July 2, Cubs.com, Cubs send reliever Duensing (shoulder) to DL

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1 July 2, 2018 Chicago Sun-Times, Clicking since meeting in Los Angeles, Cubs offense fuels sweep of Twins Chicago Sun-Times, Much improved at the plate, Jon Lester homers for Cubs Chicago Sun-Times, Addison Russell leaves Cubs game after collision with Javier Baez Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' Maddon says being all-star helps young players Daily Herald, Lester joins in on Chicago Cubs' offensive fun The Athletic, How Chili Davis simple reminder helped set off Cubs offensive explosion Cubs.com, Cubs hold on after Lester's HR sparks slugfest Cubs.com, Russell aggravates finger injury, day to day Cubs.com, Cubs send reliever Duensing (shoulder) to DL Cubs.com, Almora making write-in case for All-Star bid NBC Sports Chicago, What we learned about the Cubs in June NBC Sports Chicago, Ranking Cubs players at the season's halfway mark

2 Chicago Tribune, Never a dull moment as Cubs sweat out win over Twins story.html#nt=oft03a-2la1 Chicago Tribune, Hard work at plate pays off for Jon Lester story.html Chicago Sun-Times Clicking since meeting in Los Angeles, Cubs offense fuels sweep of Twins By Brian Sandalow It might be only a coincidence, or perhaps it s something more. Whatever the case, the Cubs offense has risen to a new level since hitting coach Chili Davis held a meeting before the team s game June 26 in Los Angeles. They needed every run Sunday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs hung on to beat the Twins to sweep the three-game series and extend their winning streak to four. Combined with the Brewers loss to the Reds, the result left Cubs a half-game out of first place in the National League Central. The offense fueled the Cubs again, thanks in part to going 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. We re not trying to hit home runs, manager Joe Maddon said. We re moving the baseball. We re hitting it to all fields. We wait for the pitcher to come up to hit the three-run homer that s the right thing to do and then the other guys just move the baseball around. Maddon was alluding to left-hander Jon Lester s three-run home run against Twins starter Lance Lynn that fueled the Cubs eight-run second. Ian Happ added a solo homer in the fifth to give the Cubs at least 10 runs for the fourth consecutive game. The Cubs last accomplished that when they did it in a franchise-record five games in a row in June That streak has come since the meeting in Dodger Stadium, which has had some effect and at least makes for a handy line of demarcation. One thing Chili brought up to us in L.A. was trying to treat every inning like it s 0-0 and just keep battling, try to get a run and we ll see what happens, outfielder Jason Heyward said. Heyward said that reminder was good to hear. Things get sped up, he said. The season s fast, a long road trip, tough schedule. It s good to slow things down. Since that gathering with Davis, the Cubs have scored at least nine runs in five of six games as their focus has turned to working at-bats, finding more contact, avoiding strikeouts and maybe not trying to hit homers as much.

3 The message clearly has gotten through, though the hot and windy conditions and facing a Twins team that has a 4.46 ERA didn t hurt. It s something we ve been after for a bit, Maddon said. Recently, Chili had that meeting to reemphasize. Sometimes... when the student is ready, the teacher does appear. You say it, you say it, you say it, and finally it hits home. Then all of a sudden it blossoms from there. I really would love that we would never lose this mentality. This is a mentality that s timeless. Outfielder Kyle Schwarber said the Cubs aren t going out there trying to slug our way. We re just going out there trying to make hard contact, and it s paying off, he said. That mentality accounted for 11 runs in the series finale, which appeared to be more than enough to finish the sweep. Instead, it was barely enough. After opening a 9-1 lead, the Cubs allowed the Twins to score twice each in the fifth and sixth. The Twins then scored five times in the eighth against Dillon Maples, capped by a two-run homer by Mitch Garver, to cut an 11-5 deficit to Helped in part by a sliding catch by Albert Almora Jr. on a sinking liner to center to start the ninth, Brandon Morrow got the last four outs for his 18th save. It definitely [was] one of those games, Schwarber said. It was one of those series. Chicago Sun-Times Much improved at the plate, Jon Lester homers for Cubs By Brian Sandalow When Cubs left-hander Jon Lester was in the American League with the Red Sox and Athletics, his only duty was to pitch. He didn t care about hitting and didn t sweat his swing too much even in interleague games. In fact, Lester said he only would start taking batting practice a week before playing in a National League park. That showed when he played in the AL and carried over to the beginning of his tenure with the Cubs. He began his career 0-for-66 before finally getting his first hit in Since then, however, Lester has improved greatly at the plate. He offered more proof of that when he hit a three-run home run against Twins starter Lance Lynn in an eight-run second inning Sunday. Close your eyes enough and swing hard enough, you ll eventually run into one, a joking Lester said. No, it s cool. Obviously, being over here and actually having to be responsible for that 9-hole, it s important. It s important to have good at-bats. I feel like I ve done that, regardless of the outcome. I ve had good at-bats and haven t been just a one-pitch-out guy. Lester s improvement has given him two career homers and seven RBI this season. He knows he can change the game with his bat, whether it s by hitting a homer or by laying down a bunt.

