August 7, 2017 Joe Maddon explains bullpen decisions after another late meltdown by Cubs

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1 August 7, 2017 CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon explains bullpen decisions after another late meltdown by Cubs CSNChicago.com, Jason Heyward appreciated Ryan Madson's classy gesture after notching 1,000th career hit CSNChicago.com, What's the issue with Wade Davis right now? Chicago Tribune, Wade Davis' value only increasing as Cubs closer options struggle column.html#nt=oft03a-1la1 Chicago Tribune, Cubs hit road bump vs. Nationals before their 'Easy Rider' road trip column.html#nt=simple-embed Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon says Cubs haven't had enough fun in Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs road trip means more than just funky travel outfits Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs finish homestand against contenders at 2-4 after loss to Nats Chicago Sun-Times, Kyle Schwarber could be left out during Cubs series against Giants Daily Herald, Why the Cubs aren't worried about how they match up with Nationals, Dodgers Daily Herald, Return to pivotal postseason locale for Chicago Cubs Cubs.com, What a week for Willson: C a sight to behold Cubs.com, Contreras homers twice, but Cubs fall on slam Cubs.com, Facing contenders, Cubs' execution lacking

2 Cubs.com, Cubs being cautious with Russell's foot strain Cubs.com, Biker club? Cubs head West with vests, flair Cubs.com, Arrieta starts off Cubs' West Coast trip in SF ESPNChicago.com, Back at the scene in S.F.: Reliving the inning that changed Cubs history CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon explains bullpen decisions after another late meltdown by Cubs By Tony Andracki The Cubs may be currently embarking on an "Easy Rider" themed road trip, but it certainly has not been an easy ride for Joe Maddon lately. The Cubs bullpen melted down again Sunday, sending the team out to the West Coast after a 2-4 homestand against NL contenders in the Diamondbacks and Nationals. Carl Edwards Jr. had a particularly rough stay at Wrigley, allowing six runs while recording only five outs over three appearances. The biggest blow came Sunday afternoon when Edwards entered with the Cubs up one, Bryce Harper on first and one out. Edwards proceeded to give up a double to Ryan Zimmerman, intentionally walked Daniel Murphy and hit Anthony Rendon to force home a run. Matt Wieters then stepped to the plate and deposited Edwards' offering into the bushes in center field and just like that, the Cubs were staring up at an 8-4 deficit. "CJ right there, I liked him on those two guys," Maddon said. "We just gotta get him back to being normal because he's a really big part of our success. "...We had another bad eighth inning, which we gotta get away from that. Even though we did not play well prior to that, we still did have the lead, we had the right guys on the mound and it just did not play out." Maddon spent a lot of time this weekend talking about his bullpen arms, particularly Edwards. Managing his relievers takes up most of his daily focus, Maddon has said before and Sunday was part of the reason why with closer Wade Davis down after throwing 30 pitches in a rocky save Saturday. Hector Rondon would've been the Cubs closer Sunday had the game gotten to that point. Maddon wants his relievers to get better at throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count. On the six-game homestand, Cubs relievers walked 12 batters in 19.1 innings. They also gave up 14 runs (12 earned) in that span, good for a 5.59 ERA. Maddon believes Edwards is trying too hard to guide the baseball right now instead of letting it go. The dynamic 25-year-old reliever came into the day allowing only 3.9 hits per nine innings. Opponents were hitting.132 off him, the lowest mark off any big-league reliever with at least 40 innings.

3 But Edwards has also walked 30 batters in 44.2 innings this season. "It looks like he's kinda battling himself a little bit," said Sunday's starter Jon Lester. "This game is all built around confidence. He may be doubting himself a little bit right now. Nobody in that clubhouse is doubting him in that role or anything else. Obviously, our manager and our team is right behind him, otherwise we wouldn't keep running him out there. "He's the guy in the right situation and he'll get back to being himself. It's just a matter of pitching. Especially as a reliever, it kinda gets magnified, because you come in in dirty innings and wheels can start spinning a little bit and it can speed up on you. You can rush through some pitches. "When he got the bases cleared, it was just kinda like back to old CJ. Just a matter of getting him out there, getting him pitching and getting that confidence back." Maddon's goal Sunday was to use Edwards in a high-leverage spot and try to get that confidence built back up. Ideally, Mike Montgomery would've gotten Harper out, then Edwards comes in just for Zimmerman, gets him out and the Cubs head to the ninth with the lead intact. When Harper reached, Maddon still envisioned a good scenario for Edwards, hoping the right-hander would get Zimmerman to roll over on one for a double play, allowing Edwards to walk off the mound feeling good about himself. Of course, it didn't play out that way. As for any other guys in that spot, Maddon was keeping Rondon back to close and Koji Uehara was up in the bullpen, but he's struggled to find consistency this season and Maddon also was protecting against the possibility of extra innings with a limited relief corps. The end result is a pair of series losses to rival contenders, Maddon talking for six minutes about his bullpen decisions and the Cubs searching for answers. "We can play with anybody, we just gotta finish it off," Maddon said. "We're still like the second ranked bullpen in the National League. We're still really good and our guys nailed it in the first half. "For whatever reason, in the second half, our starters have come on and the bullpen guys have taken a little bit of a hit. But I like the names. They're not too tired - I think they're in good shape - we have really good matchups, we've added Justin Wilson to the mix. I like it. "It's just one of those unfortunate moments today, but I wanna keep their confidence going. Like I said with a guy like CJ, get him in, get him out with some success and then eventually get back to who they are." CSNChicago.com Jason Heyward appreciated Ryan Madson's classy gesture after notching 1,000th career hit By Tony Andracki Lost amid another bullpen meltdown by the Cubs bullpen Sunday, Jason Heyward picked up his 1,000th career hit in his eighth big-league season. Heyward lined a double to left field off Ryan Madson with two outs in the eighth inning, roughly 10 minutes after Carl Edwards Jr. had served up a game-changing grand slam to Nationals catcher Matt Wieters. The Wrigley crowd of 41,047 fans gave Heyward a huge ovation, rising to their feet as the gigantic outfield video boards alerted them to Heyward's milestone.

