September 22, 2017 Cubs magic number is 6 after rallying to beat Brewers Chicago Cubs keeping the faith in Lester

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1 September 22, 2017 Daily Herald, Cubs magic number is 6 after rallying to beat Brewers Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs keeping the faith in Lester Daily Herald, Constable: Can Cubs fans grow tired of winning? Cubs.com, Goodnight, Kris! Cubs great late vs. Crew Cubs.com, Replay mania: 5 reviews in Cubs-Crew thriller Cubs.com, Arrieta looks, feels strong in return to mound Cubs.com, Lackey, Woodruff up next in Cubs-Crew clash Cubs.com, Rivera's family fine after Maria hits Puerto Rico ESPNChicago.com, How the Cubs turned an All-Star break deficit into a chance to put away the Brewers ESPNChicago.com, All hands on deck as Cubs win Miller thriller, edge closer to Central title ESPNChicago.com, Real or not? Brewers fans will remember gut-punch loss to the Cubs CSNChicago.com, Kris Bryant knocks out Brewers and knows what big-game experience means for Cubs CSNChicago.com, As Cubs move closer to division title, Jake Arrieta looks ready for October CSNChicago.com, Cubs say this isn t the beginning of the end for their ace: I believe in Jon Lester CSNChicago.com, Wade Davis is the big-game hunter Cubs need now - and maybe in the future

2 Chicago Tribune, 'Just an incredible baseball game:' Cubs thrive in extra-inning win over Brewers Chicago Tribune, Jake Arrieta biggest positive on a night full of them for Cubs column.html Chicago Tribune, Budding rivalry with Brewers gets a jolt from Cubs rallying for victory Chicago Tribune, Wade Davis gaining confidence amid season-high workload: 'That s a good sign' Chicago Tribune, Cubs come back for thrilling win over Brewers, lowering magic number to 6 Chicago Tribune, Cubs insist Jon Lester is healthy and his recent problems are fixable Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Rene Rivera raising money for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria story.html Chicago Sun-Times, Brewers one pitch away twice but Cubs teach newbies a lesson Chicago Sun-Times, Minds, bodies in Milwaukee, heavy hearts in Puerto Rico for some Cubs Chicago Sun-Times, Jake Arrieta provides an answer for Cubs rotation full of questions Chicago Sun-Times, Is Kyle Schwarber getting ready to pull another Kyle Schwarber? Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs, White Sox weigh in on MLB s ballpark safety-netting issue Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs wives start and pitch in to GoFundMe for Puerto Rico Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs ace Jon Lester addresses command woes on Twitter Daily Herald Cubs magic number is 6 after rallying to beat Brewers By Bruce Miles MILWAUKEE There were two big story lines heading into Thursday night's Cubs-Brewers game at Miller Park: Jake Arrieta's return to the Cubs' pitching rotation and the race in the National League Central.

3 Arrieta gave the Cubs what they needed in his first game since he left his Labor Day start in Pittsburgh with a hamstring injury. He worked 5 innings against the Brewers, giving up 5 hits and 1 run. And the Cubs scored the ultimate victory, winning the game 5-3 in 10 innings. Kris Bryant hit a 2-run homer off Oliver Drake to break a 3-3 tie. The Brewers fans in the crowd of 35,114 at Miller Park got up to leave as Bryant rounded the bases, and the Cubsfan majority cheered as their team reduced its magic number to 6 for winning the National League Central. The Cubs (85-67) increased their lead in the NL Central to 4½ games over the Brewers (81-72). A four-game sweep this weekend by the Cubs will clinch the division. The teams went back and forth against each other's bullpens. The Brewers tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the seventh inning and went ahead in the eighth on a go-ahead single by Eric Thames of Justin Wilson. Javier Baez tied it for the Cubs in the top of the ninth with an RBI single. "Just an incredible baseball game, what I'm sure you guys felt like was a playoff game, just like we did," Arrieta said. "Two teams battling for a division. Four-game series. This is a really awesome time to be in an organization like this and in a division like the NL Central where there's a couple teams that have playoff aspirations on the line. "If we take care of business here over the next few days, we get a couple steps closer." Arrieta wound up throwing 71 pitches, and the velocity on the fastball was good, especially early. He gave up a fourth-inning home run to Domingo Santana. Kyle Schwarber had given the Cubs a 1-0 lead the second with a home run to left-center off Brewers starter Zach Davies. Anthony Rizzo singled a run home in the third. Davies gave it a game effort on a night when the Brewers' bullpen was in need of a rest He worked 7 innings, giving up 7 hits. "That was a pretty special game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Javy's been there before, the hit in San Francisco (in last year's division series). Almost the same hit up the middle that he had in the playoff game. We had so many opportunities to do better, but so did they. Both teams really wanted to win that game tonight." Bryant's homer was his 28th of the season. "It'd be so nice to see him get toasty right now," Maddon said. The Cubs got good work overall out of their bullpen, with closer Wade Davis working 1⅔ and pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, when the Brewers had two chances to win the game. Davis wound up with 4 strikeouts as he improved to 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA. "That was a lot to lay on him today, but when you come from behind like that and you have a chance to win that game, to lose that game with him still out there just playing catch in the bullpen would have been wrong on my part," Maddon said. "We needed to get him in there." The weekend is far from over, and the Cubs know they're in for a fight. "It's different from last year," Bryant said. "This time last year, we knew we were in. I don't want to say it didn't matter, but we were just kind of on cruise control. Now we've got to win these games, and it's really kind of showing us what we're made of. That's a good thing."

