August 17, 2017

ESPNChicago.com, John Lackey didn't get the W but was still a winner in Cubs' victory http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45425/lackey-didnt-get-the-w-but-he-was-still-a-winner-in-cubs-victory

CSNChicago.com, Fuming over ninth-inning call, Joe Maddon is done with playing nice in MLB sandbox: ‘That’s asinine’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/fuming-over-ninth-inning-call-joe-maddon-done-playing-nice-mlb-sandbox-thats-asinine

CSNChicago.com, The evolution of Kris Bryant and why Joey Votto became his favorite player http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/evolution-kris-bryant-and-why-joey-votto-became-his-favorite-player

CSNChicago.com, Kyle Schwarber is learning to trust himself again at the plate http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kyle-schwarber-learning-trust-himself-again-plate-javy-baez

CSNChicago.com, Why Cubs gave World Series rings to fired managers Dale Sveum and Rick Renteria http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/why-cubs-gave-world-series-rings-fired-managers-dale-sveum-and-rick-renteria

Chicago Tribune, John Lackey's eventful night ends in no-decision as Cubs blow lead, rally for 7-6 win over Reds http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-reds-spt-0817-20170816-story.html#nt=oft03a-1gp2

Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon anticipates fine after ejection: 'That call cannot be made under those circumstances' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-20170816-story.html

Chicago Tribune, After cruising in 2016, Cubs can benefit from tight division race down stretch http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-rested-stretch-run-sullivan-spt-0817-20170816-column.html#nt=oft03a-1gp3

Chicago Tribune, Be careful counting out Kyle Schwarber as man to make a difference for Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-kyle-schwarber-cubs-future-haugh-spt-0817-20170816-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Rick Renteria on receiving Cubs World Series ring: 'A classy gesture' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/ct-rick-renteria-cubs-world-series-ring-white-sox-20170816-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Maddon irked by ‘asinine’ call in crazy 9th of Cubs’ walkoff win http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-maddon-irked-by-asinine-call-in-crazy-9th-of-cubs-walkoff-win/

Chicago Sun-Times, Could John Lackey return for another year with the Cubs at age 39? http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/could-john-lackey-return-for-another-year-with-the-cubs-at-age-39/

Chicago Sun-Times, Kris Bryant: Team, individual success in ’16 was ‘blessing and curse’ http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/kris-bryant-team-individual-success-in-16-was-blessing-and-curse/

Chicago Sun-Times, Inspired by his father, Schwarber gives back to neighborhood heroes http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/inspired-by-his-father-cubs-kyle-schwarber-neighborhood-heroes-fire-station-visit/

Daily Herald, Angry Maddon ejected just before Cubs win on wild pitch http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170816/angry-maddon-ejected-just-before-cubs-win-on-wild-pitch

Daily Herald, Votto has big fans among Chicago Cubs http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170816/votto-has-big-fans-among-chicago-cubs

Cubs.com, Lester, Feldman set for series finale at Wrigley http://atmlb.com/2uTFUMb

Cubs.com, Rizzo's slam, walk-off WP send Cubs past Reds http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/248752664/rizzos-grand-slam-helps-cubs-beat-reds/

Cubs.com, Wild ninth ends Cubs' way in walk-off win http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/248884508/cubs-on-umpiring-walk-off-win-vs-reds/

Cubs.com, Count Bryant among Votto's biggest admirers http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/248884300/kris-bryant-on-reds-first-baseman-joey-votto/

-- ESPNChicago.com John Lackey didn't get the W but was still a winner in Cubs' victory By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- It might get lost after a wild finish in the Chicago Cubs' 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, but the fact remains: The Cubs have won the past seven games John Lackey has started, including the one in which he stole his first career base. You read that right. In his 439th regular-season start in the major leagues -- and at 38 years old -- Lackey stole second base on righty Homer Bailey in the fourth inning. After Lackey reached on a two-out single, first base coach Brandon Hyde asked the hurler if he wanted to swipe a bag. The Reds had been playing behind runners all night. "Heck, no. I'm tired," Lackey recalled telling Hyde. "But then, after the first pitch, no one was watching me, and it looked like it was pretty easy, so I went ahead and went." Except Lackey took off too early, before Bailey even threw to home. Yet he made it safely to second, as the pitcher was late in throwing to the bag. Unfortunately for the Cubs, the good vibes didn't last long. Moments later, on a 3-2 pitch to Ben Zobrist, Lackey got caught wandering off second base and was picked off by catcher Tucker Barnhardt. His first career steal and pick-off came within minutes of each other. "I made two bets," Lackey said. "One worked, one didn't. Was a 3-2 pitch with the MVP on deck. I was betting on a strike or a swing [by Zobrist]. I was trying to score."

Instead, it was ball four, and the inning was over on the pick-off. But no one in the Cubs dugout seemed to mind. They had a comfortable lead at the time, though it would soon evaporate. "He was pretty gassed with all the baserunning," Maddon said. "It was cute until he got picked off at second." If Lackey actually was gassed, he didn't show it. He finished his outing with some of his best stuff. That has been a trend for him since he came to the Cubs: start slow, finish strong. "Probably experience being through some tough ones before," Lackey said. "Definitely didn't have a good feel for first two innings." That's when the Reds put men on base all over the place, but two defensive outs at home helped Lackey, and he took care of the rest -- even helping end Joey Votto's streak of reaching base two or more times at 20 straight games. Votto singled in the first inning but never got on again. "He finished strongly against a really tough part of the batting order for him," Maddon said of Lackey. Lackey's first-half struggles are seemingly behind him, and it's no longer a reach to think that he could start a playoff game if the Cubs get there. He deserved the win Wednesday (the bullpen blew a 6-1 lead), but the team victories are all that matter. On a night when Votto’s streak ended, Maddon got tossed for arguing a call reversal and the Cubs won on a wild pitch, it is still Lackey's performance that is most important: six innings, four hits, three walks and just one run. "He did it all today," catcher Alex Avila said. "He was able to lock in after a couple innings and make good pitches when he had to." Before the game, Maddon said he thought Lackey was pitching the best he has seen him in his two years with the Cubs. In true Lackey fashion, instead of simply agreeing with his manager, he refuted it. "I was pretty good in the first half last year," Lackey said with a smile. "I don't know about that." That's the Lackey we know -- not the one stealing bases. Surly Lackey is the most fun Lackey, and if he's planning to retire after this season, then start No. 439 will be a memorable one. Asked if he is planning to hang them up or return for a 16th season, Lackey didn't bite at the question. "I haven't said anything about retirement," he said. "I'm just playing baseball. Taking it one start at a time. That will be a family decision at the end of the year." If he decides to keep playing, he was able to pad his offensive statistics for free agency and win the day in his ongoing bets with best friend Jon Lester. Lester has homered and stolen a base this season, so Lackey had some catching up to do. Lester starts against the Reds on Thursday. "They are going to have a good debate about that tomorrow after the game," Anthony Rizzo said. "That was cool." What or how much did Lackey make off Lester for getting a hit and stealing a base? "None of your business," Lackey chirped back. -- CSNChicago.com Fuming over ninth-inning call, Joe Maddon is done with playing nice in MLB sandbox: ‘That’s asinine’ By Patrick Mooney