4 Madson also took time to let Heyward revel in the moment. The veteran reliever stayed off the mound after backing up third base and took his time, playing with the rosin bag and not rushing the moment as the Cubs corraled the baseball for Heyward to keep and treasure. Heyward understood Madson's gesture and clapped back at the pitcher in appreciation. "He didn't have to. I appreciate it," Heyward said. "I've actually faced him since my rookie year. It's a cool gesture that he did that, but he didn't have to." When Heyward broke into the big leagues in 2010 with the Atlanta Braves, Madson was a top setup man for the Philadelphia Phillies. The following year, Madson was the Phillies' closer before missing the seasons with a flurry of injuries. The two had faced each other six times prior to Sunday, with Heyward collecting hits in three of those at-bats, including a home run. Even though he would've much preferred a victory over reaching a milestone, Heyward conceded to the joy in the moment. "I didn't have any idea what was going on until [first base coach Brandon Hyde] said something to me," Heyward said. "I guess it's cool to have that happen at your home ballpark. Cool to do it as a Cub. Respect to the fans." CSNChicago.com What's the issue with Wade Davis right now? By Tony Andracki Wade Davis is still having a perfect season. Let's get that out of the way right now. The Cubs closer is 23-for-23 in save chances and despite some hiccups lately, has always found a way to get the job done. But he's also shown he's mortal, giving up eight runs over his last 16.2 innings dating back to June 11. In that time, Davis is also allowing nearly two baserunners an inning on average, surrendering 18 hits and an alarming 12 walks. Davis suffered the loss Thursday in The Willson Contreras Game when he gave up a pair of homers to Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez in the top of the ninth. Two days later, Davis walked a pair of batters before striking out Bryce Harper on his 30th pitch to end the game and halting a three-game losing streak. Cubs manager Joe Maddon believes a 30-minute rain delay might've contributed to Davis' problem Thursday, when he gave up two homers in a relief outing for the first time in his career. But even apart from that outing, Davis has looked off over the past couple months after boasting an 0.84 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in his first 22 appearances. "I just think he's trying to be too fine early in the count," Maddon said. "He can throw a strike whenever he wants to. I've always felt that way about him. And you can see it. His stuff's the same. "He's just a little bit off with the relief point. You can constantly see him trying to figure out at the end of his delivery. But I've always seen that. This is nothing new for me with him. I have a lot of faith in him."

5 Maddon has known Davis since the lanky right-hander came into the league in 2009 as a staring pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays. Maddon thinks maybe Davis is reverting back to that starter's mentality and trying to be too perfect early, subsequently falling behind 1-0 or 2-0 consistently. Davis, however, scoffed at that notion. "No. Not even close. There's never any time where I'm trying to be too fine with anything," Davis said. "Sometimes you just go through slumps, I guess. "I'm never trying to be too fine. I'm always trying to pitch aggressively in the zone. Sometimes it just doesn't go there." Davis is a cerebral guy who is always thinking and adapting along with the game. He compared his issues right now with a hitter going through a slump at the plate just the natural ebb and flow of baseball. "Just different timing," he said. "Earlier in the year, my stuff wasn't as good, but my timing was really good. Now, my arm feels strong and better, but my timing is off from time to time." Davis said he's had this kind of issue every year of his career, but also typically gets stronger as the season goes along and his arm feels better now than it did even in April and May when he had a 0.00 ERA. But all along, whether he's going good or bad, Davis is the exact same guy. Same temperment, same body language, same mood. "He's mellow, man," Maddon said. "That's who he is. You talk to him as he's coming off the field after the game's over and he's barely breathing. That's just who he is. "He's a very calm player. He's always been that guy from spring trainings to the middle of the season to shooting a black bear in Toronto." That calm demeanor has helped Davis become one of the elite closers in the game. Even if the tying run is 90 feet way, he has the same level of confidence in his stuff and abilities. He also doesn't pump his fist after big outs or nailing down clutch saves. He maintains an even keel in the middle of the road. "I try to," he said. "As soon as you think you're good, then you get your ass kicked. And when you're going bad, you're not nearly as bad as you think you are. "You wanna be in your own shoes, stay in your own lane." Chicago Tribune Wade Davis' value only increasing as Cubs closer options struggle By Paul Sullivan The Cubs have one of the best closers in baseball, just like last summer, but he might be gone in a couple of months. Is there anyone in house who could take the role if Wade Davis signs elsewhere after the season? "You'd like to believe that Carl (Edwards Jr.) could grow into it," manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. "I know he's been off a little bit lately, but I still believe this guy is a closer waiting in the wings. Justin Wilson has already done that. He hasn't been on top of his game yet.

