April 20, 2017

Chicago Tribune, Addison Russell's heroics help Cubs salvage finale of trying homestand http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-brewers-spt-0420-20170419-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs headed toward another decision on Tommy La Stella and Matt Szczur http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-tommy-la-stella-matt-szczur-20170419-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Drop in velocity of little concern to Kyle Hendricks and Cubs — for now http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-kyle-hendricks-velocity-down-sullivan-spt-0420-20170419-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs turn to Carl Edwards Jr. as pinch-runner with bench depleted http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-carl-edwards-pinch-runner-cubs-notes-spt-0420-20170419-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs adjust rotation; Jon Lester not lined up to face Red Sox http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-adjust-rotation-20170419-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Identity crisis averted? Cubs optimistic comebacks lead to more http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/identity-crisis-averted-cubs-optimistic-comebacks-lead-to-more/

Chicago Sun-Times, Roster decision looms as Cubs prepare for three-city road trip http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/roster-decision-looms-as-cubs-prepare-for-three-city-road-trip/

Daily Herald, Cubs flip Lester, Arrieta starts in upcoming Reds series http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170419/cubs-flip-lester-arrieta-starts-in-upcoming-reds-series

Daily Herald, Never quit: Cubs walk off in dramatic fashion against Brewers http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170419/never-quit-cubs-walk-off-in-dramatic-fashion-against-brewers

Cubs.com, Cubs rally late with Russell's walk-off homer http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/225292404/russell-homer-completes-cubs-walkoff-over-crew/

Cubs.com, Walk-off win epitomizes Cubs' resiliency http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/225328818/cubs-epitomize-we-never-quit-attitude-in-win/

Cubs.com, Cease unhittable in start with South Bend http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/225344898/cubs-prospect-dylan-cease-unhittable-in-start/

Cubs.com, Hendricks seeking 'balance' amid slow start http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/225332410/kyle-hendricks-seeking-balance-amid-start/

Cubs.com, Lester leads Cubs into Cincy Friday http://atmlb.com/2pjd0pv

ESPNChicago.com, These Cubs are starting to look like the Cubs of 2016 http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43773/these-cubs-are-starting-to-look-like-the-cubs-of-2016

CSNChicago.com, Addison Russell’s Walk-Off Homer Sends The Message For Cubs: ‘We Never Quit’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/addison-russells-walk-homer-sends-message-cubs-we-never-quit

CSNChicago.com, Kris Bryant To Eric Thames: ‘Dude, We Got To Hit Together’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kris-bryant-eric-thames-dude-we-got-hit-together

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Rearranging Rotation Means Jon Lester Won't Face Red Sox And Pitch This Time At Fenway Park http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-rearranging-rotation-means-jon-lester-wont-face-red-sox-and-pitch-time-fenway-park-jake-arrieta-pirates

-- Chicago Tribune Addison Russell's heroics help Cubs salvage finale of trying homestand By Mark Gonzales Before Addison Russell's game-winning home run landed just below the video board beyond left field Wednesday, the Cubs' shortstop sacrificed his power for a 130-foot flare single that was just as instrumental in the 7-4 comeback victory. And the Cubs collectively agreed that clutch moments such as the hits provided Russell provided — no matter how ugly or pretty —gradually will pull them back up to the high standards they have set. "Ugly wins, but you'll take them any day of the week," manager Joe Maddon said after Russell capped a four-run ninth with a two-out, three-run homer off closer Neftali Feliz. "It is the resiliency. It's the fact we don't quit. It's on the (World Series) ring. 'We don't quit'. It's on the ring man, and that's a perfect example." The victory allowed the Cubs some solace as they won the final two games of the homestand to finish it 4-5. The Cubs (8-7) overcame a 3-0 deficit and Kyle Hendricks' short outing to conclude an emotional homestand that started with the raising of their 2016 World Series banner and the unveiling of their dazzling championship rings. But after opening their home season winning two of three from the Dodgers, the Cubs dropped three straight to the Pirates and the series opener to the Brewers. Then the bullpen, which failed to hold leads in all three losses to the Pirates, blanked the Brewers over the final four innings both Tuesday and Wednesday. Russell was the moving offensive force Wednesday when he poked an outside pitch over the head of first baseman Eric Thames for a run to close the Cubs deficit to 4-3 in the eighth. "The essence of the 'B' hack," Maddon said. "We talk about that all the time. Maddon was referring to an approach in which the hitter chokes up on the bat and looks for a fastball to drive to the opposite field. "That's what I want to see us get better at, to move the baseball in situations and not succumb to the strikeout so often," Maddon said. "We did better last year with that. We have to get back to that." Russell's single loomed large after Willson Contreras, Albert Almora Jr. and Javier Baez struck out in succession with the potential tying and winning runs on base to end the eighth.

