September 16, 2017 John Lackey melts down, blames ump; Cubs crush Cards 8-2 anyway

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1 September 16, 2017 Chicago Sun-Times, John Lackey melts down, blames ump; Cubs crush Cards 8-2 anyway Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs Addison Russell on the verge of making his long-awaited return Chicago Sun-Times, John Lackey, Willson Contreras ejected from Cubs-Cardinals opener Daily Herald, Fireworks erupt, but Cubs hitters keep heads, knock off Cards Daily Herald, Epstein on Thursday's win "it wasn't an oil painting" Cubs.com, Cubs ride 7-run 6th to eventful win over Cards Cubs.com, Lackey, Contreras ejected after disputed call Cubs.com, Arrieta set for determining bullpen session Cubs.com, Wacha, Hendricks to duel in NL Central clash ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' offense takes charge against Cards after starting battery gets boot ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' Theo Epstein says bullpen improvement key down the stretch CSNChicago.com, John Lackey and Willson Contreras go absolutely bonkers on home plate umpire after insane call in Cubs-Cardinals CSNChicago.com, After 'Murphy's Law' strikes bullpen, Cubs searching for answers at pivotal point in season CSNChicago.com, Theo Epstein doesn't see a shortstop controversy for Cubs with Addison Russell nearing return

2 Chicago Tribune, Say what you will, John Lackey tirade might have been 'spark' Cubs needed column.html Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez joins shortstop class that has lived up to golden reputation column.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs survive immature outburst from John Lackey again Chicago Tribune, Cubs bullpen excels after John Lackey ejection in victory over Cardinals Chicago Tribune, Best case: Jake Arrieta could return for Brewers series next weekend Chicago Tribune, Will Willson Contreras earn a suspension? column.html Chicago Tribune, Kyle Schwarber's Cubs future no longer a certainty after season of struggle column.html Chicago Tribune, Reliever Hector Rondon sidelined with elbow inflammation Chicago Sun-Times John Lackey melts down, blames ump; Cubs crush Cards 8-2 anyway By Steve Greenberg Umpire Jordan Baker is so bad. How bad is he? So bad, the Cubs should think about throwing a parade in his honor. Or at least letting him sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game before the end of the weekend. John Lackey and Willson Contreras are such babies. Their kicking and screaming in the Cubs 8-2 victory Friday against the Cardinals was so over-the-top ridiculous, all it accomplished was igniting a comeback for their most important win of the season. Up was down and black was white at Wrigley Field in the opening game of an all-important series between division rivals. The Cubs starting pitcher and rising-star catcher melted down in the fifth inning of a nip-and-tuck game, putting their team at risk of a bad day... or maybe a terrible series... or, gasp, a stretch run gone completely awry. Nope. Lackey and Contreras got themselves kicked out, and an inning later, their teammates were kicking the toasted ravioli out of the Cardinals with seven mighty big runs. I think it was a nice little spark for us, third baseman Kris Bryant said, and some energy that we needed. Hey, whatever works.

3 What made this one go haywire? With Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez at bat and facing a two-strike count against Lackey, a pitch danced over the plate easily inside any K zone and into Contreras glove. Strike three, right? Martinez even took several steps toward the visitors dugout, yet Baker just stood there. An incredulous Lackey nearly got tossed right then and there. With a runner on second, Martinez stepped back into the box and singled home the go-ahead run on the next pitch. Lackey, lighting up Baker as he ran in to back up home plate, was ejected before the runner even scored. Then things really got nuts as Baker rang up Contreras, too. Contreras flung his mask into the dirt, but it bounced up and made contact with Baker s leg instantly raising questions about a potential suspension. I don t have any concern on my part, said Contreras, who nevertheless apologized to fans, Major League Baseball and Baker. After the game, Lackey was still doing a slow burn. It s a pretty big spot right there, he said. [Baker] cost me a big-league win. Those don t grow on trees. That s especially true, of course, during a pennant race. Lackey clearly had a hand in costing himself what would ve been his 12th victory, but the bottom line is the first-place Cubs put themselves four games in front of the Cardinals with a mere 15 to play. The Brewers are three back. The Cubs are 9-4 against the Cardinals, 6-1 at Wrigley. As off-the-rails as this game got on a day when the Cubs passed the 3 million mark in attendance for the second consecutive year it felt a bit like order had been restored. The Cardinals are still threats to the Cubs, but it has been pretty well established how these rivals stack up head-to-head. As for Lackey s temper, well, it s pretty well established, too. Wouldn t it have been better if the 15-year veteran had gotten ahold of his anger and stuck around in a critical game? Impossible, manager Joe Maddon said. I could say I d like to see that, but why would I even think that? That s the definition of insanity. Why would I think he s going to change in that moment? Maybe he ll be a calmer, cooler pitcher in his 40s. Or his 50s? Up was down. Black was white. It couldn t have worked out any better if the Cubs had drawn it up that way. Chicago Sun-Times Cubs Addison Russell on the verge of making his long-awaited return By Steve Greenberg Remember Addison Russell? A long time ago, he played shortstop for the Cubs. Any day now, he ll actually be back in action. Russell, who has been sidelined since Aug. 3 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, indicated before the Cubs 8-2 victory Friday against the Cardinals that he could make an appearance in this weekend series at Wrigley Field. I m ready to get out there, he said. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein slowed that roll a bit, saying there will be no talk of activating Russell until after a Saturday workout. But it s coming, unless perish the thought Russell has another setback like the one he had three weeks ago.

