August 19, Cubs.com, Baez dazzles on both sides of ball

Transcription

1 August 19, 2017 Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez gives Cubs fans reasons to cheer during 7-4 win against Blue Jays Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Jon Lester goes on 10-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue Chicago Tribune, Cubs pitcher Jon Lester mum on heated dugout discussion with pitching coach Chicago Tribune, Elisabeth Moss meets (not shirtless) Anthony Rizzo at Wrigley Field Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs fans boo Miguel Montero, but Jake Arrieta invites him for a drink Chicago Sun-Times, Elisabeth Moss meets Anthony Rizzo at Wrigley Field Chicago Sun-Times, Miguel Montero apologizes to Jake Arrieta in return to Wrigley Field Chicago Sun-Times, Bryzzo to sign $699 autographs downtown on Saturday Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs put Jon Lester on 10-day DL; problem was worsening for a while Chicago Sun-Times, What happened between Jon Lester and Chris Bosio Daily Herald, Arrieta, Baez, Rizzo heroes of Friday's win Daily Herald, Cubs don't expect Jon Lester to miss much time with lat strain Cubs.com, Quintana eyes more success vs. Blue Jays Cubs.com, Cubs, Arrieta spoil Blue Jays' return to Wrigley Cubs.com, Baez dazzles on both sides of ball Cubs.com, Cubs place Lester on DL with shoulder fatigue

2 Cubs.com, Montgomery to step up in place of injured Lester CSNChicago.com, Best way for Cubs to weather Jon Lester's absence is to pitch well, and that's just what they're doing CSNChicago.com, Miguel Montero explains how things ended with Cubs: It wasn t the nicest way to leave Chicago CSNChicago.com, Jon Lester hits disabled list as back-to-back Octobers start catching up to Cubs CSNChicago.com, What really happened between Jon Lester and Chris Bosio Chicago Tribune Javier Baez gives Cubs fans reasons to cheer during 7-4 win against Blue Jays By Paul Skrbina Javier Baez was called out twice on the same play at home plate during the second inning Friday once by umpire Ben May and again by replay officials, who confirmed May's call from about 800 miles away in New York. Baez left no room for argument six innings later, though, when he belted a baseball that landed 409 feet away from home plate, in one of the last rows of the left-field bleachers, to give the Cubs two insurance runs in their 7-4 victory against the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field. If Baez's home run was the exclamation point, his diving snag of Jose Bautista's scorching ground ball that seemed destined for left field for the second out of the ninth was the period. "I like hearing the fans cheer for me," Baez said. "I know Chicago loves me. Thank you." His play, especially in the second half, has helped earn last year's National League Championship Series co-mvp some of that adoration. He's batting.308 with a.664 slugging percentage and an OPS just south of since the All-Star break, and he's taking advantage of increased playing time with shortstop Addison Russell out with a foot injury. Baez's flashes of brilliance on the field come with frustration at times, though, such as swinging at bad pitches or making a bad throw. It also comes with aggression. Such as during the second inning Friday when he was thrown out trying to score. The play, recorded in the official scorebook as , occurred while Albert Almora Jr. was in the midst of a rundown between first and second after he had driven in the Cubs' third run with a single to right field. The fourth run wasn't to be, though, after Baez broke from third and couldn't avoid Blue Jays catcher and former teammate Miguel Montero's tag at the plate, which Baez slid past.

3 "He told me he tagged me, obviously," Baez said with a grin. "No excuses. They just got me." Baez got them back with his 20th home run, which made him the fourth Cub 25 years old or younger with at least that many this season, tying a major-league record. The home run also made him the fifth Cub with at least 20, tying a franchise mark. "We'll try to get 30 if we can," Baez said. In addition to a show from Baez and starter Jake Arrieta, fans received a free preview of the upcoming Chicago Air and Water Show. With Blue Angels roaring through practice formations above, Arrieta kept the Blue Jays grounded by allowing a run, six hits, two walks and striking out six in 6 1/3 innings of his seventh consecutive quality start. The free agent-to-be has allowed two or fewer runs in his last seven starts and is 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA during that span. But increasing his price on the open market with each appearance has little to do with his motivation right now, he said. He just wants to give the team a chance to win, he said. Oh, and to have a beer with his old catcher, Montero, who was designated for assignment then traded by the Cubs earlier this season after making remarks about Arrieta's inability to hold base runners. Montero was booed heavily in his first two at-bats Friday. "I asked him if he wanted to grab a drink tonight," Arrieta said. "So we might do that. He's one of my favorite guys... a good dude." A large contingent of visiting fans choked Wrigley Field with chants of "Let's go, Blue Jays" again and again Friday. Then Baez hit one that he admired and none of the Blue Jays outfielders bothered to watch. "He does things maybe a handful of guys in baseball can do," Arrieta said. Chicago Tribune Cubs' Jon Lester goes on 10-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue By Chris Kuc Jon Lester's pitching shoulder hasn't felt right for some time, but the veteran left-hander was determined to keep taking the ball every five days unless it got to the point he could no longer help the Cubs win. That moment arrived when the Reds were circling the bases during the second inning of Thursday's game and after meeting with doctors and team officials, Lester was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday. "The overall performance wasn't there," Lester said following the Cubs' 7-4 victory over the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field. "This is something we've tried to manage for a while and get through. It just got to a point you're doing a disservice to your team by going out there and not being able to perform. "It sucks going on the DL. You feel like you can't help, but at the same time I wasn't helping out there so let's get this thing right and get back to being myself." Being placed on the DL is the bad news. The good news is that the injury, which is being defined as shoulder fatigue, doesn't appear at the moment to be long term. While Lester didn't put a timetable on his return beyond saying, "I have 10 days, I know that," Cubs President Theo Epstein said, "we think it's just a start or two."