A walk-off win in the middle of a pennant race didn’t dull the edge in Joe Maddon’s voice, the Cubs manager blasting Major League Baseball and expecting to be fined for his rant in the Wrigley Field interview room. “That’s asinine,” Maddon said after Wednesday night’s 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, fuming over the ninth-inning at-bat where Ben Zobrist showed bunt and got drilled by Wandy Peralta’s 96-mph fastball. Home plate umpire Ryan Blakney signaled for Zobrist to jog to first base, only to have first base umpire Chris Conroy call strike two. “Listen, I don’t even know what to say about that call,” said Maddon, who stormed onto the field and got ejected for the second time this season. “We’ve had different things happen, and I’ve been playing really good in the sandbox. Really good. And I’m not right now. That call cannot be made under those circumstances. “I can understand if the guy’s actually swinging, and all of a sudden you get like a check swing. But he’s bunting – and then trying to get out of the way – and you’re going to call a bunt? “There’s no way any hitter under those circumstances – with the ball coming at his thigh – is going to bunt through it and then get hit in the thigh. “That really almost did cost us the game. Fortunately, we came back, they made their wild pitch. But I’ve been playing good in the sandbox. That was wrong.” Zobrist – who called for an electronic strike zone after watching a controversial strike three end Saturday’s loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field – still managed to put the ball in play, move up Javier Baez and Jon Jay and keep the pressure on the last-place Reds. “I tried to pull the bat back, but there was nowhere for me to go,” Zobrist said. “It started right at me, and was going down towards my ankle, and I could not physically pull it back and still pull my ankle up at the same time. I tried to pull my ankle up and (Conroy) thought I was offering at it, apparently.” Imagine the reaction if the Cubs hadn’t regrouped and maintained a 1.5-game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. “I know that instant replay is not perfect,” Maddon said. “But all this little minutia needs to be looked at as we move this along, because that impacted the game. That’s bases loaded, nobody out. It’s a different at-bat for (Albert) Almora. It’s a different thought for their pitcher. Everything’s different. The world rotates differently at that point. “To influence a game like that is wrong. And, listen, the guy’s a good guy. I think he’s a good umpire. But I’m not going to concede consistently to these guys. You can’t make that mistake.” -- CSNChicago.com The evolution of Kris Bryant and why Joey Votto became his favorite player By Patrick Mooney Kris Bryant already has a bromance with Anthony Rizzo, their Bryzzo Souvenir Co. brand and a joint appearance at a downtown Chicago hotel this weekend where Cubs fans can pay $699 for their autographs. Bryant also has a friendly rivalry with Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals superstar who loves trolling on social media and teasing where he might land as a free agent after the 2018 season. Even their wives had fun with it on Instagram earlier this month when the Nationals came to Wrigley Field for a potential playoff preview. But the player Bryant patterns himself after now – the one who lives up to “The Science of Hitting” and the principles his father absorbed from Ted Williams and passed down in the family’s batting cage in Las Vegas – is Joey Votto.

“He’s the best player ever,” Bryant said before Wednesday night’s 7-6 walk-off win over the Cincinnati Reds. “He’s my favorite player. I love watching him. I love talking to him, just picking his brain. “He gets a lot of (heat) about his walks and working at-bats and some people want him to swing at more pitches. But, gosh, I mean, he does an unbelievable job. You know that he’s going to give you a great at-bat every time he goes up there. It’s definitely a guy that I look up to and I can learn from.” Favorite player? Really? “Besides, you know, people on my team,” Bryant said with a laugh. The Cubs contained Votto on a night where their bullpen nearly imploded, holding him to a 1-for-4 that stopped him from tying the major-league record Williams set in 1948 by getting on base at least twice in 21 straight games with the Boston Red Sox. Through Votto, Bryant sees where he can grow after becoming a National League Rookie of the Year and MVP and World Series champion before his 25th birthday. “He’s not just doing it this year – he’s doing it his whole career,” Bryant said. “He’s a future Hall of Famer, that’s for sure.” Bryant – who has reached base safely in his last 13 games and put up a 1.035 OPS in August – is heating up at a time when the Cubs are trying to fend off the Milwaukee Brewers (1.5 games back) and St. Louis Cardinals (2.5 games back) in a tight division race. Where Votto famously dismissed old questions about whether or not he was being too selective, Bryant blocks out any talk about an All-Star snub, his batting average with runners in scoring position (.227) or RBI total (54). Bryant is getting on base more than 40 percent of the time and also leads the team in doubles (25), runs scored (78) and OPS (.936). “Sometimes it’s almost like you can kind of go up there and force the pitcher to throw the pitch that you want, just by taking pitches,” Bryant said. “My first year, I was kind of just up there swinging at everything. I still felt the approach was good and it could work in the big leagues. And it did. But I think there’s ways to have a better approach up there. “(Votto’s) a different guy with that. I feel like he’s aggressive, but he’s not going to swing at a pitch until he wants it. And he mentioned that to me, too, when I got to first (on Monday night). He said: ‘Your approach looks a lot better this year.’” Bryant sincerely thanked Votto, but the reigning MVP isn’t trying to put together a package deal with Harper and turn the Cubs into Major League Baseball’s version of the Golden State Warriors. “I already told him before: ‘We already have a pretty good first baseman. He’s not going anywhere,’” Bryant said. “Joey can switch positions if he wants to play for the Cubs.” -- CSNChicago.com Kyle Schwarber is learning to trust himself again at the plate By Tony Andracki Baseball people talk all the time about how humbling the game is and how important confidence is. After all, 90 percent of the game is half mental, right?

While Carl Edwards Jr. gets his confidence back on the mound, Kyle Schwarber is trying to get back into a groove in the batter's box. Schwarber struck out in eight straight trips to the plate starting Saturday in Arizona and ending Monday night at Wrigley Field. But since then, he's reached base safely in five straight plate appearances and has swung and missed only once in that time. One of those at-bats was a clutch single to lead off the ninth inning Tuesday night off Reds closer Raisel Iglesias. Schwarber took a pair of strikes (one of which was beneath the strike zone) but then fouled off three pitches before singling into right field on the ninth pitch of the matchup. "Really good at-bat," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He was choking up pretty fiercly right there. Much shorter approach to the ball. He looked really good. ... Good for him." The Cubs' ninth-inning rally fell short, but Schwarber scored his team's only run of the game and got to head home with some validation for all the work he's been putting in. "In that spot, you have to shorten up and either force a walk or put the ball in play," Schwarber said. "You don't want to strike out there to lead off the inning when you're down by two. If you get on base, someone can put the ball out of the ballpark. "I'm just trying to simplify things down, especially when it gets to two strikes." One of the main things Schwarber has been focusing in is not expanding the strike zone, which he hasn't done since that eighth strikeout in a row. Sure, it's a small sample size, but a slumping hitter has to start somewhere and the young slugger now has results he can point to. Schwarber has seen 31 pitches over those five trips to the plate, walking once, getting hit by a pitch twice and lining two singles through the shift on the right side of the infield. Don't look now, but his average is nearing .200 (.196) while he's posted a .256/.356/.556 (.911 OPS) slash line in 31 games since being recalled from Triple-A Iowa on July 6. He does have 39 strikeouts in that span, but he also has drawn 12 walks and clubbed 12 extra-base hits, including seven homers. "It's just fine-tuning," he said. "Just trusting yourself, trusting that you're gonna lay off a pitch in the dirt." This is the guy who didn't see a live pitch in more than six months last year and then returned on the biggest stage to mash and work tough at-bats against the likes of Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller. Yet somehow this same dude has lost his confidence and his mojo and has been searching for it almost all year. He's trying not to let the bad times build up, attempting to leave poor results in the past. "You just gotta go at-bat by at-bat," Schwarber said. "You think about that at-bat the next inning, but whenever that inning's over, it's a whole new ballgame, a whole new at-bat." Strikeouts are gonna happen. That's always been a part of Schwarber's game, but it's also a part of today's game. Whiffs are up all across the league. Aaron Judge has struck out the second-most times in baseball and has whiffed in 32 straight games, but he's also leading the AL in homers, walks, runs, slugging percentage, OPS and is a legitimate MVP candidate. Guys like Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo — who choke up with two strikes consistently and actually walk more than they whiff — are a dying breed.

