May 22, Santiago Casilla surrendered Dexter Fowler's leadoff homer in the ninth before retiring the next three hitters for his 11th save.

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1 May 22, 2016 Cubs.com Cubs can't catch up after starter's early exit By Rick Eymer and Chris Haft SAN FRANCISCO Continuing to blossom in May, the San Francisco Giants received an all-around effort from Matt Cain as they evened their three-game showdown against the Chicago Cubs with a 5-3 triumph Saturday. The Giants, whose.700 winning percentage (14-6) is the best in the Major Leagues this month, relied heavily on Cain (1-5). The right-hander yielded Kris Bryant's solo homer among six hits in six innings to gain his first victory since July 22. Since then, he had posted an 0-8 mark and a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts. Cain also hit a two-run, secondinning double off Jon Lester (4-3), who lasted just 2 2/3 innings and became the first Cubs starter to fall short of completing five innings this season. "A lot of hard-hit balls, a lot of bad locations," Lester said. "I couldn't put guys away. Just a lot of bad situations. I'm most frustrated as far as not getting the ball where I wanted." Santiago Casilla surrendered Dexter Fowler's leadoff homer in the ninth before retiring the next three hitters for his 11th save. "Dex starts off the ninth with the home run and put us in a good spot," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "Unfortunately we couldn't get it done." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Posey parks one: After coming about three feet short of hitting a three-run homer Friday, Buster Posey left nothing to chance in Saturday's third inning, clearing the left-field barrier with plenty to spare to record his fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot. Before that, Posey had recorded just one hit in his previous 25 at-bats at AT&T Park. He also hadn't homered since May 1, going 62 at-bats without a long ball. "Honestly, I've gone through stretches where I think it kind of nagged at me more than this one has. It definitely helps when you're winning ballgames," Posey said after the Giants secured their ninth victory in 10 games. Chicago's infield was drawn in for Posey. He wasn't distracted. "In that situation, as much as anything, you just want to hit the ball hard," he said. "I feel like the odds are usually pretty good if you hit the ball hard with the infield drawn in." Cahill holds the line: Right-hander Trevor Cahill was called upon to douse the fire following the Giants' three-run outburst in the third. He got the job done, giving up one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Lopez restores order: Lefty specialist Lopez knew he wouldn't function as a lefty specialist. Summoned in the eighth inning with two on and two outs after Miguel Montero was announced as a pinch-hitter, Lopez figured the Cubs would replace the left-handed-batting Montero with a right-handed swinger in this case, Federowicz. It took Lopez five pitches to strike out Federowicz. Lopez affirmed that pulling even in this series against the Cubs, who own the Majors' best record, meant something to the Giants.

2 "You want to prove yourself against the best, and they're the best right now," Lopez said. "There's a lot of passion in these outs." Baez breaks through: Baez ended an 0-for-18 streak with his RBI single in the eighth. At the time, the hit fueled the possibility of another Cubs rally. QUOTABLE "I can live with the Poseys of the world hitting home runs. I can't allow myself to go full [count] on the pitcher and let him do some damage. Obviously that's not good." Lester on Cain's two-run double in the second inning SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With his double, Cain ended a hitless streak of 46 at-bats, longest in the National League. Not only did he victimize the formidable Lester, but his previous hit before Saturday came off Zack Greinke, and his last extra-base hit was a homer off Cole Hamels. UNDER FURTHER REVIEW Giants catcher Trevor Brown singled into left field, scoring Matt Duffy from second base, with one out in the third inning. Brown slid into second base on the play and was ruled safe, seemingly avoiding the tag. The Cubs challenged the ruling on the field. After a review, the call was overturned, resulting in the second out of the inning. It was the Cubs' 12th challenge of the season and the fifth they have won. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Right-hander Kyle Hendricks starts Sunday night's series finale, which begins at 7:05 p.m. CT. He's coming off a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start, giving up four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Hendricks is 1-1 in two starts against the Giants. Giants: Madison Bumgarner, whose presence on the mound has guaranteed success for the Giants lately, will start Sunday's 5:05 p.m. PT series finale at AT&T Park. San Francisco has won each of Bumgarner's last five starts, including his complete-game effort last Tuesday at San Diego. Cubs.com Candelario among top prospect performers Saturday By Mike Rosenbaum Double-A Tennessee pulled off a dramatic comeback win Saturday night as they scored nine times in the seventh and eighth innings to defeat Biloxi, At the center of the Smokies' late-inning rallies was third baseman Jeimer Candelario, who went 4-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles and a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth en route to driving in a careerhigh seven runs. Candelario, the Cubs' No. 7 prospect, started the scoring for Tennessee when he ripped an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning, and he picked up his second knock of the game with a leadoff single in the sixth. In the seventh, he delivered a two-run double to center field to cap a four-run Smokies outburst and help the team close the deficit to 7-5. After the Shuckers pushed across a run in the top of the eighth, Tennessee came right back to score a run on a wild pitch before loading the bases with a pair of two-out walks ahead of Candelario. The 22-year-old switch-hitter made Biloxi pay for the free passes as he blasted Stephen Kohlscheen's 2-1 pitch off of the right field foul pole for a go-ahead grand slam.