4 Daily Herald Chicago Cubs keeping the faith in Lester By Bruce Miles MILWAUKEE Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and general manager Jed Hoyer expressed belief in ace lefty Jon Lester. Even though Lester is 3-1 in September, he has a 5.91 ERA. The ERA wasn't helped by Wednesday's start in Tampa Bay, where Lester was rocked for 8 hits and 7 runs in 4⅓ innings. He did not strike out a batter. Lester was on the disabled list from Aug. 18-Sept. 2 with shoulder fatigue. "Here's how I am about all that: I believe in Jon Lester," Maddon said before Thursday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. "It's unusual to see him struggle like that, primarily with his command, too. "The velocity was down, but it was where the pitches were going. I'm not used to seeing that. Even if the number is down velocity wise, he knows where the pitches are going. So I've got to believe that's going to get rectified soon. "I just want to be very patient with this. I think he's fine. Until I hear that he's not well, which I've not heard at all, I think he'll be fine." Hoyer and team president Theo Epstein had Lester in Boston. They signed him to a six-year, $155 million contract after the 2014 season. He was with a 3.34 ERA in Last year, Lester went 19-9 with a 2.44 ERA, good for second in Cy Young balloting. Overall this year, he is 11-8 with a 4.56 ERA. "I think that obviously he hasn't been at the top of his game recently, but he such a competitor," Hoyer said. "He's always pitched well in big games. Hopefully he'll find it. He's been saying he feels good. He struggled to put some guys away last night. Pretty long track record of bouncing back from bad outings, and hopefully he'll do it again." Concluded Maddon: "Listen, I know a lot of people are concerned. I'm not overly concerned because the guy has been good for a long time. As long as he says he's healthy, which he has, I'm fine. If he's hurting at all that he's not revealing, that's a different story entirely. For right now, I believe he's well." Back to the bullpen: With the return to the rotation of right-hander Jake Arrieta, lefty Mike Montgomery is heading back to the bullpen. Montgomery started Tuesday at Tampa Bay, pitching 6 innings of 1-hit, 1-run ball and getting a victory. "Right now the plan is to put him back in the bullpen," Joe Maddon said. "(Wednesday) was off. Today is off. Maybe by Saturday he might be good to go. I anticipate keeping him in the bullpen." Rondon nears return: Reliever Hector Rondon is close to returning to action, possibly as early as Friday night. He has not pitched since Sept. 8 because of soreness in his right elbow. Daily Herald Constable: Can Cubs fans grow tired of winning? By Burt Constable The Chicago Cubs are on the verge of making Major League Baseball's postseason for the third year in a row. The last and only time the franchise managed a postseason three-peat, Teddy Roosevelt was president. Yet some sports fans would rather talk about the Chicago Bears, which are the lousy football version of the even lousier

5 Chicago Bulls. Could it be that Cubs fans, having finally gotten to the baseball mountaintop, find the prospect of an opening-round playoff series this season a tad humdrum? "You tend to see some playoff fatigue," says Cameron Papp, communications manager for StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace. "The New England Patriots are an extreme example." Fans of the Patriots, which have won five Super Bowls and made the NFL playoffs 13 of the last 14 years, have a "been there, done that" attitude when it comes to early playoff games, and they often are more than willing to sell tickets to those games, Papp says. The Cubs, winner of one straight championship, aren't in that league, but fans still might be willing to sell postseason tickets. Ticket prices on StubHub reached record highs last season when the Cubs gave fans that "once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list" opportunity to see the Cubs become champs, Papp says. Twice-in-a-lifetime opportunities generally cost a little less. "We fully expect that to happen to the Cubs," Papp says, predicting more sellers and lower ticket prices this postseason. StubHub already offers tickets for a first postseason game at Wrigley starting at $199. Even though the supply will be greater, the demand for Cubs' postseason tickets still will be strong, Papp predicts, adding that season ticketholders will be able "to make your money in the playoffs." But to paraphrase French philosopher Voltaire and Spider-Man's Uncle Ben, "With great winning comes great etiquette." The idea of profiting by selling a Cubs postseason ticket is an affront to longtime season-ticket holder John Pellettiere Jr. of Long Grove, who waited a lifetime to see the Cubs win it all last season and would like to see his team do it again this season. The thought of scalping his Cubs tickets entered Pellettiere's head for the first and only time on June 7, The New York Yankees were coming to Wrigley Field for a nationally televised Saturday game. Pitching legend Roger Clemens was trying to win his 300th game, against Cubs ace Kerry Wood. Cubs season-ticket holders sitting near Pellettiere were offering their seats to Yankee fans for $1,800 a ticket. "Do you understand that our four tickets are worth more than $7,000?" Pellettiere told one of his sons, who immediately responded, "Dad, do you understand that we'll never see this again?" Exactly. Pellettieres kept their tickets. Wood, who threw 120 pitches, beat Clemens 5-2 as backup Eric Karros smacked a clutch 3-run homer after starting first baseman Hee-Seop Choi suffered a bizarre, career-altering head injury on a pop-up. Pellettiere, who also has season tickets for the Chicago Blackhawks, says he knows some fans, spoiled by three Stanley Cups since 2010, who scalp their first-round playoff tickets to help finance their season tickets. He once sold perhaps the most-coveted ticket in Blackhawks' history to his best friend at face value when a family obligation in Colorado forced him to miss the Hawks' victory in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup. But selling a postseason ticket just to make some quick cash? "None of us would think about selling first-round tickets, for the Cubs or the Blackhawks," Pellettiere says. "It's sacrilegious." Cubs.com Goodnight, Kris! Cubs great late vs. Crew By Adam McCalvy and Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE This was not the postseason, but it sure felt that way Thursday night at Miller Park as the Cubs and the Brewers traded late-inning blows in Milwaukee's most charged September ballgame in years.