Strikeouts are viewed differently nowadays. The Tampa Bay Rays have told their players to specifically not shorten up with two strikes this season, looking to take big hacks in every count. Schwarber can't strike out in eight straight appearances each week, of course, but he can still be a very effective hitter in this Cubs lineup even if he doesn't morph into the next coming of Tony Gwynn. "Javy [Baez] struck out five times in one game and he's done pretty well since then," Maddon said. "We have a lot of faith in Schwarbs." -- CSNChicago.com Why Cubs gave World Series rings to fired managers Dale Sveum and Rick Renteria By Patrick Mooney Dale Sveum and Rick Renteria scrapped for their careers as big-league players, paid their dues as coaches and dreamed about managing the Cubs team that finally ended a century-and-counting championship drought. In terms of style and personality, they also couldn’t have been more different, which was kind of the point when the Cubs fired Sveum after 197 combined losses during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Where Sveum had a constant 5 o’clock shadow and could be gruff with the media and brutally honest about his players, Renteria put a happy face on the teardown and could begin to actually see what the Cubs were building – at least until Joe Maddon opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays after the 2014 season. So much has changed around this gentrified neighborhood since then. Even the bar where team president Theo Epstein fired Sveum over drinks shut down and will reportedly be replaced with something called a Capital One Café. But in thoughtful gestures that recognized how the Cubs got here, both Sveum and Renteria now have 2016 World Series rings. “We felt like they both came in and busted their butt to help our young players get better,” general manager Jed Hoyer said Wednesday at Wrigley Field. “They were both put in a position where we were rebuilding. Obviously, we were honest with both guys about the rebuilding process. But both guys were ultimate team members. “Their willingness to go along – to execute the plan that we had set out for them, to play oftentimes with either inexperienced players or shorthanded – was remarkable. “We think both Dale and Ricky had a big impact on our young players and really helped us win a World Series. It was the right thing to do to give them a ring.” In contrast to the media blitz surrounding the private Steve Bartman ceremony, the Cubs quietly gave a ring to former general manager Jim Hendry, who now works as a special assistant for the New York Yankees. USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale included those nuggets within a revealing story about White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who raved about the job Renteria has done during a rebuilding year on the South Side. Hoyer – who knew Renteria well from their time together with the San Diego Padres – was there for the ring presentation last month in a hallway outside the visiting clubhouse before a crosstown game at Wrigley Field. “I love the fact that the White Sox are high on him and have been happy with his contributions,” Hoyer said. “Not to go back over history, but he was put in a tough spot. We made a decision that at the time we even admitted wasn’t necessarily fair to Ricky. And the least we could do was to give him a ring.” Chairman Tom Ricketts – whose family signed off on the gifts – is widely respected within the organization for the way he took an interest in the draft, knew scouts by name, invested in infrastructure and visited minor-league affiliates.

“There’s a long history with this organization,” Hoyer said. “A lot of people had a part in us winning in 2016. It wasn’t only people that were still here in 2016. A number of people had an impact on our players, whether it was through managing, through scouting, through player development. “We thought the right thing to do was to honor those commitments to our team by giving them rings. And not acting as though you had to be here in 2016 necessarily and be part of the organization to have impact.” Hendry’s group built the pipeline in Latin America that produced catcher Willson Contreras and left enough assets for the Epstein regime to flip and acquire players like Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Kyle Hendricks. Former amateur scouting director Tim Wilken – who now works as a special assistant for the Arizona Diamondbacks – had the vision to draft Javier Baez and Jeff Samardzija. Sveum, who earned a 2015 World Series ring as the Kansas City Royals hitting coach, hired coaches Chris Bosio and Mike Borzello and left his mark with the pitching infrastructure and game-planning system that helped market trade chips like Samardzija, Ryan Dempster, Scott Feldman and Matt Garza. The Cubs already gave a ring to ex-pro scouting director Joe Bohringer, who now works as a Seattle Mariners special assistant, and a number of long-time, behind-the-scenes employees who left before It Happened. “When you take a step back and look at any championship,” Hoyer said, “there are just so many people that have an impact on it.” -- Chicago Tribune John Lackey's eventful night ends in no-decision as Cubs blow lead, rally for 7-6 win over Reds By Mark Gonzales The question of John Lackey's future was raised before the 38-year-old Cubs pitcher took the mound Wednesday night in search of his sixth consecutive victory. Based on the amusing developments surrounding him, it might be wise for Cubs followers merely to enjoy what Lackey can provide in the final weeks of the season. And pray he can pitch deeper than six innings, as he did Wednesday. After Lackey's departure, the bullpen blew a five-run lead. Phillip Ervin and Zack Cozart homered off Hector Rondon in the seventh, and pinch hitter Adam Duvall hit a two-run, game-tying home run off Carl Edwards Jr. in the eighth. Fortunately for the Cubs (63-56), they mustered more offense in the ninth to win 7-6 and maintain their 1 1/2-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central. Javier Baez started the rally with a double and scored on a wild pitch by Blake Wood with two out. Manager Joe Maddon was ejected after arguing that Ben Zobrist was hit by a pitch in the ninth. First-base umpire Chris Conroy ruled that Zobrist attempted a sacrifice bunt as the pitch hit his leg, and Conroy tossed a furious Maddon. "I don't know what to say about that call," said Maddon, who expects to get fined. "I've been playing well in the sandbox. That was wrong." It shouldn't have been that tough for the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo staked them to a three-run lead on a grand slam in the first off Homer Bailey, and Lackey retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced. Lackey worked out of a jam in the first before providing more entertainment at the plate and on the basepaths.

In the fourth he smacked a single under the outstretched glove of second baseman Jose Peraza to tie him with buddy Jon Lester with six hits this season. Then Lackey took advantage of a lapse by pitcher Homer Bailey and broke for second base with two outs. By the time catcher Tucker Barnhart raised his arms to alert Bailey, Lackey slid hard into second and beat Bailey's throw for his first major-league stolen base. Lackey's accomplishment brought plenty of cheering and chuckles from the Cubs dugout. And the Cubs couldn't get too upset, after Zobrist drew a walk, when Lackey broke too far off second and got picked off, an official replay overturning Ron Kulpa's safe call into an inning-ending out. Five weeks ago, speculation surfaced about the possibility Lackey, who made his 440th start, would be relegated to the bullpen with the arrival of Jose Quintana from the White Sox and the return of Kyle Hendricks from the disabled list. "The bullpen thing amused me because I know that would never happen," manager Joe Maddon said before the game. "That couldn't happen either way. We would not want to do it, and he would not want to do it. It was mutually agreed upon. Not a good idea." Lackey has a 3.06 ERA since the All-Star break. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in his last seven starts and nine of his last 10, offsetting a first half in which he was 5-9 with a 5.20 ERA. At least twice in spring training, Lackey said he wouldn't decide on whether to continue pitching until the end of the 2017 season. "I would think if he were to finish strong, he might consider coming back," Maddon said. "Now coming back here, I don't know. Where else would you be? If it's mutual, why wouldn't you want to be here? If he finishes strongly, I would understand him considering to come back." -- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon anticipates fine after ejection: 'That call cannot be made under those circumstances' By Mark Gonzales Cubs manager Joe Maddon expects to be fined after his ejection, subsequent actions and comments Wednesday night in the ninth inning of a 7-6 win over the Reds. "I don’t know what to say about that call," said Maddon, who was irate that a pitch from Wandy Peralta that struck Ben Zobrist on the left calf was ruled a strike by first base umpire Chris Conroy during a sacrifice situation. "We've had different things happen, and I’ve been playing very good in the sandbox. And I’m not right now. That call cannot be made under those circumstances. I can understand if the guy is actually swinging. All of a sudden a checked swing? But he’s bunting and then trying to get out of the way. You’re going to call it a bunt? "There’s no way any hitter under those circumstances, with the ball coming at this thigh, is going to bunt through it, and then get hit in the thigh. "That’s asinine." Maddon had a heated argument with Conroy and other members of the umpire crew after getting ejected. Zobrist finished the at-bat by grounding out. Albert Almora Jr. struck out against Blake Wood, but Wood threw a wild pitch with Kris Bryant at the plate to score Javier Baez with the winning run.