4 "It was encouraging news after the examination," Epstein said. "It seems like everything is structurally sound and his arm is tired, which is understandable if you look at the load he's carried pitching seven months the last couple years. There comes a time when all pitchers need a breather, and this is his time." Lester has been the Cubs' workhorse since signing a six-year, $155 million deal before the 2015 season, and maintaining their lead in the heated National League Central Division race without him won't be easy. The 33-yearold has made at least 31 starts in nine consecutive seasons and pitched at least 200 innings in eight of those years. Lester's ERA after Thursday's start was 4.37, his highest since he finished at 4.82 ERA for the 2012 Red Sox. "We pitch through a lot of things," Lester said. "It's been a little while we've had to manage through it and I've done a pretty good job for the most part, and I just kind of had enough (Thursday)." While the Cubs hold their collective breaths that Lester's injury is indeed not serious, Mike Montgomery will take his spot in the rotation. Stepping into a starting role is nothing new for Montgomery, who yearns to be a starter at some point in his career. "I don't want to see anybody get hurt, especially our ace," Montgomery said. "It's a challenge. I'm looking forward to going out there and helping the team win. If they tell me I'm starting then I'm going to go out there and prepare and be ready to help this team get to the playoffs." Montgomery is 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA in eight starts this season and 1-3 with a 2.57 ERA in 27 relief outings. "He's good about bouncing back and forth," manager Joe Maddon said. "He definitely has the ability. He's got four above-average major-league pitches and not many people do." Epstein said he is not likely to go outside the organization to bring in a player who can replace Lester's innings. "I don't think so," Epstein said. "We've expended a lot of prospect capital trying to make this team better. We think it's just a start or two and Mike Montgomery is more than capable of filling in." Still, getting Lester back is paramount to restabilizing a rotation that will be counted on to hold off the Brewers, Cardinals and Pirates in the Central. "Having a guy like (Lester) out there every five days is huge because you know what you're going to get with his track record and the way he's pitched as a Cub," fellow starter Jake Arrieta said. "We're expecting or we're hoping to have him back sooner than later." Along with Lester, Justin Grimm also was placed on the DL on Friday due to an infection in his right index finger. The Cubs recalled right-hander Felix Pena and lefty Rob Zastryzny from Triple-A Iowa. Meanwhile, Lester will rehab his shoulder with Cubs trainers before he makes another start. "I don't expect it to be long but with that being said, I don't want to put a timetable on it either," Lester said. "I think the quicker the better but I don't know. We'll play it by ear and take tomorrow as it comes." Chicago Tribune Cubs pitcher Jon Lester mum on heated dugout discussion with pitching coach By Paul Skrbina An animated discussion in the dugout between Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio and pitcher Jon Lester was caught on video Thursday. But both Lester and manager Joe Maddon subscribed to the "what happens in the dugout stays in the dugout" mantra Friday.

5 "I don't think it was a confrontation," said Lester, who was put on the 10-day disabled list Friday with soreness in his left lat muscle. "It's not his fault I gave up runs." Lester allowed nine runs (seven earned) before he asked out of Thursday's game after just 1 2/3 innings. He said Friday the injury was minor and he doesn't expect to miss much time. Maddon said he was too busy telling his players to take advantage of the wind blowing out, which they did to the tune of six home runs, to know many details. "That's something I prefer not talking about," Maddon said. "I was on the mound talking to the infielders about all hitting a home run in that game.... I said, 'Look at the flags. All of you need to hit a home run tonight.'... When I came back in I heard there was a little bit of a thing." No news, good news: No players were injured during Friday's game between the Cubs and Blue Jays. That good news came on top of good news the Cubs shared earlier in the day about Lester. As for when catcher Willson Contreras will return from a right hamstring injury he suffered Aug. 9 against the Giants, that remains to be seen. Early to mid-september seems to be the target. "All I can tell you is he says he feels pretty good," Maddon said. Addison Russell will not return as had been planned this weekend from a foot injury he suffered Aug. 2. Extra innings: Wade Davis is 25-for-25 in save chances, the longest single-season streak in team history and one short of the franchise mark set by Ryan Dempster in Albert Almora Jr. is batting.341 against lefthanders this season and the Cubs are when he starts. Chicago Tribune Elisabeth Moss meets (not shirtless) Anthony Rizzo at Wrigley Field By Paul Sullivan Actress and Cubs fan Elisabeth Moss came to Wrigley Field on Friday and was steps away from meeting Shirtless Rizzo during batting practice until he walked away. Shirtless Rizzo is actually Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who became part of the story of her latest Emmy nomination for Hulu s The Handmaid s Tale. Moss, who starred as Peggy in Mad Men, explained: When we got nominated for the Emmy s, we got 13 nominations, and my publicist texted me a GIF of Rizzo shirtless, clapping his hands in the dugout, she said. I don t know why. Because he s Rizzo? Exactly, she said. And that meant good news, because a shirtless Rizzo is always good news. Why couldn t she talk to him? I m too nervous, I think, she said. I m too nervous to meet him. One day we will meet.