4 I feel like I worked on my bunting a lot, and I feel like I m pretty good at that, Lester said. The hitting stuff will always be a bonus. On the mound, Lester went five-plus innings and allowed four runs (two earned) to win his NL-best 11th game. He has won seven consecutive starts, the first Cubs pitcher to do that since Jake Arrieta won eight in a row in August-September Russell exits Shortstop Addison Russell left the game after colliding with third baseman Javy Baez while both were chasing a pop-up by the Twins Eduardo Escobar down the third-base line in the sixth inning. Russell s left hand and middle finger the same one that had been bothering him was stepped on during the play. Manager Joe Maddon said he thought it was possible Russell could play Tuesday against the Tigers, but he wasn t sure. Swing big Baez has been mentioned as a potential contestant for the Home Run Derby during All-Star festivities. Some worry the event can affect a player s swing, but Maddon wasn t having any of that and endorsed Baez s participation, saying people watching would enjoy his presence as much as Baez would enjoy being there. It gives me something to do on that Monday night; I ll be watching that, Maddon said. I have no issues with that, especially our guys not being long in the tooth. I think they can handle something like that. This and that The Cubs put left-hander Brian Duensing on the 10-day disabled list with fatigue in his pitching shoulder and recalled right-hander Dillon Maples from Class AAA Iowa. Actor/comedian Jeff Garlin sang the seventh-inning stretch with Itamar Steiner, the Cubs 40th-round draft pick. Chicago Sun-Times Addison Russell leaves Cubs game after collision with Javier Baez By Brian Sandalow For the second straight day, a Cubs player was removed early. Shortstop Addison Russell departed after colliding with third baseman Javier Baez during the sixth inning. Russell s left hand and middle-finger, the same one that had been bothering him, was stepped on during the play. Russell and Baez were both going for an Eduardo Escobar pop-up down the thirdbase line when the two ran into each other.

5 Manager Joe Maddon said he would think it would be possible for Russell to play Tuesday against Detroit but wasn t sure. David Bote took over at third. Russell had an RBI single in the fourth for the Cubs. Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Maddon says being all-star helps young players By Bruce Miles Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he'd like young players such as Albert Almora Jr. and Javier Baez to make the all-star team for the first time. They, along with Sunday's starting pitcher, Jon Lester, appear to be the Cubs' best bets to send someone to Washington for the July 17 All-Star Game. "It's pretty spectacular when that does occur," Maddon said. "Young player making your way in the game being recognized in that manner matters a lot. I think it's one of those things where it can push somebody further along in their career mentally as much as anything. "I'd like to see our guys get that opportunity. Definitely we have several guys who are deserving. You would think that they would want the time off, but they really do want to participate." Ouch, not again: Shortstop Addison Russell left Sunday's victory over the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning. He caught Eduardo Escobar's foul pop down the left-field line but got tangled up with third baseman Javier Baez, who stepped on Russell's left hand. It just so happens Russell had his left middle finger stepped on, the same finger that bothered him earlier this season. Joe Maddon said he's hopeful Russell can play Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field. Entering the Derby: Joe Maddon said he is not opposed to any of his players taking part in the Home Run Derby as part of the All-Star Game festivities. "It gives me something to do on that Monday night," he said. "I'll be watching that. I have no issues, especially our guys not being long in the tooth. I think they can handle something like that. "With Javy (Baez) our participant, for example, I think people would really enjoy that as much as he would. I don't worry about stuff like that." Maddon said he does not believe the contest can mess up a player's swing. "It's a nice narrative to prevent people from wanting to do it," he said. "I do think there's a fatigue factor, though. I don't think it screws up your swing necessarily. I don't believe that." Duensing to the DL:

6 The Cubs placed left-handed reliever Brian Duensing on the 10-day disabled list with left-shoulder fatigue and recalled right-hander Dillon Maples from Class AAA Iowa. Duensing has been hit around lately. He is 2-0 with a 6.92 ERA and a WHIP of Daily Herald Lester joins in on Chicago Cubs' offensive fun By Bruce Miles If ever a team needed a day off, it's the Chicago Cubs. As far as their manager is concerned, his guys also deserve one. The Cubs made it four straight games with double-digit scoring Sunday with an victory over the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field, where the heat index again topped 100. They nearly squandered a 9-1 lead, as the Twins scored 5 in the eighth against reliever Dillon Maples to make it But they managed to hold on and move to within one-half game of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. The Cubs will get two days off this week Monday and Thursday after playing 17 games in 17 days, including a makeup doubleheader. "I can't be more impressed with the way our guys played on the field," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team is "Under the circumstances, the heat, they were out there. They played well. They hit well. They ran the bases great. We did so many things well in adverse conditions. So give them a lot of credit." Starting pitcher Jon Lester did all he could Sunday to take things into his own hands, both on the mound and at the plate. Lester hit a 3-run homer the second home run of his career in the Cubs' 8-run second inning. "Yeah, close your eyes enough and swing hard enough, and you'll eventually run into one," he said. "No, it's cool. Obviously, being over here (in the NL) and actually having to be responsible for that 9-hole, it's important. It's important to have good at-bats, and I feel I've done that regardless of the outcome. I've had good at-bats and haven't just been a one-pitch-out guy." Lester also gutted out 5-plus innings, taking the ball in the sixth before running out of gas. He earned his NL-leading 11th win of the season against 2 losses, with a 2.25 ERA. The upcoming off-days should help the Cubs reboot their pitching. They haven't had a quality start since June 20, when Lester went 7 scoreless innings to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. That has taxed a bullpen that has been very good overall this year. "We need to get the bullpen back in order," Maddon said. "We need to get Carl (reliever Edwards) back up here (off the disabled list) We do need a break. Our bullpen needs a break. Our starters need to go more deeply into the game and play more of a formulaic game out of the bullpen."