4 Just talking to him on the bench during the games, he s really excited, manager Joe Maddon said. He feels good about himself. He s pain-free. This is as good a time as any to tamp down speculation about Cubdom s favorite defensive player, Javy Baez, remaining at shortstop and forcing Russell over to second base. It will be the other way around, with Russell manning the position he played so well as the Cubs battled to last fall s World Series title. Even at second, Baez s defense was one of the biggest stories of the postseason. We re a damn good defensive unit with Addy at short and Javy at second, Epstein said. Also confirmed: If Russell who ll be worked back slowly, perhaps not playing a full nine innings for a while is healthy, it s a given he ll play in the postseason. If the Cubs make the playoffs, that is. I see these guys go to work every day, and they re having fun, Russell said. I want to be more a part of that. The dream scenario Left-hander Jose Quintana remembers the atmosphere on the South Side as he faced, and beat, the Tigers as a member of the White Sox in September The teams were in a division race that the Sox would end up losing by three games. That was Quintana s answer when asked what he felt was the biggest start of his career. Quintana is pretty sure the answer will change Sunday, when he faces the Cardinals in the finale of a three-game series. That s the reason I m here, he said, to win games like that one. Two months into his Cubs career, Quintana is thinking bigger all the time. I dream about the World Series, pitching in Game 7, so I think we can do it, he said. But we don t want it to go seven. Get the Series over as quick as we can. But, for sure, I think about that moment a lot. The comeback trail All six of the Cubs victories against the Cardinals at Wrigley have been come-from-behind efforts. The game Friday was their 41st comeback win of the season. Chicago Sun-Times John Lackey, Willson Contreras ejected from Cubs-Cardinals opener By Steve Greenberg One pitch and one hard-to-believe non-strike call by home plate umpire Jordan Baker and Friday s Game 1 of a critical Cubs-Cardinals series went haywire. In the fifth inning of a 1-1 game, with Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez at the plate and facing a two-strike count against John Lackey, a breaking ball danced over the plate easily inside any K zone and into catcher Willson Contreras glove. Strike three, right? Martinez even walked toward the visitors dugout, but Baker just stood there. Lackey nearly got tossed from the game right then and there. With a runner on second, Martinez stepped back up to the plate and, on the next pitch, singled to center to drive in the go-ahead run. Lackey, shouting at Baker as he ran in to back up home plate, was ejected before the runner even scored.

5 Then things really got nuts. Baker rang up Contreras, too. The catcher flung his mask into the dirt, but it bounced up and made contact with the umpire s leg. That instantly raised questions about a potential suspension of one of the Cubs most important players. The Cubs entered Friday leading the National League Central by only three games over both the Cardinals and the Brewers. Baker s screw-up and that s what it was, plain and simple could end up costing the Cubs at a most delicate time. Daily Herald Fireworks erupt, but Cubs hitters keep heads, knock off Cards By Bruce Miles Anybody who expected John Lackey to react any differently to Friday's proceedings at Wrigley Field doesn't know Lackey. A measured response to a bad call by an umpire? Not happening with this 38-year-old warhorse who's about as set in his ways as anybody. The Cubs' starting pitcher got himself ejected from the afternoon's 8-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a game that will go down as one more colorful chapter in this rivalry of red and blue. Catcher Willson Contreras rode off into the sunset with Lackey as both batterymates were tossed by home-plate umpire Jordan Baker. As Lackey put it: "He missed the pitch. It's big spot in a huge game, and he missed the pitch." The pitch in question was a 2-2 breaking ball with two outs in the fifth inning to Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez. The ball appeared to catch the plate but was called a ball by Baker. Lackey didn't like the call then, and when Martinez singled on the next pitch to drive in a run and put the Cardinals ahead 2-1, Lackey liked it even less. This one had trouble written all over it as Lackey began yelling at Baker while sprinting to back up home plate. Baker tossed Lackey even as the play was in motion. Contreras was the next to go, and he slammed his mask down after getting tossed. Lackey said Martinez knew he was out because "he almost walked to the grass" on his way back to the dugout. "He (Baker) threw me out of the game kind of halfheartedly because he knew he messed up," Lackey said. Lackey added one kicker: "It's a pretty big spot right there. He cost me a big-league win. Those don't grow on trees." While Lackey was unapologetic, Contreras said he felt bad about the mask-toss and it hitting the umpire as it bounced up off the ground. "Those things happen," Contreras said. "First of all, I didn't mean to hit the umpire, to hit the umpire, to hit anybody. I'm not that kind of guy. I think he made a good pitch even though I got crossed up (expecting a fastball). I think I did a pretty good job of holding the baseball. I just got fired up. I couldn't control my emotions. If I have to apologize, I apologize to umpire because I didn't mean to hit him and I didn't mean to hurt anybody." There was some disagreement among the parties about whether there was a cross-up between Lackey and Contreras. Manager Joe Maddon and Contreras said yes. Lackey said no.