6 That day turned out to be later on Friday, as Rizzo came out of the clubhouse shortly before game time and met Moss near the Cubs dugout. "Pretty much incredible," she said before performing the Seventh Inning Stretch. Chicago Sun-Times Cubs fans boo Miguel Montero, but Jake Arrieta invites him for a drink By Steve Greenberg They booed Miggy. A surprise? Really, it could ve gone either way. Former Cubs catcher Miguel Montero he of the grand slam in last year s National League Championship Series and what proved to be the eventual winning RBI in Game 7 of the World Series was in the Blue Jays lineup Friday as the Cubs won 7-4 in the opener of a three-game weekend series. And the Wrigley faithful booed him the first few times he came up to bat. By Montero s fourth plate appearance, it was just a light smattering. But still: Ouch. Of course, fans were remembering the circumstances surrounding Montero s controversial exit from the North Side in June. He publicly criticized pitcher Jake Arrieta who was on the mound Friday and notched his 13th victory after an ugly defeat in which the Nationals stole seven bases in the first four innings. The pitcher doesn t give me any time, Montero said then. That pitcher extended a martini branch sorry, meant to say an olive branch to Montero when he came up for his second at-bat against Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ. I asked him if he wanted to grab a drink tonight, Arrieta said, so we might do that. He s one of my favorite guys. It s a little upsetting to see the way it ended for him here, but it is what it is. The Cubs designated Montero for assignment after that Nationals game and traded him to the Blue Jays last month for the proverbial bag of baseballs. It wasn t the nicest way to leave Chicago, Montero told CSN Chicago s Kelly Crull before the game. It s in the past. It was tough and difficult. It was hard. Montero, who said he has apologized to Arrieta, greeted Arrieta with a few words at the plate before the pitcher s first at-bat. I honestly wish I wouldn t have left because of those reasons, he said, [but] I don t regret anything. It happened. I feel bad for Jake, and that s why I apologized to him. Canada drive Blue Jays fans arrived in huge numbers by car, plane and who knows how else to check out Wrigley Field and the defending World Series champion Cubs. An employee in the Cubs ticket office estimated that 10,000 Jays fans were in attendance. It was quite a change of pace, given it s typically Cubs fans who take over opposing ballparks. The Canadians traveled well today, manager Joe Maddon said. I love their city. It s a great spot up there. Put a ring on it?

7 Former Cub Chris Coghlan was supposed to finally get his World Series ring this weekend with the Jays, but he was designated for assignment last weekend and released unconditionally Tuesday. Disappointing, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said, because we were looking forward to seeing him, and he was looking forward to being here. Chicago Sun-Times Elisabeth Moss meets Anthony Rizzo at Wrigley Field By Madeline Kenney Actress Elisabeth Moss had a pretty good trip to Wrigley Field on Friday. Before the Cubs 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Moss met a not-shirtless Anthony Rizzo. She also sang the 7th inning stretch during the game. Moss, who is the star of Hulu s hit show The Handmaid s Tale, has never been shy about her Cubs fandom. She admitted in July that she found out about the show s 13 Emmy nominations including one for herself for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series through a shirtless Rizzo GIF from her publicist. I woke up to GIF from my publicist, Erica, of a shirtless Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs and knew it was good news (because a shirtless Rizzo is always good news) but 13 is blowing my mind! Moss told TV Guide. Chicago Sun-Times Miguel Montero apologizes to Jake Arrieta in return to Wrigley Field By John Silver Former Cubs catcher Miguel Montero returned to Wrigley Field on Friday for the first time since he was released by the team. It wasn t the nicest way to go to leave Chicago, he said to CSN Chicago s Kelly Crull before Friday s game. It s in the past. It was tough and difficult. It was hard. The Cubs designated Montero for assignment in June after he made comments to the media critical of teammate Jake Arrieta. Montero blamed Arrieta s slow delivery for the seven bases the Washington Nationals stole in the first four innings of a Cubs 6-1 loss. It really sucked because the stolen bases go to me, and when you really look at it, the pitcher doesn t give me any time, Montero said after the game. Simple as that. He was traded in July to the Toronto Blue Jays with cash for a player to be named or cash considerations. On Friday, he seemed contrite. He said he that he apologized to Arrieta. It s too bad I left as a bad teammate, Montero said. I ve played with a lot of guys and no one has ever said that about me. I m happy where I m at not that I wasn t happy over there. I honestly wish I wouldn t have left because of those reasons. I don t regret anything. It happened. I feel bad for Jake and that s why I apologized to him.