7 It does help when the offense is doing what it's doing. The Cubs scored 35 runs in the three games against the Twins, and their four straight games overall with at least 10 runs scored is the longest since a team-record five-game streak in June But a run of quality starts would be most helpful for the bullpen. "I think there's always the recognition of that," Lester said. "As a starter, for me, if you don't go 7, it's not a good start. I don't care about how many runs you give up, if you don't get into that seventh, it's not a good start. "You have to sit back sometimes and look at the situation around you and look at this series and look at these last three days. We don't have three days like this very often in Wrigley. They happen every once in awhile, but usually, you don't have a series like this with the wind blowing out like it was. I think that puts an added pressure on every pitcher that comes in and trying to be too perfect. "Hopefully we can go on a couple-week run here where the bullpen isn't picking up slack and we can get into that seventh inning and it just goes 8-9 and we don't have to worry about filling in the other two innings." The Athletic How Chili Davis simple reminder helped set off Cubs offensive explosion By Sahadev Sharma Chili Davis meeting in Los Angeles wasn t a rah-rah speech or some intense movie moment meant to send the team charging out of the clubhouse ready to play the Dodgers. Instead, it was a simple reminder: don t try to do it all yourself. After the Cubs victory Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins, Jason Heyward, who went 0-for-5 but watched his teammates pick him up with 14 hits and 11 runs, said Davis point has been embraced over the last week. We re going to be who we are as hitters, Heyward said. But we just want everyone to have the mindset and focus of trusting each other. Not that we didn t trust each other before, but you want to come through, each guy wants to come through in each moment. So just understand that the way the game plays out, it may be the next guy who is supposed to get it done. On Sunday, Ian Happ reached base all five times he came to the plate, hitting a solo homer, singling twice, walking once and reaching on an error. Willson Contreras and Javier Báez each had three hits, Kyle Schwarber a pair, and Anthony Rizzo doubled and walked twice. Even starter Jon Lester got in on the act, slugging a three-run homer in the second to kick-start an eight-run inning. We re all just trying to pass it along to the next guy, Schwarber said, reiterating Davis message. We obviously want to have our at-bat and help out the team in some way. Get on base somehow, drive in guys, get the guy over. Whatever it is, we want to do that. And then it s up to the guy behind us. We have full faith in everyone on this team. That s the bottom line, we want to pass it on to the next guy. While the message might have seemed obvious, Heyward conceded it never hurts to get a little reminder during a 162-game season.

8 It s good to have, it s good to hear, Heyward said. We talk all the time, as players, individuals, coaches talk all the time. It s just good to have. Things get sped up. Season s fast, long road trip, tough schedule. It s good to slow things down. When the Cubs offense is clicking, there are few better. With 60 runs in their past six games a 5-1 stretch including 35 over the weekend sweep of the Twins, it s safe to say the North Side bats are in the midst of quite a roll. Their 35 runs are the most scored by any team this season in a three-game set. They ve scored 10 or more runs in four consecutive games (and five of six), and no team has more 10- plus-run games than the Cubs (14). But what manager Joe Maddon was most impressed by was his team s resiliency. They played all three games in 90-plus-degree heat with heat indices reaching triple digits. Four players left Saturday s game with heat-related issues and it seemed like every pitcher who took the mound labored from the moment they first threw a pitch. This after a tough eight-game road trip in which they got swept by the Cincinnati Reds in four and then looked much better while splitting four with the Dodgers. I thought our guys were fantastic, Maddon said. A noon game in Los Angeles with a day game to follow here. Babies being born, people being off schedules. The threat of heat exhaustion. All this stuff was going on limited bullpen. All kinds of caveats attached to this. The pitchers did a wonderful job, but the guys on the field, that was pretty fabulous. To be able to perform as well as we did for the last three days under those circumstances coming out of LA. All that stuff adds up. I know they re getting paid well, all that argument, but not easy to do that and play well. And our guys did great. Báez and Tyler Chatwood both welcomed children over the week. Kris Bryant went on the disabled list (all the more impressive that the offense has a week like this without their MVP taking one at-bat), as did Brian Duensing and Justin Hancock. Yu Darvish and Carl Edwards, Jr. remain there, but Brandon Morrow finally returned. It was an odd week and an even odder weekend with an oppressive heatwave hitting the city right as the team returned from two time zones away. And they barely flinched. A Cubs offense that s been criticized for struggling with runners in scoring position has been red-hot in those situations of late. After losing to the Reds 11-2 on June 23, the Cubs were hitting.232 with runners in scoring position, tied for 22nd in baseball. In the past eight games, they ve gone 40-for-94, a.426 batting average. They ve raised their average in those situations by 24 points and now sit 9th overall in baseball. We re not trying to hit home runs, Maddon said. We re moving the baseball, we re hitting it to all fields. With the wind finally consistently blowing out at Wrigley, the Cubs scored nine of their 10 runs on homers Friday. But on Saturday, they scored 14 runs without hitting a single home run then scored 10 runs on Sunday with just four of them coming via the homer three of those from Lester. The Cubs offense is built on power, but they re showing they can still score, and score in bunches, without solely slugging. As a team, the Cubs rank second in baseball with a.266 batting average, first with a.345 on-base percentage and they re slowly climbing the ISO leaderboards, now up to 14th with a mark of.163. All this has helped propel them to second in baseball with 5.12 runs per game.

