September 21, CSNChicago.com, Cubs lose Pierce Johnson on waivers

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1 September 21, 2017 Chicago Sun-Times, Lester on persistent command woes: There s nothing physically wrong Chicago Sun-Times, Why Albert Almora Jr. could become this October s Javy Baez for Cubs Cubs.com, Lester struggles as Cubs' Central push slowed Cubs.com, Maddon: 'Unfamiliar' outing from Lester Cubs.com, Cubs, Brewers to lay it all on the table in series Cubs.com, Rivera among Cubs watching Hurricane Maria Cubs.com, Arrieta to return tonight vs. Brewers ESPNChicago.com, Cubs need Jon Lester to find a fix by October CSNChicago.com, What s wrong with Jon Lester? And is there enough time for Cubs to fix it? CSNChicago.com, Can Cubs count on Kyle Schwarber to be the hero again? CSNChicago.com, Cubs lose Pierce Johnson on waivers CSNChicago.com, Imagine Chris Archer playing for a big-market team like the Cubs Chicago Tribune, Cubs, pesky Brewers set to face off again for four games at Wrigley North Chicago Tribune, Jon Lester's woes hover over Cubs entering NL Central showdown in Milwaukee story.html#nt=simple-embed Chicago Tribune, Rene Rivera prepares for 'long process' in Puerto Rico's recovery from Hurricane Maria 1gp3

2 Chicago Tribune, Jon Lester's puzzling performance a continuation of his uneven September column.html#nt=oft03a-1gp3 Chicago Tribune, What's behind Kyle Schwarber's recent resurgence? Chicago Tribune, Rivalry fermenting between Cubs, Brewers ahead of pivotal series Chicago Tribune, Stolen base lead a priority for Anthony Rizzo Chicago Sun-Times Lester on persistent command woes: There s nothing physically wrong By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. With 11 games left and their closest rivals staring them in the face this weekend, stuff just got real for the Cubs. An 8-1 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night didn t prove costly in the standings because the second-place Brewers lost later in Pittsburgh on a ninth-inning walk-off. But Opening Day starter Jon Lester isn t right struggling for the fourth time in as many starts since returning from the disabled list. And that s by far the more costly deficit for the Cubs this final week-plus of the season, because the $155 million left-hander has suddenly become the biggest question in the Cubs rotation. Game 1 assignment or Game 2? Please. Lester has two starts before a potential first-round playoff series to show he s well enough to compete against anyone in October. His velocity was down and his command was off yet again as the Rays peppered him with eight hits and seven runs in just 4 innings. Obviously, there is some concern, said manager Joe Maddon, who didn t dismiss the possibility of lingering physical issues, while emphasizing Lester has offered no indications he s not 100 percent. I m OK with lesser [velocity] numbers, Maddon said. It s about the command, because he is so good at throwing a strike when he wants to. But ball out of the hand right now is not really where he wants it to be all the time. I don t have a great explanation. Lester has struggled the first three innings of all four starts since returning from the DL (10 runs in 12 innings). This was the first of the four in which he didn t regroup to finish strong. But he insists he is healthy and strong enough after spending two weeks on the DL for lat tightness and shoulder fatigue.

3 We re not going to make excuses and say that s why I didn t throw the ball well, said Lester, who nonetheless had no explanation for the persistent command problems. Physically, it s September. You re going to have ups and downs. I feel fine. There s no lingering effects from anything. There s nothing physically wrong. He has two starts Monday at St. Louis and Sept. 30 at home against the Reds to figure out a way, as he says, to be prepared to give the Cubs a chance in the playoffs. I m not worried about it, he said. I ve had good seasons and I ve had a couple bad ones. When you pitch a long time in this game you re going to have ups and downs. We ll make the adjustment and figure it out. The good thing is it s not physical. It s just a matter of getting back to what s worked for me in the past and making those adjustments. Meanwhile, the Cubs face the fire of Miller Park and the Brewers, who swept the Cubs at Wrigley Field barely a week ago, for the next four games. The Brewers had won nine of 11 until Wednesday and trail the Cubs by 3½ games. They re not going to go away, Maddon said. At least we got the split here, which is good obviously. Moving it forward, man, you ve got to beat them straight up some time, and that s what we re going to have to do. Chicago Sun-Times Why Albert Almora Jr. could become this October s Javy Baez for Cubs By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. He s hitting better than he ever has in the majors. His fielding is the stuff of Gold Gloves and 1-0 wins. And his confidence is at an all-time high. That was infielder Javy Baez a year ago, just before he broke out with a huge postseason that led to international celebrity, a World Series ring and a street in Chicago named after him. It s also center fielder Albert Almora Jr. right now. Whether another street-naming ceremony is in play, could Almora be this year s Baez for the Cubs in October the indispensable fielder who makes an impact at the plate and spurs another deep playoff run? He s got the baseball IQ. He s obviously got the talent, said Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks. And the way he s been playing lately, as hot as he is, he s definitely one of our best options for that. No doubt Almora has strong support among Cubs pitchers for a regular spot in the playoff outfield. Finding his way around his manager and into the lineup every day is another matter especially after a year of playing time suppressed by the emergence of rookie Ian Happ and a job share with Jon Jay. But Almora s timing could work in his favor. Already proving his big-stage mettle in last year s playoffs with a huge catch in extra innings against the Giants in the first round and his heady base-running in Game 7 of the World Series, Almora could be an ideal fit for a team that could use a run-prevention boost to balance an up-and-down lineup without so much as a set leadoff man. A guy who looks like he could come up big down the stretch is Almora, said one longtime major-league talent evaluator this week, unsolicited. He seems to like the big games, and he s hitting with confidence.