6 Either way, Maddon has known Lackey for a long time, dating to their days with the Angels in the early 2000s. Even though the ejections might have ended up hurting the Cubs, Maddon said it was unreasonable to think that the ornery Lackey would have a more measured response. "Impossible," Maddon said. "I can say I'd like to see that, but why would I even think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he's going to change in that particular moment? So God bless him. It's who Johnny is. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why even expect that? "So it happened. We reacted. And the rest of the group came together." The upshot of that is that the Cubs (81-66) moved to 4 games ahead of the Cardinals (77-70) in the National League Central with a victory in the first game of this key three-game series. They did so by scoring 7 runs in the bottom of the sixth, when they sent 11 men to the plate. Kris Bryant, who homered in the fourth inning, said the commotion with Lackey and Contreras may have helped the Cubs. "The crowd got into it," Bryant said. "Obviously, we're always into the game but anytime you see your teammates or bros go on out like that and get fired up, it's not a terrible thing. I think it only helped us." Daily Herald Epstein on Thursday's win "it wasn't an oil painting" By Bruce Miles Cubs president Theo Epstein said starting a rookie battery in Thursday night's 14-6 victory over the New York Mets was a calculated gamble that paid off. Pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng and catcher Taylor Davis each made his first major-league start, and both had shaky moments. Each player was in the game for only three innings, but the Cubs scored 5 runs in the fourth inning and 5 more in the sixth. Tseng replaced lefty Mike Montgomery, a swing man the Cubs used out of the bullpen for 2 innings. "A lot of different factors, dealing with a less-than-ideal set of circumstances for the short term," Epstein said. "Really, the hope was that we could win that game and allow Montgomery to be available out of the bullpen for part or all of the Cardinals series (this weekend). It wasn't an oil painting, as Joe (manager Maddon) might say, but we won the game, and Montgomery's going to be available for a decent part of the Cardinals series. "Sometimes there are things going on behind the scenes in the bullpen with availability and certain guys working on things or struggling where you have to go outside the norm in order to give your manager some options." Russell gets closer: Addison Russell says he may be ready to come off the disabled list this weekend, but the Cubs will make doubly sure he's ready. Their starting shortstop has been on the disabled list since Aug. 3 with a strained right foot and plantar fasciitis. After running the bases, hitting and taking fielding this week, Russell says he's ready. "I'm looking forward to this next week," he said. "I'm feeling pretty good. I think I'm getting ready. Everything's feeling good. My body feels good. My foot feels good. I'm pretty sure I can go game speed. We're pretty close. "Maybe a chance this weekend. Maybe a chance early next week. I think this weekend would definitely be ideal."

7 Manager Joe Maddon said the Cubs would have to ease Russell back into action, which would mean possibly playing one day and sitting the next. Arrieta to throw a pen: Pitcher Jake Arrieta will throw another bullpen session Saturday as he recovers from a strained right hamstring, suffered in Pittsburgh on Labor Day. "If tomorrow goes really well, there's a chance he could take the ball maybe three times the rest of the season," said Theo Epstein. "If he gets through tomorrow, probably the best-case scenario might be he gets in the Milwaukee series and St. Louis and maybe the last weekend. That's only if things go really well tomorrow. The worst thing you could do is rush it and he suffers a setback and isn't available at all." Rondon ailing: Reliever Hector Rondon has not pitched since Sept. 8, and the Cubs said Friday he has soreness in his elbow. "There's nothing structurally wrong with him," said Joe Maddon. "We just need to give him a break right now." Too much tension: After cruising to the National League Central title last year on the way to a World Series championship, the Cubs find themselves in a race this year with the Brewers and the Cardinals. Theo Epstein said he prefers it the way it happened last year. "My favorite pennant races are the ones where you're sitting in the bleachers on Sept. 16," he said, referring to what he did last year after the Cubs clinched. "I kind of like those. No, but it's good. You have years where everything, or most things, go your way and you have years where more things than usual seem like a challenge." Cubs.com Cubs ride 7-run 6th to eventful win over Cards By Carrie Muskat and Jenifer Langosch CHICAGO The Cardinals-Cubs rivalry has historically been intense enough on its own, but it's overamped this weekend because of the close National League Central race. On Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cubs showed they're going to fight for the chance to repeat. Despite losing both starting pitcher John Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras to ejections, the Cubs rallied for an 8-2 victory over the Cardinals to open a four-game lead in the division, with the Brewers sitting three back. Kris Bryant smacked a solo home run, scored the tying run and added an RBI single in a seven-run sixth inning to give Chicago its fourth straight win. "They got fired up after they saw everything that happened," Contreras said of his teammates. "It happened because we care about the team, we care about the win, we care about the game. I know we are in a spot where we need to win most of the games to clinch the playoffs. Every game means a lot." How big is this weekend? It's the first time the Cubs and Cardinals have squared off in a September series with both teams either in the division lead or within three games of the lead since Sept. 1-5, The Cards' Tommy Pham hit a solo home run and Carlos Martinez delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in a key at-bat in the fifth that resulted in the ejections of Lackey and Contreras.