9 And remember all the hand-wringing over the leadoff spot early on? After Happ s nice day at the top, the Cubs now rank fourth in baseball with a.361 OBP from their leadoff man, a spot that s been shared nicely between Albert Almora and Ben Zobrist, along with an array of other players here and there. With a day off Monday, the Cubs will get a nice breather after a tough weekend likely sapped many players of any remaining energy. The team is coming off 17 games in 17 days while playing day baseball on one of the hottest recent weekends in Chicago. Two days off this week (Monday and Thursday) could not come at a better time. But with a struggling Detroit Tigers team coming to town for two and then three against a Reds team the Cubs will be looking for revenge against, the Cubs need two things to happen to show they re really the class of the National League. They need their starters to go deeper into games their last quality start was on June 20 from Lester and in the 11 games since, the starters have averaged about 4 2/3 innings per start. And they ll need their offense to prove this wasn t merely another hot stretch, but rather that they re now past their hot-and-cold ways. It could be that way and not happen tomorrow, Heyward said about gaining confidence from a nice offensive weekend for the team. Just take it one day at a time. Understand it s baseball. Sometimes it s gonna work out, sometimes it s not. Just try and approach it the best way you can each time. Cubs.com Cubs hold on after Lester's HR sparks slugfest By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO If the Cubs proved anything during their three-game sweep of the Twins, it's that they can score runs without relying on the homer. However, all home runs are welcome, especially when Jon Lester smacks a three-run shot in the second inning as he did in Chicago's win on Sunday. "We're not trying to hit home runs we're moving the baseball, we're hitting it to all fields," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the approach. "We wait for the pitcher to come up and hit the three-run homer, that's the right thing to do. The other guys move the baseball around." The Cubs batted.418 and totaled 35 runs in the three-game series. They scored at least 10 runs in all three games, and have now done so in four consecutive games for the first time since June 1-6, They've also scored at least 10 runs in 14 games this season, tops in the Major Leagues. "We're not trying to go out there and slug our way," Kyle Schwarber said. "I think [Saturday] we had nine runs, with all base hits. That was great. We're just going out there trying to make hard contact. It's paying off." On Saturday, the Cubs collected a season-high 20 hits in a 14-9 win, but only three were extra-base hits and none were home runs. On Sunday, they totaled four extra-base hits in the second alone, including Lester's homer plus back-to-back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Schwarber. Two runs scored on Baez's hit. "Close your eyes enough and swing hard enough, you'll eventually run into one," Lester said. "It was a heck of an at-bat," Schwarber said. "[Twins starter Lance Lynn] was making some pretty good pitches on him, too."

10 And Schwarber's message to Lester after the inning was over? "'Good hit. Time to go pitch,'" Schwarber said. "'I don't care if you hit a homer or not. I just want you to keep getting guys out.'" Lester survived the heat and two long first innings on the mound to improve to 7-0 in his last seven starts and now leads the National League with 11 wins. He joins Jake Arrieta (twice) and Mark Prior (2003) as the only Cubs pitchers since 2000 to win seven in a row. Jake Cave homered off Lester in the second and hit an RBI double in the fifth, two of the nine hits off the left-hander, who went five-plus innings. "The big thing for me today was the in-between-inning routine kind of changed," Lester said. "Usually I'm on the bench and hanging out there, but I was down underneath, taking a break and I had some fans and cold towels and all that stuff. I had 45 or 49 [pitches] after two [innings], that doesn't help the situation. The wind blowing out, you're trying to be a little bit more perfect than normal. It hurt me in the first two innings." Four players had to leave Saturday's game because of heat-related issues, but there didn't appear to be any problems on Sunday. Game-time temperature was 93 degrees with a heat index of 101. The Cubs had cooling stations available around Wrigley Field. "I can't be more impressed with the way our guys played on the field," Maddon said. "Under the circumstances, the heat, they're out there, they played well, we hit well, we ran the bases great. We did so many things well in adverse conditions. Give them a lot of credit." The Twins rallied in the eighth, scoring five runs, all with two outs, against Dillon Maples, including a pair on Mitch Garver's two-run homer. It also started to rain a little, which provided a brief respite from the heat. Brandon Morrow got the final four outs for his 18th save. "We're good after a little rain delay," Maddon said. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Pitchers who rake: Schwarber singled to open the Cubs' second, and one out later, Addison Russell walked. Lester battled Lynn in a seven-pitch at-bat, and was behind 1-2 when he took two pitches, fouled off another, and then launched a fastball into the left-field bleachers. It was Lester's second career home run and first since Aug. 1, 2017, when he connected against the Diamondbacks. It also was the first time Lynn has served up a home run to a pitcher. "Obviously, being over here [in the NL] and actually having to be responsible for that nine-hole, it's important," Lester said. "It's important to have good at-bats. I feel I've done that regardless of the outcome, I've had good at-bats and haven't been just a one-pitch out guy. I've worked some counts and been able to at least make the pitcher work, that's all I'm trying to do. If I get hits, I get hits. "The home run is awesome, it's cool, especially at home. It's always fun to play here with the crowd and hit the ball in the bleachers. At the end of the day, I'm a pitcher, not a hitter." When he was pitching in the American League, Lester said he wouldn't think about hitting until one week before an Interleague series.

