September 27, 2017 Arrieta s hamstring, short start add to Cub playoff rotation questions

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1 September 27, 2017 Chicago Sun-Times, Arrieta s hamstring, short start add to Cub playoff rotation questions Chicago Sun-Times, Kris Bryant in a WAR zone for Cubs as they near another postseason Chicago Sun-Times, Will Joe Maddon drive you nuts? Sure, sometimes but give him his due Chicago Sun-Times, Try another day: Cub rally falls short in 1st try at St. Louis clinch Chicago Sun-Times, Albert Almora Jr. suffers bruised shoulder hitting wall in St. Louis Chicago Sun-Times, 4-year-old girl sings of her love of Anthony Rizzo, and Rizzo replies Chicago Sun-Times, Pearl Jam at Wrigley: A thrill for Vedder and fans in Let s Play Two Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' magic number stays at 1 after losing to Cardinals Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' Maddon applauds Russell helping 'Nacho Man' Cubs.com, Cubs stage powerful rally, but unable to clinch Cubs.com, Not yet fully healthy, Arrieta labors in brief start Cubs.com, Almora hits wall, exits with bruised shoulder Cubs.com, Baez out of Cubs' lineup with knee soreness Cubs.com, Cubs have mindset to pull off rare WS repeat Cubs.com, Foiled once, Cubs aim to clinch on rivals' turf

2 ESPNChicago.com, March to NL Central crown just might be Joe Maddon's best work as Cubs manager ESPNChicago.com, Jake Arrieta's struggles one of many things amiss as Cubs come up short ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' Albert Almora Jr. exits with bruised shoulder after running into wall CSNChicago.com, Jake Arrieta and a Cubs playoff rotation look a little shaky as clinch party waits another day CSNChicago.com, The moment Theo Epstein knew Cubs would no longer fear Cardinals CSNChicago.com, Believe it: Kris Bryant kept Cubs in contention with another MVP-level season CSNChicago.com, Cubs' Albert Almora on injury scare: 'I thought I shattered my shoulder' Chicago Tribune, Rally falls short as Cubs fail to secure second straight division title Chicago Tribune, Cardinals and Brewers put a hold on Cubs' inevitable celebration Chicago Tribune, Albert Almora Jr. on clash in left center: 'The wall always wins' Chicago Tribune, Reliever Justin Wilson suffers control problems in Cubs' loss Chicago Tribune, Jake Arrieta's short outing complicates Cubs' postseason rotation puzzle column.html Chicago Tribune, Kris Bryant motivated by more than numbers story.html Chicago Tribune, For Alex Avila, baseball is the family business story.html Chicago Tribune, Prepare to pay handsomely for season tickets to Cubs' new premier clubs

3 Chicago Sun-Times Arrieta s hamstring, short start add to Cub playoff rotation questions By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS Just when it looked like the Cubs could breathe a little easier about their starting pitching and start locking in playoff-rotation plans, Jake Arrieta threw another question mark into the mix. Arrieta, who returned quickly from a hamstring injury to start Thursday in Milwaukee, struggled for three innings before his tight pitch limit ran out in an 8-7 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday. He gave up five runs, including three on a pair of home runs, but the numbers looked worse because of a two-out error by shortstop Mike Freeman that led to two unearned runs in the first. Tonight was up and down physically, said Arrieta, who said he has made adjustments to his delivery to compensate for the hamstring not being 100 percent yet. I didn t feel great. I intend to do everything I can in the next four days to recover and be ready for Sunday and go from there. There s still some recovering to do, but having said that, I m plenty healthy enough to go out there and be really good. Manager Joe Maddon sounded confident in Arrieta s ability to progress and be ready for the playoffs. Meanwhile, left-hander Jon Lester continues to be a question in the playoff rotation plans despite responding Monday to concerns over his post-injury struggles with six impressive innings. The guys that we have can pitch in big games in October and have done that for a long time, Arrieta said. Regardless of what the regular season stats are, we ve got 3-4-plus guys that can go out there and really pitch well in October. I think we ve shown that. This and that Cubs infielder Javy Baez was out of the lineup Tuesday because of the bruised right knee he suffered in the eighth inning Monday, when he fouled a ball off the knee. He came off the bench as a pinch hitter, striking out to end the game. The Cubs also started the game without shortstop Addison Russell because of a scheduled day off part of the Cubs schedule for easing Russell back into full-time play after a lengthy foot injury. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who is in concussion protocol after taking back-to-back foul balls off his mask Monday night, may not play again this season. Cubs president Theo Epstein on Russell s encounter Monday night with the Nacho Man fan: I thought that whole thing was cheesy. Chicago Sun-Times Kris Bryant in a WAR zone for Cubs as they near another postseason By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS Reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant doesn t seem to know a lot about all these crazy numbers used in modern baseball analytics.