8 The game was tied at 1 with two outs and two runners on base against Lackey. The veteran right-hander thought a 2-2 pitch to Martinez was a called strike, and he walked off the mound and extended his arms in disbelief after home-plate umpire Jordan Baker signaled that it was a ball. Even Martinez had started toward St. Louis' dugout, thinking he was called out on strikes. "I did think it was [strike three]," Martinez, speaking through a translator, acknowledged afterward. "I was pretty surprised." Said Lackey: "[Baker] missed the pitch. It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch." Given another chance, Martinez singled to right-center to drive in a run, and Lackey sprinted home to yell at Baker before being ejected. Contreras had to be restrained by manager Joe Maddon and shortstop Javier Baez, and the catcher also was tossed. Contreras also threw his mask in anger, and it accidentally struck Baker. "I didn't mean to hit the umpire, I didn't mean to hit anybody," Contreras said. "I thought he made a good pitch. I got crossed up, but I think I did a pretty good job holding the baseball. I just got fired up and I couldn't control my emotions. If I have to apologize, I'll apologize to the umpire. I didn't mean to hit him." The Cardinals, however, couldn't pad their lead, and the Cubs rebounded with their sixth-inning rally, sending 11 batters to the plate. All Wrigley Field needed was some bunting to add to the playoff feel. "I'd love to be able to see us add on a little more right there," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "We were looking for that big hit once again. Then we had opportunities to go after their bullpen to add on to a small lead. But we always know that these games can go one way or another in this place." Cubs closer Wade Davis got the final four outs, the first time he's been asked to pitch more than one inning this season. It was the Cubs' 41st comeback win of the season, and all six of Chicago's wins against St. Louis at Wrigley Field have been come-from-behind efforts. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Out at home: Martinez had retired the first 10 batters he faced before Bryant launched a 2-0 pitch 400 feet to right-center for his 27th homer to tie the game at 1. The fun came when Anthony Rizzo got on base. Rizzo was hit by a pitch, and he moved up on Contreras' single. One out later, Jon Jay singled and Rizzo tried to score but was thrown out at home by Pham, although it didn't appear as if catcher Yadier Molina tagged Rizzo. Rally caps: Bryant singled to open the sixth and Rizzo walked. Alex Avila, catching in place of Contreras, singled to center. Bryant hesitated at third, but then sprinted home to score the tying run. Jay followed with an RBI single to put the Cubs ahead, 3-2. Jason Heyward walked to load the bases and Baez hit a grounder to Martinez, who had trouble picking the ball up before throwing home. Molina couldn't get his glove on the ball and Avila scored on the fielder's choice. It was the third time in five starts that an inning unraveled after Martinez botched a potential inning-ending double play. "This game will keep you humble," Matheny said. "And when you think you've got it all wrapped up, something will jump up and grab you a little bit. And right now he's fighting his confidence defensively. But I think it's just going to be a blip on the screen." Matt Bowman took over for Martinez and pinch-hitter Ian Happ greeted him with a two-run single to open a 6-2 lead. Ben Zobrist added a sacrifice fly and Bryant hit an RBI single in his second at-bat in the inning. "He's one of the best in the game, in my opinion," Bryant said of Martinez. "To have a really big inning against him and some good at-bats says a lot about this team and how good we are." Big moment: Justin Wilson didn't have much time to think when he was called on to replace Lackey in the fifth with two on and two outs. That may have helped the left-hander, who struck out Matt Carpenter to end the inning.