6 "Among the group, of course, (Hector) Rondon has done that in the past. Absolutely there are candidates. Wade has done it on a really high level on a consistent basis, so we'll see how that all plays out." Davis, 31, is expected to become one of the highest-paid relievers in baseball when he enters free agency this winter, coming on the heels of megadeals for Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon last winter. From 2014 to '16 he posted ERAs of 1.00, 0.94 and 1.87 with the Royals, who traded him to the Cubs for Jorge Soler knowing they couldn't afford him. The Cubs haven't indicated whether they'll try to re-sign Davis, who said at the All-Star Game he enjoys playing in Chicago but hasn't thought that far ahead. He's 23-for-23 in save opportunities and the only pitcher with 10 or more saves without a blown save. Davis and former Royals teammate Greg Holland, who has a $15 million player option with the Rockies, should be the two most valuable closers on the market. At the very least Davis should command a four-year deal for $60 million to $70 million, and probably higher if he continues to excel. Davis has a 2.37 ERA and 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings with the Cubs, though he's averaging 4.5 walks per nine innings, a career high. He hasn't pitched more than one inning and never earlier than the ninth. Maddon declined to say whether they should re-sign the veteran closer, believing "when a manager jumps in on those moments, it can only hurt the ballclub." In other words, Maddon doesn't want his opinion to be used during negotiations. "I've learned to not get into that fray, and I'll tell you why," he said. "It's not my job to negotiate contracts, so the moment I start advocating for somebody publicly, agents utilize this kind of information when it comes to that moment when they have to actually negotiate." Maddon said he learned his lesson in the 1990s with former Angels general manager Buzzie Bavasi and pitcher Chuck Finley, whom Maddon wanted to return. "And I'll never step on those toes again," he said. "I love (Davis) though." It's hard not to love that kind of consistency, and harder to pay for it. Last winter the closer market went through the roof when three top relievers played a game of musical chairs with interested teams. Chapman got $86 million over five years, and Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Chapman turned down a bigger deal from the Nationals. Jansen got $80 million for five years to re-sign with the Dodgers after a similar offer from the Nationals. Mark Melancon left the Nationals for the Giants for a four-year, $62 million deal that included a $20 million bonus. Now that closers are getting contracts similar to some quality starters, how high can the price tag go? "It's a supply-and-demand thing," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "When the supply is low and the demand is high, the prices go up, just like any other business. We're in a cycle where there were a handful of elite closers, they all were free agents at the same time and they all got paid. "I think it is cyclical and it can revert back, but (last winter) was a good time to be a good reliever." Chapman's contract averages $17.2 million, Jansen's $16 million and Melancon's $15.5 million. David Robertson, now a setup man with the Yankees after the White Sox traded him, is fourth at $11.5 million per year. The Cubs acquired Chapman as a rental last season for the stretch run and playoffs, knowing they probably would be unable to re-sign him after the season. Instead of going with what they had, they acquired Davis for Soler, which turned into President Theo Epstein's best move of the off-season.

7 Rizzo said the reliever market is always "volatile" because their performances go up and down more than most positions, and some are overused during good years only to suffer the after-effects the next season. "Oftentimes the closer is the guy who has the most consistent routine out of all the relievers," Rizzo said. "They rarely get warmed up and not used. They know when they're coming in. Relievers are used often, and a lot of times they're not even used in the game, but they have pitched and you have to be very cognizant of it." With Wilson and Edwards struggling recently, Davis' value to the Cubs increases. There aren't many elite closers, and the price tag for the very best is not coming down soon. Chicago Tribune Cubs hit road bump vs. Nationals before their 'Easy Rider' road trip By Paul Sullivan After losing 9-4 to the Nationals on Sunday in a possible sneak preview of their postseason matchup, the Cubs dressed up like bikers for their "Easy Rider" theme trip to San Francisco. A television reporter asked first baseman Anthony Rizzo if they could still have fun on the trip after the tough loss. Rizzo, who had the nickname "Sloth" etched onto his black leather vest, rolled his eyes. "My dog didn't just die, man," Rizzo replied. "We lost one game. We're going to have fun. We're going to go four hours to California. We're going to be all right. It'll be fine." Matt Wieters' eighth-inning grand slam off Carl Edwards Jr. capped a five-run inning that gave the Nats the series, a 4-3 edge in the season series and reason for Cubs fans to fear Dusty Baker's boys if they meet again in October. The Cubs will survive the loss and the 2-4 homestand against the Diamondbacks and Nationals, two playoff-bound teams that look more cohesive than the World Series champions as we enter the dog days of August. They remained a half-game ahead of the Brewers in the National League Central. Jon Lester continued the stretch of strong starting pitching the Cubs have received in the second half, allowing three runs in 62/3 innings. And Willson Contreras smoked two more home runs, giving him five in four games and 10 since the All-Star break. But two misplays by Kyle Schwarber in left field a fielding error and a throw to the wrong base and another shaky relief outing from Edwards might force manager Joe Maddon to make some difficult decisions regarding two of his key players. Is Schwarber's power enough to override his defense? Should Edwards be moved from a late-inning role until he gets his act together? We'll soon find out. Maddon coined the term "D-peat" in spring training to emphasize the importance of playing solid defense, yet the Cubs began the day 12th in NL fielding and saw Schwarber and Kris Bryant commit unforced errors. "We absolutely have to pick up our defense, whether it's turning double plays, throwing to the right bases, the cutoffs," Maddon said. "We're better than that." Edwards has a 9.65 ERA in 11 second-half appearances, and the crowd of 41,047 booed him as he left the mound in the eighth. Maddon said they've "got to get him back to being normal" but wouldn't say exactly how.