4 But he also seemed happy to learn Tuesday that he had overtaken Washington s Anthony Rendon for the NL lead in WAR, according to the Fangraphs.com website, on Tuesday in the final days of a season many consider less productive than last year. I think on the surface RBIs are a really nice stat, and it s just been there for however long this game s been played, said Bryant, whose RBIs have dipped from 102 in 2016 to 73 this year as his chances with men in scoring position also has dipped. But I guess when you look at the advance stuff maybe it doesn t mean as much, he said. I take pride in just being a complete player, doing everything I can base running, defense, taking the extra base. I think all of that comes into all those new numbers. It s just a byproduct of wanting to be a complete player. Bryant s batting average is up slightly over last year. He has 10 fewer home runs. He also has worked to drop his strikeout totals from 199 as a rookie, to 154 last year to 126 this year. He doubled in four at-bats during Tuesday s 8-7 loss to the Cardinals after going 3-for-4 with a walk and his 29th home run during Monday s 10-2 victory in St. Louis. Chicago Sun-Times Will Joe Maddon drive you nuts? Sure, sometimes but give him his due By Steve Greenberg ST. LOUIS Did we ever get to the bottom of what happened figure out what ridiculous rationale was pinballing around inside his brain when Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided to send overworked closer Aroldis Chapman to the mound to pitch with a five-run lead in Game 6 of the World Series? It was foolish. It was reckless. It was... what s that? Why am I bringing this up now, nearly 11 months later, with the Cubs on the verge of entering a new postseason as defending champs? Because it still drives me nuts, that s why. I imagine Maddon sitting in the dugout, stroking his chin and saying, You know what? Aroldis just went an unprecedented 2 innings in his last outing. If we pitch him tonight and then again in Game 7, there s a pretty good chance his arm will fall off. Get him loose. There are things Maddon does, or has done, that drive a lot of people nuts. Like batting Kris Bryant second despite his seeming to be with all that home-run power and RBI potential born for the No. 3 hole. Or like batting Kyle Schwarber leadoff for a large chunk of the season, which made about as much sense as putting the Bears Kyle Long at wide receiver. There was sticking with Jason Heyward for so long last season despite painfully little offensive return, which left many observers rankled and flummoxed. And there was leaving Wade Davis in the game for a second inning just last weekend in Milwaukee, resulting in the closer s first blown save in the ninth inning and a walk-off loss in the 10th. When it comes to Maddon s decision-making, there s something to get under anyone s skin. My personal least favorite: taking out starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks in the fifth inning of Game 7 against the Indians. Hendricks was a superstar in He was in full control of the game and had more than earned the chance to be a hero. But here s the thing about all the sound and fury above: When you really get down to it, it signifies nothing. It s spitting into the wind. For crying out loud, Maddon led the Cubs to a World Series title. And now he s getting ready to lead them into the postseason for the third year in a row. Both are firsts in over 100 years, but chances are you knew that already.

5 Love him unconditionally or despite his quirks, but Maddon, 63, is doing legendary things. Listen, it doesn t matter, really, he said. I m pleased in the sense that what I ve always believed, I ve carried here and I haven t backed down on my belief system regarding how to work with a baseball team, how to run a game, how to help promote and develop young players. All that stuff, nothing has changed. Yet Chicago as a baseball town is forever changed, and it s as good a time as any to give Maddon his due. He s the perfect manager for a young team, Bryant said, that s for sure. Yes, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein probably has had an even bigger impact. No doubt, most any manager could look good with Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and the rest of the Cubs roster on his side. But here the Cubs are, 21 games over.500 in the second half and all but certain to become the first defending World Series champs to reach the postseason since the 2012 Cardinals. They have 288 victories over Maddon s three seasons, the most since Frank Chance s teams won 300 from 1909 to It s important to take a step back and look at the big picture, Epstein said. What these teams have accomplished the last three years under his leadership has been really impressive. Every manager of any club, any market, is always going to be criticized, but I couldn t be more thrilled with Joe. I think one of the best things we ever did was bring him here. He s a perfect fit for our market and the talent we ve assembled here. Perfect? That s debatable. But we might as well be honest here: It s kind of nuts to be driven nuts by the guy. Chicago Sun-Times Try another day: Cub rally falls short in 1st try at St. Louis clinch By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS All the red. The Arch. The Clydesdales and Budweiser signs. The Cubs are keenly aware of their surroundings this week and the significance of that as they closed in Tuesday on the moment they would clinch the National League Central division championship. The Cubs have won a few division championships; that by itself is nothing new. But to outmuscle the Cardinals in the fall for three consecutive years and to do this one at their place might suggest one of the top trend shifts in baseball these days. When I got to the Cubs, I made it kind of clear that I feel like we ve got some catching up to do as far as that goes, said right fielder Jason Heyward, who signed as a free agent before last season and who hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning of Tuesday s 8-7 loss at Busch Stadium. Playoff wins and world championships, things like that. This is another opportunity to take a step in that direction if we want to continue to be known as a team that s expected to be in the playoffs. More specifically, as a team that expects to rip away some of that Midwest baseball mystique the Cardinals have nurtured for decades maybe even build some long-term mystique of their own. When I got here and people would talk about those [Cardinals] teams, I d understand why they were beating them up, said manager Joe Maddon, who entered the game on the brink of being 3-for-3 in playoff appearances with the Cubs. You ve got to feel confidence in yourself. You ve got to believe you can do it to even be able to do it. There s nothing going to come easily when you play St. Louis, especially here.