8 Chicago Sun-Times Bryzzo to sign $699 autographs downtown on Saturday By Madeline Kenney Want to get autographs from Cubs Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant? Well, it s going to cost you. If fans want to attend Bryzzo first public outing since the World Series this Saturday at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in downtown Chicago, they can purchase tickets on the Fanatics website for $699. The pricy ticket allows holders one autograph from each teammate, according to Fanatics, the website where fans can purchase said tickets. Fans aren t allowed to bring artwork or game-used items either. Ticket holders are allowed to bring one guest in line, but they re not allowed to get anything signed. Chicago Sun-Times Cubs put Jon Lester on 10-day DL; problem was worsening for a while By Steve Greenberg First, the good news: Jon Lester s season doesn t appear to be in danger. A day after the left-hander was escorted off the field by a trainer following 1 innings of nine-run misery, the Cubs announced they d put Lester on the 10-day disabled list with tightness in his left lat the large muscle that extends up from the back into the shoulder and general shoulder fatigue. It was encouraging last night after the examination, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. It seems like everything is structurally sound and his arm is tired, which is understandable if you look at the load he has carried, pitching seven months the last couple of years and taking the ball every fifth day.... He s getting a break before anything serious happens. He ll be down for a little while and then should come back really strong and finish the year on a solid note. That s all the Cubs could hope for at this point from their Opening Day starter and last season s National League Cy Young runner-up. Lester has had a few memorably shaky starts in his third season with the team, but he also has been the Cubs rock, as manager Joe Maddon put it. The guy gets after it pretty hard all the time, Maddon said. For only the second time in the last decade, though, Lester will fall short of 200 innings. It s bad enough that his ERA blew up to 4.37 after his start Thursday, but it s the rare blip in his durability that sits least pleasantly with him. I hate numbers, Lester said. The one number that I look up and obviously I m not going to have it this year is the 200 innings and making every start. That s what I pride myself on.... That s the frustrating part for me. And that gets at the other side of this story: Did Lester and the Cubs wait too long to recognize something was amiss? Lester, 33, has been injury-free since a 19-day stint on the DL with a similar injury a strained lat muscle when he was with the Red Sox. That episode was more serious because Lester experienced pain, as opposed to just tightness. Still, Lester has felt his lat begin to falter before and, he admits, knew something was off awhile ago. According to Epstein, Lester kept that to himself. He s not one to openly talk about stuff he s dealing with, Epstein said. He just deals with it. And then [Thursday], he realized he wasn t doing the team a service by being out there. It caught up to him.

9 Lester used the word we as he described dealing with the encroaching discomfort in recent weeks. It s not something I kept quiet, he said, but, at the same time, it s not something I thought was a big deal. I ve pitched through worse. Lefty Mike Montgomery is expected to slide into Lester s spot in the rotation Wednesday night in Cincinnati. Montgomery has toggled between the bullpen and the rotation as needed since joining the Cubs last season. I don t want to see anybody get hurt, especially your ace, Montgomery said. But it s a challenge, and I m looking forward to competing. It s too soon to know if Lester will miss one start, two starts or something no one wants to see more. There s no minimum or maximum, Maddon said, just that it s a 10-day stay and then we ll figure it out. The Cubs also put right-handed reliever Justin Grimm on the 10-day DL with an infected right index finger. Rob Zastryzny and Felix Pena were called up from Class AAA Iowa to bolster the bullpen. Chicago Sun-Times What happened between Jon Lester and Chris Bosio By Madeline Kenney Jon Lester stirred up a lot of commotion in Thursday s loss to the Reds. Lester, who allowed nine runs through 1 2/3 innings of pitching, left the game in the second after signaling to the trainer. Although he didn t show any physical signs of pain, Lester was scheduled to see the team physician after the game to determine the severity of damage to the large muscle that extends up from the back into the shoulder area. But what fans really wanted to know was what really went down between Lester and Chris Bosio after the starting pitcher left the game. David Kaplan said Friday on ESPN 1000 that last year s Cy Young Award finalist was expressing frustration with the Cubs defense, and it wasn t meant to be directed at Bosio. Lester was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday morning. Daily Herald Arrieta, Baez, Rizzo heroes of Friday's win By John Dietz Jake Arrieta threw 6⅓ sparkling innings, and Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez continued their torrid hitting as the Cubs opened a three-game set against Toronto with a 7-4 victory Friday at Wrigley Field. After using six pitchers in a loss to the Reds on Thursday, the Cubs desperately needed a solid outing from Arrieta (13-8), and he delivered by allowing just 1 run on 6 hits. It was the seventh straight time Arrieta has allowed 2 or fewer runs. "We had limited bullpen again, so it was very large (for Arrieta) to get us that deep," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team improved to "I thought Jake was very good."