3 "I always knew it was going to stay fair," Candelario told MiLB.com after the game. "I didn't pull it that much, and I got a good swing on it, so I was just waiting for it to either hit the foul pole, or just go over. You always need to wait, but I knew it was going to be fair. "When you get in that situation, you just gotta focus on doing your job," he added. "When he walked [Cubs No. 18 prospect Mark Zagunis], I knew I had to step up. I was just ready for a mistake and just needed to be ready for the fastball, and when you put a good swing on it, things take care of themselves." Candelario raised his average to.218 from.197 with the four-hit performance, and he now has three home runs, 15 doubles and 20 RBIs in 40 games for Tennessee. Cubs.com Lester's short day a rarity for Cubs' rotation By Rick Eymer SAN FRANCISCO Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo thinks the pitching staff doesn't get enough credit for what the team has accomplished through 40 games. Jon Lester lasted just 2 2/3 innings in the Cubs' 5-3 loss to the Giants on Saturday, the first time all year a Chicago pitcher failed to go at least five innings. "They're going to have their days," Rizzo said. "I'm sure he's not too happy about it. If somebody thinks we're going to win 140 games, I'd like to know what they're on." It would even be difficult to keep it up at their current pace, which equates to a regular-season record. That's after going 4-6 over their past 10 games. Rizzo said the offense is getting more of the accolades, unless your name happens to be Jake Arrieta. The rest of the rotation, one of the league's best, seems to take a back seat to one of the league's best offensive teams. "But that's good," Rizzo said. "Let them stay under the radar. We'll just keep going and doing good things." Lester's worst outing in nearly a year only points to the success of the starters dating to last September. The starters had gone at least five innings in the last 48 games, their longest such streak since "Our rotation has been pretty solid," Lester said. "We're doing what we're supposed to be doing and that's keeping the club in games and putting up innings. At least until today." With a nice lead nearing the end of May, it's easier to shake off this kind of loss. Especially considering four relievers Trevor Cahill, Clayton Richard, Justin Grimm and Travis Wood combined to toss 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing three hits. Cahill struck out three. "We can't ride the highs too high or the lows too low," Rizzo said. "We need to stay on an even keel." Lester emphasized that, saying, "There are a lot of 'what ifs' along the way and there's a lot more baseball ahead. We have to stay healthy and worry about the Cubs." Cubs.com Cubs confident Heyward won't be out long By Rick Eymer SAN FRANCISCO An MRI performed on Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward revealed a contusion on the right side of his rib cage. He's expected to miss three to five days and will not be put on the disabled list.

4 Cubs manager Joe Maddon said team athletic trainer P.J. Mainville felt sure Heyward would not miss more than that. "It's encouraging," Maddon said before the Cubs took on the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. "When I went out there, I saw him crunched against the wall, laying on the ground. I was not too optimistic. When he stood up, that told us a lot." In conjunction with the MRI results, the Cubs also activated outfielder Matt Szczur from the disabled list and designated right-hander Neil Ramirez for assignment. "In order to compete in today's game, we needed one more position player," Maddon said. "It's an ongoing conversation and we felt we could always do it." The moves give the Cubs five bench players, including Heyward, and 12 pitchers. Szczur's second rehab start with Double-A Tennessee was rained out Friday night. He appeared in one game with the Smokies. Szczur, expected to join the team before Saturday's game time, is hitting.367 in 21 games with the Cubs this season. Ramirez did not record a decision in eight games with the Cubs, with a 4.70 ERA. "We felt we needed to do this now. We needed utility," Maddon said. "Neil is a wonderful young man and hopefully he will get an opportunity to play somewhere else." Maddon said he was not surprised by the good news about Heyward. "You just have to wait," he said. "All I know is it was a great play, from the extreme angle, the distance he covered and how he extended his body. That set up the game for us." Cubs.com Cubs look to best Bumgarner in series finale By Rick Eymer Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner is on another roll. He's won four straight decisions and the Giants have won each of his last five starts. He looks to continue the streak Sunday when he takes the mound in the series finale with the Cubs. Meanwhile, Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks will oppose the three-time All-Star. He's 1-3 over his last six starts and he's yet to complete seven innings. It's not all his fault, as he has a 2.74 ERA over his past four starts. He has 37 strikeouts and nine walks on the year. He's allowed two homers all season. Bumgarner threw a complete game in his last outing and has gone at least seven innings three times. He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last six starts. Bumgarner has given up one homer in his last five appearances after allowing five in his first four. Both teams are missing key personnel. Giant outfielders Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan were held out of Saturday's game with hamstring issues and are day to day. The Cubs are without outfielder Jason Heyward, who suffered a contusion on his right side in the first inning of Friday night's game. Things to know about this game Cubs infielder Ben Zobrist, on an eight-game hitting streak, is 5-for-6 (.833) against Bumgarner, with a double and triple.