4 Almora played every game during the Cubs season-high, seven-game winning streak that ended Wednesday night, coming off the bench in all but two of them. He went 3-for-4 in one of the starts, including a pair of run-scoring hits in a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. And he came off the bench in a game against the Mets to drive in six runs with a triple and homer. He went 8-for-12 with five extra-base hits and 10 RBIs during the streak, then started Wednesday night. His confidence is up right now. He s been doing a great job, manager Joe Maddon said. Right now Albert s not missing his pitch. There s something to be said for that. He s also not an everyday lineup fixture. Yet. I m sure from his perspective as a young player he d like to play more, Maddon said, but his time is coming. Almora, who has been one of the more mature players in the clubhouse since his arrival, is the last to complain. I ve always said it s not about me; it s about the Chicago Cubs, said the 2012 sixth-overall draft pick. I m ready for whatever. I m a competitor. But the role doesn t matter to me right now. What matters to me is winning another World Series, because I was spoiled to come into the league last year and see what it takes to win. But what about a chance to be this year s Baez? It that s in the plans for me I can just promise you that I m going to play as hard as I can day in and day out, he said. I love watching him play, Hendricks said. He s going to be a hell of a ballplayer once he gets his chance to play every day. And it might start right in the playoffs, you never know. Seems like unlikely heroes are always born somewhere in the playoffs. I hope it s him. Cubs.com Lester struggles as Cubs' Central push slowed By Bill Chastain and Carrie Muskat ST. PETERSBURG The Cubs' winning streak, Chicago's Interleague schedule and Joe Maddon's homecoming parade all ended on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Steven Souza Jr. smacked his 30th home run, Wilson Ramos added a two-run single and Blake Snell threw seven scoreless innings to spark the Rays to an 8-1 victory over the Cubs and split the Interleague series. It was Tampa Bay's fourth win in its last 12 games, putting the Rays four games back of the Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot. The victory came against lefty Jon Lester, who lasted 4 1/3 innings, his shortest outing since he came off the disabled list on Sept. 1. Lester did not strike out a batter and was charged with eight hits. "Physically, it's September, you're going to have ups and downs," Lester said. "I feel fine. There's no lingering effects from anything. There's nothing physically wrong." The loss snapped the Cubs' winning streak at seven games. With Milwaukee losing in Pittsburgh, Chicago has a 3 1/2-game lead in the National League Central over the Brewers, who they will face next, starting Thursday. The focus will switch to securing a postseason berth and not Maddon, who has been feted upon his return to where he managed for nine seasons.

5 "Moving it forward, you've got to beat them straight up sometimes, and that's what we're going to have to do," Maddon said. Souza's homer ended an 0-for-23 slump after he connected with one out in the first. He was ahead 3-0 in the count against Lester, took a strike, then fouled a pitch off before he launched the next pitch 422 feet to left-center. He's the eighth different Rays player in franchise history to hit 30 homers in a single season. Snell, who threw five scoreless innings July 5 at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, limited them to two hits both singles and struck out four over seven scoreless innings this time. "Blake was outstanding," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Really, really threw the ball well. Good environment for him to pitch in. Hopefully that's something that he can build off of. Look forward to many seasons pitching in that type of environment. Because it was loud and especially after last night, a tight ballgame. He needed to come perform well against a very good team. And he did." Snell fought to pitch late into games for most of the first half of the season, but has now seemingly settled into a groove in which he is more efficient. When asked about the difference, Snell pointed to strike throwing. Of the 100 pitches he threw, 62 were for strikes. "I believe in all my pitches, and I'm throwing them where I want to throw them, and there's a lot of conviction there," Snell said. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED South of the border: The Rays came into the game an AL-worst against lefties this season. They didn't seem to have a problem in the second. Tampa Bay had runners at first and second with one out when Brad Miller hit an RBI single under first baseman Anthony Rizzo's glove, and Peter Bourjos followed with a perfectly executed squeeze play, which scored another run. Kevin Kiermaier added an RBI single for a 4-0 lead. Lester needed 31 pitches to get through the inning. "It was perfectly done," Maddon said of the play, which he learned from former Cubs manager and Rays coach Don Zimmer. "We were ready for it. The bunt was so perfect. That's 'Zim' right there. Everything was right, everybody was in place. We knew it was coming, but you can't stop it sometimes." Running game: Lester's problems throwing to the bases contributed to more Rays runs in the fifth. Souza walked with one out and then stole second as Rizzo bobbled Lester's throw and couldn't get the ball to second in time. Souza then swiped third. Lester did throw to Kris Bryant, but the third baseman had to come in for the ball and couldn't get back to the bag in time. Evan Longoria was hit by a pitch and Logan Morrison walked to load the bases, and Ramos hit a two-run single for a 6-0 lead. Morrison scored on a passed ball charged to catcher Willson Contreras. QUOTABLE "We gotta get back to doing that a little more often than maybe once every so often." Cash, on the Rays' offense breaking loose to score some runs Wednesday night RAYS MAKE ROSTER MOVE The Rays outrighted infielder Danny Espinosa following the game to make room on the 40-man roster for lefthander Xavier Cedeno, who will be activated prior to the coming Baltimore series. WHAT'S NEXT