10 Also very good was Rizzo, who stroked a 2-run single in the fifth that made it 5-1, and Baez, who crushed a 2-run homer to left in the eighth after Toronto had closed the gap to 5-4 in the top of the inning. Baez, who now has 20 homers, also made a spectacular defensive play on a wicked one-hop grounder by Jose Bautista in the ninth. Asked what he likes better hitting home runs or wowing the crowd with Ozzie Smith-like plays in the field a smiling Baez said: "I like both. To be honest, I like both. I like the fans cheering for me. I know Chicago loves me, so thank you for that. Thank you for all that love from the fans." Said Arrieta: "He's a special talent. He does things that maybe a handful of guys in baseball can do. (He) makes plays that look near impossible possible and gets big outs for us." Baez has 18 RBI in August, while Rizzo is 11-for-21 with 12 RBI in the last five games. Catcher Victor Caratini reached base in all 4 at-bats, going 3-for-3 with a walk. Miggy returns: Miguel Montero played at Wrigley Field on Friday for the first time since the Cubs designated him for assignment in late June. Montero, now on the Blue Jays, blamed Jake Arrieta for allowing Washington to steal seven bases in a 6-1 loss on June 27. Arrieta started Friday's 7-4 victory over Toronto and said he spoke with Montero during his second at-bat. "I asked him if he wanted to go grab a drink tonight," Arrieta said. "So we might do that. You know, he's one of my favorite guys. It was a little upsetting to see the way it ended for him here, but it is what it is. "He's in a new spot now and hopefully he has success there because I only hope for the best for him." Bit of a blowup: After Jon Lester was removed from Thursday's loss to the Reds, he was seen having an animated conversation with pitching coach Chris Bosio in the dugout. There was a report it was about the team's poor defensive play, but Lester didn't want to discuss the matter Friday. "I don't think it was a confrontation, but whatever is said between a coach and a player in a dugout stays there," Lester said. Around the horn: With Jon Lester and Justin Grimm going on the 10-day disabled list, the Cubs recalled RHP Felix Pena and LHP Rob Zastryzny from AAA Iowa. Javier Baez joined Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber in the 20-HR club Friday. Only three previous Cubs teams (1958, 2004, 2008) have had five players reach 20 homers in one season. Wade Davis improved to 25-for-25 in save situations Friday. If Davis records a save in his next opportunity, he will tie Ryan Dempster for the longest streak in franchise history. Daily Herald Cubs don't expect Jon Lester to miss much time with lat strain By John Dietz Whew!

11 That had to be the collective response from Cubs Nation on Friday when it was announced that Jon Lester might miss just 2 starts with due to arm fatigue. The Cubs placed Lester and Justin Grimm (infected index finger) on the 10-day disabled list before going out and beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 at Wrigley Field. "It got to a point where you're doing a disservice to your team by going out and not being able to perform," said Lester, who allowed 9 runs (7 earned) in 1⅔ innings in a loss to the Reds on Thursday. "It sucks going on the DL. You feel like you can't help; but at the same time I wasn't helping out there. "Let's get this right and get back to being myself." Lester, who has allowed 3 or more earned runs in 6 of his last 9 starts, said he's been fighting the fatigue for a while. "It's not something I kept quiet," he said. "But at the same time it's something I didn't think was a big deal. I mean, I've pitched through worse. "But the overall performance is what's telling me I need to take a step back." Against the Reds, Joe Maddon noticed Lester's velocity on his cutters was consistently in the mph range, which raised a big red flag for the Cubs' manager. "I just didn't see any finish on the pitches," Maddon said. "That's the difference between an mph cutter and one that's and the hitters just can't do anything with it. "That's what you saw (Thursday). Those couple miles an hour difference make all the difference in the world when it comes to being an effective pitcher." Mike Montgomery, who threw 4.1 scoreless innings Thursday, will take Lester's spot in the rotation. Maddon said if Montgomery performs well, he might employ a six-man rotation to close out the season. "Having a guy like (Montgomery) that's versatile, that can start on short notice and provide nice results is a boost for us," Jake Arrieta said. "Obviously it's not ideal to have a guy as talented as Lester go down, but hopefully we just allow him a little bit of time to get himself back where he needs to be, and he'll help us down the stretch." The Cubs are certainly fortunate in that they can deal with an injury to a pitcher like Lester and still roll out a fiveman rotation of Arrieta (13-8, 3.63 ERA), John Lackey (10-9, 4.67), Jose Quintana (7-10, 4.33), Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.45) and Montgomery (3-6, 3.64). Of course, everyone will breathe a lot easier when Lester returns. Lester, who leads the Cubs with innings pitched, has made at least 31 starts and thrown at least 191 innings for nine straight seasons. He's a rock on the mound and in the clubhouse, and sorely needed on a team scratching tooth and nail to try to earn a playoff berth so they can defend their World Series title. "There comes a time when all pitchers need a breather and this is his time," GM Theo Epstein said. "He actually told us that he's been dealing with it for a good bit now. "So this was probably inevitable. I'm glad that he's getting the break before anything serious happens." Cubs.com Quintana eyes more success vs. Blue Jays By Gregor Chisholm