6 Javier Baez hit a tying two-out RBI single in the ninth, Wade Davis escaped a bases-loaded jam to force extra innings and Kris Bryant's two-run home run in the 10th sent Chicago to a 5-3 win in the opener of a four-game series that could decide the National League Central. "That was a pretty special game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. The Cubs extended their lead to 4 1/2 games over the second-place Brewers with a week and a half to go, and the Cardinals looming just a half-game behind Milwaukee. If the Cubs, winners of eight of their last nine games, keep winning, they could clinch a second straight division title as soon as Sunday with their magic number now at six. "It was just an incredible baseball game," Cubs starter Jake Arrieta said. "I'm sure it felt to you like a playoff game like it did to us. Two teams battling for the division, four-game series this is a really awesome time to be in an organization like this and in a division like the NL Central where there's a couple teams that have playoff aspirations in mind. If we take care of business here, we can get a couple steps closer. This is a tremendous start to the series." The Brewers also missed another chance to gain ground on the Rockies in the race for the second NL Wild Card spot. Milwaukee remained one game behind Colorado after both teams lost Thursday. It marked Milwaukee's second loss in as many nights in an opponents' last at-bat. "It's two tough games but we're still sitting in a pretty good spot," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We can play well for the last nine days and still do something good. Every loss is going to be incredibly tough right now." The Brewers were 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position, including Eric Sogard's tying RBI single in the seventh inning and Eric Thames' go-ahead RBI single in the eighth, but they needed more. Baez's single off fill-in Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress tied the game with the Cubs down to their final strike before Chicago beat another righthander, Oliver Drake, on Bryant's 28th home run in the 10th. "That's a tough one. The past two nights, we got kicked in our teeth," said Drake. "But we've still got baseball left. We've got three more left against the Cubs, and they're going to be big ones." Maddon said they knew the Brewers' "A" bullpen pitchers were unavailable. "It definitely played in our favor," Maddon said. Playing in the postseason the last two years also helped the Cubs. "We've done that so many times I guess it is experience," Bryant said of the late comeback. "Our heartbeats aren't going too fast when the game is on the line there. It kind of plays to our advantage. "This is really showing us what we're made of. It was nice their fans were loud, our fans were loud. It's always nice to play here. We get a nice draw from Chicago. Keep 'em coming." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Santana's steal: Brewers right fielder Domingo Santana finished with two hits, including a home run off Arrieta, two runs scored and one pivotal stolen base that helped the Brewers take a lead in the eighth. He doubled off Cubs reliever Justin Wilson, then stole third thanks to a 38.6-foot secondary lead from second base, according to Statcast, about 10 feet further than the average on successful steals of third. That prompted the Cubs to play their infield in, which allowed Thames to line a single over leaping second baseman Baez for the Brewers' first lead of the night. Speed kills: Even with expanded rosters, the Brewers entered the day in a bullpen bind after using setup man Anthony Swarzak and All-Star closer Corey Knebel each of the previous three nights in Pittsburgh. With that backdrop, starter Zach Davies delivered seven quality innings and Jacob Barnes escaped a jam in the eighth, leaving

7 the ninth for Jeffress, who inherited a 3-2 lead but found immediate trouble when he was slow covering first base on Ian Happ's infield hit. The call stood upon review after the Brewers challenged, extending the inning long enough for Baez to golf a sinker below the strike zone for his game-tying hit. "I had a lot of conviction in that pitch," Jeffress said. "I was trying to go lower than low. I felt like that was the right pitch at the right time. What are you going to do? I've had a lot of balls sneak through like that." Leaving 'em loaded: The Brewers twice left the bases loaded in the late innings with the game tied, first in the seventh when Ryan Braun scorched an inning-ending groundout 105 mph off the bat, according to Statcast and again in the ninth against Davis. Braun was clipped on the elbow by a pitch and Travis Shaw singled to load the bags with one out for Santana, who struck out. Orlando Arcia then grounded back to the mound to end the threat and send the game into extra innings. "We had a chance in the ninth, certainly, where the strikeout hurt," Counsell said. "[Santana] had an at-bat where he chased out of the zone a couple of times and the strikeout hurt you. You don't put it in play, you put the pressure on the next guy." Davis has been busy, now pitching in five of their last six games. "I've thrown some pitches better than I have in the past month or so and getting good results," Davis said. "That was a lot to lay on him today," Maddon said. "When you come from behind like that and you have a chance to win that game to lose that game with him out there playing catch in the bullpen would've been wrong." QUOTABLE "You get used to it up here. I want to believe with the [close race] with Milwaukee, [the fans] will show up in good numbers. I think we just like loud. Even Dodger Stadium, it's just loud. I think we're a little bit of adrenaline junkies and we're used to 40,000 people a night. We just like loud." Maddon, on the large contingent of Cubs fans at Miller Park UPON FURTHER REVIEW Between challenges from both dugouts plus two crew-chief reviews, five different plays received a second look at Major League Baseball's replay center on Thursday, including Happ's game-changing dash to first base in the ninth inning and Anthony Rizzo's slide home in the 10th that resulted in a Cubs run coming off the board. More > WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: John Lackey will make his first start since he was ejected for arguing balls and strikes last Friday vs. the Cardinals. He went 4 2/3 innings in that outing. In three starts against the Brewers this season, Lackey is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA. The only win was at Miller Park on July 30. First pitch on Friday at Miller Park will be at 6:35 p.m. CT. Brewers: Rookie right-hander Brandon Woodruff has already gone toe-to-toe with Bartolo Colon and Max Scherzer; now he will draw another veteran opponent in Lackey when the series continues. Woodruff has held opponents to a.237 batting average in his first six big league starts. This is his first career start against the Cubs. Cubs.com Replay mania: 5 reviews in Cubs-Crew thriller By Adam McCalvy and Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE There were two plays at first base, one at third and one at home plate, plus a near home run to boot. The Cubs and Brewers kept Major League Baseball's replay center busy while they battled for the National League Central on Thursday night at Miller Park.