6 Cubs: Jake Arrieta returns to the rotation on Thursday to open a four-game series against the second-place Brewers. Arrieta has not started since Sept. 4, when he had to leave that game with a right hamstring strain. He'll be limited to pitches. First pitch will be 7:10 p.m. CT from Miller Park. Rays: Matt Andriese (5-3, 4.44) gets the nod Thursday when the Rays begin a four-game series with the Orioles in a 7:05 p.m. ET contest at Orioles Park at Camden Yards. He is 1-3 with a 7.50 ERA in six career appearances (three starts) against the Orioles. He hasn't faced the Orioles this season. Cubs.com Maddon: 'Unfamiliar' outing from Lester By Carrie Muskat ST. PETERSBURG Jon Lester says there's nothing physically wrong, but the Cubs left-hander wasn't sharp on Wednesday night and no one had an explanation for it. Lester scattered eight hits over 4 1/3 innings in the Cubs' 8-1 loss to the Rays, did not strike out a batter and walked three. It was his fourth start since coming off the disabled list due to fatigue in his left shoulder. This was not a recurrence of that problem, Lester said. "I think today was just a lack of command all the way around, with everything," Lester said. "I felt like I had a really good sinker in the bullpen and a good changeup and just couldn't command them. When I did, I got a lot of ground balls and some were hit at guys and some weren't. I'll take more movement than being flat, but at the same time, the other stuff didn't work." Cubs manager Joe Maddon was puzzled. "It was very unfamiliar stuff-wise, command-wise, just an unfamiliar night from Jon," Maddon said. "I don't have any reason to give you other than he had a tough night and I don't know why. He just looked different from the side. We're used to seeing sharp, cornered pitches and a little bit better velocity, and it just wasn't there." The velocity was definitely down, but Lester repeated afterward that he felt fine. Maddon kept an eye on the lefty to make sure he wasn't trying to hide any discomfort, and he didn't see any signs of a problem. "Since he's come back, he's had some wins, but none of them have been Jon Lester sharp," Maddon said. "The last two, he's gotten better more deeply in the game. It just hasn't been that sharp from the first inning. He's not complaining about anything, he's not saying anything is wrong." Lester has two starts remaining in the regular season and feels there is enough time to get back on track. "I'm not worried about it," he said. "I've had really good seasons, I've had good seasons and I've had bad ones. When you pitch a long time and play this game a long time, you're going to have ups and downs.... We'll make an adjustment and figure it out. The good thing is it's not physical. I have to get back to what was working for me in the past and make adjustments." Lester was 3-0 in three starts since coming off the disabled list but his numbers weren't that impressive. Teams were hitting.292 against him in that stretch. Among the hits off him Wednesday was Steven Souza Jr.'s solo home run in the first, the eighth homer Lester has served up in the opening inning. That's tied for the most in the National League. Maddon sounded a little more worried about Lester than the pitcher did as the Cubs battle for a postseason berth, with a key series in Milwaukee next. "There is some concern," Maddon said. "I'm OK with the lesser [velocity] numbers; it's about the command. He's so good about throwing a strike when he wants to. He's the kind of guy who will pitch off the edges when he wants

7 and over the plate when he wants to. The ball out of his hand is not where he wants it to be all the time. I don't have a great explanation." Cubs.com Cubs, Brewers to lay it all on the table in series By Carrie Muskat and Adam McCalvy The Cubs and Brewers have been doing a lot of scoreboard watching since they last met to keep an eye on each other in the National League Central Division standings. Starting Thursday, they'll be face to face. The Cubs make their final regular season trip to Miller Park for a four-game series and possibly some payback against the Brewers, who swept their last meeting at Wrigley Field, Sept Milwaukee's pitching dominated in that series, holding Chicago to three runs. Since that series, the Cubs have won seven of eight and have a 3 1/2-game lead in the Central. "They got us last time and they're not going to go away," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I've been a fan of theirs for the last two years. I think they've done a lot of good things. It's going to come down to us playing those games well." Brewers manager Craig Counsell knows what they're up against. "Look, they're playing pretty darn good," Counsell said of the Cubs. "They haven't lost since we were there, and that's starting to feel like a while ago. So, you know, they're putting together a pretty good stretch. This is kind of how it works in September. We've lost a couple games, but we're playing really well through this stretch. I'm proud of how our guys are playing, man. It'd be tough to complain about how we're playing, that's for sure." Jake Arrieta will return to the Cubs rotation on Thursday. This will be the third time the right-hander faces the Brewers this season. So far, he's 2-0 and allowed three earned runs over 13 innings. He has not started since Sept. 4, coming out of that game after 2 1/3 innings because of a right hamstring strain. "Jake passed all the tests so he's ready to roll," Maddon said. "We'll probably have to have some kind of [pitch count] limit on him. Everything looks like it's in good shape." The Brewers will counter with Zach Davies, who limited the Cubs to one run over seven innings on Sept. 10. Davies was not surprised to see the Cubs respond to the Brewers' Wrigley sweep by going on a winning streak. "That's what happens at this time of year, the best competition is going to come out," Davies said. "The teams that really want it are going to show it in September. I know that they have some playoff experience, and they know what it takes to get into the postseason, but our team has shown fight. Even though we don't have that experience, we're right there to the end and we're going to continue fighting. I think it's going to be a fun race right to the end." He was looking forward to Thursday's challenge. "It will be a big atmosphere there at Miller Park," Davies said. "It's going to be a fun four-game stretch against them. That sweep [at Wrigley Field] was a good thing for our team. It showed that we could go in there and sweep them at their place; now it's time for us to protect ours. It would be that much sweeter to do it again at our place, but it's going to take a lot of fight." The Brewers' ability to stay in the race with the defending division champs is impressive considering this is a "rebuilding" year for the Milwaukee team. Since a six-game skid in early August dropped the Brewers back to.500 and prompted a players-only meeting, they are