"That almost cost us the game," Maddon said. "Fortunately, we can back. They made their wild pitch, but I’ve been playing good in the sandbox. That was wrong. There’s got to be something on it." This was the second time in five games Zobrist had been involved in a controversial call, having been called out on a low strike to end Saturday's 6-2 loss and stoking the fires for electronic ball and strike calls. "I know instant replay isn’t perfect, but all this minutiae needs to be looked at as we move this thing along because that impacted the game," said Maddon, adding that the call impacted the complexion of the inning. "To influence a game like that is wrong," Maddon said. "Listen, (Conroy) is a good guy. He’s a good umpire. But I’m not going to concede consistently to these guys. You can’t make that mistake like that." Zobrist was baffled by the call. "I guess (home plate umpire Ryan Blakney) wanted me to pull the bat back, but there was nowhere for me to go," Zobrist said. "It started right at me and was going down toward my ankle. I could not physically pull it back and still pull my ankle up at the same time. So I chose to pull my ankle up ,and he thought I was offering at it, apparently. "(Conroy) said I was offering at it. (Blakney) saw it hit me, but (Conroy) is the guy that can make that call. "I think we won the game is the bottom line. In hindsight I’m glad that we were able to get it done, but I would have probably continued to be livid if we hadn’t. It would have been really hard to go back out on the field and not still be upset about that." Pitcher John Lackey felt the call necessitated Maddon's fury. "That's one of those you need to get thrown out on, for sure," Lackey said. "There are some times a manager needs to go." -- Chicago Tribune After cruising in 2016, Cubs can benefit from tight division race down stretch By Paul Sullivan “American Legion Week" hit a snag Wednesday when Cubs manager Joe Maddon admitted he wasn't monitoring the clubhouse doors to ensure his players didn't arrive before 4 p.m. for their 7:05 start against the Reds. The penalty for any such violation is a bottle of wine valued at $100 or more. "I've been really lax in attempting to enforce (the rules)," Maddon said. "It's like the honor system. I just want to see somebody walk in and plop down a bottle and say, 'I got here at 3:15.' It hasn't happened yet. I think they've been pretty good from what I'm hearing." But Maddon's sources have been steering him astray. Given a chance to go to work early, some players did just that. "I think some of us have been sneaking in a little early," Kris Bryant said. "Don't tell a certain manager." No problem. Maddon only reads the New York papers, as he often tells us, so Bryant's secret is safe. Despite the rules violations, the Cubs look rested and relaxed Wednesday before blowing a five-run lead in a 7-6 win over the Reds.

Anthony Rizzo's first-inning grand slam got things rolling, and 38-year-old John Lackey shocked the crowd by stealing second base in the fourth, the first swipe of his career. Lackey was promptly picked off second before the Earth spun off its axis, and the world seemed right until a late barrage of Reds home runs. Maddon institutes American Legion week every August as a way of getting his players to enjoy life outside of work, which theoretically helps them perform better on the field. Whether it really works is anyone's guess, but in a game that treats daily routines like they're written in stone, it's refreshing to see the Cubs ditch the script once in a while. This is a good time for the Cubs to take a deep breath and think about where they are, how they got here and what they need to do to outlast the Cardinals, Brewers and Pirates. Sometimes being in a tight race can be beneficial, as long as you wind up winning it. "Obviously we wish we had it different and fans wish it was different and we wish we were running away with it," Bryant said. "But to have four teams all in the hunt is going to make the last month and a half here a lot of fun, and probably a lot of fun for you guys to cover too." Ben Zobrist said it was "nice to kind of cruise" in 2016, but he was concerned about the effects of playing more than a month of games with no urgency to win. "I worried more last year than I would this, if we make the playoffs, because last year if you kind of shut it off and then try to turn it back on, that can be difficult," Zobrist said. "I felt like we did a good job last year of turning it back on the last week, trying to get back into the playoff mode. "This year we know all the way through we're going to have to be mentally there. You're on 'go' 100 percent the rest of the season until you lock something up. I still hope we can run away with it a little bit and still have some games at the end of the season where you can give certain guys breathers before you get to the playoffs, set up everything the way you want to set it up. "No. 1, more than anything, is just winning the division. ... Record-wise, we're not going to catch certain teams as far as home-field advantage." As Rizzo pointed out, there are no "style points" for winning by 15 games, though he also claimed the Cubs "were getting doubted every step of the way" in 2016. That's a stretch, considering the race was over at this point of the season and they were well on their way to 103 wins. What have the Cubs done lately to deserve the benefit of the doubt? "We came back from a 3-1 deficit," Rizzo said, referring to their seven-game World Series win over the Indians. This finish has all the earmarks of being another wild ride. Better stock the fridge now. -- Chicago Tribune Be careful counting out Kyle Schwarber as man to make a difference for Cubs By David Haugh Standing about 100 feet off the ground in a basket at the end of a ladder attached to Chicago Fire Department Truck No. 21, Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber smiled Wednesday as he dared to look down.

You might call it a season high for the struggling slugger. "I wasn't afraid of heights," Schwarber insisted. "They taught me something new up there." Chicago continues to learn just how regular a guy Schwarber is. Good luck finding a professional athlete in town easier to pull for than the World Series hero whose first full season with the Cubs has been anything but a victory lap. Not that any of the firefighters Schwarber met at Fire Station 112 would have known he wasn't hitting his weight, given his enthusiasm in an environment in which he felt comfortable. The man who later batted second and played left field against the Reds started his day in a good mood a few blocks away, getting to know people whose sacrifice has nothing to do with bunting. "A lot of fun," Schwarber said. "Just a way to say thank you to the guys who come out here and grind it every day." Guys like Schwarber. He showed up with his scruffy beard in dark jeans, a Cubbie blue "Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes" T-shirt, a black hat and cowboy boots, looking like he could have wandered over from the construction site further north on Damen. He arrived at the firehouse in a white pickup truck with his longtime girlfriend, Paige, and his dog, Blu — a Dalmatian that fit into the scenery like a hydrant. "I grew up in a police family and got the fire dog," Schwarber kidded. The son of a 32-year police veteran in Middletown, Ohio, Schwarber comes from a family conditioned to help people. His mom, Donna, was a nurse. His sister, Lindsey, joined the National Guard before following their father, Greg, into the police department. His uncle also was a police officer, and two cousins served their country in the military. That background made it fitting for Schwarber to focus his foundation, which has a fundraiser Sept. 10, on the work of first responders. Schwarber toured the District 19 Police Department in Lakeview and the Jesse Brown Medical Center earlier this summer before Wednesday's visit to Fire Station 112, where he delivered a 65-inch television and PlayStation. He also stayed for lunch — bratwursts grilled during his tour — and handled a fire hose like a Louisville Slugger during a practice drill spraying water against a wall. Mostly, Schwarber said he listened with as much awe as the firefighters showing him around couldn't hide. "I was talking to some of these guys, and the thing that appeals to me is it's such a team," Schwarber said. "Police, fire and military, you can't do the job without the guy to your left or right. Or woman. It's the same thing in baseball. You can't do your job without the guy in front of you or behind you or next to you." As a boy, Schwarber always counted on winding up in one kind of uniform: military or baseball. All those days after school hanging out with his dad at the police station left an impression. All those family talks about service stuck. Schwarber's instinct to assist those in need became as natural as the one he uses to connect with fastballs. "I grew up in that lifestyle," Schwarber said. "I had an obsession with the military in high school. I knew it was either go to college and play baseball or go to the military. Obviously, the baseball thing worked out." Obviously, things haven't worked out as well this year for Schwarber. Hitting .247 with a .900 OPS since being recalled July 6 from Iowa has restored hope, but eight straight strikeouts recently raised familiar questions. For someone doing all the right things to assimilate into the Cubs culture, how does he really fit in? Should Schwarber be anything more than a platoon player in September? Would you start him in the playoffs against tough left-handers such as Gio Gonzalez or Clayton Kershaw? Is Schwarber still part of the Cubs' future core or destined to be an American League DH?