5 Bumgarner is 16-9 in May and the.640 winning percentage is his best of any month. Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler has seen Bumgarner a lot due to his days with the Colorado Rockies. That might not be so good, though, as he is a.258 hitter (8-for-31) against him. Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is one of only three active players to hit a triple off Hendricks. Belt's also homered against him and is 3-for-5 overall. Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur appeared in one rehab game before being activated from the disabled list. He was 1- for-2 with a walk and a run batting leadoff for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies on Thursday night. ESPNChicago.com Jorge Soler might (finally) be getting it: 'I understand the message' By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO We ve been here before with Chicago Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler. An injury or matchup in his favor opens the door for another series of opportunities. This time, it s an ailment to right fielder Jason Heyward, which figures to lead to Soler's being in the lineup consistently for a few more days. Soler was getting his playing time already, but Maddon will now be less picky. Soler is in for now, especially after he came up with one of his better all-around games on Friday, after Heyward left with a rib contusion. Soler followed that with another good game Saturday. I want to keep doing what I m doing, Soler said through interpreter Henry Blanco before getting on base twice Saturday. Play the game the right way. Soler has said similar things before, but to be fair, it isn't always easy to dive deep into the psyche of the 24-yearold from Cuba. He is the only Cubs player who needs an interpreter, so interviews aren t always smooth, but Soler admitted that he wasn t focused last season. Maddon was thrilled with Soler's concentration Friday, when he played great defense, ran the bases well and hit a home run. It s nice to see Jorge play a complete game because that s what we re looking for from all of our guys, Maddon said after that game. We just don t want hitters. We want guys that will play a complete game. I was really, really pleased to see that for him and for us. It sounds like Soler gets it, but then again, we ve heard some of this rhetoric before. I understand the message, he said. I m going to work hard and give everything I have on the field. I understand it s not just about hitting. That s music to Maddon s ears. The manager was clear that he wasn t as impressed with the home run as he was with the rest of Soler s game Friday. Maddon wants winning baseball players, and his left fielder isn t quite there, as the other youngsters on the Cubs are, but maybe Soler is closing in. Friday and Saturday were more than good starts they were great ones. It was one of the best games I ve had, Soler said of Friday. Looking forward to more of those. I just want to go out there and do everything I can and try to have a good game.

6 ESPNChicago.com Cubs learn what can happen when Anthony Rizzo, Jon Lester each struggle By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO A bad Jon Lester start combined with an Anthony Rizzo slump is a rarity these days for the Chicago Cubs, but both contributed to a 5-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, a loss that dropped the Cubs to 4-6 in their past 10 games. It has been a step forward followed by a step back lately. That is something the Cubs predicted. If anyone thought we were going to win 140 games, I want to know what they re taking, Rizzo said. You can t ride the highs too high. I don t think any of us did, and none of us are going to ride the lows too low. It makes sense, but a little consistency would be nice. Rizzo has been as streaky as anyone this season, and right now, he s going the other way after an 0-for-5 day. He s 1-for-19 on the road trip, which has coincided with the Cubs' first mini-slump of the season. Balls really not falling for me at this moment, Rizzo said. It s a little frustrating for me. I think I ve been really good with my approach. We ll have to take Rizzo s word for it, as he knows his swing better than anyone, but one might wonder how the Cubs are with their perennial MVP candidate hitting.245. The answer would start and end with their starting staff. The Cubs' starting pitchers have been so reliable that manager Joe Maddon almost always knows he won t have to get a reliever up until at least the sixth inning. That wasn t the case for Lester on Saturday, as he simply got hit hard. The worst hitter in the Giants' lineup, pitcher Matt Cain, got him, as did the best, Buster Posey. Cain had a two-run double in the second, and Posey blasted a two-run homer to make it 4-1 Giants in the third. Lester was done before the inning was over. Bad location, Lester said. The times I was able to get ahead, I couldn t put any guys away. Just a lot of bad situations I put myself in. Lester wouldn t commit to being squeezed by plate umpire Greg Gibson, causing him to throw more hittable pitches. Instead, he focused on himself and claimed he couldn t put the ball where he wanted to. Squeezed or not, Lester's pitches didn t have the life previously seen from him this year. That said, Lester's ERA is now Jonny had a tough day, Maddon said. It just didn t want to work out for him. Jon wasn t on top of his game, but otherwise, we did a lot of good things. One thing the Cubs did was claw back into the game, thanks to 5 1/3 innings of scoreless pitching by their bullpen. A key moment came in the eighth inning, when the Cubs, trailing by three, had two runners on with two outs. Maddon chose to bat righty Tim Federowicz, who is hitting.182, instead of veteran left-hander Miguel Montero, against Giants lefty Javier Lopez. The result might have been predictable: Federowicz struck out to end the threat. It s a tough spot to put him into, Maddon said. I have faith in the guy. The guy is a good baseball player. I felt good about him going up there. There s always a whipping boy, even on the good teams, and right now, Federowicz might be it for Cubs fans. But when Lester is off his game and Rizzo is slumping, it s hard to point the finger at the No. 3 catcher and blame him.