12 Jose Quintana has faced the Blue Jays plenty of times before, but never as a member of the Cubs. That will change Saturday afternoon. Quintana will make the 10th start of his career vs. Toronto in the matinee affair at Wrigley Field. He's enjoyed plenty of success in the past with a 6-2 record and a 1.77 ERA but that was when he was pitching for the team on the South Side of Chicago. This time, it will be for the North Siders. Toronto will counter with right-hander Nick Tepesch, who was available out of the bullpen on Friday afternoon in case of an emergency situation because of an overworked relief corps. Since Tepesch did not get into that game, he remains on schedule to start the second game of the series. Despite dropping Friday's opener, the Blue Jays are looking to win four consecutive series for the first time this season. Toronto is visiting Wrigley Field for the first time since 2005, and the club is 8-5 all-time vs. the Cubs. "We were hoping we'd have to play [Chicago] last year," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, whose team was eliminated by the Indians in the American League Championship Series. "They've gone through their ups and downs, and they picked it up right after the All-Star break. They're locked into a pretty good race in their division. Really, for our sake, from here on out, we have to play good. We can't afford any more bad stretches, but we've been playing good." Things to know about this game Quintana faced the Blue Jays earlier this season, and he allowed a pair of runs over seven strong innings in a victory for the White Sox. Jose Bautista has just one hit in 16 at-bats vs. the veteran lefty, but third baseman Josh Donaldson has six hits in 13 at-bats. Kendrys Morales has enjoyed the most success, with a.341 average in 41 atbats, but he'll likely be held out of the starting lineup with Justin Smoak getting the start at first base. Toronto closer Roberto Osuna is considered questionable for this game because of the flu. Osuna was sent back to the team hotel on Friday morning because of a high fever. Setup men Danny Barnes and Dominic Leone are expected to be available on Saturday after requiring a day off on Friday to rest. Cubs.com Cubs, Arrieta spoil Blue Jays' return to Wrigley By Carrie Muskat and Gregor Chisholm CHICAGO One day after hitting six home runs in a loss, the Cubs needed four run-scoring singles to post a 7-4 Interleague victory on Friday afternoon over the Blue Jays, who were making their first trip to Wrigley Field since Jason Heyward, Javier Baez and Albert Almora Jr. each singled in one run, Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run single and Baez added a two-run homer in the eighth for insurance to back Jake Arrieta, who notched his seventh straight quality start. With the win, the Cubs have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Cardinals and a two-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central. The Blue Jays are three games behind the Twins and Angels for the second American League Wild Card spot. The loss was only the fourth in the past 11 games for the Blue Jays, who not only had to play by National League rules, but also had to deal with jets buzzing over Wrigley Field during practice runs for the weekend Air and Water Show on the lakefront. The Blue Jays had plenty of fans at Wrigley in the crowd of 41,814.

13 "[The Blue Jays fans] got caught up in the atmosphere at Wrigley, and they got loud," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Arrieta has been the workhorse in the rotation, which the Cubs need with the news on Friday that Jon Lester was going on the disabled list. Toronto's only run off Arrieta came in the first inning, when Justin Smoak doubled with two outs and scored on Steve Pearce's single. Arrieta now has given up two or fewer earned runs in seven straight starts. "I located the ball really well," Arrieta said. "I established certain things early on in the ballgame that allowed me to do certain things." "Fastball command when it's there, this guy is pitching deep in the game," Maddon said. "I love the way he's gone about his business this year." Arrieta leads the Cubs with 13 wins. He will be a free agent after this season, but Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said now is not the time to talk about a new contract. "We're just trying to win this division," Epstein said. "That's what we're focused on. The offseason stuff, we'll deal with when the time comes." J.A. Happ took the loss, ending a personal three-game winning streak. The left-hander had given up one run in each of those three games, but on Friday, he served up five runs on nine hits over five innings. "I thought the execution was there," said Happ, who allowed five earned runs in a start for the third time this season. "Second inning was tough to kind of swallow the way the balls kind of found a way in there. [I'm] disappointed, obviously, to only go five, but execution-wise, I actually thought it was a good game." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Conga line: Ben Zobrist walked to open the Cubs' second, and one out later, he reached third on Victor Caratini's double before scoring on Heyward's infield single to Smoak and a brain cramp by Happ, who didn't cover first base on the play. Baez followed with an RBI single to go ahead, 2-1. One out later, Almora singled to score Heyward. Baez also tried to score, but he was thrown out at the plate. Relief work: The Cubs' bullpen has had a tough time lately, but Carl Edwards Jr. did his job in the seventh, striking out Jose Bautista to strand two runners. But the Blue Jays rallied with two outs in the eighth against Pedro Strop, rattling off four straight hits, including an RBI double by Kevin Pillar and a two-run single by Ryan Goins to pull within one. QUOTABLE "Nah, they're never going to forget that. I'm pretty sure about it." Blue Jays catcher Miguel Montero, who received a lot of boos from the crowd upon his return to Wrigley Field, in response to a reporter joking about how quickly the crowd forgot about his pinch-hit grand slam in Game 1 of the 2016 NL Championship Series while he was with the Cubs "I asked him if he wanted to go grab a drink tonight, so we might do that. He's one of my favorite guys. It was a little upsetting to see the way it ended for him here, but it is what it is. He's in a new spot now, and I hope he has success there. I only hope for the best for him. Miggy's a good dude, and I look forward to seeing him down the line." Arrieta, on Montero SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Josh Donaldson made an appearance at shortstop for just the second time in his career. He shifted from third to shortstop in the bottom of the seventh inning after Darwin Barney was lifted for a pinch-hitter. The last time Donaldson played shortstop was May 24, 2013, with Oakland.