6 The Cubs got a taste of that quickly as the Cards jumped to an early 5-1 lead and held on to postpone the inevitable clincher. The Cubs magic number is at one with two left at Busch Stadium to try to clinch a title in St. Louis for the first time since When I think back with my time with the Red Sox, I remember with the Yankees, when I first got there, I felt like we kind of feared them a little bit and then we were able to knock them off, president Theo Epstein said. He said the Red Sox American League Championship Series comeback against the Yankees on the way to their historic 2004 championship changed that. I think in a way the same thing is happening with the Cardinals. When the Cubs eliminated the Cardinals from the race on Monday (with only the Brewers left to eliminate), they had suddenly won 31 of the last 49 meetings between the teams, including three of four in the 2015 playoffs. Bird feed no more. Once we were able to beat them in the 2015 Division Series that s a series that s not talked about enough, Epstein said. That was a really transformative moment for us. That was the point at which we no longer feared them. We will always respect them; that s what makes it meaningful to beat them and do to what we ve done relative to them the last three years. But I think there s no fear there. The Cubs are 12-5 against the Cardinals this year, including 8-1 at home. They need merely a 2-3 finish to wind up with 90 wins despite a losing record and 5½-game deficit in the division at the All-Star break. Since then, they have the best record in the National League (45-24,.652 winning percentage). Chicago Sun-Times Albert Almora Jr. suffers bruised shoulder hitting wall in St. Louis By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS Center fielder Albert Almora Jr. bruised his right shoulder on a crash into the wall in the fifth inning Tuesday, leaving the game and putting his immediate playing status in doubt. X-rays were negative, and Almora still significantly sore after the 8-7 loss to the Cardinals said he plans to go through a normal pregame schedule Wednesday. If it s sore, then I ll see what they want to do, he said. I can fight through it, or if they want to give it one more day. Almora said he was in excruciating pain after chasing Paul DeJong s roller through the gap onto the warning track, then looking up and going face-first into the wall. I tried to cut it off before it hit the wall, and when I went to slide I noticed I wasn t going to get to it, and when I looked up the wall was right on me, Almora said. I was scared, he said. Luckily, nothing s broken, nothing s damaged.

7 Almora, who might be best known for a heads-up base running play in Game 7 of last fall s World Series, entered the game in the top of the fifth as a pinch-hitter for Kyle Schwarber. He s hitting.295 this season with seven home runs. Chicago Sun-Times 4-year-old girl sings of her love of Anthony Rizzo, and Rizzo replies By Madeline Kenney There s nothing more beautiful and innocent than young love. Four-year-old Eden Stembel loves Anthony Rizzo a lot and she made that evident in a song that she sang for the Cubs first baseman from her the bottom of her heart. I love Anthony Rizzo. Ohh, Eden sang while laying on her mother, Betty. I m going to sing a song for him, Eden told her mother. Can you send it to him? I can try, Betty said. Anthony Rizzo is the best boy ever, Eden began to sing. Best. Cub. Ever! Betty did just about the only thing she could do to get this love ballad to Rizzo; she posted it on Twitter. Since Betty posted her daughter singing on Monday afternoon, the tweet has garnered more than 80 retweets and 600 favorites. It also caught Rizzo s attention. Rizzo said the song is definitely a Billboard top 10 hit and said he plans to send her an autograph ball. Eden, who wants to go to a Cubs game but can t because she lives in Carmel, Indiana, has been at daycare and has no idea Rizzo has seen her video or responded. Let s hope no one breaks the tough news to Eden that Rizzo got engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Emily Vakos, this past summer. Chicago Sun-Times Pearl Jam at Wrigley: A thrill for Vedder and fans in Let s Play Two By Richard Roeper The first time you walk into Wrigley Field, it s like stepping into Oz. Pearl Jam frontman and big-time Cubs fan Eddie Vedder. If you re a Chicago Cubs diehard AND a hardcore Pearl Jam fan, AND you were lucky enough to be at Wrigley Field on the nights of Aug. 20 or Aug. 22 of 2016, that must have been heaven on Earth. The Cubs had yet to win the World Series, of course, but by that point in the season, it was clear they were the best team in baseball, and they had a chance to go all the way. The perennial doom-and-gloom attitude, the Billy Goat curse of 1945, the black cat in the on-deck circle crossing in front of Ron Santo in 1969, the Bartman ball