7 Let s return to Rizzo s initial point and the fact that the winning pace has slowed. The glass-half-full approach would say 4-6 as a worst stretch isn t all that bad. The Cubs could slide further with Madison Bumgarner facing them Sunday night, while the Cubs counter with their No. 5 pitcher, Kyle Hendricks. But nothing has changed the spirit in the locker room not even another injury, this time to Jason Heyward on Friday. This is hardly a big skid. The best part is we believe we re going to come back, Rizzo said. The Cubs nearly did Saturday, but it wasn t good enough. Comebacks aren t needed if the starter is doing his job. For 48 straight games, the Cubs got that from their pitchers, with all of them lasting five or more innings. A lot of things in that game I wish I could go back out and rethink through or throw another pitch, but it is what it is, Lester said. Now the Cubs have to start a new streak. ESPNChicago.com Cubs fall to Giants as Jon Lester ends impressive starting streak By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO As with the Chicago Cubs' pace of winning games, excellence from their starting pitching was bound to come back down to Earth after a great start to the season. A string of 48 consecutive outings in which Cubs starters lasted five or more innings ended Saturday as Jon Lester got hit hard over just 2⅔ innings in a 5-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. In losing, Lester saw his ERA rise above 2.00 just as Jason Hammel did days earlier in Milwaukee. The starting staff's 2.38 ERA coming into the game simply wasn t sustainable, and Lester reverted to a hiccup that plagued him sometimes in 2015, failing to keep his team closer early in the game. That was the most disappointing aspect of Saturday s start. The left-hander gave up six hits all seemingly hard-hit balls before exiting with Chicago facing a four-run deficit. His ERA rose to 2.60, still very good, but no longer do the Cubs have three of the best ERAs in baseball. At least the bullpen performed admirably, shutting out the Giants for 5⅓ innings. The Cubs are going through a bit of a reset. They re 4-6 in their past 10 games, with some offensive slumps and rising ERAs. Not to the point of panic, but to the point of coming back to the pack a little. Now they have to grind through a few days without their best defensive player (Jason Heyward) and face an unfavorable schedule with a Sunday night game in San Francisco followed by a three-game series in St. Louis. A.500 mark during this stretch might not be such a bad thing to hope for. ESPNChicago.com Why the Cubs sent out reliever Neil Ramirez By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO Even though right fielder Jason Heyward's injury looks to be minor, it had far-reaching implications for the Chicago Cubs. Let s examine the importance of the moves the Cubs made Saturday with Heyward due to sit out the next few games. Neil Ramirez designated for assignment The Cubs were always likely to cut back and carry 12 pitchers at some point, and this gave them the opportunity. Several times in recent games, manager Joe Maddon has run out of players on his bench, and with his starting staff performing so well, keeping eight relievers was a luxury that ran its course.

8 We always thought that that could happen, Maddon said of trimming down the arms. It s a conversation we have since spring training. Some might wonder why the Cubs continue to keep three catchers, or perhaps why another pitcher such as lefthander Clayton Richard survived the cut. First, one must understand the value the Cubs believe veteran catcher Tim Federowicz brings to the table. Miguel Montero has already experienced an injury and David Ross is 39 years old. If one of those veteran catchers goes down for an extended period, the Cubs are simply not ready to bring up hot prospect Willson Contreras. It has nothing to do with his offense, which has been stellar at Triple-A. And it probably doesn t have anything to do with his receiving skills. But catchers are so much more than swinging a bat and catching a baseball. Do you really think a rookie is ready to step in and catch one of the best pitching staffs in baseball? Is he ready, midseason, to tell John Lackey what he needs to hear? Obviously the Cubs front office doesn t think so, or Federowicz would be gone. He can t be sent back to the minors without clearing waivers, and the Cubs will buy all the time they can until they are forced to make a decision with him. As for Richard, the fact that he s a lefty probably bought him some time as well. Even though Ramirez had a breakout season in 2014, Maddon wasn t around to see it, and while the 26-year-old righty was working his way back into a competitive form, the Cubs don t have the luxury to wait. Right or wrong, Ramirez had only eight appearances this season and the Cubs deemed Federowicz more valuable. It s hard to argue considering the importance of catching and the redundancy the Cubs possess from the right side in the bullpen. Neil has had a really wonderful young career with the Cubs, Maddon said. It s hard to do that. Hopefully he ll have a better opportunity to play somewhere else. This isn t to say the Cubs made the right decision. They might not need Federowicz when it s all said and done, and Ramirez could find that 2014 form, but there s no way to know that right now. The key is understanding why they did it. They see more value in the third catcher than most fans might. Matt Szczur activated Szczur was playing well before suffering a hamstring injury, and with Heyward unavailable for a few days, Szczur's return from the disabled list seemed like a natural move. When Heyward returns, the Cubs will have plenty of versatility; they now have 13 position players, including Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez, who all can play the outfield. That more than makes up for carrying three catchers. The Cubs probably won t go the next four months with that roster makeup, but for now, it shouldn t be a major issue. ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Jason Heyward out only 3-5 days with contusion near rib, hip By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO The Chicago Cubs escaped some bad news with outfielder Jason Heyward on Saturday, when they learned that he has a contusion near his right rib and hip, an injury that will keep him out of action for just three-to-five days. "I think that's a reasonable thing," Heyward said after learning his MRI didn't reveal serious damage. "I'm feeling a lot better today than last night. Take it one day at a time." Heyward was injured while making a diving catch in deep right centerfield at AT&T Park in the first inning of Friday's 8-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. Most observers think Denard Span's blast would have gone for an inside-the-park home run, if not for Heyward's heroics. After lying on the ground for several minutes, Heyward was able to limp off the field with the help of trainers.