8 The Cubs led 4-1 entering the seventh after back-to-back homers by Contreras and Schwarber in the sixth, and Lester had allowed only three hits. But Cub killer Daniel Murphy's double started the seventh, and Schwarber threw to third instead of second on Anthony Rendon's RBI hit to left. "It's not real complicated," Maddon said. "We just have to throw the ball to the right base." Bryant compounded the problem with an errant throw to second. Edwards entered with a one-run lead in the eighth after Bryce Harper's one-out infield chopper. He loaded the bases on a double and intentional walk, then hit Rendon to tie the score. After Wieters launched his grand slam to center, a raucous crowd suddenly hit the mute button. Maddon stuck with Edwards because Hector Rondon was going to close for Wade Davis. "We've just got to get him back in the zone because nobody hits him like they did today," Maddon said, calling it "one of those unfortunate moments." Lester said no one in the clubhouse is doubting Edwards, calling him "the guy in the right situation." "He'll get back to being himself," Lester said. As for the showdown against the powerful Nats, Lester pointed out they did a "better job of executing" and said he wasn't concerned about a potential October rematch. "I'm not worried about that right now," he said. "We're worried about the Giants. We've got to worry about day to day. We're not worried about October right now. We've still got a long ways to go." After the interviews ended, Maddon and his players donned their biker outfits, hopped on a bus and continued this long, strange trip. Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon says Cubs haven't had enough fun in 2017 By Paul Sullivan The Cubs have had several themed road trips under manager Joe Maddon the last three years, including the Onesies trip home from Los Angeles in 2015 after Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter and the Minimalist Zany Suit trip to Pittsburgh last year. Maddon said he has been too focused on the season at hand to plan the trips in The Cubs have lost four of five, but Maddon said they were "jacked up" for Sunday night's Easy Rider trip to San Francisco. "I don't know that we've had enough fun this year, quite frankly," Maddon said. "And a lot of that comes with winning, obviously. That's just the natural residue of winning, that you have more fun.... I just think this is good timing for right now." The Easy Rider trip, which stemmed from the brain of strength coach Tim Buss, had players wearing black leather motorcycle vests in honor of the 1969 biker movie starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. In May the Cubs went 0-6 on an "Anchorman" trip to Los Angeles and San Diego, and naturally some on social media blamed the losing streak on their outfits.

9 "I love it, I think it's good," Maddon said. "Anything you can do to unify the group, it's always a good thing. It's fun. And for the group that doesn't understand it, that's too bad that you've forgotten what it's like to be a kid." Maddon said his annual American Legion week, in which players report to the clubhouse whenever they get there, is scheduled for the week after the road trip. "Listen, we're not going to win it if we don't really enjoy the day," Maddon said. "You have to really enjoy yourself.... That's the only way to do this." Dance fever: The Cubs went back to an eight-man bullpen Sunday, sending left-hander Rob Zastryzny back to Triple-A Iowa and recalling infielder Tommy La Stella. "It is good having Tommy back," Maddon said. "Rob didn't get to play, but two things happened. He really backed us up and permitted us (insurance in case) something bad were to happen. "And the second thing that happened is he improved his dancing skills. From the first to the second home run, I think they improved dramatically." Maddon was referring to Zastryzny's solo dance in the bullpen after Alex Avila's home run Saturday. Extra innings: Jason Heyward's eighth-inning double was his 1,000th career hit.... Addison Russell, out for 10 days with a strained right foot, said he hopes to return as soon as he's eligible. Russell said the injury was just gradual wear and tear over the course of the season. "It felt like I could walk (and) run on it fine," he said, adding it affected him only on change of direction. Class A South Bend outfielder D.J. Wilson was named the organization's Player of the Month, while Iowa right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng received Pitcher of the Month honors. Chicago Sun-Times Cubs road trip means more than just funky travel outfits By Brian Sandalow The Cubs dressed the part Sunday for their trip to San Francisco to begin a six-game swing against the Giants and Diamondbacks. Everybody wore motorcycle vests with their nicknames emblazoned on the left side as part of an Easy Rider theme dreamt up by strength and conditioning coordinator Tim Buss. Anything you can do to unify the group is always a good thing, manager Joe Maddon said. It s fun. And for the group that doesn t understand it, that s too bad that you ve forgotten what it s like to be a kid. It s always too bad when you forget what it s like to be a kid. That s probably true, but this trip matters for other reasons. Besides a four-game series the last week of September in St. Louis, this is the Cubs last jaunt west of the Mississippi River. Their previous trip to the West Coast, which had an Anchorman theme as the Cubs left Wrigley Field, was an 0-6 dud at the end of May against the Dodgers and Padres that left them two games below.500 and brought legitimate questions about just how good they were. But after their 9-4 loss Sunday to the Nationals, that road trip in May wasn t exactly on Jon Lester s mind. Far from it, actually.