8 nonsense of 2003, etc., etc. those black clouds were dissipating. Kris Bryant s bat and Anthony Rizzo s heart and Jon Lester s arm were oblivious to doomsday history. So yeah. Good time to be a Cubs fan. As for Pearl Jam well, they re Pearl Jam. Middle-aged and a generation removed from their Grunge Era breakout years, to be sure, but still capable of rattling the ivy on the walls of Wrigley Field and filling the summer nights with the sounds of powerful and resonant anthems such as Jeremy and Better Man and Hearts and Thoughts. Watching Pearl Jam: Let s Play Two, even this lifelong White Sox fan was blown away. I was stirred by the lush and pristine sounds of the band, including of course Eddie Vedder s oft-imitated but never really duplicated guttural growl of a voice, and I was greatly impressed by the gorgeous visuals in the concert sequences. This is one of the most vibrant-looking rock performance films of recent years. I ve even got to give a #Respect shoutout to the band s frontman Eddie Vedder, whose passion for the Cubs (like Bill Murray s) goes far deeper than the casual celebrity fans who show up only when the home team is on a roll, wearing newly minted jerseys with their names on em and hoping nobody asks them who their favorite player was when they were kids. We learn that when the Evanston-born Vedder was growing up, his favorite Cubs player was Jose Cardenal, a gifted but mercurial figure who played for some mediocre-to-lousy teams in the 1970s, once missed an exhibition game because crickets had kept him awake the night before, and begged off playing on Opening Day one year because he claimed when he woke up, one eyelid was stuck open. The talented director-photographer Danny Clinch respects Pearl Jam (and their fans) enough to show us unbroken performances of some of the band s biggest hits, and to not get too tricky or showy with the camerawork or the editing. We re with the band as they go over the set list, we re onstage with the band as they rock out, we re in the stands with the faithful, and we get some beautiful medium and long shots of the North Side s definition of the Field of Dreams. You can t help but drink it all in. Interspersed with the concert footage, we get scenes of the band jamming on the rooftop at Murphy s Bleachers; shots of a CTA train festooned with Pearl Jam artwork; brief glimpses of Cubs game action old and new; Vedder playing catch on the field. This isn t the most in-depth documentary about what it means to be a Cubs fan, but that s not what it s trying to be. Let s Play Two is primarily a record of what surely had to be two of the most memorable concerts in Pearl Jam s history for the fans and for the man with the microphone. Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' magic number stays at 1 after losing to Cardinals By Bruce Miles ST. LOUIS The champagne will have to stay on ice at least one more day before the Chicago Cubs can party at Busch Stadium. Jake Arrieta, who pitched the Cubs to victory in the wild-card game two years ago in Pittsburgh, could not deliver against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. Still not 100 percent coming off a hamstring injury, Arrieta lasted only 3 innings and 67 pitches as the Cubs rallied but fell short 8-7. The Cardinals took an 8-3 lead into the eighth inning, but the Cubs rallied with 4 runs in the top half, with Jason Heyward hitting a 3-run homer and Ben Zobrist adding a solo shot.

9 With the loss, the Cubs (88-69) saw their magic number to clinch the National League Central hold at 1, as the second-place Milwaukee Brewers beat the Reds to stay in the chase. John Lackey will try to clinch it Wednesday night as he takes on Michael Wacha shortly after 6 p.m. Arrieta was making his second start since injuring his right hamstring during a Labor Day start at Pittsburgh. He gave up 3 runs (1 earned) in the first inning and 2 more in the second on a homer to Tommy Pham. "I started out the first inning with a pretty extended pitch count," said Arrieta (14-10), who threw 35 in the first. Although he looked fine last week in Milwaukee, he was not nearly as sharp Tuesday. "I'm doing OK," he said. "I've had to adjust a couple things in my delivery. It's still there a little bit. But I'm fine. I'm plenty healthy enough to go out there and compete and pitch at a high level. I just wasn't able to do that tonight, unfortunately. "I don't have the drive (with the leg) that I do at 100 percent, but still plenty enough to be effective." Manager Joe Maddon saw enough after 3 innings. "Things just weren't working, sharpness wise," he said. "I didn't see anything overtly crisp, velocity or location or anything. It was not his night." Cubs batters struck out 15 times against St. Louis pitching, but Maddon said he liked the comeback. The Cubs got a huge scare in the bottom of the fifth inning. Center fielder Albert Almora Jr., who had gone into the game in the top half as a pinch hitter, fell awkwardly into the wall while chasing a double by Paul DeJong. Almora came out of the game with what the Cubs said was a right-shoulder bruise in the rotator-cuff area. X-rays were negative, but Almora was wearing a big ice pack in the clubhouse after the game. "I was scared," he said. "I really didn't move it. What you guys saw (at his locker) was probably the most I did for an hour. PJ (athletic trainer Mainville) was out there. He was like, 'Hey, it's not out of place.' I didn't want to move it just in case I hurt it and felt something I didn't want to feel. I just wanted to make it as easy as possible. I had excruciating pain out there. "I tried to cut (the ball) off before it hit the wall. When I went to slide, I noticed I wasn't going to get to it. And when I looked up, the wall was right on me. There was no slowing down. Luckily nothing's broken. Nothing's damaged." Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Maddon applauds Russell helping 'Nacho Man' By Bruce Miles ST. LOUIS In spring training, one of the themes stressed by Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon was being "uncomfortable." That's why he was happy to see shortstop Addison Russell carry a tray of nachos out to a fan down the left-field line and taking a selfie after making a play and causing the fan to lose his nachos during Monday night's game. "The 'be uncomfortable' component, it's been uncomfortable for the most part," Maddon said of the season Tuesday. "And I think they kind of get that now. The authenticity, I have so much faith in our guys, and that's why I talk about trusting your players all the time. "Perfectly demonstrated last night by Addy bringing out a tray of nachos and then pausing for a selfie. That is so out of his comfort zone, it is fabulous. That, to me, is worth even a higher level of play than postseason.