9 "God looked out for me on that one," Heyward said. "Still sore, achy, tight in the area that it happened." Manager Joe Maddon was obviously pleased the damage wasn't worse. "All I know [is] it was a great play," he said. As a result of Heyward's injury, the Cubs activated outfielder Matt Szczur from the disabled list, and pitcher Neil Ramirez was designated for assignment. The Cubs will essentially play a man short for the next several days, until Heyward is healed, which forced the need for an extra position player. Ben Zobrist started in right field Saturday against the Giants, while Javier Baez played second base. Heyward said he won't risk an early return to the field. "I'll listen to my body," he said. "Regardless of the doctors, you have to listen to your body.... I have to be smart. It's May. We're not in September right now. It's not the time to push it." As for the catch, which made highlight reels all over the country, Heyward said he ranked it near the top. "It's up there," Heyward said. "One of my favorites in my life, for sure." ESPNChicago.com Jeff Samardzija is a Bay Area guy now, but still is never far from home By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO Former Chicago Cubs and White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija laughed at the notion that every time he leaves a Chicago team, it becomes a contender. He can laugh because he's finally on a contender now, too. But just because he plays for the San Francisco Giants doesn't mean the Valparaiso, Indiana, native isn't keeping up with his former teams in Chicago. He stays in touch with both sides of town, including Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and pitcher Jake Arrieta. "You don't need to blow Rizzo's ego up any more than it is," Samardzija joked on Friday before the Cubs played the Giants. "I'll send Jake a text here or there, but what can you say about Jake that hasn't been said? He seems to be having fun, which is what it's all about." Samardzija was teammates with Arrieta in as he was emerging into the star he has become. Samardizja spent 2015 next to Chris Sale, who has become a star as well. "On the other side of town, what Sale is doing is unbelievable," Samardzija said. "Last year, the 13 games of double-digit strikeouts is one of the most amazing things I've seen. Both are incredible pitchers." Samardzija isn't doing too bad himself after signing a five-year, $90 million deal with the Giants this past winter. He won't pitch against this Cubs this weekend after retiring the final 19 hitters he faced against the San Diego Padres on Thursday night. Finally he's on a contending team and he's pitching well. The Giants have won three World Series titles since "When you have guys this professional around here and have the resume they have, you just want to come in and do your job and fit in and not be an anchor," Samardzija said. "That drives me to live up to their standards." He wouldn't mind returning to Chicago in October on either side of town for playoff baseball. He knows what the city is like when its teams are winning. "A lot of people determine their day on the newspaper clipping and the box scores from the day before," Samardzija said. "It's cool to see. I'm sure the city is excited.

10 "Good baseball. I love it. I'm a fan myself. Dodgers against the Giants, Cardinals or White Sox versus the Cubs, those games are fun. That's what you live for." For now, he'll have to keep in touch from afar. So when does he send Rizzo or Arrieta a text? "When they do something stupid on television," he said laughing. CSNChicago.com Giants Knock Out Jon Lester In Heavyweight Matchup Vs. Cubs By Patrick Mooney SAN FRANCISCO Joe Maddon s zany stunts, Jake Arrieta s individual brilliance and all these star hitters generate most of the headlines about the team with the best record in baseball. But the game still revolves around pitching, even if it sometimes feels like the Cubs rotation only gets noticed when it doesn t do its job, or in the context of which big-name starter Theo Epstein s front office should add by the trade deadline. Case in point: Saturday s 5-3 loss at AT&T Park, where the San Francisco Giants knocked out Jon Lester in the third inning of what s been billed as a potential playoff preview. You can find all sorts of distracting stats and invented streaks, but this one actually mattered: Until this clunker, the Cubs had 48 straight regular-season games where their starter had gone at least five innings, the franchise s longest stretch since Everybody s talking about run differential and all this other stuff fine, Maddon said. A lot of that s based on the fact that our pitchers are so good. The Giants can compete with anyone. Just look at the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series flags flying above the center-field video board at their beautiful waterfront stadium that draws the younger, engaged, energetic crowds Major League Baseball is desperate to connect with now. This is a great city and a relaxed West Coast media market that doesn t smother players. The Giants have a potential Hall of Fame manager (Bruce Bochy), an MVP catcher (Buster Posey) and an overall baseballoperations/business-side efficiency/harmony that s become the industry s gold standard. All that synergy and postcard-perfect scenery and more guaranteed money still couldn t convince Lester to change his mind before agreeing to the six-year, $155 million megadeal that shook the 2014 winter meetings. The 431st straight regular-season sellout crowd here watched Giants pitcher Matt Cain snap an 0-for-46 streak in the second inning, blasting a two-out, two-run double off Lester and over the head of center fielder Dexter Fowler. Posey later drilled a two-run homer into the left-field seats off Lester in the third inning. I can t walk the pitcher, Lester said. I got to take my chances with a heater and pulled it middle and he put a good swing on it. I can live with the Poseys of the world hitting homers. But to put myself in a 3-2 count with a pitcher and allowing him to do damage that s obviously not good. (There s) a lot of things in the game that I wish I could go back (to) and rethink through or throw another pitch. But it is what it is. It doesn t change the outlook for a team that s lost four of its last six games, and six of its last 10. Or a pitching staff that began the day with three top-seven pitchers among the National League ERA leaders: Arrieta (1.29); Lester (1.88); and Jason Hammel (2.31).