8 "Nobody expected it to happen," Davies said. "But I think everybody in this room expected us to be in this place. We knew we were going to exceed expectations, so we weren't going to place any on ourselves. We were just going to take care of what's going on inside our own clubhouse." Milwaukee's Chase Anderson will start Sunday's series finale. If all goes the Cubs' way, they could clinch the division that day. "The hardest thing for me is looking back at that 5 1/2-game lead at the [All-Star] break and me getting hurt," Anderson said. "We had the division I wouldn't say 'locked up,' but we had a really good chance to win the division if we continued to play well. But we're chasing from behind now. The Cubs are playing good baseball now. We know what happened last series [at Wrigley Field], so they're going to be ready to go, playing us at Miller Park. I'm looking forward to that series. They have the lead in the division; if they continue to win and we continue to win, it's going to be dogfight down to the end." Keep an eye on the scoreboard. "I swear, I looked up and they won again tonight, and I was like, 'Man!'" Brewers outfielder Brett Phillips said. "Hey, they want it just as bad as we want it." Worth noting The rest of the Cubs' rotation for the series will be John Lackey on Friday, Kyle Hendricks on Saturday and Jose Quintana on Sunday. If the Cubs do have a concern, it's the bullpen. Closer Wade Davis pitched in four consecutive games, and the Cubs are waiting for the healthy return of Hector Rondon and Koji Uehara. "When you win seven in a row, the A-listers in your bullpen get a lot of work," Maddon said. "You have to be cognizant of that going into the next series. If I had one concern, it's overusing the bullpen." The Brewers have won 12 of their past 16 home games, including taking two of three from the Marlins last weekend in a series relocated from Miami in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Even though the Brewers played all three games as the road team, the stats and results counted on their home record. The Cubs' Kris Bryant's slash line in six games at Miller Park this season is.480/.552/.720, while Addison Russell is batting.348 in six games there. Milwaukee's Eric Thames has hit 20 of his home runs at Miller Park. Entering Wednesday, only eight Major Leaguers had hit more homers at home. Despite a rare hiccup in his most recent start against the Marlins (six earned runs in four innings), Davies is 10-5 with a 2.74 ERA over his past 16 starts. He has a 3.96 ERA in four starts this year against the Cubs, but that is skewed high by an April 9 loss at Miller Park in which the Cubs touched Davies for seven hits and five earned runs. His three subsequent starts against the Cubs have been quality starts. Opponents have hit just.196 in 168 at-bats against Arrieta's sinker over his past 10 starts, during which he has thrown the pitch nearly two-thirds of the time. That's the lowest average allowed among starters who have ended at least 50 at-bats on sinkers/two-seamers since July 1. Cubs.com Rivera among Cubs watching Hurricane Maria By Carrie Muskat ST. PETERSBURG The Cubs' Javier Baez, Rene Rivera and Victor Caratini were checking their cell phones nonstop on Wednesday, hoping to get word from family and friends in Puerto Rico that they were OK after Hurricane Maria.