11 "Here it changes," he said. "It can dictate the game if you get a bunt down and move the runner or get a base hit. The hitting stuff will always be a bonus." Big fly: Ian Happ led off the fifth with his 10th home run, a 437-foot shot into the left-field bleachers, to open a 10-3 lead. According to Statcast, that's the third-longest home run by a Cubs player this season (as well as the third-longest of Happ's career). He finished with a season-high three hits and is the fourth Cubs player to reach 10 home runs this season. Happ is one of many who seem to have benefited after a team meeting with hitting coach Chili Davis last week in Los Angeles. "We've done a good job recently," Jason Heyward said. "The last few series, regardless of the results of the game, we've done a good job keeping pressure on the other team. One thing Chili brought up to us in L.A. was treat every inning like it's 0-0 and keep battling to get a run." SOUND SMART This is the first time the Cubs have scored at least 10 runs in each game of a three-game series since Sept , 1998, against the Brewers. INJURY UPDATE Baez and Russell collided along the left-field foul line chasing Eduardo Escobar's popup in the Twins' sixth. Russell somehow caught the ball but had to leave the game after athletic trainer PJ Mainville looked at his left hand. Someone stepped on the hand, which Russell injured in early June. Maddon said Russell might be ready for Tuesday's game. HE SAID IT "There's rhythm. There's just good at-bats all around. When balls are flying around the ballpark, it's contagious. It's fun to watch, even if you're just sitting in the dugout. To see these guys going up there, competing and putting together really good at-bats, that's when [it's easy]. Like I said, it's easy when it's going good, but whenever things go bad too, that's when you get to be good as well." Schwarber, on the Cubs' offense MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY Baez doubled to lead off the Cubs' eighth, but the Twins challenged the call, saying second baseman Brian Dozier had tagged him out. After a review, the call was confirmed. UP NEXT After a much needed off-day Monday, the Cubs will play host to the Tigers at Wrigley Field for a twogame Interleague series. Kyle Hendricks will start Tuesday coming off an abbreviated outing against the Dodgers. He lasted 2 2/3 innings and gave up six runs on eight hits. What's been wrong? He's having a tough time with location. The right-hander is healthy and his velocity is actually up a tick. He has a 2.96 ERA in eight home starts. The Tigers will counter with Michael Fulmer. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT from Wrigley Field. The last time the Tigers came to Wrigley was 2015, and they swept a twogame series. Detroit is 9-2 against the Cubs in Chicago since Cubs.com Russell aggravates finger injury, day to day By Matthew Martell

12 CHICAGO Shortstop Addison Russell's middle finger on his left hand has been nagging him for a while. That's why Russell exited in the sixth inning Sunday, when his left hand was stepped on after he collided with third baseman Javier Baez and caught a popup in shallow left, which both players tried to snag. The Cubs beat the Twins, 11-10, at Wrigley Field. Chicago has Monday off before hosting the Tigers for a two-game series starting on Tuesday, giving Russell extra time to recover. His status is questionable, though manager Joe Maddon didn't believe the injury was serious. "I would think he's possibly going to be OK Tuesday, but I've got to find out," Maddon said. "It just got sore fast, got a little swollen." Russell first hurt the finger swinging during an at-bat on June 3 against the Mets. He came out of that game and also missed the next three due to the injury. After hitting a go-ahead grand slam in Friday's 10-6 win vs. the Twins, Russell said his finger was still bothering him a little, but "for the most part, it's tolerable." Russell has been on an offensive tear lately slashing.340/.410/.547 over his last 16 games so the hope for the Cubs is that the aggravated finger doesn't hinder his swing, even if it continues to linger. Said Russell after Friday's game: "Day to day, I have to make sure I do my treatment." Cubs.com Cubs send reliever Duensing (shoulder) to DL By Matthew Martell CHICAGO The Cubs placed left-handed reliever Brian Duensing on the 10-day disabled list with left shoulder fatigue prior to Sunday's series finale vs. the Twins at Wrigley Field and recalled right-hander Dillon Maples from Triple-A Iowa. Duensing has struggled in recent outings, allowing 15 earned runs over 6 1/3 innings in his last seven appearances. He pitched one inning in the Cubs' 14-9 win over the Twins on Saturday and gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. Maples, a 26-year-old with a wicked breaking ball and the Cubs' No. 12-ranked prospect, dazzled in two innings against the Dodgers on Wednesday, his lone Major League appearance this season. In that appearance, Maples struck out three and walked two, garnering high praise from manager Joe Maddon. Cubs.com Almora making write-in case for All-Star bid By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Albert Almora Jr. may not be on the ballot for the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, but the Cubs outfielder is having a first half worthy of consideration, manager Joe Maddon said Sunday.