9 Wilson has struggled recently, giving up five runs on four hits and five walks in his last 1 2/3 innings of relief. The Cubs' bullpen is shorthanded because of injuries and needs Wilson to get on track. "I know he hasn't pitched as well as he'd like, but he came into a situation where there's no room for error and you can't think about it and, 'Here's my stuff, and whoever wins, wins,'" Avila said. "I've always had confidence in him." Said Wilson: "Getting hot in a hurry and on the field, it's a little different. I felt after the last outing, I clearly had to make an adjustment. A little bit mechanical, a little bit mental. I have to keep it rolling. It's a step in the right direction." QUOTABLE "It's an emotional game, especially in that given moment. You try to ride the momentum, but that's just how it goes." Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader, on the team's missed opportunity to bury the Cubs after the ejections "Impossible. I could say I'd like to see that, but why would I think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he's going to change in that particular moment? God bless him. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why expect that? It happened, we reacted and the rest of the group came together." Maddon, when asked if he would've preferred Lackey had a more measured response SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Cubs surpassed 3 million in total attendance at home for the 10th season and second year in a row. Friday's crowd of 38,464 pushed the total attendance to 3,002,639. MEDICAL REPORT Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong exited the game midway through the fifth inning due to lower back tightness. Wong, who has been dealing with the nagging injury for the better part of two weeks, was 0-for-2 with a run before being replaced by Greg Garcia. His availability for the rest of the weekend is questionable. "It is what it is," Wong said. "It tightened up. I didn't want to get taken out of the game, but there comes a point where you've got to accept the fact that you're not going to help the team." WHAT'S NEXT Cardinals: Coming off one of the most dominant performances of his career, Michael Wacha returns to the mound Saturday in the Cardinals' 3:05 p.m. CT game at Wrigley Field. The right-hander will carry a streak of 12 scoreless innings into the outing, which will be his eighth at Wrigley Field. Cubs: Kyle Hendricks will start Saturday, and the Cubs are hoping he can go deep. He's coming off a loss to the Brewers in which he gave up three runs over six innings, striking out seven. Since the All-Star break, Hendricks is 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 10 starts. First pitch will be 3:05 p.m. CT from Wrigley Field. Cubs.com Lackey, Contreras ejected after disputed call By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Cubs manager Joe Maddon has known John Lackey since the right-hander was a rookie with the Angels. Did Maddon expect a calm discussion between the pitcher and home-plate umpire Jordan Baker after a disputed call?

10 "Impossible," Maddon said. "I could say I'd like to see that but why would I think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he's going to change in that particular moment? God bless him. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why expect that? It happened, we reacted, and the rest of the group came together." Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras were ejected after arguing with Baker in the fifth inning of Friday's series opener against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. The Cubs rallied to post an 8-2 win and open a four-game lead over the Cardinals in the National League Central. Back to the fifth. The game was tied at 1 and the Cardinals had two outs and two runners on against Lackey. The veteran right-hander thought a 2-2 pitch to Carlos Martinez was strike three, and he extended his arms in disbelief after Baker called it a ball. Even Martinez had started toward the dugout, thinking he was called out on strikes. "I did think it was [strike three]," Martinez said. "I was pretty surprised." "He almost walked [out of the batter's box] to the grass," Lackey said of Martinez. "He knew he was out." Martinez then singled to center to drive in a run and, as Lackey sprinted to back up home plate, he began yelling at Baker before being ejected. Contreras, also upset about the sequence of events, had to be restrained by Maddon and shortstop Javier Baez. Contreras also was tossed and he threw his mask to the ground, which then incidentally hit Baker. "There was no intent at the umpire whatsoever," Maddon said of Contreras. "He slammed it down in anger." "Those things happen," Contreras said. "First of all, I didn't mean to hit the umpire, I didn't mean to hit anybody. I thought [Lackey] made a good pitch. I got crossed up, but I think I did a pretty good job holding the baseball. I just got fired up and I couldn't control my emotions. If I have to apologize, I'll apologize to the umpire. I didn't mean to hit him." Lackey said Baker did not argue. "He missed the pitch. It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch," Lackey said. "He had no argument back. He was trying to say, 'That's enough.' Usually when they do that, they know they missed it." Earlier in the game, Lackey had a few words with Baker after an inning. This wasn't the first time Lackey has been ejected; he also was tossed in 2009 two pitches into a start for the Angels. The abbreviated outing ended Lackey's streak of 41 consecutive outings of at least five innings, which was the third-longest active streak in the Major Leagues. Did Lackey have any regrets about his behavior? "Not really, no," he said. "It was a pretty big spot right there. It cost me a big league win. Those don't grow on trees." Both Maddon and Contreras said the catcher was crossed up on the pitch it was offspeed and Contreras was expecting fastball and that Contreras' difficulty in corralling it may have contributed to it not being called a strike. "He made a good pitch," Contreras said. "I made a pretty good job catching the baseball. I thought I was going to get the call. That was [Baker's] decision. I respect the umpire." Justin Wilson took over and struck out Matt Carpenter to end the Cardinals' fifth. "I'd love to be able to see us add on a little more right there," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "We were looking for that big hit once again. Then we had opportunities to go after their bullpen to add on to a small lead. But we always know that these games can go one way or another in this place." Said Contreras: "Every game means a lot. I'm thankful that this team was able to come back and win."