9 Baez said he last talked to his family early Wednesday and then all went quiet. "Javy has no communication, Victor has no communication," Rivera said. "We're going by whatever we see on social media. It's not good. It's not like [Hurricane] Irma. This one is worse." Rivera's wife and children and Caratini's fiancee are all in Chicago, but they have a lot of family in Puerto Rico who they're concerned about. "There's nothing we can do," Rivera said. "The only thing we can do is pray all the families are safe. The houses will hold. The flooding is the scary part. With the flooding, there's nowhere you can go. "We're hoping a cell phone signal comes back and we can get communication," Rivera said. "We'll see what happens." Worth noting Kyle Schwarber entered play Wednesday with 28 home runs, and could easily reach 30 this season, which would be quite an accomplishment considering how much time he missed in 2016 because of his knee injury. "Since the All-Star break, you look at his numbers and they all have been much more positive," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Schwarber, who was batting.250 in the second half after hitting.178 before the break. "You have to understand he's going to [hit home runs] and then he might strike out with a runner on third base. You have to accept both sides. You're playing for [the home run] based on his ability against that pitcher, knowing you're going to see the punchout, too. It's part of who he is now." But Maddon sees Schwarber improving the batting average in the future. "I do believe the more he plays, you'll see the strikeouts come down, a better adjustment when the count gets deeper," Maddon said. "He's trying to choke up. He's trying to do different things in counts right now. I'm seeing progress, too. He missed all of last season and I think we forget that sometimes." Reliever Hector Rondon, who has been battling inflammation in his right elbow, is getting close to returning. "He could be a couple days away, too," Maddon said. Cubs.com Arrieta to return tonight vs. Brewers By Carrie Muskat ST. PETERSBURG Jake Arrieta will start on Thursday, opening the Cubs' series against the Brewers. Arrieta, who had to leave his last start on Sept. 4 because of a strained right hamstring, had a bullpen session on Tuesday and pronounced himself ready to go. "The plan is to be out there Thursday," Arrieta said after the workout. "We're looking at [Thursday] right now, yes," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We think that will be fine." Cubs athletic trainer PJ Mainville wanted to make sure Arrieta felt OK on Wednesday, at which point the team announced Arrieta would be good to go. The veteran right-hander can possibly make three more starts in the regular season, including the finale at Wrigley Field on Oct. 1 against the Reds.

10 As to whether that would put Arrieta in line to start a potential National League Division Series opener, Maddon said he hasn't planned that far ahead. The Cubs began play on Wednesday with a 3 1/2-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central. Arrieta, who has missed two turns in the rotation, is 7-3 with a 2.01 ERA since the start of July and was holding opponents to a.191 batting average during that stretch. How have the workouts been so far? "It's been good," Arrieta said. "The first extended [bullpen session], I was a little sore the next day, but I think that was kind of expected. It was the first heavy workload after the strain. The second day was a little sore and the day after that, it was back to normal. I feel that's a normal part of the progression. "The good thing is the arm strength is there, it's remained there. I actually feel better for maybe having a little time off arm-strength-wise. We'll see how I feel [Wednesday] morning, but I anticipate to feel just fine and be ready to go Thursday." Arrieta would most likely be limited to pitches on Thursday and build from there. "The idea is to be out there the last game against Cincinnati at full pitch count and to be ready for the playoffs," Arrieta said. ESPNChicago.com Cubs need Jon Lester to find a fix by October By Jesse Rogers ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. What s wrong with Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester? It s a question the team desperately needs an answer to before October rolls around. When the leaves begin to change colors, Lester is usually building toward his best stuff. But this year, the three-time World Series champion - - and bulldog of the Cubs rotation is struggling mightily. His latest loss was a bad one: 8-1 to the Rays, as he gave up seven runs in 4⅓ innings. His ERA since the All-Star break is a lofty 5.11 after Wednesday s outing. Today was lack of command all the way around, a frustrated Lester said. Almost had too much movement on my sinker early on. Didn t have command for it. Just have to figure out a way. Lester gave up eight hits and issued three walks without striking out a batter. It doesn t take a pitching coach to understand that he isn t fooling anyone right now, though this isn t an issue of health or velocity, according to Lester and his statistics. According to ESPN Stats & Information, his fastball has averaged about 91 mph the entire season. Although he had a stint on the disabled list during the second half, he insists that he is healthy. We re not going to make excuses and say that s why I didn t throw the ball well, he said. Physically, it s September. You re going to have ups and downs. I feel fine. There are no lingering effects from anything. There s nothing physically wrong. So what is going on? We can identify the issues but not why they re happening. The opposition is hitting.300 this season with a.480 slugging percentage against Lester on at-bats that end with his fastball. That s up from.229/.378 last season. If his velocity is the same, it must be his location that is the problem. He grooved several pitches Wednesday, including one in the first inning that Steven Souza hit for a home run. I don t know, manager Joe Maddon said. It was unfamiliar. Stuff-wise, command-wise, it was just an unfamiliar night from Jon.