13 Almora began the day second in the National League in batting average at.332, percentage points behind the Reds' Scooter Gennett. Almora did have to leave Saturday's game because of cramps in both legs due to the heat, and he was not in Sunday's lineup. However, he was available, Maddon said. "He's definitely having an All-Star-caliber season, no question," Maddon said. The difference is Almora's improved numbers against right-handed pitchers. Last season, he batted.271 in 188 at-bats against right-handers. This year, he's hitting.331 in 172 at-bats against righties. "If you look at the splits and how he's ascended versus right-handed pitching, he's done so much better," Maddon said. Almora was not on the ballot because teams must submit the names of players before the season begins. Speaking of improvements Jason Heyward totaled 34 hits in June, the most he's collected in a month since August 2014 (35). He batted.327 in June. Last season, he batted.259 with 15 hits in June. The difference isn't just a switch to the No. 2 spot in the Cubs' lineup, which gives him more at-bats. "It's as simple as his hands," Maddon said of Heyward. "He could've had 100 more at-bats with his previous method compared to what he's doing. Look at the two hits [Saturday] look at the line drive over [Brian] Dozier's head on the shift after they got to two strikes and look at the line drive over the shortstop's head the other way. That's it. If you want to know why, look at those two at-bats and break those down. You'll see exactly why the number of hits is so high." The first hit Maddon referenced came in the third inning, and the latter was in the seventh during the Cubs' five-run outburst. Extra bases Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder inflammation) was expected to make another relief appearance either Sunday or Monday with Triple-A Iowa. Maddon said he supports his players taking part in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. "If Javy [Javier Baez] were a participant, I think people would really enjoy that as much as he would," Maddon said. NBC Sports Chicago What we learned about the Cubs in June By Tony Andracki The summer heat has finally descended upon Chicago, but the good news for the Cubs is it appears their bats have rolled in along with the humidity.

14 The Cubs endured a brutal schedule in June, having to play 28 games in 30 days, including a doubleheader on the 19th. Sure, there was that 4-game losing streak in Cincinnati, but they also went 4-3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and finished the month overall. That final record looks a whole lot better thanks to a 3-game winning streak to close out the month in which the Cubs hammered out 35 runs on 47 hits. Here are 10 things we learned about the Cubs in June: 1. The Cubs offense is making its march toward October. That's not to say they're ready for postseason baseball just yet. But the Cubs hitters are willing students and they've clearly taken the lessons to heart lately. Hitting coach Chili Davis called a team meeting in LA before the game on the 26th, in an effort to regroup with an offensive focus on using the whole field/going the other way, cutting down on strikeouts and not trying to force home runs. The result was 4 wins in 5 games to close June, in which the Cubs scored at least 5 runs in every contest. That continued into July, plating 11 runs against the Twins Sunday at Wrigley Field. It's not always going to be this easy, of course. The Cubs aren't going to average more than 9 runs a game forever. But after seeing how the offense faltered in the postseason last year and paying close attention to how the game has shifted (strikeouts up, hits down), the Cubs coaches have been thinking about October since Day 1 of spring training with an emphasis on scoring runs against elite pitching without hitting homers. Right now, we're seeing clear development from the young hitters in that regard. 2. Jon Lester is the Pitcher that was Promised. In Year 4 of his $155 million megadeal, Lester is still getting it done in a major way and right when the Cubs needed it the most. With Yu Darvish out for the entire month, Kyle Hendricks enduring uncharacteristic struggles and Tyler Chatwood still trying to right the ship, Lester was every bit an ace for the Cubs in June. He won all 5 of his starts with a 1.13 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and averaged more than 6 innings per outing to help ease the burden on the bullpen. Lester's strikeout rate is at its lowest mark since 2008 (the year he became a full-time starter) and he's given up some hard contact as his velocity has dropped off a bit, but he's found a way to do more with less and just keeps taking the ball every fifth day to give his team a chance to win. 3. Kris Bryant is not OK...

15 ...but it's probably gonna be OK. June 2018 will go down as the worst month of Bryant's career to date. He endured a long slump that saw him hit just 1 HR, drive in 9 runs and post a.707 OPS in 18 games in June. He also hit the disabled list for the first time ever with a left shoulder injury. Bryant denies the shoulder may have had an impact on his power, but Joe Maddon is insistent the 10- day reprieve will do wonders for the 2016 NL MVP. Bryant has been taking swings in the cage and is eligible to come off the disabled list Tuesday at Wrigley Field. At the very least, he should be fresh and either 100 percent physically or awfully close. That's a dangerous thing to add to a lineup that's currently firing on all cylinders. 4. Kyle Hendricks is not OK......but it's probably gonna be OK. Like Bryant, June 2018 was probably Hendricks' worst month in a Cubs uniform at any level. He went 1-4 with a 7.03 ERA and 1.69 WHIP, allowing 19 earned runs on 26 hits and a whopping 15 walks in 24.1 innings all numbers we're not used to seeing associated with The Professor. He's giving up home runs at an alarming rate (he's already surrendered 16 and his career high is 17), but insists he's healthy. This is the guy who pitched the Cubs to the World Series in 2016, dominating the Dodgers in the NLCS. And the same guy who started Game 7 against the Indians. And Game 1 against the Nationals in last year's NLDS. Hendricks is one of the most cerebral pitchers in the game and is an avid student of pitching and the Cubs' scouting reports. If he truly is healthy, then chances are extremely strong that he'll figure this all out and get through this bump in the road. 5. Javy Baez is a legitimate MVP candidate. Baez hit.318 with a.915 OPS in June, finishing 1st or 2nd on the Cubs in almost every offensive category. He also became a father for the first time. Heck, he even drew 5 walks in June! When the best players in baseball head to our nation's capital for the All-Star festivities in two weeks, Baez should be front and center (yes, he should be in the Home Run Derby). He's on pace for a near season, 121 RBI, 105 runs scored and a whopping 84 extra-base hits while playing spectacular defense all over the infield and hitting anywhere in the Cubs lineup. With half the season in the books, Baez is firmly in the NL MVP conversation. 6. Yu who? Darvish hasn't pitched all month...unless you count a rehab stint in Class-A South Bend.