11 Cubs.com Arrieta set for determining bullpen session By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta will throw a bullpen session on Saturday that will likely determine when and how much the right-hander pitches the rest of the regular season. If all goes well, Arrieta, who is coming back from a right hamstring strain suffered on Sept. 4, could start three more games, beginning with the Cubs' series against the Brewers that starts on Thursday. "He's champing at the bit," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Friday. "He's pushing the schedule and working his tail off. He felt good coming off the last bullpen [session on Thursday]. "If [Saturday] goes really well, there's a chance he could take the ball three times," Epstein said. "The worst thing you can do is rush it." Jon Lester will open the Cubs' Interleague series on Tuesday against the Rays. Wednesday's starter has not been named yet. Shortstop Addison Russell, sidelined since Aug. 3 with a strained right foot, wants to return this weekend, but the Cubs want to see him do one more workout on Saturday before deciding when he will be inserted back in a game. "He is pretty close," manager Joe Maddon said. "He'll get another workout in [Saturday] and we'll make a determination." Russell is now wearing orthotics to avoid reaggravating his foot. "I'm ready to get out there," Russell said. "Maybe a chance this weekend, maybe a chance early next week. I think this weekend would definitely be ideal." The Cubs will take the same approach with Russell as they did with catcher Willson Contreras, which is to have him play a few innings, but not the full nine. They're taking that approach because there's no place for Russell to rehab since the Minor League season is over. "It's all about seeing as many pitches as I can before I get into a game, and get into that first game and build off of that," Russell said. "I just need reps, I just need reps." Reliever Hector Rondon has not pitched since Sept. 8 because of inflammation in his right elbow. "There's nothing structurally wrong with him," Maddon said of the right-hander. "We just need to give him a break now." The Cubs' bullpen hasn't been as sharp as they'd like heading into the final two-plus weeks of the season. Koji Uehara has been bothered by an infection in his right knee, and lefty Justin Wilson has been struggling with command. "Bullpens go through peaks and valleys, and we're in a valley right now," Epstein said. "That's unfortunate, because at this time of year, you want to be clicking on all cylinders." Catcher Victor Caratini and pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng were honored before Friday's opener vs. the Cubs as the club's Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Cubs Charities will help those affected by Hurricane Irma by donating 50/50 Raffle proceeds from Saturday's game to the American Red Cross.

12 Fans can purchase 50/50 Raffle tickets from uniformed Cubs Charities raffle ticket sellers starting two hours before the game until the middle of the seventh inning. The winning ticket will be announced in the top of the ninth, and the winner will receive a check for half of the net proceeds from the game's raffle ticket sales. The other half will be donated by Cubs Charities to the American Red Cross to help people recovering from the storm. If fans cannot attend Saturday's game, they can make a donation to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Irma disaster relief and recovery efforts by visiting Cubs.com Wacha, Hendricks to duel in NL Central clash By Jenifer Langosch After frittering away a lead that cost them ground in the National League Central standings, the Cardinals will return to Wrigley Field on Saturday seeking to even their series against the Cubs. Michael Wacha and Kyle Hendricks will square off in the second of a three-game set. With 15 games remaining, Chicago has a four-game advantage over St. Louis in the division. The Brewers, who are playing a weekend series against the Marlins, are sandwiched between the two. The Cubs have built that lead largely through their ability to outperform the Cards, who have won just four of the 13 meetings between the two teams. Including Saturday, the Cardinals and Cubs will play each other six more times down the stretch. "Obviously, there is a different excitement level altogether, but for us, when it comes to doing our job, I've said this before, if we're bringing out more now, then we need to offer a refund for what we were doing earlier because we have an obligation to bring it every day, regardless," Cardsmanager Mike Matheny said. "Whatever anybody wants to make of any particular series, we need to look the same every day." Saturday actually marks the one-year anniversary of the Cubs' champagne-popping celebration for clinching their first NL Central title since They won't be coasting to the finish line this year, however especially with 10 games remaining against the two clubs in close pursuit. "My perfect pennant race is you're sitting in the bleachers on Sept. 16 [celebrating that it's clinched]," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "You have years when most things go your way and you have years when more things than usual seem like a challenge. The last thing you want down the stretch is bullpen issues or pitching issues. That's where you find out what guys are made of. Guys will get the ball in big spots. Any time you have a situation where you have a small margin for error in a postseason series or a pennant race or in a game, it adds to the risk and rewards." The Cardinals are hopeful that Wacha will look just as he did his last time out when he threw eight scoreless innings in a victory against the Pirates. Wacha will carry a 12-inning scoreless streak into this start, and he is riding the momentum from the three consecutive quality starts that have followed a wobbly five-start stretch in which he posted a 7.25 ERA. The ups and downs haven't been so pronounced for Cubs starter Hendricks, who has posted a 2.58 ERA in 10 outings since his return from the disabled list. Hendricks has allowed three runs or fewer in every one of those starts while completing at least six innings in each of his past six. Three things to know about this game Though both clubs have a plethora of extra arms because of expanded rosters, several key late-inning relievers may still be unavailable on Saturday. Chicago's Hector Rondon (right elbow) and Koji Uehara (right knee) are both battling injuries, while St. Louis' Seung Hwan Oh hasn't pitched since Sept. 7 due to right hamstring tightness.