11 Our rotation s been pretty solid, said Lester, who s now 4-3 with a 2.60 ERA after giving up five runs in 2.2 innings against the first-place Giants. We ve been doing what we re supposed to do keep our team in the ballgame and put up innings with the exception of today. We all knew coming in that our rotation was going to be pretty strong. And we have to be strong if we want to go where we want to go. Or as All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo said: If anyone thought that we were going to win 140 games, I want to know what they re taking. Up next is ESPN s Sunday Night Baseball and Madison Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP who thought Fowler and Jason Heyward had been tipping pitches during a Cactus League game and almost sparked a benchclearing incident two months ago in Arizona. If it could get that heated in spring training, imagine October with Arrieta vs. Bumgarner and Lester vs. Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija wearing black and orange making a playoff start at Wrigley Field. We ll see, Lester said. We got a long season. There s a lot of what-ifs and all this stuff that can happen along the way. We got to stay healthy and worry about the Cubs. If we re able to get to that position, we ll worry about the opponent when we get there. But they definitely have a good team. They re a scrappy team. They put up good, quality at-bats. They make you work. CSNChicago.com Cubs Breathe A Sigh Of Relief With Jason Heyward News By Patrick Mooney SAN FRANCISCO Jason Heyward watched the replay of his dazzling catch and understood what had been at stake, appreciating that he somehow avoided the worst-case scenarios after crashing headfirst into AT&T Park s rightcenter field wall on Friday night. The Cubs described Heyward s injury as only a contusion on his right side in the rib area after Saturday s MRI didn t reveal any major structural damage. The Cubs are on a three-to-five-days timeline of rest for Heyward and believe this won t force him onto the disabled list. I m lucky, Heyward said. Very, very lucky. Like I said, God looked out for me on that one. Just really fortunate that I was able to get up and walk off the field. With Heyward sidelined, the Cubs activated outfielder Matt Szczur from the disabled list, designated reliever Neil Ramirez for assignment and started Ben Zobrist in right field against the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they will only have to rotate players for a few days in right field and not find a long-term replacement for a three-time Gold Glove winner in the first season of an eight-year, $184 million contract. Very encouraging, manager Joe Maddon said. When something like that happens, you just got to wait to hear the word. All I know is it s a great play. It was an extreme angle that he had to run off. From the distance he covered, the angle that he created, extending his body, everything, it s just an incredible play. How many defenders would have the instincts, athleticism, presence of mind and desire to make that play?

12 Heyward tracked down Jake Arrieta s third pitch in the right-center field gap, his momentum driving his left shoulder into the wall and taking away what might have been an inside-the-park home run for San Francisco leadoff guy Denard Span. It helped set the tone for an 8-1 victory over the first-place Giants. That s up there, Heyward said, in terms of ranking catches in a career defined by defensive excellence. That s one of my favorites in my life, for sure. I know that was the first play of the bottom of the first, but we re playing here in San Francisco with these fans, this crowd, two good teams going at it. That can be a big momentum swing if that ball gets down. The Cubs can afford to be patient with Heyward s offensive game (one homer,.611 OPS) because he helps the team win in so many different ways. Losing Heyward for an extended period of time would have left a huge hole in the roster after Kyle Schwarber wrecked his left knee during an outfield collision in early April. I listen to my body, always, regardless of what the doctor s telling me, Heyward said. I got to be smart, because it is May. We re not in September right now. We re working towards that, but this is not the time to push anything like that, especially when you got obliques and stuff like that involved. CSNChicago.com Cubs Trying To Tap Into Jorge Soler s Superstar Potential By Patrick Mooney SAN FRANCISCO During Friday night s postgame news conference, manager Joe Maddon gushed about Jorge Soler s performance, which took on added significance with the Cubs not knowing what would show up on Jason Heyward s MRI. I want to believe that he understands what we re talking about, Maddon said, analyzing Soler. Now he went out and did it. And that s the kind of mental effort that can make him a superstar. Soler isn t about to become the everyday right fielder. The Cubs could exhale once they found out Heyward s injury bruised right side/rib area shouldn t be a disabled-list situation. But the issue for the Cubs and Soler remains the same tapping into that potential on a more regular basis and sustaining a superstar-level of concentration. I m more worried about what he s thinking, I swear, because physically he s got all the gifts that God could bestow on a baseball player, Maddon said. So now if we could really just get him to process the day properly, work every at-bat, work every trip around the bases, be prepared for every pitch defensively, this guy could be really, really good. Maddon looked beyond the 2-for-4/home run box score and accounted for all of Soler s contributions during Friday s 8-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park, making two difficult catches at the left-field wall and taking an aggressive turn rounding first base. It s nice to see George play a complete game, Maddon said. That s what we re looking for from all of our guys. We just don t want hitters. We want guys that play a complete game. I was really, really pleased to see that for him and for us. I don t even care about the home run at all. That has nothing to do with how excited I am right now. It s that bullet at the second baseman. It s a homer in the latter part of the game. But everything else he did, I saw a Major League Baseball player out there. The way he ran the bases, the way he played defense, his focus during the course of the game, that s what got me excited.