8 Five times on the way to the Cubs' 5-3 win in 10 innings crew chief Dana DeMuth donned the headset near the visitors' dugout. Here's a rundown of the close plays that dotted a thriller: Third inning: Crew's consolation prize The Cubs took a 2-0 lead on Anthony Rizzo's single through the right side of the infield off Milwaukee starter Zach Davies, but the Brewers were able to get an out on the play. Catcher Stephen Vogt stepped in front of the plate for right fielder Domingo Santana's high throw home and fired a strike to third base, where Travis Shaw applied two tags one as Kris Bryant slid in safely and another when it appeared he lost contact with the bag. The initial call was safe, but that was overturned after Brewers manager Craig Counsell challenged. Fifth inning: Cubs turn two It was the Cubs' turn in the fifth, when they turned a beautiful, replay-aided, double play on Neil Walker. Walker who was coming off well-struck singles in his first two at-bats and batting with one out and two aboard for the Brewers' only at-bat with a runner in scoring position against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta ripped a ball down to Rizzo and was initially called safe at first base. But replays showed shortstop Addison Russell's throw to a covering Arrieta was in time, and Arrieta got his foot on the bag. "That double play, Neil Walker in the fifth, Rizzo, great play," Arrieta said. "They were able to make a good transfer. I had an idea where the bag was and I just wanted to receive the throw and give myself a chance to be in line with the bag. There were so many plays tonight that could've been the turning point." Ninth inning: Happ's hustle Fill-in Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress inherited a 3-2 lead but found immediate trouble when he was slow covering first base on Ian Happ's infield hit leading off the ninth. Jeffress initially thought it would be second baseman Eric Sogard's ball, but first baseman Walker fielded it instead as Jeffress tried to make up for lost time. The call stood upon review after the Brewers challenged, and it changed the game by extending the inning long enough for Javier Baez to deliver a tying two-out RBI single that sent the game to extra innings. "It felt a little slow at the end, so I don't know if JJ was a little bit late," Counsell said. "I have to look at the play again. Happ hustled down the line. It was a bang-bang play." "That's respecting 90 right there," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Happ's hustle. "It looked to me as though whatever the call was on the field would be the call. That's why the call on the field is so important. I told [Happ] that when he came in the dugout. We have to do that all year long. This time of year, when you don't do that, it stands out. I'm really proud of him." According to Statcast, Happ sprinted to first base in 4.07 seconds, his fastest time in a non-bunt situation. "A play like that, in that situation, you hit a ball like that, you put your head down and go as hard as you can," Happ said. "Thankfully, I beat him to the bag. I think that's the fastest I've run, biggest situation I've had to get down the line." 10th inning: Two in one The final frame included two crew-chief reviews, including one that took a Cubs insurance run off the scoreboard. First, the umpires checked whether Rizzo's triple had cleared the fence (it did not), then went to the headsets again to look at Rizzo being called safe at home plate on Happ's fielder's-choice grounder. The result of the overturned call was a double play for the Brewers, with Rizzo out on the tag at home.