10 I m not worried about May; I m not worried about June [or] July, Lester said. I m worried about tomorrow. Today sucked, we move on. We ll worry about [Monday] against the Giants. Since the end of May, the Cubs are back in first place and have added Jose Quintana, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila, but the half-game lead over the Brewers is precarious. Like Lester, though, Anthony Rizzo wasn t focusing on anything other than Monday. I would like to see a win tomorrow and then celebrate that win, Rizzo said. And then go on from there. Chicago Sun-Times Cubs finish homestand against contenders at 2-4 after loss to Nats By Brian Sandalow If the Cubs win the National League Central, they ll almost certainly face the Nationals in the first round of the playoffs. And there s also a possibility they could play the Diamondbacks in the NL Championship Series. And to be successful against those teams in October, the Cubs have to be better than they were this week. We can play with anybody; we ve just got to finish it off, manager Joe Maddon said Sunday after the Cubs lost 9-4 to the Nationals. You have to play a complete game to beat them. You can t show any signs of weakness. The Cubs bullpen was a glaring weakness, and it turned what would ve been a respectable 3-3 homestand against two NL contenders into a lost opportunity at 2-4. The pen wasted two more homers from Willson Contreras and another from Kyle Schwarber. Leading 4-3 in the eighth, the Cubs allowed five runs, with Matt Wieters hitting a grand slam against struggling reliever Carl Edwards Jr. Walks have plagued Edwards recently, but they weren t an issue this time. Edwards did hit Anthony Rendon with the bases loaded to tie the score, but then he allowed Wieters slam. Left-hander Jon Lester said it looks like Edwards is kind of battling himself a little bit. His game is built around confidence, Lester said, and he may be doubting himself just a little bit now. Nobody in that clubhouse is doubting him in that role or anything else. Obviously, our manager and our team is right behind him or else we wouldn t keep running him out there. He s the guy in the right situation, and he ll get back to being himself. To go far in October, the Cubs will need Edwards or somebody else in that role to step up. But for their part, the Cubs weren t comparing themselves to the Nats or Diamondbacks. They say their concerns are centered on how they re playing. I don t really care how we stack up; we ve got to worry about us, said Lester, who allowed three earned runs and struck out seven in 6 innings. Really, all it comes down to is getting in. Once you get in, it doesn t matter how good you are. It s about who gets hot, who plays the best. First baseman Anthony Rizzo echoed that sentiment. You want to worry about what we re doing, Rizzo said. We do a really good job at that. Perhaps, but the Cubs know they can be better than they were. They made two errors and didn t play the crisp game Maddon wants.

11 We absolutely have to pick up our defense, whether it s just turning double plays, throwing to the right bases, the cutoffs, all that kind of stuff, Maddon said. We are better than that. We ve talked about it, we ve worked on it, but it just has not been as tidy as it normally is. Contreras has been better than ever. He has hit five homers in his last four games, and his 10 since the All-Star break are tied with the Marlins Giancarlo Stanton for the most in the NL. He wasn t ready to celebrate his accomplishments, however. We still lost the game, Contreras said. Chicago Sun-Times Kyle Schwarber could be left out during Cubs series against Giants By Brian Sandalow The Giants are scheduled to throw three left-handers at the Cubs in San Francisco. So don t be shocked if left fielder Kyle Schwarber doesn t get too many starts during the three-game series. Manager Joe Maddon said he didn t have Schwarber in the lineup against Matt Moore on Monday and wouldn t say if he ll get a chance against Ty Blach or Madison Bumgarner. [Moore] is a little bit more neutral or almost reverse, Maddon said. After that, it gets a little more oppressive. The second guy [Blach] is a sinkerball guy. Of course, Bumgarner s good. Schwarber is hitting.177 against lefties in 62 at-bats and has been platooned against southpaws. When asked if there was any thought to giving Schwarber more opportunities against lefties down the stretch, Maddon said: Not yet. Russell recovering Shortstop Addison Russell is hopeful he won t need additional time to recover from the strained right foot that put him on the 10-day disabled list. I feel like 10 days would be a significant amount of time for me to get things right in my foot, said Russell, who was put on the DL on Friday retroactive to Aug. 2. Russell said he can walk and run on the foot, but changing directions is difficult. It started bothering him five or six days ago. It s something I could try to play through, Russell said, but all it takes is one kind of play to make it worse than what it already is. Looking for command Closer Wade Davis has walked three batters in his last four appearances and needed 30 pitches to get through his two most recent outings. Maddon said he s trying to be a little too fine, and the cutter has been missing the zone. We ll work through this, Maddon said. This and that The second inning was delayed briefly as third baseman Kris Bryant got his ankle taped after landing awkwardly on first base, trying to beat out a single.