"I'm a confident person and still believe in myself," Schwarber said later at his locker. "Even in the first half, I believed. It's just a matter of slowing things down." Schwarber took the field Wednesday batting .193 with 19 home runs and 39 RBIs. It has gotten to the point that any morsel of progress becomes magnified, like Tuesday's nine-pitch, ninth-inning at-bat in which he coaxed a single off Reds reliever Raisel Iglesias. "He was choking up pretty fiercely right there and a much shorter approach to the ball," manager Joe Maddon said. "I loved his at-bat. I'll take that at-bat over the homers. ... A really, really interesting, good at-bat.'' As the Schwarber conundrum continues to hold our interest, it remains too early to draw any conclusion but this: Be careful counting out a player that competitive. Consider Schwarber missed all but three games of the 2016 regular season with a knee injury but returned to contribute to a World Series title. Once on the scene, history says Schwarber knows how to make a difference. -- Chicago Tribune Rick Renteria on receiving Cubs World Series ring: 'A classy gesture' By Colleen Kane Amid the hoopla of the City Series last month at Wrigley Field, Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer found time to meet with White Sox manager Rick Renteria. It was there that Hoyer presented Renteria with a 2016 Cubs World Series ring, an acknowledgement of his work with a young Cubs team during his lone season as manager on the North Side in 2014. Now nearly three years removed from being replaced by Joe Maddon, Renteria sat in his Sox uniform before Wednesday's game at Dodger Stadium and called the presentation "a classy gesture." "It was a tremendously kind gesture to share that with me," Renteria said. "I'm very appreciative of it." Renteria had called his return "bittersweet" when he managed at Wrigley for the first time since he was fired, and his players said he was emotional about the Sox winning the first game of the series. But Renteria, nearing the end of his first season as Sox manager and second season with the club, didn't speak of the World Series ring as a bittersweet symbol. "It was more of a sincere expression of mutual gratitude for what both of us did for each other," Renteria said Wednesday. "Mine was the opportunity to be there and deal with some of those young men, and obviously there were a lot of people that came before me there and did what they did. It's more of a mutual appreciation of each other." The Cubs also gave rings to former general manager Jim Hendry and former manager Dale Sveum. Hot streak: In a rocky season, Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has found a groove. Anderson entered Wednesday's series finale against the Dodgers with hits in 11 of his previous 12 games. He was 16-for-52 with four doubles, five home runs, 11 RBIs and nine runs scored in that span. "It's really just relaxing and having fun," Anderson said of his streak. "I go back to last year when I came up and played and had fun with it. I try not to do too much." He led off Tuesday's 6-1 loss with a home run, his fourth career leadoff homer. But Renteria bumped him to the eighth spot against right-hander Yu Darvish on Wednesday, a move he said was based on the matchup.

"He's hitting pitches he can handle," Renteria said. "He's been working on trying to home in on more hittable zones. But that just comes with time. He's gaining experience, gaining knowledge." -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Maddon irked by ‘asinine’ call in crazy 9th of Cubs’ walkoff win By Gordon Wittenmyer If this wasn’t a pennant race heating up Wednesday, it was at least enough heat to get Joe Maddon’s blood boiling — hotter than first baseman Anthony Rizzo said he’d ever seen Maddon. The situation took place in the bottom of the ninth after the Cubs had blown a five-run lead against the Reds but had put the first two men on in a tie game. That’s when Ben Zobrist was hit in the left shin by a pitch trying to bunt. But after taking his base, he was sent back by first-base umpire Chris Conroy, who inexplicably ruled that Zobrist had offered at the ball as he tried to twist out of the way. Maddon stormed from the dugout and argued so vehemently and explicitly that it took only a few seconds for him to be ejected. He’s awaiting his fine but afterward called for Major League Baseball to look at how some umpiring decisions are being made in this age of replay challenges. “We’ve had different things happen [with adverse calls recently], and I’ve been playing really good in the sandbox, really good,” Maddon said. “But that call cannot be made under those circumstances. “There’s no way any hitter under those circumstances, with the ball coming at his thigh, is going to bunt through it and then get hit in the thigh. That’s asinine. That almost cost us the game. … All this minutiae need to be looked at as we move this thing along because that impacted the game. That’s bases loaded, nobody out. The world rotates differently at that point.” The Cubs won this time. Zobrist eventually tapped to the pitcher, moving the runners to second and third, and after a strikeout, a wild pitch sent the winning run home in a 7-6 victory. On Saturday in Arizona, Zobrist was at the center of a game-ending third strike that was bad enough the umpire told Maddon the next morning he missed the call. Had Zobrist reached, the Cubs would have brought the potential tying run to the plate. “It’s unfortunate,” Zobrist said. “What are you going to do? … I certainly wasn’t trying to bunt.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Could John Lackey return for another year with the Cubs at age 39? By Gordon Wittenmyer Don’t look now, but there might be a new Cubs’ ace in town. And the way John Lackey is pitching at 38, could he stick around in town longer than the end of this season? Lackey, 15 years and 2,800 innings of toothy grimaces into his major-league life, appears to have rediscovered pitching youth for the defending champs. The Cubs have not lost one of his starts since June as the right-hander pitched another successful six innings Wednesday night against the Reds at Wrigley Field – lowering his ERA in six starts since the All-Star break to 3.06.

He didn’t get the win after the bullpen blew a 6-1 lead, but the Cubs won 7-6 in the ninth on a game-ending wild pitch. Strange finish to the night? Consider his stranger-than-fiction moment in the fourth inning when – after a single through the infield – he stole second base when pitcher Homer Bailey ignored him. Seriously. He finished off his first career steal with a hard, feet-first slide and – naturally? – was picked off second one batter later to end the inning. After Lackey’s single, first-base coach Brandon Hyde saw the opening and asked Lackey if he wanted to steal. “I was like, `Heck no, I’m tired.’ Then after the first pitch, it looked like it was pretty easy so I just went ahead and went,” Lackey said. “It was cute until he got picked off second,” manager Joe Maddon said. Lackey could laugh by then (and teammates certainly did), with Anthony Rizzo’s first-inning grand slam helping provide a 5-1 lead by that point in the game — and Lackey settling down after rediscovering his breaking ball two innings into the game. Lackey loaded the bases with none out in the first, did it again with two out in second and staggered into the third with 45 pitches spent. But he quickly regrouped to retire 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, including the final 10. Suddenly, the grizzled veteran, who has talked openly since spring training about the possibility he might ride off into retirement after the season, might be a candidate to extend his career into a top-heavy free agent market this winter. “Knowing him, how competitive he is, if he finishes strong I could see him considering coming back,” said manager Joe Maddon, who has known Lackey since Maddon was an Angels bench coach as Lackey broke into the majors. Lackey’s in the final season of a two-year, $32 million deal. “Right now, stuff-wise, he’s as good as he’s been the last couple years,” Maddon said. “His fastball, the break on his slider – everything about him right now I like. It’s absolutely trending in a northerly direction.” Lackey figures to have eight starts left to continue to push down a 4.67 ERA and help push the Cubs into a possible third consecutive playoff berth. Whether he and the Cubs would consider each other a match on an extension is doubtful. But if he finishes the second half the way he started it? “Where else would you want to be?” Maddon said. “If you have a chance to play major league baseball and it’s mutual, why would you not want to be here?” Said Lackey: “I’m just playing baseball, taking it one start at a time. We’ll see what happens. That’ll be a family decision at the end of the year.” Votto’s chase of Williams ends When Reds first baseman Joey Votto singled in his first at-bat off Lackey on Wednesday, the Ted Williams watch was on.