16 The 31-year-old pitcher received a cortisone shot in his right elbow Friday to address the impingement/inflammation and could resume throwing this week. But he'd have to build his arm strength and stamina back up, so he probably won't be able to return to the Cubs rotation before the All-Star Break. Through June, he had only accounted for 40 innings and a 0.2 WAR (FanGraphs) in a Cubs uniform. 7. Mike Montgomery talked the talk, now he's walking the walk. Montgomery made waves multiple times since the end of last season as he continued to be outspoken on his desire to be a starting pitcher. When finally called upon for the opportunity, Montgomery has been absolutely phenomenal. He accounted for more innings (35) in June than any other Cubs pitcher, sporting a 2.83 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 2-1 record. Maybe more importantly, Montgomery has gone at least 5 innings in every start, including a string of 5 straight outings where he completed 6 innings Whenever Darvish returns to the rotation, there's no way Montgomery is going back to the bullpen if he can keep getting these results. 8. The Cubs have depth, and they've needed every bit of it. The Cubs filled up the DL in June. They began the month with Darvish, Carl Edwards Jr. and Eddie Butler on the shelf and then added Bryant and Brandon Morrow, Rob Zastryzny and Justin Hancock. Reliever Brian Duensing also hit the DL after the Cubs' win over the Twins on June 30. Then there's the paternity leave, with Chatwood missing a start because of the birth of his first child and Baez out of the starting lineup for one game (Friday) for the same reason. The Cubs built up their depth in every facet of the game over the winter and they've needed every bit of this summer already. The shuttle of "Iowa relievers" was in full force and was met with mostly good results from Anthony Bass (0.73 ERA), Randy Rosario (2.45 ERA), Luke Farrell (3.95), Cory Mazzoni (1.50) and even Duane Underwood Jr., who pitched well in a spot start in LA. The Cubs have also needed to lean heavily on their position player depth both with Bryant on the DL and a stretch of 17 games in 17 days to end the month. Maddon has been diligent about getting all his players rest and it's worked out beautifully to this point. 9. It would be silly to trade Addison Russell hasn't gone exactly like Russell or the Cubs have planned, but he had a really good month of June while side-stepping trade rumors and a lingering finger issue on his left hand. Russell hit.329 in June (2nd on Cubs) with an.867 OPS (4th on Cubs). He even flashed his formerly-lost power with a pair of homers in the final few games of the month.

17 On the season, he's hitting.286 with a.358 on-base percentage and.407 slugging percentage while playing Gold Glove caliber defense at shortstop. 10. THIS is the Jason Heyward we've been waiting for. When the Cubs handed Heyward an 8-year, $184 million contract before the 2016 season, they thought they were getting a Gold Glove defender, clubhouse leader and solid hitter with room to grow as he entered his prime. Instead, he struggled at the plate in the first 2+ years in a Cubs uniform before June came along. He finished the month second on the team in OPS (.873) and RBI (16) while leading the Cubs in hits (34). Since May 29, only Paul Goldschmidt (.360) had a better batting average in the NL than Heyward (.359). Heyward and the Cubs are confident the changes are built to last, too, now that he's gotten his hands a lot more involved in his swing and is able to drive the ball and catch up to elite velocity. He's still the leader in the clubhouse and a fantastic defender and now that he's hitting consistently, Heyward has emerged as one of the most valuable players on the team. NBC Sports Chicago Ranking Cubs players at the season's halfway mark By Tony Andracki Every month throughout the 2018 season, we'll rank our top Cubs players based off trends and overall impact to the team's pursuit of another World Series. As a refresher, here's what the power rankings looked like after May: 10. Addison Russell 9. Kyle Schwarber 8. Ian Happ 7. Jon Lester 6. Kyle Hendricks 5. Willson Contreras 4. Javy Baez 3. Albert Almora Jr. 2. Anthony Rizzo 1. Kris Bryant As we begin the official second half of the 2018 season, this list looks quite a bit different. For starters, Hendricks' struggles in June (7.03 ERA) knocked him from the rankings. Schwarber turned it on at the plate toward the end of the month but struggled through much of the early going in June. Happ had a.402 on-base percentage in June, but his slugging completely went out the window (only 1 HR, 3 doubles and 4 RBI).

18 In their place, a few guys earned spot on the list as they proved how valuable they are to the team's success: 10. Addison Russell 9. Brandon Morrow 8. Mike Montgomery 7. Jason Heyward 6. Kris Bryant 5. Willson Contreras 4. Albert Almora Jr. 3. Anthony Rizzo 2. Jon Lester 1. Javy Baez 10. Russell remains at No. 10 because of his value as a defender and his offense has been better than you think in June, hitting.329 with a.386 OBP and actually had 3 homers in the month, including Friday's grand slam against the Twins. 9. We saw how important Morrow is to this team when he hit the shelf and the Cubs bullpen endured their worst stretch without their closer/anchor. 8. Montgomery's value to the Cubs has never been higher. He's been a godsend in the rotation with Yu Darvish on the shelf and Hendricks struggling. He threw the most innings (35) on the team in June, pitching to a 2.83 ERA. 7. Heyward's swing is back. He was one of the Cubs' most valuable offensive players in June (.873 OPS) and provided his typical stellar defense and leadership. His bump to the No. 2 spot in Cubs order has changed the complexion of the lineup. 6. We know how important Bryant is to the Cubs but after enduring what may be the worst slump of his career this month and ending June on the disabled list, there's no way KB can come in higher on the Power Rankings list. 5. Contreras started to heat up with the bat a bit as the month came to a close while improving as a catcher behind the plate in calling games and working with the pitching staff. When he really turns it on, Willy can carry this offense all by himself. 4. Almora once again had a very productive month. He's playing phenomenal defense in center and hit.363 in 96 plate appearances, beginning July tied for the National League lead in batting average (.332). 3. Rizzo slumped badly in April, then had a monster May to make up for it. But he wasn't his typical self at the plate in June, with an OPS of only.785 despite going 8-for-15 to close out the month. He ranked 7th on the Cubs in OPS in June. 2. With the whirlwind season the rotation is having, Lester has been the anchor for a Cubs team that has badly needed it. He reached 10 wins by June 26, the fastest he's ever gotten to that plateau in his career. He's giving up a lot of contact but that hasn't led to many runs, as he finished June 5-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 0.84 WHIP.