9 Cubs.com Arrieta looks, feels strong in return to mound By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE Cubs manager Joe Maddon admitted he did not know what to expect from Jake Arrieta, who was back on the mound Thursday night at Miller Park for the first time since Sept. 4, when he exited his start against the Pirates due to a right hamstring strain. Turns out the Cubs' right-hander is just fine. Arrieta did not get a decision in the Cubs' come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the Brewers, but his outing was encouraging as Chicago closes in on a third straight postseason berth and second straight division title. With the win, the Cubs have a 4 1/2-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central with 10 games to play. The plan was to have Arrieta throw 75 to 80 pitches, and he was pulled after 71 pitches over five innings. The former NL Cy Young Award winner allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out two. After hustling over to cover first base on a double play to end the fifth inning, Maddon decided that was enough for the returning right-hander. "After covering on the double play awkwardly, I thought, 'Let's get him out of there,'" Maddon said. How important is Arrieta to the Cubs? In his 11 starts prior to that Pittsburgh game, he was 7-2 with a 1.69 ERA. "That was really encouraging to all of us," Maddon said of Arrieta's start Thursday. "I did not know what to expect. An injury like that, taking some time off and then coming right back into the swing of things, I thought he was really sharp. I thought his command was really good. "The delivery looked good, the finish looked good. I was really surprised and I don't mean that as a negative [toward Arrieta] at how good he looked." Arrieta said he didn't feel any discomfort in his right leg after the outing. "I can tell that something happened," Arrieta said. "I think it's the residual feeling of something like that, a hamstring strain.... [Friday] is the biggest indicator moving forward of how we'll be able to approach this." As far as Arrieta was concerned, the only unknown was how his leg would feel coming out of the batter's box and covering first base, which he had to do on the final play of his start. "I had an idea where the bag was, and I just wanted to receive the throw and give myself a chance to be in line with the bag," Arrieta said. If all goes well, Arrieta will likely get two more regular-season starts, including the finale on Oct. 1 against the Reds at Wrigley Field. That would put him in line to start Game 1 of the NL Division Series. Thursday's win had a postseason vibe, with 35,114 fans at Miller Park, including many boisterous Cubs fans who made the trek north. "It's just good to be back out there," Arrieta said. "These are big games. I want to be a part of as many as I can, especially to try to clinch the division as quick as possible and then line things up for October. "We have to get there first." Cubs.com Lackey, Woodruff up next in Cubs-Crew clash By Carrie Muskat The winner of the National League Central could be determined in this four-game series between the Cubs and the Brewers, but both teams are trying to keep things in perspective.

10 "They're all the most important series," Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said prior to Thursday's opener. "The most important game is the next one on the schedule. I think that's something good teams do is they treat every one the same. That's what we've done. No need to put any more emphasis on a certain game. We know what it means." With a thrilling 10-inning win in the opener on Thursday night, the Cubs increased their NL Central lead over the Brewers to 4 1/2 games while lowering their magic number to six. Milwaukee is one game behind Colorado for the second NL Wild Card spot. "There's one thing I really want to harp [on] and that's 'present tense,'" Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You don't look too far into the future. You only worry about Thursday night's game and that's it. When this is over, you worry about Friday night's game. You really have to stay focused in the moment." On Friday at Miller Park, it'll be Cubs veteran John Lackey starting against Brewers rookie Brandon Woodruff, who will be making his seventh big league start. Lackey has made seven postseason starts in the last three years. Woodruff, 24, most likely won't be intimidated. He already has had to face Bartolo Colon and Max Scherzer. When Lackey was 24 years old, he was in his second season in the big leagues with the Angels. What's important is today. Maddon isn't the only one with that message to his players. Brewers manager Craig Counsell feels the same way. "These are the games you want to play in," Counsell said. "You feel like you're playing for something. You've worked really hard to get to this point. You've been on a long journey and have earned the right to play in these games. But you feel like there's a lot ahead of you. More than anything, I think you feel like you've earned the right to play in these games and that's what makes it exciting. Everybody looks ahead a little bit, everybody knows what's at stake and what could happen. You should allow yourself to do that." It's September baseball, and they all count. "This is a fun time of year, September, it's getting late in the year," Chicago's Kyle Schwarber said. "To be able to have the kind of race we're in now, it's exciting and it's good for baseball, I think." Things to know about this game According to Statcast, Woodruff has thrown his four-seam fastball about 62 percent of the time, ranking seventh among pitchers with at least 500 pitches in a starting role this season. In fact, Milwaukee's rotation as a whole has MLB's third-highest fastball rate (also counting two-seamers/sinkers) at nearly 59 percent. This will be Lackey's first start since he was ejected after arguing balls and strikes, pitching an abbreviated 4 2/3 innings against the Cardinals last Friday. He threw 74 pitches in that outing. So far this season, Lackey is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA against the Brewers, with his only win on July 30 at Miller Park. The Cubs' bullpen may get Hector Rondon back for this game. He's been sidelined because of inflammation in his right elbow and hasn't pitched since Sept. 8. Over the last 10 games, Cubs relievers have been lights-out. Wade Davis, Pedro Strop and Carl Edwards Jr. have pitched 18 innings and not given up a run in that stretch. Cubs.com Rivera's family fine after Maria hits Puerto Rico By Carrie Muskat MILWAUKEE Communication with family and friends in Puerto Rico has been difficult since Hurricane Maria ripped through the island, but Cubs catcher Rene Rivera was able to talk briefly to his mother on Thursday to get an update.