In the ninth, after Kris Bryant's game-tying single, Russell calmly gathered his thoughts and laid off two outside sliders before cranking his homer well over the left-field wall. "It's huge, especially with a day off coming up," Russell said. Maddon said there's a perception a team isn't playing well simply because its offense isn't producing. But the reality is that every team — whether it was the National League runner-up Dodgers at the start of the homestand or a second-division team like the Brewers — battles the Cubs to the final out. "It was a tough stretch," Hendricks said. "But these teams, they're coming for us. We have the target on our backs." And Russell likes the challenge of being the hunted, especially with the Cubs' 2016 slogan on their rings as a reminder. "It seems like whenever you count us out, we just seem to have a spark," Russell said. "That's all it takes, just one hit, one walk, and we get rolling." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs headed toward another decision on Tommy La Stella and Matt Szczur By Mark Gonzales Less than one month after finalizing their opening day roster, the Chicago Cubs face a familiar decision Friday as left-handed hitting infielder Tommy La Stella is expected to return from the bereavement list. The Cubs must decide whether to activate La Stella, who has had only four pinch-hitting appearances, or option him to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs don't have the latter luxury with outfielder Matt Szczur, who would be placed on waivers if they decide to keep La Stella. Szczur also has been limited to four at-bats. The only scenario that would keep La Stella and Szczur on the 25-man roster is if the Cubs decide to option one of their pitchers, but there doesn't seem to be much flexibility. After Thursday's day off, the Cubs will begin a stretch of 19 games in 20 days and likely would need to keep 13 pitchers. "It is a tough decision, a really tough decision," manager Joe Maddon said. "You’re trying to weigh the potentialities of losing a player that you like to keep (Szczur), or exercising the rules that are in place and optioning a guy out (La Stella) and keeping the other guy. What do you think is necessary right now and why? "It's back to what is your organization concepts and philosophies and how you want to treat this moment? We’ve had a lot of internal discussions about this, very candidly among like (President) Theo Epstein and myself and (general manager) Jed Hoyer." Maddon admitted he has been influenced by the recent discussions. "During the course of that discussion things were said that probably altered my thinking, as of right now," Maddon said. "We’ll see how it all plays out, but we still haven’t concluded yet." That still includes the possibility of reverting back to 12 pitchers, but that seems unlikely.

"You want the extra pitcher?" Maddon said. "Look what’s been going on with our bullpen. You got a guy out of options that you love. There’s another guy with options you think is very useful to your team right now. How do you conclude all this? How do you piece this together?" -- Chicago Tribune Drop in velocity of little concern to Kyle Hendricks and Cubs — for now By Paul Sullivan The Cubs' first homestand as World Series champions featured something old, something new, something borrowed and a whole lot of blue. There was that old familiar feeling of 2016 with comeback victories over the Brewers the last two games, a championship banner hoisted in center field and a "winning ugly" mantra borrowed from the 1983 White Sox. "Really one of those ugly wins," manager Joe Maddon mused after Addison Russell's walk-off homer ended a blustery day at Wrigley. "But you'll take them any day of the week." A lot of the Cubs' early-season play has been ugly, including Wednesday's 7-4 victory, and several players have yet to perform the way we're accustomed to. It's easy to forget that many of them are still young players, including starter Kyle Hendricks. Last year Hendricks, 27, posted a 3.91 ERA in four starts in April, but wound up leading all major-league starters with a 2.13 ERA. His ERA stood at 6.19 Wednesday after he allowed four runs on four hits and four walks over five innings. "That kind of has been my M.O., I've always been a slow starter," he said. "You don't like to be that way and I'm always trying to combat that. But I felt good in spring and it just hasn't transitioned yet. Staying with the process. I know what I have to do. I can feel a little better today. Just getting my velocity back up a little bit and trust it and hopefully it comes." Hendricks' fastball averaged 87.8 last year, but was at 85.7 going into Wednesday's start, the sixth slowest in the majors, or fourth slowest if you toss out knuckleballers R.A. Dickey and Steven Wright, who throw fastballs only sparingly. On Wednesday it was in the 84-85 mph range, and both of the home runs hit off Hendricks came on changeups. "When he gets back to 87-88 (mph) then you're going to see that greater separation between the fastball and the changeup," Maddon said. "There's not a dramatic separation between the two pitches, and that's where the disconnect for him is now." After a brilliant 2016, more is expected from Hendricks, and he knows it. Because he's not a power arm, changing speeds and location are essential for him to succeed. Hendricks was unaware that Major League Baseball Advanced Media last week changed the way it records and reports pitch velocity this year, switching from PITCHf/X to its Statscast system. Instead of using a set point from behind home plate to provide the readings, the new technology measures it directly out of the pitcher's hand. MLBAM senior data architect Tom Tango told the Associated Press the increase in measured velocity with the new technology will be about 0.6 mph. Going into Wednesday's game, the average fastball velocity was 92.3 mph, a 0.4 increase from 91.9 last year. Thus you would expect Hendricks' velocity to be up rather than down since the switch, but he said he was "getting stuck" throwing across his body.