11 Command of the fastball is where it starts for most pitchers, and it s usually where Maddon points when things go south, so perhaps some fine-tuning of that pitch is in order. But Lester didn t like the feel of most of his pitches on Wednesday, which led to the question about whether he can put his finger on what s going on. If I could, it wouldn t happen, Lester responded. I m not worried about it. I ve had good seasons, and I ve had a couple bad ones. When you pitch a long time, you re going to have those ups and downs. With that, you have to take the good with the bad. We ll make an adjustment and figure it out. The good thing is it s not physical. It s a matter of getting back to what s working for me in the past. Although the Cubs played a clunker of a game, the night wasn t a complete loss, as the Milwaukee Brewers blew a late lead and fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates. That allowed the Cubs to remain 3.5 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central standings. The teams square off in a four-game series beginning on Thursday, with the Cubs still in command of their fate and more likely to make the postseason than not. If so, where does Lester fit in? If last year is any indication, the Cubs have set up their rotation for him to start Game 1, but because of the break between the regular season and the League Division Series, they can make a change at any time. Everyone will have enough rest. Lester s track record should give him the opportunity to find his game in his final two starts before the Cubs make any October decisions. But first thing first, they have to figure out why he isn't the Jon Lester who finished second in Cy Young voting last season. Since he s come back [from the DL], he s had some wins, but none of them have necessarily been Jon Lester sharp, Maddon said. I m OK with lesser [velocity] numbers. It s about the command because he is so good at throwing a strike when he wants to. Ball out of the hand right now is not really where he wants it to be. Lester himself isn t where he wants to be as the Cubs, along with their fans, look for answers. Can they find them in time? Can Lester? CSNChicago.com What s wrong with Jon Lester? And is there enough time for Cubs to fix it? By Patrick Mooney ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Even in the good times, Jon Lester doesn t really have great body language, trying to channel his emotions, use that competitive anger and stay focused on the next pitch, so there was no way for him to hide his frustrations this time. Lester handed the ball to manager Joe Maddon on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field and trudged back toward the visiting dugout with his head down and his team down six runs in the fifth inning of an 8-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays that left the Cubs searching for answers. What s wrong with Lester? That question snapped the Cubs out of a seven-game winning streak, the talk about playoff rotations and the computer simulations that project the defending World Series champs as a 90-something percent lock to make the postseason again. The good news for the Cubs is the Milwaukee Brewers failed to gain ground heading into the four-game showdown that begins Thursday night at Miller Park. The magic number to clinch the National League Central is eight after Milwaukee s 6-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. But it s difficult to see the Cubs going on a long October run when Lester a three-time World Series champion and the Game 1 starter in all three playoff rounds last year looks this lost. Since coming off the disabled list the Cubs termed it left lat tightness/general shoulder fatigue Lester has made four September starts vs. noncontenders and given up 27 hits and 12 walks in 21.1 innings.

12 We re not going to go make excuses and say that s why I didn t throw the ball well, Lester said. Physically, it s September. You re going to have ups and downs. I feel fine. There s no lingering effects from anything. No, there s nothing physically wrong. Are you convinced Lester is 100 percent healthy? He s not saying anything, Maddon said. I don t see any grimace and I don t see any like hitch in the giddy-up. I don t see anything. Since he s come back, he s had some wins, but none of them have been necessarily Jon Lester sharp. At a time when the $155 million ace is supposed to be building toward October, Lester didn t have any rhythm Steven Souza Jr. launched a 92-mph fastball over the fence in left-center field in the first inning or the stuff to finish off the Rays (zero strikeouts, 23 batters faced). Lester did his John Lackey impression in the second inning, screaming, stomping and staring when Brad Miller chopped a ball that bounced past first baseman Anthony Rizzo s glove and into right field for a 2-0 lead. The Rays have enough history with Lester after their battles against the Boston Red Sox in the American League East and appeared to try to get in his head. Peter Bourjos dropped a perfect bunt, Kevin Kiermaier knocked another RBI single up the middle and Lester escaped only when second baseman Javier Baez started an inningending double play on the other side of the bag. By the fifth inning, Lester was hesitating and making two wobbly throws while Souza stole second and third base. Lester then drilled Evan Longoria s left foot with a pitch and walked Logan Morrison to load the bases. Wilson Ramos finally knocked out Lester after 86 pitches with a two-run single into right field. Obviously, there is some concern, Maddon said. I don t have any reason to give you other than he had a tough night and I don t know why. It just looked different from the side, because we re normally used to seeing sharpcornered pitches and a little bit better velocity with everything. It just wasn t there. Lester now has only two regular-season starts left to find it and fix this. I m not worried about it, Lester said. When you pitch a long time, and you play this game a long time, you re going to have the ups and downs. Anybody can have one good year. It s a matter of going out there and consistently doing it. You got to take the good with the bad. We ll make an adjustment and figure it out. The good thing is it s not physical. It s just a matter of getting back to what has been working for me in the past and making those adjustments. CSNChicago.com Can Cubs count on Kyle Schwarber to be the hero again? By Patrick Mooney ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The Cubs had so much confidence in Kyle Schwarber last year that they made him their World Series designated hitter less than seven months after major surgery on his left knee and with only two Arizona Fall League games as the warm-up and expected him to deliver against Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and a dynamic Cleveland Indians bullpen. Now? Manager Joe Maddon isn t quite ready to make that leap of faith with Schwarber, even as the October legend closes in on 30 home runs this season and puts up a.900-plus OPS since his reboot at Triple-A Iowa this summer.