Votto entered the game having reached base at least twice in 20 consecutive games – one short of Williams’ 1948 major-league record. And that’s where the streak would end, Votto driving a ball to the all in right in the third, lining to Lackey in the fifth and grounding to first in the seventh. He was on deck when the Reds’ ninth ended. “He’s not just doing it this year. He’s been doing it his whole career,” Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said. “He’s the best player ever. He’s my favorite player,” added Bryant, who quickly amending that to include teammates. “I love watching him, love talking to him, just picking his brain. He’s a special player, man.” Notes: Reliever Koji Uehara (neck) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is scheduled to throw another Saturday, after which the club might schedule his return from the disabled list. …Tuesday’s loss to the Reds was the Cubs’ first in 11 games over the past three years that were part of Maddon’s designated “American Legion” weeks in August – when he orders players to show up later to the ballpark and skip pregame work. -- Chicago Sun-Times Kris Bryant: Team, individual success in ’16 was ‘blessing and curse’ By Gordon Wittenmyer Anybody see what the Brewers did Wednesday afternoon? “I have no clue,” Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said. “They win?” They beat the Pirates by a run just about the time many of the Cubs were getting to Wrigley Field for their game against the Reds. That shrunk the Cubs’ division lead to one game. “My gosh,” Bryant deadpanned. “So much pressure.” Bryant grins, and those around him laugh. But he and teammates are taking the Brewers, the Cardinals and their own tenuous position in a weak National League Central seriously with roughly a quarter of the season left. This time last year, the Cubs were 32 games over .500 with a 12½-game division lead and answering questions about playoff rotations. With six weeks to play this year, there’s no guarantee they can hold off the Brewers, much less all three rivals within 4½ games of them when the day began. They needed to play .636 baseball the rest of the way to finish with 90 wins. It’s the most adversity Bryant has faced since his big-league career began two weeks into the 2015 season – a career that went meteoric in 2016 with a boat-race division championship, historic World Series title and MVP award. “It’s a blessing and a curse to have such a good season, as a team and so many individual good seasons, that it could ultimately hurt you for a little bit of a time period just because you want to do it again, and you expect it,” Bryant said during the recent 3-3 road trip west. “It’s important to realize that it’s tough to do.” Who knew? “It’s not that easy to have a year like they had last year,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. Bochy knows. That’s who. His Giants won titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and missed the playoffs entirely each subsequent season, with the same basic core players.

“In those odd years, I would get asked all the time what’s going on, what happened,” Bochy said. “The game’s not that easy. Every year depends on players having their normal years and staying away from injuries, and having a nice surprise or two.” And, maybe, having a better idea of what to expect from the hangover effect, the shorter offseason, the inevitable rise of some opponents and the increased target on their backs. “I think it’s just part of the maturity process and learning and evolving as players,” said Bryant, 25. “The thing that I’m taking so far from the season is that everything that’s happened to us is very good for us. It’s important to struggle a little bit, go through these lulls, go through times where everybody’s questioning us. Because it’s going to happen at more than one point in your career.” They got a few years’ worth of questions and criticism during a sub-.500 first half that put the front office on the brink of becoming sellers in July. But even after a strong start out of the All-Star break, the Cubs haven’t hit a high-water mark better than eight games over .500. And after doing that Aug. 1, they lost eight of the next 13. Their schedule favors a strong finish, especially with nothing but last-place teams in their way until Aug. 28. “We’re still right there,” said Bryant, who walked to load the bases just ahead of Anthony Rizzo’s grand slam in the first inning against the Reds. “We feel good about our chances. “But it’s just been a different path this year.” Bryant said a tight division race with four teams in it toward the end could be exciting. But not that exciting. “I know what the Dodgers are doing,” he said of the team that was 49-9 since the first week of June heading into Wednesday’s late game against the White Sox, “It’d be nice to go on a nice Dodger run right now,” he said. “That would be perfect. “But some seasons aren’t perfect. This is definitely not a perfect season for us.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Inspired by his father, Schwarber gives back to neighborhood heroes By Madeline Kenney Kyle Schwarber is giving back to where he came from. As the son of a police chief and nurse, Schwarber has always been inspired by servicemen and women and their devotion to duty. That’s mainly why he launched “Neighborhood Heroes” in May. The campaign’s sole purpose is to recognize first responders and show appreciation for their courage and heroism. Schwarber’s father, Greg, was a police chief in Middletown, Ohio for more than 30 years. The Cubs outfielder remembers his father picking him up from school and taking him to the police station or to a crime scene. Greg had a lot of influence on Kyle growing up and on his baseball career. Kyle said the two would play catch in their backyard and his dad would drive him to a baseball diamond to practice batting.

At one point, Schwarber wanted to follow in his father’s public service footsteps. “I had an obsession with the military in high school. I knew it was going to be … [either I] play baseball in college, or go to the military,” Schwarber said. Schwarber added that he learned accountability from his father, and said his father’s lessons hold true to baseball. “He was the chief, so he was the leader of his department. So he had to be a good leader,” Schwarber said. “For him to be a good leader, he was accountable and for him, I believe that’s a really good quality to have. Being accountable, and being able to hold yourself and others, too.” On Wednesday, Schwarber visited Chicago Fire Department Engine 112, 3801 N. Damen Ave., as part of his “Neighborhood Heroes” campaign. During the visit, Schwarber and his Dalmatian, Blu, toured the fire station and grilled out brats in the garage. He also surprised the station with a 65-inch television and PlayStation. Schwarber said after the trip that he sees similarities between the public service and baseball teams. “The thing that really appeals to me is that it’s such a team feel,” Schwarber said. “It’s all a team effort. You can’t do your job without the guy on your left or right — or woman. It’s the same thing for baseball. You can’t do your job without the guy in front of you or behind you or the guy beside you. It’s always a team effort. That’s why I have such an appreciation for these guys.” This was Schwarber’s fourth activity of his campaign. He’s also hosted first responders at Wrigley Field for a Cubs game, toured District 19 with Lakeview police and brought treats to veterans at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. Schwarber is hosting an inaugural block party Sept. 10 at Revel Fulton Market. The event is basically a backyard barbecue and will have premium grilled meat, lawn games and live music. -- Daily Herald Angry Maddon ejected just before Cubs win on wild pitch By Bruce Miles Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon talked Wednesday night of "playing really good in the sandbox" with umpires this year. That changed during a wild 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. The Cubs kicked a little sand, got a little sand kicked back in their faces. And when it all settled, Maddon found himself kicked out of the game and on his way back to his office when the Cubs scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. The Cubs frittered away a 6-1 lead and a good pitching performance by starter John Lackey, as the Reds scored 3 off reliever Hector Rondon in the seventh and got a 2-run homer off Carl Edwards Jr. in the eighth to tie the game. What got Maddon fired up and tossed out was a call with runners on first and second and no one out in the bottom of the ninth. Ben Zobrist squared away to bunt and was hit by a pitch. But first-base umpire Chris Conroy ruled Zobrist offered at the pitch and sent him back to the plate. That infuriated Maddon, who was tossed by Conroy after making a show of things. Zobrist moved the runners ahead with a groundout, and the Cubs won when Blake Wood uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Javier Baez to score from third.

"Listen, I don't even know what to say about that call," Maddon said. "We've had different things happen, and I've been playing really good in the sandbox, really good. And I'm not right now. "That call cannot be made under those circumstances. I could understand if the guy's actually swinging, and all of a sudden, you get a checked swing. But he (Zobrist) is bunting and trying to get out of the way. And you're going to call it a bunt? "There's no way any hitter under those circumstances, with the ball coming at his thigh, is going to bunt through it and then get hit in the thigh. That's asinine." Lackey worked 6 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 run. Since the all-star break, he is 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA in 6 starts. It was an eventful night for him. He gave up a run in the first and then watched as teammate Anthony Rizzo hit a grand slam in the bottom of the inning. Lackey singled with two outs in the fourth and stole second base as Reds pitcher Homer Bailey still had the ball in his hand. "When I got the hit, Hyder (first-base coach Brandon Hyde) was like, 'You want to steal a base?' " Lackey said. "I was like, 'Heck, no, I'm tired.' But then after the first pitch, nobody was really watching me. It looked like it was pretty easy, so I went ahead and went." Alas, Lackey was caught straying off second after Ben Zobrist walked, and he was tagged out with Kyle Schwarber up. "I made two bets," he said. "One worked. One didn't. Three-two pitch with the MVP (Kris Bryant) on deck, I was betting on a strike and a swing. I was trying to score." In the end, it somehow all worked out for the Cubs. -- Daily Herald Votto has big fans among Chicago Cubs By Bruce Miles Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has some fans on the Chicago Cubs as he goes chasing records. "He's the best player ever," said Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant while smiling. "He's my favorite player. I love watching him. I love talking to him, picking his brain. He's a special player. He gets a lot about his walks and working his at-bats, and some people want him to swing a more pitches. "But, gosh, he does an unbelievable job of … you know he's going to give you a great at-bat every time he goes up there. Definitely a guy that I look up to. Favorite player right now in the big leagues, besides, you know, people on my team." Votto singled his first time up in Wednesday night's game at Wrigley Field. He entered the night having reached base at least twice in 20 consecutive games, a franchises record and one game shy of Ted Williams' major-league record, set in 1948. Votto is an on-base machine. He entered the game with a batting line of .316/.448/.600 with 31 homers and 83 RBI. "You've got to give him credit," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I've gotten to know him a little at the All-Star Game. He's quite interesting. I like the guy a lot. He's a really good baseball player.