11 "They're fine, they're in the house," Rivera said. "[I could talk] only for a little bit because phone service was coming and going. They're trying to fix it. They're trying to fix the towers. "I just talked to her for a little bit and they're fine." However, Puerto Rico is not. "It's destroyed. It's destroyed," Rivera repeated. "It was something that she could not explain how bad it is. At least they're alive. They're good. They're in the process to try to rebuild, try to start again, and that's the next step." Cubs rookie catcher Victor Caratini had yet to talk to his family. "They said the streets aren't safe, there's some bridges down," Rivera said of the report he received. "Some rivers are high, so you have to be careful. The government says they want you to stay at your house until at least Saturday. It's not safe to be out there. Everybody's fine. I didn't hear that any people are in bad shape. Everybody's fine." Worth noting Cubs manager Joe Maddon was still puzzled about what happened on Wednesday in Jon Lester's outing. The lefthander had a difficult time with his command against the Rays and gave up seven runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. "I'm not overly concerned because the guy's been good for a long time," Maddon said Thursday. "As long as he says he's healthy, which he has, I'm fine. If he's hurting, that's a different story entirely. For right now, I believe he's well." This was Lester's fourth start since he was on the disabled list with fatigue in his left shoulder. After the game, Lester said he was fine physically. "I believe in Jon Lester," Maddon said. "It's unusual to see him struggle like that, primarily with his command, too. Even if the number is down velocity-wise, he knows where the pitches are going. I've got to believe that will get rectified soon." Reliever Hector Rondon, who has been battling inflammation in his right elbow, may be available on Friday. The right-hander has not pitched since Sept. 8. ESPNChicago.com How the Cubs turned an All-Star break deficit into a chance to put away the Brewers By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE The Chicago Cubs' second-half turnaround began with a home run. That isn't a shock, considering the record number of long balls hit this season, but nonetheless, Addison Russell's game-winning blast in the ninth inning of the first game after the All-Star break had a big impact. For a team that struggled through an up-and-down first half, Russell s shot against the Orioles set the tone for a second-half rise. Thanks to their play in the two months since, the Cubs lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 4½ games as the teams play Game 2 of their four-game series at Miller Park. The standings are reversed from midseason, as the Cubs went into the break trailing by 5½ games. How did the reversal happen?

12 In that game against the Orioles, the Cubs blew an 8-0 lead, and it was fair to wonder if the break did the world champions any good at all until Russell's home run cleared the Camden Yards wall. At that time, the four days off seemed like a much-needed chance to start over, as very little the Cubs tried in the first half reminded anyone of what they did all of last season. They didn t hit, field or pitch to their capabilities. It s on us, team president Theo Epstein said at the time. We have to wear the way we played in the first half knowing we can be better. And then the Cubs were. That first win snowballed into a six-game road winning streak, providing the Cubs the mojo that isn t always identifiable. They started having fun again, coming up with new hand gestures to acknowledge their teammates when they reached base. And they began to pitch again. A second consecutive short offseason ruined any chance that the Cubs would be ready to throw the ball in April or May. In fact, the Cubs were still in spring mode when it came to their pitching early on. So manager Joe Maddon bided his time until the arms came around. I always say it starts with pitching, Maddon explained. We have to pitch better than good pitching. They did just that. The starting staff s second-half ERA is down over a full point, but it wasn t a meeting or a change in strategy that made the difference. It was time that became the Cubs' friend and then a sense of urgency set in. We know we re good, Kris Bryant said. It just has to show up. No one is panicking in here. But even their rise in the standings wasn t a straight line. It felt more like one or two steps up the ladder, followed by one down mostly because of a maddening offense. Double-digit run-scoring days followed by a fight to score at all. But time was on their side, and even the offense started to give off a 2016 feel. We have to move the ball more, Maddon often said during the inconsistent times. He means contact making more contact in crucial situations was essential. In the first half, the Cubs were last in baseball at getting a runner home from third base with less than two outs, successful just 45 percent of the time. That has slowly changed, to the point that they score in that situation about half the time, which is about league average. Depth played a role as well. Epstein built the Cubs so they would not fall apart with a handful of injuries or underachieving performances. When Russell went down with a foot ailment, Javier Baez stepped right in. When Jake Arrieta or Jon Lester went down, lefty Mike Montgomery and newcomer Jose Quintana picked up the slack. Slowly but surely, the Cubs made their move. Their mental energy is at a season high right now, and it s fun to watch, Maddon said during the seven-game win streak that ended Wednesday. It s said that teams can t turn it on and off in baseball, but the Cubs might be the exception. A sleepy first half has turned into a dynamic march to the postseason, despite the rough patches. They ll attempt to finish the job by putting away the upstart Brewers once and for all this weekend. Nothing is given to you, Maddon said. You have to take it. The Brewers are attempting to take what the Cubs own right now: the division title. The next few days might be Milwaukee s last stand. The Cubs hope it s a steppingstone to even bigger things to come.