10 "It just tells me that our guys are pretty confident, and they're confident in their own skin, which I really love. They also know there's not going to be repercussions coming from me, which I really love, too, that they can be themselves. "They know that I would probably giggle at something like that because what is it worth? Is that worth getting upset about? In 1,000 years it isn't." Cubs president Theo Epstein was asked about it, and he chimed in with a quip: "I thought that whole thing was kind of cheesy." Baez banged up: Infielder Javier Baez was not in Tuesday's starting lineup, one day after fouling a pitch off his right leg. Joe Maddon wanted to give shortstop Addison Russell the night off, so he started Ben Zobrist at second base and Mike Freeman at short. Maddon also said he needs to get a day off for catcher Willson Contreras. Light 'em up: Kris Bryant was surprised that fireworks went off after he hit a home run Monday night at Busch Stadium. "I didn't realize it until I got in the dugout, honestly," he said. "That was really funny. I'm sure it was accidental. It really makes you think it's a long season for those guys, too. It's all right." According to the Cubs and FanGraphs, Bryant leads the National League in wins above replacement, at 6.8. That trailed only the Yankees' Aaron Judge (7.6) and Houston's Jose Altuve (7.4) for tops in the majors. "I hear about it on TV every day," Bryant said of advanced stats. "You can't get away from it, all these crazy numbers I take pride in just being a complete player and doing everything I can: baserunning, defense, taking an extra base, and I think all that encompasses into all these new numbers that are coming out. "It's just a byproduct of me wanting to be that complete player." Cubs.com Cubs stage powerful rally, but unable to clinch By Jenifer Langosch and Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS Seeking to delay the Cubs' clinch celebration while increasing the chances of extending their own season, the Cardinals built an early lead at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night and held on for an 8-7 victory that postponed any popping of champagne bottles for at least another day. Not only were the Cubs unable to wrap up their second consecutive division title with a seventh straight win over the Cardinals, but they also couldn't get any help from the Reds. The Brewers grabbed a 7-6 victory over Cincinnati to ensure the Cubs' magic number remained at one. "Let's just play tomorrow, let's not overreact to anything," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I love the comeback, I love the energy. [Jake Arrieta] just had a tough night." For the Cardinals, the win wasn't merely about spoiling a rival's celebration plans. It was also a necessary one. With the Rockies and Brewers earning victories on Tuesday, the Cardinals needed to snap a three-game losing streak to

11 remain within 2 1/2 games of the second National League Wild Card. St. Louis has five games remaining on its regular-season schedule. "You could certainly show up today flat and roll over and let them have their way with you," said first baseman Matt Carpenter, whose leadoff home run ensured the Cardinals they wouldn't trail all night. "Or you could come out like we did and send a message that, 'Hey, we're not going to just give this to you.' That being said, you have to give credit to them. They never quit either. It was a grind just to find a way to win today. But that's what games are like in September. Both teams are playing for something, and certainly they're going to fight to the end." In his second start since returning from a hamstring injury, Arrieta labored over a 67-pitch, three-inning start. Home runs by Carpenter and Tommy Pham helped St. Louis build a 5-1 lead by the end of the second. But the Cardinals hardly coasted from there. Starter Carlos Martinez allowed the Cubs to chip away with runs in the second, third and fourth before he exited with one out in the fifth. It was Martinez's shortest start of the season, but also a gutsy one. Twice he stranded the bases loaded, including the fourth inning, during which a catcher's interference call cost him two outs. "Amazing right there in that situation to get out of it with one run," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Martinez's escape act. "That's another big point in our game." The Cubs left 10 on base, went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and struck out 15 times in the game, which certainly didn't help their offense. "The thing that got us were the punchouts," Maddon said. "We've been working to get away from that. That was the difference in the game, not putting the ball in play." Solo homers by Jedd Gyorko and Randal Grichuk in the seventh then gave the Cardinals a five-run cushion they would need every bit of. Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward blasted a three-run homer an inning later, and Ben Zobrist pulled Chicago to within one when he connected for his 12th homer of the season. Juan Nicasio, summoned for the four-out save, stranded the potential tying run at second to close the frame. Nicasio then worked around two ninth-inning walks to seal the Cardinals' fifth victory in 17 tries against the Cubs this season. Four of those wins have come in games started by Martinez. "I knew I was going to have to come in and pitch with heart, to try to get those [four] outs," Nicasio said. "I'm going to try to do my best to help these guys have a chance to go to the playoffs." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Turn two, get none: Martinez's start at Wrigley Field earlier this month unraveled when he misfired while trying to start a double play with the bases loaded. He got the chance for a redo on Tuesday. With the bases full and nobody out in the fourth, Martinez induced a weak grounder back to himself off the bat of pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella. Martinez made the on-target throw home, and catcher Carson Kelly threw to first for the second out only to learn that the Cardinals would be credited with neither. Kelly was called for catcher's interference his mitt made contact with La Stella's bat meaning the run counted and La Stella was awarded a base and Kyle Schwarber scored from third to make it 5-3. "I just got a little close to him, reached out. It was a mistake on my part," Kelly said. "Everybody was a little confused. But at the end of it, I knew it was a mistake that I made." Martinez, however, quickly regained his composure, notched back-to-back strikeouts, and then retired Anthony Rizzo to strand the bases full and preserve a two-run lead.