13 The thing you ve got to be willing right now with Schwarbs is understanding that he s going to do that, Maddon said Wednesday, pointing toward the right-center field seats where Schwarber launched Chris Archer s 96-mph fastball the night before at Tropicana Field. And then he might strike out with a runner on third base. You have to accept both sides. You re playing for that (home run) based on his ability against that pitcher, also knowing that you re going to see the punch-out in there, too. It s just part of who he is right now. That would appear to be a part-time player, as Maddon went with Jon Jay s contact skills in the designated-hitter spot against Tampa Bay Rays lefty Blake Snell and continues to think about what will give the Cubs the best chance to win the final stages of the National League Central race. Looking back on his time with Rays, Maddon explained some of the creative tension within a small-market operation constantly looking for ways to find an edge. Maddon called it buckets of information, how certain data points and sample sizes should be used in free agency and trades, while others informed the daily lineup/bullpen decisions and why you had to look inside the numbers. How do you assess Schwarber in 2017? During the time of the year when he narrows his focus and becomes extremely calculating, Maddon started talking about Schwarber in terms of player development and the future, which didn t exactly sound like a vote of confidence. Big bucket, everybody s going to love this guy, Maddon said. And then I think the smaller buckets are going to get even more attractive. I do believe the more he plays in the years to come, you re going to see the strikeouts come back down, a better adjustment when the count gets deeper. He s already trying to choke up. I don t know if you ve noticed that from up top he s really trying to do different things in counts right now and I m starting to see some progress with that, too. But, God, the guy missed all of last season, and I still think that we all forget that sometimes. I thought he was a little bit better when I first met him at the ball with two strikes. I think that went away for a bit. Now I think he s really trying to nurture that coming back. So I would say next year you re going to see the same kind of power, but probably more contact when it s needed. That s the bucket he s going to fall into. Coming off that dramatic World Series comeback, Schwarber fell into an offensive spiral that got him demoted to the minors three months ago. He s still managed to blast 28 homers while striking out 31 percent of the time, struggling against left-handed pitching (.663 OPS) and batting.208 overall. Schwarber also has the type of hard-charging personality that feeds off those doubts, loves the big-game pressure and creates energy for the rest of the team. There will be another chapter to his It is what it is, Schwarber said. That first whole part of the season was a wash for me. I was able to go down and just kind of get my head recollected and get some parts of my swing down. I can t worry about the number up on the scoreboard. It s just stupid to do that. So that s all I m worried about every time I go up to the plate I want to put in a good team at-bat. CSNChicago.com Cubs lose Pierce Johnson on waivers By Tony Andracki The Cubs have parted ways with the first pitcher drafted by Theo Epstein's front office.

14 The Cubs designated Pierce Johnson for assignment last week when they purchased the contract of Jen-Ho Tseng to make his first MLB start against the New York Mets. Now Johnson is with a new organization. The San Francisco Giants claimed Johnson off waivers Wednesday. He was initially selected in the supplemental first round in 2012 with the 43rd pick, 37 spots behind Albert Almora Jr. Johnson is now 26 and just made his first and only big-league appearance May 19 this spring. In Triple-A Iowa, Johnson had a 4.31 ERA in 43 games, including one start. He struck out 74 batters in 54.1 innings, but also walked 27 batters and had a WHIP. Johnson spent six years in the Cubs minor-league system, going with a 3.24 ERA, WHIP and 9.3 K/9, working slightly more than half the time as a starter (74 starts, 56 relief appearances). With the Cubs taking Johnson off their 40-man roster in mid-september as opposed to promoting him with expanded big-league rosters, it clearly shows he was not a part of their long-term pitching plans. CSNChicago.com Imagine Chris Archer playing for a big-market team like the Cubs By Patrick Mooney ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Picture Chris Archer performing with Wrigley Field as the backdrop the one Joe Maddon compared to a computer-generated scene from Gladiator instead of a dumpy building off Interstate 275. Archer could see, feel and hear the Cubs fans who took over Tropicana Field on Tuesday night, a crowd of 25,046 saluting Maddon and watching the defending World Series champs play a sharp all-around game in a 2-1 win over a Tampa Bay Rays team that has a less than 1 percent chance of making the playoffs now. It s weird, Archer said after the tough-luck loss, comparing the scene to last week s games relocated to New York in the wake of Hurricane Irma. I didn t know we had that many people from Chicago, Illinois, Midwest area, in Tampa, but I guess we do. It was just weird for their players to come out and get announced and get so much love. It was strange. It felt like we were in Citi Field playing the Yankees, honestly. I m not being critical. It was just crazy how much royal blue there was out there. When Willson Contreras went out there to warm up the pitcher, he had a standing O. I ve been here for however long and seen some really good players come and I ve never seen anybody get as much love (as they did when) they ran out of the dugout to warm up. It was just kind of crazy. Archer pitched in the Before Theo farm system, at a time when the Cubs were scrambling to try to pry their window to contend back open after winning back-to-back division titles in 2007 and Maddon became the beneficiary when the Cubs packaged Archer who had 13 Double-A starts on his resume at that point in the blockbuster Matt Garza trade in January Archer, who worked last year s World Series as an ESPN analyst, has pitched in only two playoff games, making two relief appearances out of Maddon s bullpen when the Boston Red Sox handled the Rays during a 2013 first-round series.