13 ESPNChicago.com All hands on deck as Cubs win Miller thriller, edge closer to Central title By Jesse Rogers MILWAUKEE From the jaws of defeat, the Chicago Cubs stole a victory from the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday after the Brewers almost stole it from them first. If Game 1 of the four-game weekend showdown between the two teams is any indication, we re in for a heck of a ride as the Cubs are inching their way to another National League Central title thanks in part to Thursday s 5-3, 10-inning victory. Just an incredible baseball game, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta said after the Cubs stretched their lead over the second-place Brewers to 4½ games with 10 to play. Two teams battling for a division.... This is really an awesome time to be in an organization like this and a division like the NL Central where there are a couple teams who have playoff aspirations in mind. Just a tremendous start to the series. There were so many plays tonight that could have been the turning point it s hard to pinpoint one. Arrieta went five innings in his return from a hamstring injury, throwing 71 pitches and looking as sharp as could be expected. His return could be huge considering the (negative) results teammate Jon Lester has been getting lately. If Arrieta picks up where he left off before he got hurt, he would have to be strongly considered for a Game 1 start in the postseason. The only unknown was getting out the box or covering first base, Arrieta said of testing the hamstring. He did just fine covering first on a nifty double play, just one of the eye-popping moments in a game full of them. But not all went as planned. With Arrieta able to go only five innings due to pitch-count limitations, Cubs manager Joe Maddon needed perfection out of his top four relievers to claim victory at Miller Park. But a 2-1 lead turned into a 3-2 deficit as once again walks from his relief staff came back to haunt, and Maddon was forced to turn to struggling lefty Justin Wilson, who gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth. But that s when the fun began. Ian Happ beat out an infield hit to lead off the Cubs' ninth, and the tying run was aboard. You just put your head down and go as hard as you can, and thankfully I beat him to the bag, the rookie outfielder said. I think that s the fastest I ve run in the biggest situation. A few batters later, Happ was on second with two out and Javier Baez was the plate. If there is one advantage the Cubs have over the Brewers, it s experience. They said as much before and after the game. Baez has been in this situation several times, and he came through with a two-strike single up the middle to tie the game. The second baseman put away his big swing and opted to take what was given to him. Javy has been there before, Maddon said. The two strikes. Almost the same hit he had up the middle in the playoff game. The hit Thursday looked very much like the one he produced last fall in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants. It led to the Cubs popping champagne after winning a playoff round, just as it might lead to more bubbly if Chicago can close out the division. After tying the game, the Cubs still had some work to do. Closer Wade Davis was called upon in the ninth inning and eventually needed to get out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam. He struck out Domingo Santana, then got Orlando Arcia to ground one back to him. Watching Wade Davis pitch was awesome, Happ said. Watching Wade compete there. Man, that s really impressive. He never panics. He has such an unbelievable presence on the mound.

14 Davis would strike out the side in the 10th to earn the win, completing an incredible seven days during which he's pitched in five games with two outings of more than three outs. The right-hander has been amazing. I actually felt better when I went out for the second inning so that s a good sign, Davis said. I feel great. I ve always gotten a little bit stronger as the season s gone on. Davis wasn t afraid to throw a breaking pitch on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and the winning run at third. That says everything you need to know about his makeup. That was a lot to lay on him today, Maddon said. To lose that game with him still in the bullpen would have been wrong on my part. Maddon pulled out all the stops, using several double switches to get his relievers into the right spots in the batting order. At least he had his top arms available, whereas the Brewers were short a couple because of recent workloads. The Cubs took advantage, with Baez coming through in the ninth against Jeremy Jeffress instead of regular closer Corey Knebel, before Kris Bryant hit the go-ahead, two-run homer off Oliver Drake, who has a 4.62 ERA. Part of it was their A bullpen was unavailable, Maddon admitted. To lose the game without Milwaukee pitching its top guys while the Cubs had theirs on the mound could have been devastating. But talent, experience and poise took over, leading to a heart-stopping victory that could have nailed down the division. The final two innings that turned things in the Cubs' favor began with a rookie running his heart out. It represented what the Cubs were on this night. Respect 90, Maddon said, repeating the mantra about running hard for the 90 feet between bases. That s what it s all about. ESPNChicago.com Real or not? Brewers fans will remember gut-punch loss to the Cubs By David Schoenfield If the Milwaukee Brewers end up missing the playoffs by one game, their fans are going to spend all winter having nightmares about Thursday's ninth inning. It was a great game at Miller Park against the Chicago Cubs, a game that had that postseason feel, with tension and deeper breaths between pitches and players hanging over the dugout railing and Brewers fans cheering loudly half enthusiastically, half nervous energy. With a slim chance at chasing down the Cubs in the NL Central a four-game series sweep would mean the Brewers move into first place the series opener was essentially a must-win game for Milwaukee. Win and they would be 2.5 games back with nine left and have a puncher's chance; lose and they're 4.5 back. With an overworked bullpen, the Brewers needed a strong effort from Zach Davies, and he delivered, departing after seven innings with a 2-2 tie. The Brewers scored the go-ahead run in the eighth as Domingo Santana doubled, swiped third against a sleepy Justin Wilson, and then scored as Eric Thames lined a single over the drawn-in second baseman. Then came the ninth inning. Corey Knebel and Anthony Swarzak were unavailable after pitching three days in a row. Josh Hader had pitched twice in three days and thrown 42 pitches. So Craig Counsell had to dig deep into his bullpen. He called on Jeremy Jeffress, the former Brewers closer reacquired at the trade deadline, who had thrown 30 pitches Wednesday.