14 Baez's homer was his 20th, and the Cubs now have five players with at least 20 (Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber). That ties the club record (also set in 1958, 2004 and '08). GLOVEWORK Cubs second baseman Ian Happ had a rough day at the plate, but it didn't show in the field. In the fifth, Toronto's Happ lofted a ball to shallow center, but the Cubs' Happ was able to run over and grab the ball in time and just in front of Baez. In the eighth, Chicago's Happ made a diving stop of Smoak's hard-hit ball, tumbled and recovered in time to throw him out at first. "We did a lot of good things on the field today overall," Maddon said. UPON FURTHER REVIEW In the Cubs' second, Baez tried to score on Almora's single. The Cubs challenged whether Baez was safe and whether Montero blocked the plate. After a review, both calls were confirmed, and Baez was out. "I felt something I thought it was his [shin] guard," Baez said. "[Montero] told me he tagged me. Obviously, he's going to say that. He was kind of blocking the plate. We don't understand why they have that rule it hasn't been overturned in two years. They just got me." Caratini singled to lead off the Chicago eighth and was forced out at second on Heyward's grounder. Heyward was called safe at first, but the Blue Jays challenged the ruling. After a review, the call stood. WHAT'S NEXT Blue Jays: Right-hander Nick Tepesch (1-2, 5.25 ERA) will take the mound against the Cubs on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET. Joe Biagini is expected to return to the Blue Jays' rotation in the near future, so Tepesch will need a strong outing to hang on to his job. Tepesch has made two starts for Toronto, and he allowed one run over six innings during his past outing vs. the Rays. Cubs: Jose Quintana will face a familiar foe when he starts Saturday. The lefty is 6-2 with a 1.77 ERA in nine starts against the Blue Jays in his career. He's 2-0 in three starts at Wrigley Field for the Cubs, with a 5.63 ERA. That number is inflated by a no-decision against the D-backs, when he gave up six runs over five innings. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT. Cubs.com Baez dazzles on both sides of ball By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Javier Baez hit his 20th home run and made what seemed like his 20 millionth unbelievable defensive play in the ninth inning to help preserve the Cubs' 7-4 win over the Blue Jays on Friday. "He's a special talent," Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta said of Baez. "He does things that maybe a handful of guys can do. He makes plays that look near impossible possible and gets big outs for us." First, the offense: Baez hit one of three RBI singles in the second, and he added a two-run homer in the eighth for insurance. He's batting.357 in his past seven games, with four home runs and nine RBIs. Baez joins Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber in the Cubs' 20-homer club, the fourth time in franchise history the team has had five players reach that mark (also 1958, 2004 and '08).

15 "The way he's swinging the bat, 20 homers for him, that's a big deal for a guy like Javy," Arrieta said. "I expect him to use that as positive reinforcement moving forward. He can do some really great things in this game. I'm happy to have him as a teammate and watch him do his thing every day." Baez had to play a little cat-and-mouse-game because Blue Jays catcher Miguel Montero knows the infielder well from their days together on the Cubs. He did connect against Tim Mayza with one out and one on in the eighth. What does 20 homers mean to Baez? "It means a lot," he said. "I'll try to get 30 if I can. I'm just trying to make my adjustments." It helps that Baez has gotten more regular playing time, even though it's come at a cost. When Addison Russell was sidelined on Aug. 3, Baez took over at shortstop. "I just try to do my best," Baez said. "When you play every day, you have a chance to come back the next day and make adjustments. You've got to do what you've got to do for the team.... I like playing more. We need [Russell], too." What manager Joe Maddon likes is that Baez is able to forget a bad at-bat or shrug off a botched play quickly. "He's still prone to that mistake, so you're still going to see it, and you have to play through it you have to play through the rough lie sometimes," Maddon said. "He's not a finished product, Albert [Almora Jr.] is not a finished product, [Ian] Happ, [Victor] Caratini there's a lot of guys in that lineup who are not finished products." Baez looked like a Gold Glove shortstop in the ninth when he snared Jose Bautista's hard-hit ball and somehow was able to throw to first in time. "Two strikes on Bautista, the ball probably had 100-plus[-mph] exit velocity, and to turn it into an out was pretty spectacular," Maddon said of Bautista's ball, which was measured at mph, according to Statcast. "It's just reaction, really," Baez said. "They didn't think I was going to get to it, and I did get to it. I was more worried about the throw than the play I made." What's better, hitting home runs or making plays like that? "I like both, to be honest," Baez said. "I like the fans cheering for me. I love Chicago, and I know Chicago loves me. Thank you for that, and thank you for all the love from the fans." Cubs.com Cubs place Lester on DL with shoulder fatigue By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Jon Lester has some fatigue in his left shoulder and simply needs a rest, so the Cubs placed the lefthander on the 10-day disabled list on Friday. Right-hander Justin Grimm also went on the DL with an infection in his right index finger. In corresponding moves, the club called up lefty Rob Zastryzny and righty Felix Pena from Triple-A Iowa. Lester was examined after an abbreviated outing on Thursday against the Reds, and Chicago was encouraged that there was no structural damage, but only tightness in the pitcher's side and fatigue in his shoulder. "His arm is tired, which is understandable if you look at the load he's carried," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "Pitching seven months the last couple years and taking the ball every fifth day, there comes a time when all pitchers need a breather, and this is his time.