15 Archer lost 19 games last season while putting up a 4.02 ERA and 200-plus innings. He earned his second All-Star selection this year and will turn 29 later this month. Wonder what the good-but-not-great numbers in , 4.02 ERA, 32 starts, 241 strikeouts would look like on a contender. He is among the elite pitchers, there s no question about that, Maddon said. I don t watch him enough to know when he goes into these bad moments what exactly is going on. (And) I don t even know how much certain years luck plays into it or not. But the thing about him in a big-city market that would intrigue me is him. He s really bright. And he s very socially engaged. For him to be in more of an urban kind of a setting with a greater audience, he could make quite an impact. Archer is locked into a team-friendly contract that will pay him roughly $14 million in 2018 and 2019 combined, plus the Rays hold bargain club options for 2020 ($9 million) and 2021 ($11 million). Meaning it would take an unbelievable offer just to get Tampa Bay s attention. Archer is also a face of the franchise, a two-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee who visits young men and women in the Pinellas County Juvenile Detention Center and stays involved with Major League Baseball s RBI Program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities). Beyond being a pitcher who is very, very good, I would be curious if he was in a larger situation, said Maddon, who has an offseason home and a restaurant in Tampa and sat with Archer during a Buccaneers game last season. Just because socially, in a community, he s already done it here. But you put him in a large city with more of an urban situation he could really be impactful in that city. He s really engaging when he speaks. He s very bright. He s really well-thought-out. Archer has come a long way from the Mark DeRosa salary-dump trade with the Cleveland Indians on New Year s Eve Stan Zielinski, the beloved scout who died in January, lobbied then-general manager Jim Hendry, insisting the Cubs shouldn t do the deal without Archer, a Class-A pitcher who went 4-8 with a 4.29 ERA that season. While closing the Garza deal, the Rays actually pushed for another pitching prospect, but the Cubs wanted to hold onto Trey McNutt. Other players bundled in that trade became useful major-league pieces (Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Sam Fuld), but the headliner was supposed to be Hak-Ju Lee, a South Korean shortstop already blocked by Starlin Castro who never made it to the big leagues. There was a lot of good players that came the Rays way at that time, Maddon said. I didn t know what to expect (from Archer). I saw him in camp. Great arm. Didn t really have a good feel for command at that time. But when you talked to the kid, you couldn t help but really like him a lot. He and I connected on more of an intellectual level regarding books and stuff, because he s really well-read. He s a lot smarter than I ll ever be. I ve always enjoyed my conversations with him. And then all of a sudden, he started finding the plate. And that slider s electric. Maddon has already seen what the Cubs brand and Chicago platform can do for his baseball legacy, bank account and off-the-field interests. Do you want Archer back? I didn t say that, Maddon said. That s something I cannot (say). Chicago Tribune Cubs, pesky Brewers set to face off again for four games at Wrigley North By Paul Sullivan

16 Joe Maddon said before Wednesday's game at Tropicana Field that the Brewers are "not going to go away," as much as the Cubs would like them to disappear. But with only 11 games left in the season after an 8-1 loss to the Rays on Wednesday, the Cubs now have a chance to put them safely in the rear view mirror with a four-game showdown at Miller Park, their home away from home. This could be a make-or-break series for the Brewers, though the same was said on Sept. 8 when the Brewers came to Wrigley Field for a three-game set trailing the Cubs by five games. Manager Craig Counsell looked at the situation then and gave an honest assessment of its importance. "When we're in the chasing position we have less room for error," he said. "That's the way it sits. We've certainly got less room for error. When you get into 20 games or so left, and you're chasing, yeah, it's closer to that for us for sure." The Brewers responded by sweeping the Cubs and outscoring them 20-3, moving to within two games with a gutsy performance that showed they would not be intimidated. But the Cubs went on to win seven straight before Wednesday's loss giving them a bit more breathing room at 3 1/2 games. And though no one outside Milwaukee was paying attention, the Brewers launched themselves into contention for the second NL wild-card spot, and were a game behind the Rockies after Wednesday night. Who knew this rebuilding Brewers team had the right stuff to be in contention with only a week and a half left in the season? They finished 16 games under.500 last year and 30 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the Central Division, and their biggest offseason move was signing Eric Thames out of the Korea League. "Coming into the year we didn't necessarily know," Brewers general manager David Stearns said. "We knew we had a very inexperienced team that we'd seen flashes of encouragement from before, especially the last games of 2016, we played pretty good baseball. We won a lot of those games, some against some pretty good teams. "So we thought coming into this year if we wanted to allow those players to have the chance to take the next step forward in their development, and we've seen a number of them take the next step forward. Not all of them, but we've certainly seen a number of them, and that's been encouraging to us." The Brewers suffered a damaging blow on Sept. 8 in Chicago, when starter Jimmy Nelson suffered a strained right rotator cuff and partial anterior labrum tear from sliding back into first base. When Nelson was declared out for the season the next day, it could've been the end of the road. Instead they responded with a 15-2 win at Wrigley, and Zach Davies and the bullpen shut them down the next day for the sweep. Davies will start it off Thursday, facing Jake Arrieta in the Cubs pitcher's return from a hamstring injury. Despite the loss of Nelson, the Brewers entered Wednesday with the third-best ERA (2.95) in September, making up for an offense that was hitting.244 for the month, 21st in the majors. Still, the presence of Ryan Braun, a longtime Cub killer, makes them dangerous, even in an off year for the veteran. Braun has heard rumors of being traded the last couple of offseasons, but he's still hanging around and hitting in the middle of the Brewers' order. "I am sure the rumors will creep up this offseason as well," Stearns said. "They do seem to creep up every offseason. Our intention is that Ryan is going to be a Brewer and finish his career as a Brewer.