12 "That was a turning point in regards to them having a better chance to win the game," Maddon said of how the Cardinals escaped in the fourth. "That was a seminal moment in the game." Fruitful first: A night after the Cubs pounced for four first-inning runs, it was the Cardinals who seized the early lead. Carpenter, 1-for-32 in his career against Arrieta, opened the first with a homer off his former college teammate. The damage would have stopped there had shortstop Mike Freeman not then bobbled a routine grounder with two out. His error allowed Dexter Fowler to score from third and brought the inning to Grichuk, who delivered an RBI triple. It took Arrieta 35 pitches to get through the frame. "Things just weren't working sharpness-wise," Maddon said of Arrieta. "I didn't see anything overtly crisp, velocity or location or anything. It was not his night. We made a mistake [with Freeman's error], but they hit the ball pretty good against him." QUOTABLE "Exhausting. It's exhausting." Kelly, on being behind the plate for a three-hour, 46-minute game with so much at stake "These guys are going to make it as tough as possible on us, as we expect. We have to do our best to take care of business tomorrow, and then we'll see what happens." Arrieta, on the Cardinals SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With Tuesday's victory, Matheny became the first manager in franchise history to begin his career with six consecutive winning seasons. INJURY UPDATES Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. had to leave the game in the fifth inning after he crashed into the outfield wall trying to catch Paul DeJong's fly ball. Almora suffered a contusion to his right shoulder in the rotator cuff area. X-rays were negative. He was able to walk off under his own power. "I tried to cut [the ball] off before it hit the wall, and when I went to slide I noticed I wasn't going to get to it, and when I looked up the wall was right on me," Almora said. "There was no slowing down. Luckily, nothing's broken, nothing's damaged. All good." Pham had to be replaced by a pinch-hitter in the eighth, two innings after being hit in the ribs by a 95-mph fastball. Pham was diagnosed with a left side contusion, but the Cardinals are optimistic that he'll be ready to return on Wednesday. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Cardinals used their challenge in the third inning, contesting that Freeman had his hand on the foot of DeJong (not the base) when Martinez made a snap throw to second. Without enough evidence to change the safe call, it stood after a two-minute, 34-second review. Freeman scored later in the inning on a two-out, bases-loaded walk. Freeman was at the center of a fourth-inning challenge, too this one by the Cubs. Initially ruled out when he tried to beat a throw with a headfirst slide into first, Freeman was awarded the infield single following a 44-second review. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Wednesday may be John Lackey's last regular-season start for the Cubs. The 38-year-old right-hander will be a free agent after this season. This will be Lackey's fourth start of the year against the Cardinals. So far, he's 1-0 with a 3.57 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. CT from Busch Stadium.

13 Cardinals: Michael Wacha entered the season eager to silence those who questioned his durability. He can consider that done as he makes his 30th and final start of the season. Wacha has a 2.61 ERA over his last five appearances. Cubs.com Not yet fully healthy, Arrieta labors in brief start By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS Jake Arrieta was supposed to be spraying champagne to celebrate the Cubs' second straight National League Central title on Tuesday night. Instead, the right-hander took the loss, and he left the team with more questions regarding how well he'd be able to pitch in October. "I've got 170 innings [for the season]," said Arrieta, who is officially at 168 1/3. "I'm good." What wasn't good was the right-hander's outing in the Cubs' 8-7 loss to the Cardinals. He scattered six hits, walked one and struck out four. "Things just weren't working, sharpness-wise," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. "I didn't see anything overtly crisp, velocity or location or anything. It was not his night." It didn't help that shortstop Mike Freeman committed an error which extended the three-run first inning. Arrieta needed 35 pitches to get through the first and threw 67 in the game. This was his second start since he had to come out of a Sept. 4 outing because of a right hamstring injury, which is still having an effect on him. "I've had to adjust a couple things in my delivery," Arrieta said of the repercussions of the hamstring problem. "It's still there a little bit, but I'm fine. I'm plenty healthy enough to go out there and compete and pitch at a high level. I just wasn't able to do that tonight unfortunately. Like I said, they had some good at-bats and made me work." What's the difference? "I don't have the drive that I do at 100 percent," he said, "but there's still plenty enough to be effective. The velocity was really good tonight. Stuff's not an issue. Tonight, what sticks out was a couple pitches I left out over the plate, and they did some damage with it." The one that nagged him was Tommy Pham's two-run homer in the second inning. Arrieta's TCU teammate Matt Carpenter also connected on a leadoff homer. Carpenter came into the game 1-for-32 against Arrieta, and that hit also was a home run. What's more troubling is that Arrieta doesn't have much time left to get stretched out for the postseason. He has not thrown 100 or more pitches since July 15. "It's going to be difficult," Maddon said. "We'll see how he feels and go from there. We were really looking to get more [innings] than that, I agree. I thought that was a lot of pitches for three innings. To get him out, I thought was the right move. "Of course, he's not 100 [percent]. He's doing fine. He's Jake. He's very strong and in great shape. Let's let him have a couple days off and bring him back again. It just wasn't his night, and he's working his way back in." Tuesday's loss was Arrieta's 10th of the year, and it's the first time in his career that the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner has reached double-digit losses. This was his second-shortest outing of the season. Arrieta knows what he wants in that final outing at Wrigley Field on Sunday against the Reds.

