like me, Zobrist said, when my hands are working and everything s working the way that it normally does. It s been difficult to try to get to that place after my wrist injury, but I feel like I m getting closer. CSNChicago.com Oscar De La Cruz headlines group of Cubs prospects heading to Arizona Fall League By Patrick Mooney The Cubs are still in decision-making mode with Jon Lester and Mike Montgomery, listing Saturday s starter at Wrigley Field as TBD. This much is clear: Both left-handers match up well against the Atlanta Braves; all signs point to Lester s left shoulder fatigue/lat muscle tightness being a relatively minor injury; and Montgomery creates so much value by moving so easily between the bullpen and the rotation. Whatever happens in the second half of Lester s $155 million megadeal and whether or not Montgomery becomes part of the 2018 Opening Day rotation the Cubs will have to develop more and more pitching. That made Oscar De La Cruz a headliner on Tuesday when the Arizona Fall League unveiled its rosters. De La Cruz who entered this season as the organization s fifth-best prospect on the Baseball America list illustrates why

15 Theo Epstein s front office invested so heavily in hitters and built a team that won a seven-game World Series without a homegrown player throwing a single pitch. Since signing as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic in October 2012, De La Cruz has shown flashes of becoming a frontline starter while appearing in just 51 games and throwing only innings in his professional career. But there is enough in his right arm and 6-foot-4-inch frame to project and performances as a Northwest League All-Star in 2015 and this season s run at advanced Class-A Myrtle Beach (4-2, 3.58 ERA in 10 starts). The Cubs are also assigning three more pitchers to the Mesa Solar Sox Alec Mills, Pedro Araujo and Jake Stinnett along with catcher Ian Rice, outfielder Charcer Burks and infielders David Bote and Jason Vosler. Where De La Cruz needs to catch up on development time, Mills actually pitched for the Kansas City Royals last season and had trouble staying healthy this year at Triple-A Iowa (three starts), where the Cubs hoped he would become one of their change-of-scenery projects. Stinnett who was taken as a college senior in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Maryland is 25 years old and recently moved up to the Double-A Tennessee bullpen. Chicago Tribune Wade Davis lets Cubs save record do talking for him By Paul Skrbina Wade Davis has pitched like a broken record this season. And break a record Davis did Tuesday, converting his 27th straight save opportunity to set a franchise mark. But the quiet, right-handed reliever doesn t believe in talking like a broken record. And so he didn t after he gloved Elias Diaz s groundball and underhanded it to Anthony Rizzo to finish off the Cubs 4-1 victory and break Ryan Dempster s franchise mark of 26 set in A team spokesman said Wade didn t want to talk about himself after his 27th save. The more quiet you can be, sometimes the better, Davis told the Tribune earlier this season. But one of his teammates was more than happy to talk about Davis, who has not blown a save in 33 chances dating to last season, the longest active streak in baseball. He s rock solid. He doesn t show any emotion, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta said. He s extremely composed and he just executes pitch after pitch. He doesn t give in. He s not afraid to run into a three-ball count because he s confident that he can execute the next one to either get back into a count or get the guy out. Davis is 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA in 45 2/3 innings this season. Cubs manager Joe Maddon wasn't surprised Davis set the mark. "It's is pretty impressive," Maddon said. "He's got the starting pitcher's mentality as the closer.... He's got something for everybody. So, bully for him. That will probably last for a while." Chicago Tribune Jake Arrieta continues ace-like performance as Cubs beat Pirates 4-1 By Mark Gonzales As the Cubs plot their pitching plans for the next two series, Jake Arrieta continued his ascent as an ace of the staff.

16 Arrieta threw six scoreless innings Tuesday night to lead the Cubs to a 4-1 victory over the Pirates at Wrigley Field. The victory, combined with the Brewers' loss to the Cardinals, extended the Cubs' lead to 3 1/2 games in the National League Central. Wade Davis set a franchise record when he converted his 27th consecutive save opportunity. Although Arrieta hasn't shown the same velocity he had during his 2015 National League Cy Young Award-winning season and admittedly wasn't as sharp as in his recent outings, he has provided plenty of quality. For the ninth consecutive start, Arrieta allowed two earned runs or fewer despite a pesky Pirates offense that fouled off several pitches and convinced manager Joe Maddon to pull him after six innings and 97 pitches. "I didn't have great stuff," Arrieta said. "I was strictly just competing. I was trying to mix some things and keep them off balance at times." Arrieta (14-8) is 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his last nine starts, including a 3-0 mark and 0.75 ERA in his last four starts. Arrieta, who is expected to command one of the most lucrative free agent contracts this winter, admitted he might have dwelled too much on his results after posting an 8-7 record and 4.35 ERA in his first 18 starts. "I wouldn't say I lacked confidence," Arrieta said. "I would say there was a little bit of frustration at times throughout the first half with the way things were going. And I might have focused on the results a little bit too much, rather than just focusing on trying to execute and refine my repertoire a little better moving forward. "But now where I'm at, I feel confident even if I don't have my good stuff or without two pitches. The two pitches I have are enough to get the job done." As of now, Arrieta is lined up to start Sunday against the Braves and Sept. 8 against the Brewers. The Cubs haven't decided whether Jon Lester will be activated from the 10-day disabled list to start Saturday, or if they will go with left-hander Mike Montgomery who has allowed one run in 13 innings since taking Lester's spot. Arrieta pitched with no margin for error, as hard-throwing Chad Kuhl matched him until Ben Zobrist led off the sixth with a home run. Before Zobrist's homer, opportunities were rare for the Cubs. Tommy La Stella, making his fourth start largely because he was 6-for-11, grounded to second with runners at second and third to end the first. Kuhl retired 10 of 11 batters before Jason Heyward singled. But he was thrown out on a steal attempt with Arrieta at the plate in the fifth. The Cubs, whose lack of clutch hitting has been noted often, added two more runs after Zobrist's homer on an Alex Avila single and a Heyward sacrifice fly. The add-on runs were necessary because John Jaso ended the Cubs' shutout bid in the seventh with a home run off Koji Uehara, who has allowed six home runs in his last 12 2/3 innings after surrendering only one in 29 2/3 innings. Chicago Tribune Anthony Rizzo emotional during a ribbon cutting at Lurie Children's Hospital By Phil Thompson The moment became emotional for Anthony Rizzo during a ribbon cutting to support cancer patients at Lurie Children's Hospital on Tuesday.