"Honestly, he's such a great student. The thing I love about him is he doesn't throw away a pitch. I'm not even talking about throwing away an at-bat … Every pitch he's invested in. He makes adjustments, and he uses the whole field, kind of like a Riz (the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo). Riz is very similar. "But he's playing on a different level right how. I guess he's going after Ted Williams' record right now. That's pretty lofty company. He's unique in today's game. That's what should be taught more of in the minor leagues. "Teach two-strike approach. Teach the ability to use the entire field. Don't get so caught up in power numbers. He's got power. He's got plenty of power." That's the spirit: American Legion week rolls on for the Cubs, with players required to show up no earlier than 4 p.m. for night games. The penalty for early arrival is a $100 bottle of wine. Joe Maddon said he has heard no violators. "I've been really lax in attempting to enforce them," he said. "It's like the honor system. I just want to see somebody walk in and plop down a bottle and say they got here at 3:15 or something like that. "It hasn't happened yet. I think they've been pretty good, from what I'm hearing. Any of the earlybirds are just going right to the weight room or whatever, which is not so bad. This is such a good place. I come in the back door. I'm not even looking." Kris Bryant said the week takes some getting used to. "It's different," he said. "I think some of us have been sneaking in a little bit early. Don't tell a certain manager. But I think it's good this time of the year when things are just hectic." A positive step: Reliever Koji Uehara threw a bullpen session Wednesday, and he'll throw another Saturday. Uehara has been on the 10-day disabled list since Aug. 9 with a neck strain. -- Cubs.com Lester, Feldman set for series finale at Wrigley By Mark Sheldon Cubs left-handed starting pitcher Jon Lester has been predictably tough vs. lefty hitters this season, but he could have a showdown on his hands with Reds first baseman Joey Votto when the four-game series concludes Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. During Wednesday's 7-6 Cubs win, Votto's streak of reaching safely at least twice each game ended at 20 games -- one shy of Ted Williams' modern Major League record set in 1948. Lester, who is 8-7 with a 3.99 ERA in 25 starts, has lefties batting .184 against him compared to .264 for right-handed hitters. Votto doesn't have exceptional numbers vs. Lester -- .276/.300/.448 with no homers, three doubles and three RBIs in 30 plate appearances.

The Reds will have veteran right-hander Scott Feldman starting the finale. Feldman returned from a disabled list stint for right knee inflammation on Saturday vs. the Brewers. He pitched four innings, with three runs, seven hits, one walk and six strikeouts. Things to know about this game • Of the 12 batted balls Feldman surrendered during his last start, Milwaukee averaged an 87.7-mph exit velocity, the third-highest rate Feldman has surrendered in his 20 starts this year, yet he still paces the season leaderboard in the category, with an overall 83.9-mph exit velocity against. • Lester allowed four runs (three earned) over six innings in a 6-2 loss to the D-backs on Saturday. He had a shutout going before giving up all four runs in the sixth. • Cubs closer Wade Davis has converted his first 24 save chances of the season, already a club single-season record. The franchise mark for consecutive save chances converted overall is held by Ryan Dempster, who recorded 26 straight saves over the 2005-06 seasons. -- Cubs.com Rizzo's slam, walk-off WP send Cubs past Reds By Carrie Muskat and Mark Sheldon CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo smacked a grand slam in the first inning and Javier Baez scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch with two outs in a wild ninth on Wednesday night to lift the Cubs to a 7-6 victory over the Reds. With the game tied at 6 in the ninth, Baez doubled to lead off against Wandy Peralta. Pinch-hitter Jon Jay walked, and Ben Zobrist then trotted to first after being hit by a pitch. But first-base umpire Chris Conroy said Zobrist had shown bunt, which prompted an argument from Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who was ejected. Zobrist then grounded out, advancing both runners. The Cubs regrouped. Blake Wood took over for Peralta, and the Reds utilized a five-man infield against Albert Almora Jr., who struck out. Wood's first pitch to Kris Bryant was a slider that bounced a foot outside of the plate and skipped away from catcher Tucker Barnhart. Baez scored from third. "Obviously, Kris is a great hitter. In that situation, I'm hoping he'll chase something and try to keep it out of the middle of the plate," Wood said. "I just pulled it a little bit too far, and it looked like it might have hit a little bit weird." It was the Cubs' fourth walk-off win this season, but first since May 4 when they did so against the Phillies. "It's a good win for us -- we haven't walked off in a while," Rizzo said. "Tucker Barnhart was really good behind there. He's a really good blocker. [The ball] didn't get fully by him, but that's a great read by Javy there to score that run." The Reds were limited with relievers. Michael Lorenzen was not available and Raisel Iglesias, after pitching 1 2/3 challenging innings on Tuesday, was only available for a one-inning save situation. It's the second time on this road trip the Reds have lost on a walk-off wild pitch. On Saturday, Tim Adleman's wild pitch in the 10th inning resulted in a 6-5 loss to the Brewers. On Aug. 26, 2016, at Arizona, Wood also gave up a walk-off wild pitch. "It's not fun to be a part of," Wood said. "The guys did a great job today, really battling back against some tough relievers. I thought we played a great game out there. Sometimes, it just really is a game of inches. If that ball skipped a little bit better and Tucker keeps it in front, maybe we're still playing." The Cubs had opened a 4-1 lead in the first behind Rizzo's third career grand slam, his 28th homer of the season, and eventually led, 6-1, after Tommy La Stella's pinch-hit RBI double in the sixth, but the Reds chipped away at the

lead and tied the game at 6 on pinch-hitter Adam Duvall's two-run homer with one out in the eighth off Carl Edwards Jr. Zack Cozart's homer in the seventh had narrowed the gap to two runs. Cincinnati's Joey Votto missed in his bid to join Ted Williams as the only Major League players to reach base at least twice in 21 consecutive games. Votto singled in the first, but he flied out to right in the third, and lined out to John Lackey, who made a snowcone catch to end the fifth. Reliever Brian Duensing got Votto to ground out to Rizzo in the seventh in his final at-bat. "If you hold him to a single, you call it a win," Lackey said of Votto. Lackey was in line for the win and a chance to improve to 6-0 since the All-Star break but ended up with a no-decision. With the win, the Cubs maintained a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League Central over the Brewers, who beat the Pirates earlier on Wednesday. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Glove work: The Cubs made two plays at the plate that stymied the Reds. In the first, Billy Hamilton doubled to lead off the game and the Reds eventually loaded the bases. Hamilton scored on Eugenio Suarez's sacrifice fly, and Cozart tried to score when Scooter Gennett flied out to left. But Kyle Schwarber threw a perfect strike home for the double play and ended the inning. The Reds had runners at second and third with one out in the second and Jesse Winker tried to score on Homer Bailey's grounder to Rizzo, but Rizzo also threw home for the out. Welcome to the show: With two outs in the Reds' seventh, Phillip Ervin launched the first pitch he saw from Hector Rondon 380-feet into the left-field bleachers. It was Ervin's first Major League hit. Ervin is the first Reds player to homer for his first MLB hit since Juan Francisco did so on Sept. 18, 2009. Cozart added a two-run homer in the seventh, also off Rondon. For Cozart, it was No. 17, a career high. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS This is the first time the Cubs have had multiple first-inning grand slams in the same season since 1999, when Gary Gaetti did so both times. This year, Baez hit a first-inning slam on May 18 against the Reds. The Cubs have hit 52 homers since the All-Star break, tops in the NL. In the doomed second-inning Reds rally, Barnhart had runners on second and third base with no outs when he swung at a Lackey 3-0 pitch and popped out to second baseman Zobrist. In his 29 previous career plate appearances with a 3-0 count, Barnhart was 1-for-1 with 28 walks. QUOTABLE "I just didn't execute those pitches as well as I could have. Tonight, just like they have all season, our offense did an outstanding job in coming back and they really showed their heart right there. Tonight, starting pitching lost us the game. It's 100 percent on me." -- Bailey, who walked five and struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings, and surrendered the Rizzo grand slam. "I don't even know what to say about that call. We've had different things happen and I've been playing really good in the sand box and I'm not right now. That call cannot be made under those circumstances." -- Maddon, on the ninth-inning play that preceded his ejection. LACKEY'S ADVENTURE ON BASES With two outs in the Cubs' fourth, Lackey singled to center and then stole second for his first career steal. Zobrist walked and Lackey wandered off second, drawing a throw from catcher Barnhart. Lackey was ruled safe, but the Reds challenged the call, and after a review, it was overturned and Lackey was out to end the inning. Lackey joined teammate Jon Lester as one of four NL pitchers to swipe a base this season.