13 Wrigley will be buzzing with activity before a pitch is thrown on Saturday, as the Cubs' Jake Arrieta and the Cards' Adam Wainwright are scheduled to throw pregame bullpen sessions. Those sessions could be the final hurdles for both veteran starters before they're cleared to return. Arrieta has been sidelined since Sept. 4 with a right hamstring injury. Wainwright is recovering from a right elbow impingement that has kept him out since Aug. 18. How Wacha fares on Saturday may come down to how he navigates through the Nos. 2 and 3 hitters in the Cubs' lineup. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are a combined 25-for-61 with five homers and 14 RBIs against Wacha. ESPNChicago.com Cubs' offense takes charge against Cards after starting battery gets boot By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO The Chicago Cubs were split as to whether the Friday ejections of starter John Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras for arguing a non-strike call energized a team that, after the smoke cleared in the fifth inning, trailed the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. But one thing the Cubs all agreed upon was that their offensive output one inning later was one of the best of the season. The Cubs scored seven times in the sixth inning, blowing open a close game while further distancing themselves from the Cardinals in the standings. They now lead the National League Central by four over their archrivals after the 8-2 victory, which might be looked back on as a signature victory for the defending champions. I think it was a nice little spark for us and some energy that we all needed, Kris Bryant said of the ejections. The crowd got into it. "Anytime you see your teammates going out like that and getting fired up, it s not a terrible thing. I think it helped us. Count Bryant in the group that believes Lackey s emotional outburst toward plate umpire Jordan Baker galvanized the team. Others, such as catcher Alex Avila, weren t so sure. Avila replaced Contreras when he was thrown out moments after Lackey got the gate. If it wasn't the ejections that got the Cubs going, at least it was some really good appearances in the batter s box, according to Avila. I have no idea, Avila said. I really don t. Some say that it does [energize a team], some say it really doesn t matter. "I m probably more so in that what s going to happen is going to happen. I m pretty sure the at-bats we were having in succession was more of a factor. Five singles, two walks, a fielder s choice and a sacrifice fly helped the Cubs to that seven-run frame. Such innings that have been few and far between against the better pitchers in the league this season, at least when Chicago hasn't hit the long ball. Even though the Cubs scored 39 runs in three games against the New York Mets earlier this week, doing it against the Cardinals for one game simply means more. And because of it, the Cubs have scored eight or more runs in at least four consecutive games at Wrigley Field for the first time since To be able to swarm a little bit and utilize outs and walks and knocks, and all of the above, I loved our approach, manager Joe Maddon said. So it s doubtful the ejections suddenly changed the Cubs approach at the plate against St. Louis starter Carlos Martinez, though it makes for a better story afterward. In reality, Maddon and his coaches have been preaching this kind of offense all season: score without hitting home runs. They feel it s the missing element to what can be a dynamic and powerful offensive attack.

14 More than being energized after the ejections, perhaps simply not letting the opposite happen a letdown was the Cubs' best attribute Friday. Using up the bullpen early while already trailing could have derailed the whole afternoon. It takes a special group to do that, Jason Heyward said. Not patting ourselves on the back, but you have to have some experience to deal with that kind of a moment. The game could have gone any way. I don t know if it impacted it or not. We stayed positive, grinded out some at-bats. We had fun with it. It did go one way: completely in favor of the home team. That became obvious when the bullpen did its job and the offense followed suit. So perhaps Bryant was right in the first place. The Cubs rose to the occasion when two of their players were tossed after a blown strike call. When things don t go our way it s not like it s, Here we go again, Bryant said. It s kind of like, Oh great, it s going to be a nice challenge. We re going to get by this and feel really good about this when we get over it. That s a perfect example of it. ESPNChicago.com John Lackey, Willson Contreras ejected after berating plate umpire By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO Cubs starter John Lackey and catcher Willson Contreras were both kicked out of Friday's 8-2 win over the Cardinals after arguing with plate umpire Jordan Baker following an apparent missed strike three call on St. Louis pitcher Carlos Martinez. With two on and two out in the top of the fifth inning and a 2-2 count on Martinez, Lackey threw a slider that looked to be a strike. Even Martinez began to walk back to the dugout, but Baker called it a ball, setting Lackey off. "He missed the pitch," Lackey said after the game. "It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch. "He had no argument back. He was just trying to say 'that's enough.' Usually when they do that they know they missed it." As Lackey ran to back up home plate, he screamed in Baker's face, getting kicked out in the process. Moments later, Contreras threw down his catcher's mask, which ended up hitting Baker in the leg. Contreras was also tossed after confronting Baker. Lackey says he doesn't regret what he did. "It was a pretty big spot right there. It cost me a big league win. Those don't grow on trees." Cubs manager Joe Maddon was asked if he wanted Lackey to do something besides blow up at the umpire. "Why would I even think that? That's the definition of insanity. Why would I think he would change in that particular moment? So God bless him. It's who John is. I never want him to change. He's not going to change, so why even expect that?" Contreras said his intention was not to hit anyone. "I apologize to everybody, to the fans, to MLB, to the umpire. I'm sure if I see Jordan [Baker] tomorrow I will apologize to him."