19 1. If you've watched the Cubs at all this year, you know Baez has been the most consistent player for the first 3 months. He finished June leading the team in OPS and 2nd in RBI while moving all around the infield and batting order. He needs to be in the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby next month. Chicago Tribune Never a dull moment as Cubs sweat out win over Twins By Paul Sullivan Major League Baseball honchos have been complaining all season about the lack of action in baseball, contemplating rules changes designed to pry those darn millennials away from their video games. But on another wild afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cubs and Twins showed the best recipe for action is heat, wind and a bandbox ballpark where crazy things can turn a game upside-down at a moment s notice. Anyone who still thinks baseball is boring after watching the Cubs build an eight-run lead Sunday and sweat out an win over the Twins probably isn t worth converting. A crowd of 40,051 that endured the 101-degree heat index in a 3-hour, 43-minute game can attest to that. Those who stuck around to the end were even rewarded with a serendipitous rain shower in the eighth that lasted only long enough for Twins catcher Mitch Garver to round the bases after homering off Dillon Maples to pull the Twins within a run after they trailed 9-1 in the fifth. That downpour was outstanding, even for a minute, manager Joe Maddon said. Maddon was talking about the rain, not the Twins offense, which battled back after starter Lance Lynn was pounded in an eight-run second inning. Cubs starter Jon Lester smacked a three-run homer to the opposite field to start the onslaught, giving the Cubs a 3-0 lead with the second home run of his career. Close your eyes and swing hard enough and you ll eventually run into one, Lester said. No, it s cool. Obviously, being over here and having to be responsible for that nine hole, it s important to have good at-bats. And I feel like I ve done that, regardless of the outcome. I haven t been a one-pitch out guy. The ballpark went up for grabs, and the Cubs dugout erupted like a bag of microwaved popcorn. Throughout the season he s had good at-bats, catcher Willson Contreras said. As soon as he hit it we knew it was going to be gone just because of the wind and the pitcher was throwing hard. It was really fun to see. But the fun was only starting, and with a 3-0 lead, everyone knew there was a long way to go. Time to go pitch, Kyle Schwarber told Lester. I don t care if you hit a homer or not. I just want you to keep getting guys out. The Cubs sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning and knocked out seven hits, including back-to-backto-back doubles by Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Schwarber. After a chance to cool off in the air-

20 conditioned clubhouse, Lester found himself back in the on-deck circle awaiting his second at-bat of the inning. Instead of taking some swings, he simply sat down on the brick wall near actor Jeff Garlin, curbing his enthusiasm as he watched Addison Russell ground out to end the inning. Lester lasted into the sixth, when he was removed at 100 pitches after walking the first hitter. Halfway through the season, he s on pace for 22 wins, 34 starts, 200 innings and a 2.25 earned-run average. The Cubs still led 11-5 in the eighth when Maples, called up from Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day, gave up an RBI single, a two-run triple and Garver s home run in the rain. Maddon brought in closer Brandon Morrow, who induced a flyout to end the inning. After striking out to end the eighth with runners on second and third, Morrow kept hope alive for the Twins by giving up a two-out single to Eddie Rosario and putting him in scoring position with a wild pitch. But Eduardo Escobar grounded to first, ending a slugfest series in which the Cubs scored 35 runs but gave up 25. All in all, considering the 2-6 road trip last week, the loss of Kris Bryant to a shoulder injury and the arrival of the Wrigley steam bath, Maddon is happy with where the Cubs are. That was pretty fabulous, to be able to perform as well as we did for the last three days under those circumstances coming out of LA, Maddon said, referring to the travel, the time change, the lack of preparation time and the intense heat. All that stuff adds up, he said. I know they get paid well. I get that argument. But it s not easy to do it and play that well. And our guys played great. Chicago Tribune Hard work at plate pays off for Jon Lester By Paul Sullivan Jon Lester was in a bunting situation in the second inning Sunday with two on and one out in a scoreless game against the Twins. Lester had a conversation with manager Joe Maddon before the at-bat, but Maddon couldn t recall afterward what it was about. It might have been my normal b.s., he said. There was nothing extraordinary about it, nothing insightful. I don t remember that I said anything really profound. Whatever was said or not said, Lester responded by hitting a three-run homer to give the Cubs a lead they would not relinquish. I love when he s up there, Maddon said. I think something good can happen. There was no way I was going to bunt him right there. I thought the way the wind was, the way (Lance Lynn) was pitching I knew Johnny had a shot. And he did.