15 The inning started with Ian Happ beating out an infield hit. Here's the play. Note what went wrong: 1. Neil Walker who had played 64 innings at first in his career ranged well off first base to field the ball. But look at second baseman Eric Sogard. He was in position to make the play. 2. Jeffress hesitated just a bit coming off the mound. If he gets to first a blink quicker, Happ is out. 3. Happ chugged it down the line. This kid is a terrific athlete. Still, you have to get the out there. Javier Baez would later tie the game with a two-out, two-strike little grounder up the middle. Just like Knebel's errant toss to first hurt them in Wednesday's loss to the Pirates, infield defense was once again painful. In the bottom of the ninth, the Brewers loaded the bases with one out against Wade Davis. Joe Maddon went to five infielders. Santana struck out on a fastball up and out of the strike zone. Orlando Arcia worked the count to 3-1, took a cutter down the middle and then bounced back to the mound. The Brewers would strand 12 runners. They fanned 11 times (they have the second-most 10-strikeout games in the majors with 78). You knew what was coming next. Hello, Kris Bryant: Bryant had actually been terrible in the big moments all season, hitting.162 in late & close situations before this game. I guess he was due. The Brewers fell to 4-10 in extra-inning games. How many similar moments were there in some of those losses? We don't talk enough about the little things that can decide a baseball game. On this night, they did. One final note. I'm not going to pound Counsell for not using his best relievers. Nobody pitches four days in a row anymore it has happened only nine times all season (Edwin Diaz and Jerry Blevins did it twice, plus Jose Alvarez, Peter Moylan, Hansel Robles, Fernando Salas and Nick Vincent). Knebel had thrown 44 pitches over his three outings. Here's how many those others had thrown in their first three outings: Alvarez: 26 Blevins: 22 Blevins: 22 Diaz: 42 Diaz: 51 Moylan: 34 Robles: 36 Salas: 15 Vincent: 37 Mariners manager Scott Servais used Diaz twice for a fourth day despite similar pitch totals to Knebel. He's also the most comparable pitcher to Knebel, a hard-throwing closer. If there was ever a game to use Knebel for a fourth straight game, this would have been it. (To be fair, Jeffress wasn't hit.) Anyway, the NL Central race is just about over, but the wild card is still in the play. The Brewers remain a game behind the Rockies. I predict Knebel, Swarzak and Hader will be available if needed Friday. Wild-card winner of the night. You know how this is going to end, America. Baseball writers, you might as well reserve your World Series hotel rooms in St. Louis right now. The Rockies lost 3-0 to the Padres, the Brewers lost, and the Cardinals are now just 1.5 behind the Rockies for the second wild card. Wild-card loser of the night. The Angels lost 4-1 to the Indians in an afternoon game, and then the Twins pounded the hapless Tigers So the Angels dropped 2.5 behind the Twins and have actually been caught by the Rangers, who completed a three-game sweep of the Mariners. Hmm. Cardinals-Rangers World Series?

16 Indians win again. I just mentioned that. Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer in the game, his 32nd, and they've won 27 of 28 games, which is an incredible thing to type. Here's another to look at it: Lindor's surge during this streak he has hit.349 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs is earning him some MVP talk. I'm going to disagree. The entire season counts. Jose Ramirez has an OBP 30 points higher and slugging percentage 64 points higher with good defensive metrics while playing two positions. Ramirez is still the best MVP candidate on the Indians, although Lindor has maybe climbed into the top five or six overall. Jose Bautista's Blue Jays career might be winding down. The Royals beat the Jays 1-0 as Jason Vargas and four relievers combined on a two-hitter. Bautista hit cleanup, as he has been doing since late August but went 0-for-4. At one point, the fans in right field starting chanting his name, as if their collective will alone could summon some greatness from Bautista. Back in spring training, the popular story was Bautista was poised for a big season, ready to prove everyone who ignored him in free agency had made a mistake. He was forced to take a one-year deal from Toronto. Instead, he has had a miserable season, hitting.203/.309/.369. Injuries aren't an excuse, as he has played 148 of the Jays' 153 games. Manager John Gibbons moved him from second or third in the lineup to leadoff back in late June in an attempt to get going, and then to cleanup. Bautista never did get going. Of 148 qualified hitters, Bautista ranks 139th in woba. Once one of the most feared hitters in the game, he has been one of the worst in As Dave Cameron wrote a couple days ago on FanGraphs, this could be it for Bautista. He turns 37 in October, will be coming off a bad season and has limited defensive value, and nobody wanted him last offseason. There's certainly the sense that at the minimum his Blue Jays career is coming to an end: Gibbons says #BlueJays dugout would love to see another memorable Jose Bautista moment this weekend. "I know everybody's rooting for him" The Blue Jays wrap up their home schedule this weekend against the Yankees before finishing with a road trip to Boston and New York. Let's hope he gives Blue Jays fans one final home run. CSNChicago.com Kris Bryant knocks out Brewers and knows what big-game experience means for Cubs By Patrick Mooney MILWAUKEE Teammates swarmed Kris Bryant in Miller Park s visiting dugout late Thursday night, flinging sunflower seeds and forming a mosh pit around the National League s reigning MVP. Are you not entertained? The Cubs haven t always played with this urgency or made it easy while nursing a World Series hangover. But they can feel it now, how close they are to October and how much they learned last year while making history. It s too early to pop champagne bottles, but the Cubs won a huge swing game in the NL Central race, beating the Milwaukee Brewers in the 10th inning when Bryant blasted Oliver Drake s 92-mph fastball off a beam underneath the gigantic video board. The Cubs watched it ricochet back onto the right-center field grass for a go-ahead two-run homer, bumping up the division lead to 4.5 games while cutting the magic number to clinch the division down to six. After a head-spinning 5-3 victory that lasted 3 hours and 57 minutes and ended at 11:08 p.m., Bryant didn t sound surprised or overexcited, the same way he didn t overreact when the Cubs struggled to gain traction before the All- Star break and the Brewers swept the defending World Series champs two weekends ago at Wrigley Field.