"When I got to hit, [first-base coach Brandon Hyde] was like, 'Do you want to steal a base?'" Lackey said. "I was like, 'Heck, no, I'm tired.' After the first pitch, nobody was really watching me, and it looked like it was pretty easy, so I just went ahead and went." Did he have a green light to go? "Of course, he does," Maddon said. "How would you ever red light John Lackey?" "I made two bets -- one worked, one didn't," Lackey said about being picked off. WHAT'S NEXT Reds: For the series finale at 2:20 p.m. ET Thursday, Scott Feldman will make the start for Cincinnati. Feldman has started twice vs. the Cubs this season and is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA. On June 30, he pitched seven innings with two hits in the Reds' 5-0 victory at Great American Ball Park. Cubs: Lester will close this series on Thursday. He's 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA since the All-Star break. The lefty gave up four runs over six innings in his last outing against the D-backs. He's 4-1 in 11 career starts against the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT at Wrigley Field. -- Cubs.com Wild ninth ends Cubs' way in walk-off win By Carrie Muskat HICAGO -- Joe Maddon got tired of what he called "playing good in the sandbox," and was ejected in the ninth inning on Wednesday night just before the Cubs tallied the game-winning run on a walk-off wild pitch for a 7-6 win over the Reds at Wrigley Field. "That's one of those you need to get thrown out on," Chicago pitcher John Lackey said of the argument. "There's some times when the manager needs to go." Here's what happened: The Reds had erased the Cubs' 6-1 lead and tied the game on Adam Duvall's two-run homer in the eighth. Javier Baez doubled to lead off the Chicago ninth against Wandy Peralta. Pinch-hitter Jon Jay walked, and Ben Zobrist then trotted to first after being hit by a pitch. At least that's what Zobrist thought. First-base umpire Chris Conroy said Zobrist had shown bunt, which prompted an animated argument from Maddon, who was ejected. "I don't even know what to say about that call," Maddon said. "That call cannot be made under those circumstances." Zobrist regrouped and grounded out, which advanced both runners. Blake Wood took over for Peralta, and struck out Albert Almora Jr. But Wood's first pitch to Kris Bryant was a slider that bounced a foot outside of the plate and skipped away from catcher Tucker Barnhart. Baez scored from third to give the Cubs the win. "It's a good win for us -- we haven't walked off in a while," Anthony Rizzo said. "Tucker Barnhart was really good behind there. He's a really good blocker. [The ball] didn't get fully by him but that's a great read by Javy there to score that run." However, Zobrist was still ticked -- and had a nice bruise on his left leg to show for it. "I guess [Conroy] wanted me to pull the bat back, but there was nowhere for me to go," Zobrist said. "[The ball] started right at me, and was going toward my ankle. I could not physically pull the bat back and pull my ankle up at the same time. I chose to pull my ankle up. [Conroy] thought I was offering it."

Maddon charged out of the dugout to argue. "I can understand if the guy is actually swinging and all of a sudden you get a checked swing," Maddon said. "There's no way any hitter in those circumstances, with the ball coming at his thigh, is going to bunt through it and get hit in the thigh. That's asinine. And that almost cost us the game." As Maddon went into the clubhouse, he complained to anyone and everyone he came across. "That impacted the game," Maddon said. "It's bases loaded, nobody out. Everything's different. The world rotates differently at that point. "To influence a game like that is wrong," Maddon said. "Listen, [Conroy] is a good guy, I think he's a good umpire. I'm not going to concede consistently to these guys. You can't make a mistake like that." Zobrist was puzzled, too. "I don't know how I could've gotten out of the way or pulled the bat back because of where the ball was at," he said. "I certainly wasn't trying to bunt. "We won the game, which is the bottom line," Zobrist said. "In hindsight, I'm glad we were able to get it done. I would've probably continued to be livid if we hadn't [won]. It would've been hard to go back on the field and not be upset at that." -- Cubs.com Count Bryant among Votto's biggest admirers By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- When the Cubs' Kris Bryant was at first base, he had a chance to chat with his favorite player, the Reds' Joey Votto. "[Votto] said, 'Your approach looks a lot better this year,'" Bryant said Wednesday. "I said, 'Thank you. I feel a lot better.' "He's the best player ever," Bryant said of Votto. "He's my favorite player. I love watching him, I love talking to him. He's a special player. I think he gets a lot of [grief] about his walks and working his at-bats and some people want him to swing more, but he does an unbelievable job and you know he's going to give you a great at-bat every time he's up there. He's definitely a guy I look up to and can learn from." Just so none of his teammates are jealous, Bryant was quick to point out that Votto is his favorite who is not in a Cubs uniform. Votto entered Wednesday needing to reach base twice to tie Ted Williams for the longest streak (20 consecutive games) of reaching base at least twice. "It's not that he's doing it this series, but he's doing it his whole career, which is impressive," Bryant said of Votto. "He's a future Hall of Famer, for sure." • Bryant entered Wednesday's game with 54 RBIs, behind last year's pace, but manager Joe Maddon isn't concerned about his third baseman. "I'm going to say that by the end of the season, that number will look pretty good," Maddon said of Bryant, who drove in 65 runs in the first half in 2016 and finished with a career-high 102. "I like where he's at." Bryant was batting .389 in August, and is trending in the right direction. The difference? He made a mental adjustment.

"I just wanted to hit stuff up the middle and line drives up the middle," Bryant said. "I just went up there and thought that and was able to do it. I took that and ran with it." • Maddon hasn't caught anyone coming in too early during American Legion week. The stretch is designed to give the players a breather, and they aren't supposed to report until 4 p.m. CT for a 7:05 p.m. CT game. "It's different," Bryant said. "I think some of us have been sneaking in a little early -- don't tell a certain manager. I think it's good this time of the year when things are hectic and might speed you up a little bit. A division race and playoffs and all this stuff outside, it's good to stay at home a little longer." Bryant has been sleeping later or watching more movies. Maddon admitted he hasn't been strict about the time. "It's like the honor system," Maddon said. "I do want to see somebody walk in and plop down a bottle and say they got here at 3:15." The penalty for showing up early is a $100 bottle of wine, and the players must have a receipt. • Koji Uehara, on the disabled list since Aug. 9 with a neck strain, threw his first bullpen session on Wednesday and will do so again on Saturday. There is no timetable for his return. • Bryant and his wife Jessica visited patients at Advocate Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill., on Wednesday. Bryant asked the kids to sign a pair of white cleats and he will wear them this week. • Kyle Schwarber stopped by Chicago Fire Department Engine 112 on Wednesday to meet with the firefighters as part of his Neighborhood Heroes program. Besides having lunch with the crew, Schwarber delivered a new 65-inch television and video game equipment for the firehouse. Inspired by the sacrifices of everyday heroes, like his dad -- a decorated police chief -- and a family filled with first responders, Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes campaign honors and assists first responders. On Sept. 10, he will host his inaugural fundraiser, Schwarber's Block Party, to help raise funds for first responders. --