14 "You want some good results moving into October," Arrieta said. "[I just want] to go out there and feel close to 100 percent and feel good about the outing moving into my first postseason start. Tonight was up and down physically. I didn't feel great, and that's just how it goes. "I intend to do everything I can in the next four days to recover and be ready Sunday and go from there. There's still some recovering to do, but having said that, I'm plenty healthy enough to go out there and be really good." Cubs.com Almora hits wall, exits with bruised shoulder By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS As soon as the medical staff told Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. that X-rays showed his shoulder wasn't dislocated or broken, he could relax. Almora had to leave Tuesday's 8-7 loss to the Cardinals in the fifth inning after he slammed into the center-field wall at Busch Stadium trying to catch Paul DeJong's fly ball. "Once they told me, 'Hey, nothing's broken, there's no structural damage,' I started moving it around," Almora said. "Like I've said, the wall always wins. I'm happy, I'm in a good spot. I could play." Almora suffered a contusion on his right shoulder in the rotator cuff area. "That's a scary thing," Chicago right fielder Jason Heyward said. "The wall is undefeated. That's one of the things we always have to worry about. What I love about [Almora] is that he's so fearless when it comes to that. It looked like he tripped into it going after the ball hard." The Cardinals had a runner at first and nobody out in the fifth when DeJong lofted the ball toward the gap in leftcenter. Almora and left fielder Ian Happ chased it, but Almora slid on his knees and hit the wall full force. DeJong was credited with a double and a run scored on the play, which gave the Cardinals a 6-3 lead. Athletic trainer PJ Mainville and Cubs manager Joe Maddon went out to check on Almora, who was able to walk off the field under his own power. "I tried to cut [the ball] off before it hit the wall and when I went to slide, I noticed I wasn't going to get to it and when I looked up the wall was right on me," Almora said. "There was no slowing down. Luckily, nothing's broken, nothing's damaged. All good. "I was scared. I didn't really move. PJ was out there and said, 'Hey, nothing's out of place.' I didn't want to move it just in case I hurt something. I just wanted to take it as easy as possible." Cubs.com Baez out of Cubs' lineup with knee soreness By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS The Cubs' Javier Baez did not start in Tuesday's 8-7 loss to the Cardinals because of soreness in his right knee sustained when he fouled a pitch off his leg in the eighth inning of Monday night's 10-2 win over the Cards. But Baez entered as a pinch-hitter with the Cubs facing a one-run deficit with two outs in the ninth inning and runners on first and second, and he struck out swinging to end the game. On Monday, Baez fouled the pitch off his knee and crumpled to the ground in the eighth, and after he was checked by manager Joe Maddon and an athletic trainer, he stayed in the game. Baez then hit a single but was lifted for a pinch-runner.

15 "I thought it was really bad," Baez said after Monday's game. "After, it was just a big bruise and sore. It was like jumping into a cold tub, and my whole leg was freezing." The Cubs, who were one win away from clinching the National League Central for the second straight year, also were initially without Addison Russell, who was not in the lineup as part of a scheduled off-day. But he also struck out in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth Tuesday, a day after diving into the stands and knocking a fan's nachos onto the field. Russell is coming back from a strained right foot injury that sidelined him more than one month. Ben Zobrist started at second base and brought the Cubs within one run with a solo home run in the eighth after Jason Heyward clubbed a three-run shot. Mike Freeman started at shortstop and had an eventful game, first committing an error that led to a run in a threerun first before making up for it with a nice defensive play an inning later. He also went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, and was involved in a pair of replay reviews. "I'm good with 'Free' going out there," Maddon said. "He's definitely involved and understands what's going on." Cubs.com Cubs have mindset to pull off rare WS repeat By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS It isn't easy to repeat as World Series champions, or even get to the postseason in back-to-back seasons. The last National League team to repeat as World Series champs was the Reds in "If I learned anything from the two previous times it's that it's tiring," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said about having a team play in the postseason. "You put so much of yourself out there nightly to accomplish that, and the residue is that it takes a part of you away from you. "What I learned was to be patient and emphasize not pushing too hard too quickly," said Maddon, who has made giving players rest a priority this season. That extra month of baseball most likely accounted for the Cubs' slow start this year. They were 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central at the All-Star break. A win on Tuesday over the Cardinals would have given Chicago its second division title in a row, but the party was delayed following an 8-7 loss. "It's tiring playing that extra month," the Cubs' Kris Bryant said. "There were times I was completely beat, just physically, mentally. You'd expect the World Series winner to be in the playoffs every year and it hasn't been the case. Hopefully, we can break that." The Cubs have won 11 of their last 14 games, and 19 of their last 28. "You cannot ask for a better time to start playing your best baseball of the year," Maddon said. "Fortunately, we're in a division that permitted that to happen. Right now, our guys, you watch them in the clubhouse and in the dugout, that look is back, that focus, that concentration is at its highest point among the whole group. You have to be there to understand it. I've seen groups with it and groups without it, and our group has it." The Cubs have had some tough series this month to tune up for the postseason, including a three-game series against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field from Sept , and a four-game set in Milwaukee that ended Sunday. "When the other team provides that competition, it brings out the best in us," Bryant said. "We know the other guys are trying as hard as us. When those games come, it's what we've been able to do is put our foot on the gas and beat them. It's been an impressive [stretch]."