13 Soler began Saturday s 5-3 loss hitting.200 with a.604 OPS, but he didn t let his offense effect his defense in the third inning. Soler smoothly cut off a ball in left field, gathered himself and threw out Trevor Brown at second base when San Francisco s backup catcher tried to stretch an RBI single into a double. Soler also doubled, scored a run and drew a walk and you can put all this in a wider context. Last year s exceptional class of rookies also warped the perception of normal speed for player development around the Cubs. Remember that Soler is only 24, still assimilating into a new culture, learning a different position in The Show while playing for a World Series contender and trying to make up for essentially the two years of game action he lost while defecting from Cuba. I m focused on what I have to do sometimes things don t go the right way, Soler said through coach/interpreter Henry Blanco. I understand the message. That s why I ve been working hard. I m going to give everything I got on the field. I understand it s not only about hitting. Just play the game all around and win games. Overnight, Soler isn t going to develop Heyward s defensive instincts or Ben Zobrist s plate discipline or Jake Arrieta s laser focus. Leading up to the trade deadline, it s also in the best interests of the organization to talk up a player who s been discussed in deals for pitching. But Maddon is noticing signs that Soler gets it. To develop a young player like that, everybody wants to see the ball in the seats nice, Maddon said. Spectacular plays great. I want to see him run the bases right. I think if he runs the bases properly and diligently and hard, that other stuff will just happen because he is that gifted. Chicago Tribune Cubs can't recover from Jon Lester's early knockout in 5-3 loss to Giants By Mark Gonzales After three months of consideration, the Cubs finally opted to add another reserve player Saturday at the expense of reliever Neil Ramirez. They can be thankful their bullpen was well-rested after Jon Lester was tagged for five runs in only 2 2/3 innings of the eventual 5-3 loss to the Giants. Lester's short outing ended a streak of Cubs starters pitching at least five innings in 48 regular-season games dating to Sept. 27. Because Lester had pitched at least six innings in all but one of his previous eight starts, his early departure shouldn't set off any alarms. But Lester was annoyed that he allowed a two-run double with two out in the second to opposing pitcher Matt Cain, who was 0-for-46 before that. "I can live with the (Buster) Poseys of the world hitting homers," said Lester, who allowed a two-run shot to Posey in the third. "But to put myself in a 3-2 count with the pitcher and allowing him to do damage, it's obviously not good." With a well-rested bullpen, the Cubs were able to rally gradually and bring the tying run to the plate in the eighth. Once the Giants brought left-hander Javier Lopez in the game, manager Joe Maddon opted to replace left-handed hitting pinch-hitter Miguel Montero with Tim Federowicz, who struck out. "(Federowicz) is a great matchup against that pitcher, according to our work," Maddon said. Federowicz is one of three catchers on the Cubs roster that was tweaked when they activated outfielder Matt Szczur from the 15-day disabled list. Ramirez, who never regained his 96 mph velocity after experiencing arm trouble in the second half of 2014, was designated for assignment before the game.

14 The addition of Szczur gives Maddon even more flexibility, as he started Ben Zobrist in right field for only the second time this season in place of Jason Heyward, who is expected to miss from three to five days with a bruise near his right rib and hip. Kris Bryant, whom Maddon compared to Zobrist because of his ability to play multiple positions, returned to third base and smacked his second home run in as many games. "It's really phenomenal to have somebody that young (24) and that versatile," Maddon said. "When I first met him, I didn't realize all of that. I didn't know enough about him. The thing that's really interesting about him is last year we talked to him about playing the outfield. He didn't even blanch." Left fielder Jorge Soler continued to impress Maddon by making a strong, accurate throw to nail Trevor Brown trying to stretch an RBI single into a double in the third. Soler also poked an opposite-field double and scored the Cubs' second run in the eighth. "I'm only worried about his thinking," Maddon said. "Physically, he has all the gifts God can bestow on a baseball player. If we can just get him to process the day properly, work every at-bat, work every trip around the bases, be prepared for every pitch defensively, this guy can be really, really good." Soler admitted he still is adjusting to left after playing right field until this spring, but he acknowledges Maddon's points. "I understand the message," Soler said. "I've been working hard and will give everything I have on the field. I understand it's not only about hitting." But the up-down start of Anthony Rizzo continues. After hitting safely in 13 of 15 games to raise his batting average from.185 to.282, Rizzo is in the midst of a 1-for-19 rut and struck out against left-hander Josh Osich with runners at first and second to end the seventh. Rizzo is accustomed to extreme streaks since joining the Cubs in 2012, so he's not alarmed that they have lost six of their last 10 games after a 25-6 start. "If anyone thought we would win 140 games, I want to know what they're taking," Rizzo said. "It's the way the game goes sometimes. You can't ride the highs too high, and I don't think any of us did." Chicago Tribune Cubs look for length from Kyle Hendricks in series finale By Mark Gonzales The Chicago Cubs will look Sunday night to Kyle Hendricks to start another impressive streak by their rotation. Our rotation has been pretty solid, Jon Lester said after getting knocked out after only 2 2/3 innings to end a streak that saw the Cubs starting pitchers pitch at least five innings in 48 consecutive starts dating back to Sept. 27, We ve been doing what we re supposed to do, keep our team in the game and put up innings. It s been fun to be a part of it. Hopefully we keep going with it. Hendricks has pitched more than six innings in only two of his seven starts, and the Cubs would welcome an extended effort after their bullpen threw 5 1/3 innings Saturday. Hopefully (Hendricks) can pick me up and get some innings to keep our bullpen out of it for a little while, Lester said. We all know coming (into the season) our rotation was going to be very strong.