15 Justin Wilson and Alex Avila took over on the mound and behind the plate and were able to end the inning on the next batter. ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Theo Epstein says bullpen improvement key down the stretch By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO Exactly one year ago Saturday, Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein, along with other members of the front office, watched from the left-field bleachers as the team played the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. The relaxed setting to watch the game was understandable, considering the Cubs had clinched the National League Central the day before. Fast-forward to Friday as the Cubs prepared to open a series against St. Louis while just three games up on the Cardinals and Brewers. Epstein feels good about his team's chances to repeat as division champion just not 2016 good. "We have to do a lot of things to get where we want to go," Epstein said while sitting in the Cubs' dugout early Friday afternoon. "We have so much work ahead of us just to accomplish our first goal.... Success or failure of this regular season really rides on how we play the next 16 games." Epstein went on to list the things that he would like to see out of his championship club. First off, the Cubs need to hit good pitching. That has been a problem all year, as they have just a.306 on-base percentage against four of the top five pitching staffs in the NL. Manager Joe Maddon and Epstein voiced a bigger concern for the bullpen. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Cubs' relief staff leads the majors in walks since the All-Star break and is 14th in the NL in ERA (5.24). "We have to keep our starters going, getting them deep in games and we have to get our bullpen going," Epstein said. "Bullpens go through peaks and valleys and we're in a valley right now. "It's unfortunate because this is the time of year you want to be clicking on all cylinders, but things can change quickly. You get 1-2 guys locked in... the next thing you know you look up and you're in good shape. It's a Murphy's Law type thing in our pen." The biggest mystery is lefty Justin Wilson, who was acquired on trade deadline day and has walked 14 batters in 12⅔ innings since coming to the Cubs. His 6.39 ERA isn't giving his new team much confidence, which has led to the Cubs returning Mike Montgomery to the bullpen. It also led to the Cubs starting rookie Jen-Ho Tseng on Thursday, a risky move that almost backfired when he gave up five runs in three innings, though the offense bailed him out in a 14-6 win. "The story is not written on him," Epstein said of Wilson. "He's a really quality pitcher who's struggling right now. What do you do with those guys? You work to get him locked in and you look for the right opportunity because they're always one outing away." The Cubs are also fighting injuries. Saturday is a big day for Jake Arrieta, who's recovering from a hamstring strain. If his bullpen session goes well he could get three starts before the end of the season. Reliever Hector Rondon has been shut down for the moment as his elbow is bothering him, while shortstop Addison Russell is nearing a return from a case of plantar fasciitis. But Epstein kept coming back to his bullpen as his main focus, though he was sure to stress it's not the only one. "We're fighting and scratching in order to have a winning bullpen against good teams," he said. "We can do that, but if you play three to five tight games in a row you tend to get stretched. The more depth you have, the better

16 off you are. We're fighting harder than usual at this time of year to achieve that depth. That's just an honest assessment." Epstein's bullpen should be tested often the next two weeks as the Cubs play 11 of their next 13 games against the Cardinals and Brewers, beginning Friday. It will go a long way to determining the winner of the division. "You have years where most things go your way and you have years where more things than usual seem like a challenge," Epstein said. "My favorite pennant races are the ones when you're sitting in the bleachers on Sept. 16. I kind of like those." CSNChicago.com John Lackey and Willson Contreras go absolutely bonkers on home plate umpire after insane call in Cubs-Cardinals By Tony Andracki John Lackey sprinted toward home plate, absolutely screaming at home plate umpire Jordan Baker. Willson Contreras did a complete circle around Baker, needing both Joe Maddon and Javy Baez to hold him back. Those will become the lasting images from an absolutely wild occurrence at Wrigley Field Friday afternoon. Lackey was on the mound in the fifth inning against Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez, locked in a 1-1 ballgame with runners on first and second and two outs. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Lackey floated a breaking ball right down the middle of the plate. Martinez put his head down and started walking toward the dugout, conceding to the strikeout. But Baker did not call the pitch a strike. Instead, it was Ball 3 and Martinez had new life. Lackey wasted no time laying into Baker, screaming and pointing at Martinez, who was several steps toward the first-base dugout. "He almost walked to the grass," Lackey said. "He knew he was out." Contreras and Maddon both said the second-year catcher got crossed up on the pitch and wasn't expecting a breaking ball, but Lackey said there was no cross-up. Lackey continued screaming at Baker and Maddon came from out of the dugout in an effort to calm things down. "He missed the pitch," Lackey said. "It's a big spot in a huge game and he missed the pitch." Lackey remained in the game, but on his next pitch, Martinez singled to right-center, plating Kolten Wong with the go-ahead run. Lackey sprinted in to backup the play at home, yelling at Baker the whole way. When the play was over and time called, Contreras also apparently said something to Baker and was subsequently tossed, resulting in this immediate reaction: Maddon was already on his way out of the dugout and tried to hold Contreras back before Baez intervened and kept his teammate back. Contreras' mask bounced and hit Baker in the foot, but the Cubs catcher apologized afterwards and said he clearly wasn't trying to hit or hurt anybody, just was frustrated in the moment and threw his mask on the ground, never intending for it to hit the umpire.