12 Infielder Tommy La Stella was recalled and reliever Rob Zastryzny was sent back to Class AAA Iowa. Right fielder Jason Heyward doubled in the eighth inning against Ryan Madson for his 1,000th career hit. Daily Herald Why the Cubs aren't worried about how they match up with Nationals, Dodgers By Bruce Miles The Chicago Cubs have gotten an eyeful of the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers this year. So how do the defending world champions stack up against the best from the National League East and the NL West, respectively? Right now, they don't. The Cubs let one get away to the Nationals on Sunday. They led 4-1 entering the seventh inning but allowed 2 runs in the seventh and 5 more in the eighth, with the crushing blow being Matt Wieters' grand slam off reliever Carl Edwards Jr. The Nats went on to win 9-4. Even with the loss, the Cubs (58-52) maintained their one-half-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. The Brewers lost Sunday to Tampa Bay. Assuming the Cubs make the playoffs, their likely first-round opponent will be the Nationals (65-44), who won four of the seven between the teams this year. The Cubs were 2-4 against the Dodgers, who are setting a torrid pace. So the matchups don't look good, but one prominent Cub insisted that doesn't matter in August. "I don't really care how we stack up," said pitcher Jon Lester, who started Sunday and went 6⅔ innings, getting no decision. "We've got to worry about us. Really all it comes down to is getting in, and once you get in, it doesn't matter how good you are. It's about who gets hot and who plays the best. "Everything starts back at zero. Now it's a matter of trying to win that series. As far as matching up or stacking up against teams, I could care less. We've got to worry about us." There are some things to worry about. The Cubs again didn't play particularly good defense, committing 2 errors and making some questionable decisions. Their bullpen, which has been good most of the year, has been leaky of late. The relievers gave up 4 of the Nats' 10 hits and 6 of their runs. Before the game, manager Joe Maddon was asked about the streaking Dodgers, who would play the wild-card winner if the season ended today. "I really believe that as we get ourselves together and play like we're capable of, I'm very pleased and confident about playing them or anybody else," he said. "I normally don't worry about what other people are doing. I look at it, evaluate it. But I'm more concerned about our starting pitching pitching better or our bullpen throwing strikes. "I believe we can beat anybody. But we have to play our best game to beat them, absolutely." Sunday's game illustrated Maddon's point perfectly.

13 "We can play with anybody; we've just got to finish it off," he said afterward. "You have to play a complete game to beat them, and you can't show any signs of weakness. Your whole group has to contribute. And we were. We contributed well until the very end. "We're still maybe the second-ranked, possibly the third-ranked bullpen in the National League. We're still really good. "Our guys nailed it in the first half (of the season). For whatever reason in the second half, the starters have come on, and the bullpen guys have taken a little bit of a hit. But I like the names. They're not too tired. I think they're in good shape. "We have really good matchups. We added Justin Wilson to the mix. I like it. It was just one of those unfortunate moments today. I want to keep their confidence going. With a guy like CJ (Edwards), get him in, get him out with some success and eventually they get back to who they are." The loss ruined another big day by catcher Willson Contreras, who hit 2 home runs, giving him 21 for the season. Kyle Schwarber added his 18th, right after Contreras led off the sixth with a blast. "It doesn't count for the team," Contreras said. "We still lost the game. I don't care if I hit 2 home runs. I feel disappointed." Daily Herald Return to pivotal postseason locale for Chicago Cubs By Bruce Miles The Chicago Cubs will return to San Francisco this week to play the Giants. On their last visit to AT&T Park, they were busy winning the 2016 National League division series. They did so with a stirring, 4-run comeback in the ninth inning of Game 4 to come away with a 6-5 victory and avoid a Game 5 showdown against Johnny Cueto at Wrigley Field. Cubs manager Joe Maddon agreed that was the tipping point of the postseason, which ended in a World Series victory for his team. "Absolutely," Maddon said. "I said it on the bench to somebody yesterday, I did not want to face Cueto in Game 5 here. I thought about that that whole game. Then we started to make the comeback. "When it doesn't look good on that day and you have one game left, it's happened to me before in Tampa Bay. You start thinking about bullpen. You're utilizing too many bullpen guys too early. Who do you need to get rest with? You're thinking about all these different things. "Johnny Cueto was causing those thoughts as was the way that game was trending. Fortunately we did come back because, honestly, I thought that was the tipping point in the whole postseason. The Giants (were) battle tested. They knew how to play in big games. So I did not want to have to face them in Game 5." Go vest, young men: The Cubs embarked on their western swing to San Francisco and Arizona wearing motorcycle vests as part of another themed trip. "I love it," said Joe Maddon, who credited strength coach Tim Buss for the idea. "I think it's good. Anything you can do to unify the group is always a good thing.