15 We have to be strong if we want to go where we want to go. I m back to work (Sunday), figure this thing out and five days later go back at (the Philadelphia Phillies) and see where we re at. Chicago Tribune After avoiding DL, Jason Heyward won't rush return to Cubs By Mark Gonzales The Cubs and Jason Heyward breathed a collective sigh of relief Saturday after an MRI revealed the prized right fielder suffered only a bruise near his right rib and hip after making a spectacular diving catch in the second inning of Friday night s 8-1 victory over the Giants. The diagnosis will keep Heyward off the 15-day disabled list, but he emphasized he will listen to his body and not rush his return because the Cubs are holding a comfortable lead in late May. "I listen to my body, regardless of what the doctors are telling me," Heyward said after learning he could be sidelined for only three to five days after landing hard while making a diving catch Friday night. "You have to listen to your body. "I have to be smart. It's May. We're not in September right now. We're working toward that, but it's not the time to push it." The Cubs could take precautionary measures and wait to play Heyward until they return to Wrigley Field on Friday to play the Phillies after Thursday's day off. "I'm definitely feeling better from (Friday) night," Heyward said. "It's still sore and achy, still tight in the area where it happened. (But) it's not as sensitive to touch." Manager Joe Maddon initially thought Heyward might have suffered a neck injury after watching him crash into the base of the wall in right-center field. But Maddon was relieved when Heyward was able to walk off the spacious AT&T outfield after the injury. He also walked to the team bus before Saturday's game. "I'm lucky," Heyward said. "Very, very lucky. God looked out for me on that one. I was fortunate to walk off the field." Heyward ranked his catch as one of his best, comparing it to a diving catch he made in center field for the Braves against the Mets in New York and a home run-robbing catch in the playoffs. Despite his violent collision, Heyward had the awareness to show that he made the catch before writhing in pain. "I just knew I wasn't going to be able to hold on to it much longer," Heyward said. "It was rough. I didn't want it to be for nothing and drop the ball and (have the umpire) rule he's safe.'' Said Maddon: "All I know is it was a great play. He had an extreme angle he had to run. The distance he covered, the angle he created, the extending of his body everything was incredible." Chicago Tribune Winning streak at 19, Jake Arrieta believes he still can get better By Mark Gonzales Jake Arrieta's final numbers Friday night reflected his dominance over his last 29 starts.

16 Could the best be yet to come. Arrieta things so as he's relentless in his pursuit of excellence despite his 24-1 record and 0.98 ERA over that span indicate. "Timing wise, I'm still not there," Arrieta said after limiting the Giants to four hits over seven innings while striking out eight in an 8-1 victory at AT&T Park. "It might sound kind of stupid, but personally, there's a little more in the tank. "Once I get fine-tuned and get everything working, it's going to get tougher for the opponent. But if I have a game like (Friday) where I have to battle and sequence different, keep them off balance, I'm capable of doing that." Arrieta showed his ability to overcome difficulties in the first inning when he threw only five of 12 pitches for strikes. He broke the bat of All-Star Buster Posey on a feeble grounder back to the mound for the final out. After needing 87 pitches to get through five innings despite a comfortable lead, Arrieta needed only seven pitches to get through the sixth, and that economical effort allowed him to pitch another inning. Arrieta became the first Cubs pitcher since Carlos Silva in 2010 to start the season 8-0, and his major leagueleading ERA stands at Arrieta also won his 19th consecutive decision, as the Cubs have won his last 22 starts. During that span, Arrieta has an 0.77 ERA. Nevertheless, Arrieta said he came out Friday with his "B stuff" and needed to adjust after the Giants collected three hits in the third and nearly cut the lead to 5-3 when Jorge Soler leaped against the left-field fence to rob Posey of an extra-base hit with two runners on base. "I mixed breaking balls early in counts after they showed the ability to jump on pitches early in the at-bat, so I had to adjust," Arrieta said. "I didn't particularly have great feel, but I was able to work with what I had and made adjustments to pitch very well." Arrieta's ability to overcome bouts of shakiness convinces him that his best days lie ahead. "He got better as the progressed," Maddon said. "He made pitches when he had to. His stuff is so good, even when his command is off, he can be productive." Arrieta is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Arrieta is unbeaten in his last 16 road decisions, joining Greg Maddux ( ) as the only other pitchers to accomplish this since Chicago Sun-Times Historic streak for Cubs rotation ends in 5-3 loss to Giants By Gordon Wittenmyer SAN FRANCISCO With Saturday s 5-3 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park, the Cubs have scored three or fewer runs in five of six games. But the actual aberration for the team with the best record and by far the biggest run differential in the majors was this one: Cubs starter Jon Lester lasted just 2 2/3 innings Saturday knocked out in a three-run Giants third, after giving up a two-run double to pitcher Matt Cain in the second. Hard-hit balls. Bad location, Lester (4-3) said.