16 Heading into Tuesday's game, Bryant led the NL with a 6.8 WAR, according to Fangraphs, and was trailing only the Yankees' Aaron Judge and the Astros' Jose Altuve for the top spot. What's interesting is that Bryant's RBI numbers are down compared to last season. "I guess when you look at that, RBI is a nice stat, and it's been there for 100 years or however long the game has been played, but when you look at the advance [sabermetrics] stuff, maybe it doesn't mean as much," Bryant said. "I take pride in being a complete player and doing everything I can, baserunning, defense, and I think all of that goes into all these new numbers. It's just a byproduct of me wanting to be that complete player." What Bryant is happy about is that he's reduced the number of strikeouts from his rookie year, when he fanned 199 times. He's struck out 126 times this season. "It's just at-bats, better contact, more hits with two strikes," Bryant said. "It makes me really proud that I've been able to do that." On Monday, Bryant hit his 29th home run, a solo shot in the second inning. Someone at Busch Stadium accidentally set off the fireworks, which are typically reserved for the home team's players. "I didn't realize it until I got to the dugout," Bryant said. "That was really funny, though. I'm sure it was accidental. It's a long season for those guys, too. It's all right. It was an honest mistake." Cubs catcher Victor Caratini finally got word from a cousin that his family was all right in Puerto Rico, which was ravaged by Hurricane Maria. "He said all of my family is good and safe," Caratini said Tuesday. Cubs.com Foiled once, Cubs aim to clinch on rivals' turf By Carrie Muskat The Cardinals denied the Cubs a chance to party on Tuesday. Can St. Louis do it again on Wednesday? Despite a late rally, the Cubs lost, 8-7, on Tuesday and still need one win or a Brewers loss to clinch their second straight National League Central title. They'll turn to veteran John Lackey on Wednesday to get the job done against Michael Wacha. "Let's just play [Wednesday], let's not overreact to anything," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said after Tuesday's loss. The Cardinals also have something to play for. With the Rockies and Brewers earning victories on Tuesday, the Cardinals needed to snap a three-game losing streak to remain within 2 1/2 games of the second NL Wild Card. St. Louis has five games remaining on its regular-season schedule. This will be Lackey's final regular-season start. Will it be his last regular-season start for the Cubs overall? Lackey, 38, will be a free agent after this season and has dimissed talk about retiring, saying he wants to talk to his family and see how he feels. "I didn't come here for a haircut. I came here for the jewelry," Lackey said last year when asked about the expectations placed on the Cubs. He did get his ring, helping Chicago win the World Series in Wacha has one win in his last nine starts against the Cubs, and is 4-6 with a 6.32 ERA in 15 career outings (13 starts) against them. He took the loss on Sept. 16 at Wrigley Field, giving up three runs over 5 2/3 innings.

17 This will also be Wacha's final start of the regular season, barring a tiebreaking Game 163, if needed, on Monday. What was encouraging for Wacha this year is that he's remained healthy for a full season after shoulder injuries sidelined him for much of 2014 and '16. This will be Wacha's 30th start of the season, tying a career high. He's been finishing strong, too, and has a 2.61 ERA over his last five games. As Wacha struggled over a three-start stretch from Aug , opponents went 20-for-42 (.476) with a.738 slugging percentage against his four-seamer, two-seamer and cutter. But in five outings since, Wacha's assortment of fastballs has yielded just a.247 average (20-for-81) and.321 slugging percentage. The Cubs still have a 12-5 edge in the season series despite Tuesday's loss. "They're all absolutely hard to get," Chicago's Jason Heyward said, echoing the feeling the Cardinals most likely have as well. "We've got the quote-unquote 'luxury' that we've taken care of business here." "These guys are going to make it as tough as possible on us, as we expect," Chicago's Jake Arrieta said. "We have to do our best to take care of business tomorrow, and then we'll see what happens." Things to know about this game This will be Lackey's fourth start of the season against the Cardinals. So far, he's 1-0 with a 3.57 ERA. His outings include an abbreviated start on Sept. 15, when he was ejected after 4 2/3 innings for arguing a call with the homeplate umpire. The Cardinals will be without catcher Yadier Molina again on Wednesday, as he remains in concussion protocol after being hit in the mask by a foul ball on consecutive pitches Monday. Rookie Carson Kelly will start in his place. St. Louis second baseman Kolten Wong and first baseman Jose Martinez are questionable for Wednesday's game. Martinez has been out of the lineup since Friday with a left thumb sprain, but was intentionally walked in a pinch-hit appearance Tuesday, while Wong has been dealing with nagging back tightness all month. The Cubs hope Javier Baez can return to the lineup on Wednesday. He fouled a ball off his right knee on Monday night, stayed in the game and singled, and was then lifted for a pinch-runner. He entered as a pinch-hitter with two outs in the ninth Tuesday and struck out to end the game. Shortstop Addison Russell, who also struck out in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth Tuesday, is expected to be back in the lineup. He was given Tuesday off simply as a day of rest after playing three days in a row. Russell missed more than a month because of a right foot strain. ESPNChicago.com March to NL Central crown just might be Joe Maddon's best work as Cubs manager By Jesse Rogers ST. LOUIS How did Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon do at least one thing San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy wasn t able to accomplish in three tries? Something Kansas City Royals skipper Ned Yost and Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell also couldn't do? All three won at least one World Series in recent years, but none returned to the playoffs the next season. Maddon s Cubs are on the verge of doing just that despite losing to the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 on Tuesday night. Their magic number to clinch the NL Central remains one. If I thought I learned anything from the two previous times, it s that it s tiring, Maddon said before Tuesday s game. It takes a part of you away from you.