16 "[Lester] told us he's been dealing with this for a good bit. This is probably inevitable. I'm glad he's getting the break before anything serious happens." Lester had to leave Thursday's game after throwing 46 pitches over 1 2/3 innings because he felt tightness in his left lat. Cubs manager Joe Maddon also noticed a drop in velocity and that Lester wasn't able to finish his pitches. "Those couple miles an hour makes all the difference in being an effective pitcher," Maddon said. Lester was sidelined with a lat strain in 2011, but he said this wasn't as severe, and he expected to be out a minimum amount of time. "The big thing is the overall performance wasn't there," Lester said. "It's something we've tried to manage for a while and get through. It got to a point where you're doing a disservice to your team by not being able to perform. "It [stinks] going on the DL, but at the same time, I wasn't helping going out there." Lester didn't want to predict when he'll return. "I don't expect it to be long, but that being said, I don't want to put a timetable on it either," he said. "Obviously, the quicker the better, but I don't know. We'll play it by ear." Mike Montgomery will take over in the rotation for Lester, who was not expected to miss more than two starts. "We're in a fortunate situation having a guy like Monty who can step in our rotation and do a good job for us," Jake Arrieta said. "Having a guy like him who is versatile and can provide nice results is a boost for us." Lester needed six pitches to retire the side in the first, but the second inning was a different story. The Reds rattled off four straight hits to open the inning, and Lester also served up a three-run homer to Joey Votto. Adam Duvall reached on a fielding error by third baseman Kris Bryant, and Eugenio Suarez drove him home with a double. Lester then signaled to the dugout, and he was pulled. The Cubs did rally to tie the game at 9, but the Reds eventually won, Lester is the third Cubs starter to go on the disabled list this season, but he is the first in the second half. Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey both missed time before the All-Star break because of injuries. "He needs a breather," Epstein said of Lester. "He needs a few days without throwing to regain the strength in his shoulder. He just needs a little bit of a breather." Fantasy spin Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB) Though he has posted a 4.37 ERA through 26 starts of an inconsistent 2017 campaign, Lester was a mixed-league ace a year ago (2.44 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), and he should be retained in all leagues for what should be a short disabledlist stint. Shallow-league Lester owners can check waivers for a replacement such as Patrick Corbin, Luis Castillo or Eduardo Rodriguez. Meanwhile, those in deeper leagues can take a look at Reynaldo Lopez, Brandon Woodruff or Tyler Skaggs. Cubs.com Montgomery to step up in place of injured Lester By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Mike Montgomery will return to the Cubs' rotation to sub for Jon Lester, who was placed on the 10- day disabled list on Friday with left shoulder fatigue.

17 Montgomery was 2-3 with a 5.13 ERA in eight starts in the first half of the season, and he has compiled a 2.57 ERA in 27 relief appearances. The lefty threw 61 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in relief of Lester on Thursday against the Reds. His last start was July 19 against the Braves, and his next start will most likely be Wednesday against the Reds. After Montgomery's outing on Thursday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave the lefty a heads up that he would likely sub for Lester. "The guy's got all kinds of tools in the tool box, but he doesn't know how to utilize them yet," Maddon said of Montgomery. "I think he's finally understanding the cutter, the curve, the changeup to go with the fastball. He's one of the guys who should never get wild with his fastball because his other pitches are so good he can throw them for a strike." Montgomery has indicated he'd prefer starting, and Maddon knows that. "It's just a matter of time and opportunity with him," Maddon said. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said the team won't look for another starter while Lester is sidelined. Lester was not expected to miss much time. "We've expended a lot of prospect capital to make this team better," Epstein said. "We think it's just a start or two, and Mike Montgomery is more than capable of filling in. We're going to fill that vacancy internally and go from there." Worth noting The Cubs' bullpen entered Friday ranked second in the National League with a 3.63 ERA, but it was also fourth in walks (194). "We don't want that to be a big part of our identity," Epstein said of the walks. "We believe in throwing strikes. It's tough lately with the walks. It's not something anyone is trying to do it just happens. To get where we want to go, we need to lock it in. Every 'pen goes through ups and downs. In July, we had a really good month with the 'pen. "These are our guys, and we know they'll lock it in and find the strike zone." On Friday, the Cubs restocked the bullpen. Right-hander Justin Grimm was placed on the 10-day disabled list because of an infection in his right index finger. Lefty Rob Zastryzny and right-hander Felix Pena were recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Lester and pitching coach Chris Bosio exchanged a few words in the dugout after the left-hander exited from Thursday's game. Maddon preferred not to reveal details, but he said it had nothing to do with how the Cubs were playing behind Lester. "They had their little discussion right there," Maddon said. "I heard there was a little bit of a thing. There's nothing going on right now." Lester also said it was no big deal. "I don't think it was a 'confrontation,'" Lester said. "Whatever is said between a coach and player or player and player in the dugout stays there. It's not [Bosio's] fault I gave up runs." Catcher Willson Contreras, on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain, played catch on the field on Friday for the first time since the injury. Contreras said he's feeling good, but the plan is to shut him down for at least two weeks. He went on the DL on Aug. 11.