14 "It's fun. And for the group that doesn't understand it, that's too bad, that you've forgotten what it's like to be a kid. It's always too bad when you've forgotten what it's like to be a kid. "I don't know that we've had enough fun this year, quite frankly. And a lot of that comes with winning. That's just a natural residue of winning, that you have more fun. But what comes first? You have fun and then you win, whatever? "I just think this is a good time for right now. We have American Legion Week coming up, also, when we get back from this road trip, and that's good timing with that, too. Listen, we're not going to win it if we don't really enjoy the day. You have to really enjoy yourself. You have to enjoy the day." A nice surprise and honor: Sunday was a special day for Iowa-bound soccer player Hailey Rydberg, of St. Charles North High School. Rydberg is MVP of the 14th Annual PepsiCo Showdown, the largest high school soccer tournament in the U.S. She was honored before Sunday's game, when Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks presented her with the 2016 PepsiCo Showdown MVP Belt in the dugout. "Just so surprised and in shock," Rydberg said. "It's awesome." Milestone hit: Jason Heyward had 2 doubles in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Nationals. The second was the 1,000th hit of his career. "I guess it's cool to have that happen at your home ballpark and do it as a Cub," he said. La Stella back up: The Cubs recalled infielder Tommy La Stella from Class AAA Iowa and optioned pitcher Rob Zastryzny back to Iowa. That leaves the Cubs with 13 pitchers. "Yeah, it is good having Tommy back," Joe Maddon said. "Rob Z didn't get to play, but two things happened: He really backed us up and permitted us (to use him) if something bad were to happen. "The second that happened was that he improved his dancing skills. I thought from the first to the second home run, I thought they improved dramatically." Maddon was referring to Cubs relief pitchers dancing in the bullpen when their teammates hit a home runs. Cubs.com What a week for Willson: C a sight to behold By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO It's been a second half and a week to remember for Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. On Sunday, Contreras notched his second multi-homer game in the last four days, hitting a pair of solo shots, but it wasn't enough as the Cubs lost, 9-4, to the Nationals. Contreras now has 21 homers, and is tied with Anthony Rizzo for the team lead with 70 RBIs. Contreras also is tied with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for most home runs since the All-Star break with 10.

15 "I can't believe it, to be honest," Contreras said. "I can't believe it. To be able to put a good swing on a fastball and good pitches I'm not out there trying to hit homers. I'm trying to put the barrel on the ball, and it just goes." Since June 16, Contreras is batting.331 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs in 42 games. He's the first Cubs catcher to reach 20 home runs in a season since Geovany Soto hit 23 in 2008, when he won National League Rookie of the Year honors. In six games this week, Contreras is batting.455 (10-for-22) with five homers and 13 RBIs. He also hit two home runs and drove in a career-high six runs on Thursday against the Diamondbacks. Asked to assess Contreras' week, Rizzo just shook his head. "Incredible," Rizzo said. Cubs.com Contreras homers twice, but Cubs fall on slam By Carrie Muskat and Jamal Collier CHICAGO Matt Wieters belted his third career grand slam with one out in the eighth inning Sunday to power the Nationals to a 9-4 come-from-behind victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field in what could be a preview of the National League Division Series. Washington trailed, 4-3, with one out in the eighth against Mike Montgomery when Bryce Harper singled. Carl Edwards Jr. took over and served up a double to Ryan Zimmerman, then intentionally walked Daniel Murphy to load the bases. Edwards hit Anthony Rendon with a pitch to force in the tying run, and Wieters then launched the first pitch he saw to straightaway center for his eighth home run. "You've got to be ready for something you can get in the air," Wieters said. "He went first-pitch breaking ball, and out of his hand I recognized it. It was something that I feel I can get in the air and it just happened to carry out." Brian Goodwin added a leadoff homer in the ninth for the Nationals, who maintained a 13-game lead in the NL East over the Marlins with the win. The Cubs have a half-game lead in the Central over the Brewers, who lost on Sunday to the Rays. Washington took two out of three from Chicago to claim the season series, which could prove crucial, considering if the season ended Sunday, these two teams would match up in the NLDS. "I don't know if we think that way," Nats first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "Obviously you put two and two together and you think they have a pretty good chance, but it's not like we're trying to send a message. Winning two out of three right now does nothing for us in October." It was a tough outing for Edwards, who Cubs manager Joe Maddon projects as a future closer. "C.J. knows he's good," Chicago's Anthony Rizzo said. "He throws a cutter that's not easy to put the barrel on. It's just part of the season. Some guys go through it in April, May, June, July, August. There's ruts where, as a team, everyone isn't going to be clicking, and the other guys have to pick up the load. It's not any individual's fault." Said Edwards: "I'm down on my confidence now. It happens in this game. You have to get over it and come back out and have a good successful outing my next time out to get the confidence back." Willson Contreras did his part for the Cubs, notching his second multi-homer game in the last four days. Contreras led off the fourth with his 20th homer and opened the sixth with No. 21 to raise his RBI total to 70 for the season, tied with Anthony Rizzo for most on the team. Kyle Schwarber followed Contreras' second homer with his 18th of the season.

16 Contreras, who hit two home runs on Thursday against the Diamondbacks, now has 10 homers since the All-Star break, which is tied with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the most in the National League. Neither starter got a decision. Chicago's Jon Lester scattered six hits over 6 2/3 innings while rookie Erick Fedde, making his second career start, scattered eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. "I was pretty happy with my stuff today," Fedde said. "I thought a lot of my pitches were working. There were just a couple mistakes that I paid for with the long ball. But at least I kept them to solo shots." As far Chicago's Jason Heyward was concerned, this series was just another weekend in August, not a playoff series. "It was a series we're trying to win," Heyward said. "You'd like to win, especially with how our division race is at this point. When you're playing against teams like [the Nationals], you don't have a lot of room for error. Give them more opportunities and they're going to take advantage." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Stage set: The Nationals started their comeback in the seventh, when Murphy and Rendon hit back-to-back doubles to open the inning. Rendon was able to reach third when Schwarber's relay throw was off the mark and third baseman Kris Bryant made an errant throw. Rendon then scored on Wieters' sacrifice fly to center fielder Jon Jay, who slammed into the ivy-covered wall after the catch. "I felt better with the approach that at-bat than I did the first two at-bats," Wieters said. "You never know what's going to quite get you kind of locked in a little bit more at this level. So I felt like with a runner on third, nobody out, just the focus level was turned up a little bit, and hopefully that can carry on to more at-bats." Mistakes hurt: The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second on Javier Baez's RBI single, but the Nationals tied it in the third. Wilmer Difo tripled to lead off the inning, and one out later he scored on an error by Schwarber, who couldn't get his glove on Goodwin's ball. Goodwin was credited with a sacrifice fly, and the run was earned. More > QUOTABLE "We kind of have a MASH unit out there. Everybody's contributing, and that helps a lot when you can take two out of three without your top starters." Nationals manager Dusty Baker, on winning two out of three games without their top three starting pitchers "We didn't play a clean game overall. We made some mistakes. We're just better than that.... We're better than that. We talk about it, we work on it, but it just has not been as tidy as it normally is." Maddon SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With two outs in the Cubs' eighth, Heyward doubled for his 1,000th career hit and third of the game. The Nationals' Ryan Madson stepped off the mound to give the crowd of 41,047 time to salute Heyward, who tipped his batting helmet and tapped his heart in appreciation. "I appreciate that," Heyward said of Madson. "It was a cool gesture that he did that, but he didn't have to. I had no idea what was going on until [Brandon Hyde], the first-base coach, said something to me. I guess it's cool to have that happen at your home ballpark and do it as a Cub." WHAT'S NEXT

17 Nationals: The Nats head back to Washington for the start of a nine-game, 10-day homestand. They host the Marlins for a four-game set beginning Monday night at 7:05 ET, and Max Scherzer will return to make the start after neck spasms forced him to leave his last outing early. Cubs: Jake Arrieta will open the three-game series in San Francisco on Monday night. He's 4-2 with a 1.82 ERA in six career starts against the Giants, including a 3-1 record and 2.08 ERA at AT&T Park. First pitch will be 9:08 CT. Cubs.com Facing contenders, Cubs' execution lacking By Scott Chasen CHICAGO The Cubs could very well see the Nationals again. It won't be in the regular season the teams wrapped up their final series of the season with the Cubs falling, 9-4, at Wrigley Field but if the Cubs make the postseason, the Nationals would almost certainly be the team they'd face in the National League Division Series. After Sunday's loss, the Cubs hold a half-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central. The seven games against the Nationals this year have proven useful for the Cubs, partly because of the intel they've gathered, but also for what they have revealed about themselves. The Nats claimed the season series, 4-3, including this past tightly contested three-game set. "We've got plenty of information, that's not the problem. The problem is going out and executing," said Sunday starter Jon Lester. "We were right in those games." They held an early lead Sunday before mistakes set the stage for a late-inning loss. The first miscue came in the third inning, with a runner on third, one out and Lester in command. Brian Goodwin hit a fly ball to left that Kyle Schwarber should've handled, but he let it get by him for a run. "The first play to Kyle, that's a play he makes 101 out of 100 times," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He might've just tried to get quick with it, because I don't know if the runner could've scored had he caught that ball. I don't know that. He was that close, he has a good arm, I don't even know if the third-base coach would've sent him." In the seventh, with Lester still on the mound to protect a 4-1 Cubs lead, the left-hander gave up back-to-back doubles to Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon to lead off the frame, the latter of whom ended up at third after a pair of mistakes. Schwarber fielded the ball off the wall and threw it to Kris Bryant at third, instead of going to second. Bryant quickly tried to relay the throw, but the ball sailed past the bag and into the outfield. Rendon would eventually score on a Matt Wieters sac fly. "The other play, off the wall, just a throw to the right spot," Maddon said. "That's all that is. It's not real complicated. We just have to throw a ball to the right place." Jason Heyward was also caught in a rundown between second and third earlier in the game, but the Cubs still held a 4-3 lead going into the eighth inning, and Maddon had his blueprint. Mike Montgomery would get the first two outs and Carl Edwards Jr. would enter, giving him the chance to build up some confidence after a string of shaky outings. The plan changed when Bryce Harper hit a one-out single to chase Montgomery, and Edwards gave up a double to Ryan Zimmerman to put two in scoring position with one out. Maddon opted to intentionally walk Rendon to give Edwards the chance to get out of the frame with a double play, but the reliever grazed Rendon with a curveball and then gave up a tiebreaking grand slam to Wieters in the next at-bat.