"It's kind of like that essence when you're trying to throw hard or trying to hit, you get jammed up and it's almost too muscled up," he said. "My mechanics were off, so I wasn't getting the free, loose and easy arm swing. I was landing too far across my body. My 'velo' was like 87, 86. It usually takes me a little to get into it, but hopefully by next month I'll be at 88. As long as I have about 88 with the sinker I'm OK." A loss of 1 mph doesn't sound like much, but for the pitcher it's noticeable. "You can't feel it, but you can tell," he said. "The hitters can let you know. It's that small of a difference, but it's how your stuff plays. It's not that velocity isn't important to me, but I know that at a certain velocity my sinker will move a little more, will have a little more power to it, get on guys a little quicker than normal." With the new radar readings and a looser arm, perhaps Hendricks can get it up to 90 mph? "I'll take it if it is doing that," he said with a laugh. Then again, because he's an anomaly in the era of power pitchers, perhaps Hendricks doesn't want to be just another pitcher throwing in the 90s like most of his peers. "Yeah, just go the other way," he quipped. "Keep going down. It's part of my image." Well, image is everything. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs turn to Carl Edwards Jr. as pinch-runner with bench depleted By Mark Gonzales The Cubs pulled out all the stops Wednesday, including the use of reliever Carl Edwards Jr. as a pinch runner. "CJ scored the winning run," manager Joe Maddon chirped after Edwards ran for Miguel Montero and came home on Addison Russell's three-run game-winning homer in the ninth inning. Maddon had little choice but to turn to Edwards because he had used all his reserve position players. Edwards added that he would have pitched the 10th if he had not scored the winning run. Edwards, who was a pinch-runner for David Ross last year in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss at Miami on June 23, got some tips from third-base coach Gary Jones once he reached second base but was able to trot home from third after Russell hit his homer. Safe at top: Despite incessant questions about where his hits in the batting order, Maddon once again reiterated Kyle Schwarber remains a dual threat in the leadoff spot. "To see him up at the plate more often is fun, but I don't see him being inhibited," Maddon said. "I think it enhances the type of pitches he sees hitting there, as opposed to fourth. (And his hitting fourth) would cause us to change the lineup around so you don't have two lefties (Anthony Rizzo and Schwarber) stacked in a row." Schwarber is hitting .232 and is third on the club with eight RBIs. Pitching probe: Jake Arrieta won't face the Reds on the one-year anniversary of his second no-hitter and Jon Lester won't oppose the Red Sox, his former team, when the Cubs visit Fenway Park on April 28-30. With Thursday an off day, the Cubs have the luxury of adjusting their rotation for the second time this season. Left-handers Brett Anderson and Lester will face the Pirates in a three-game series starting Monday night. Arrieta will pitch Saturday — one year and one day after throwing his no-hitter at Great American Ballpark.

Arrieta, who threw 7 2/3 innings of no-hit ball at Boston on June 30, 2014, currently is scheduled to face the Red Sox on April 28 at Fenway Park. Maddon said the Cubs merely wanted to get the rotation back to its normal form, with Arrieta following Lester. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs adjust rotation; Jon Lester not lined up to face Red Sox By Mark Gonzales The Chicago Cubs adjusted their rotation to its original format. Jon Lester will open the series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, followed by Jake Arrieta and John Lackey. The change assures that two left-handers — Brett Anderson and Lester — will face the Pittsburgh Pirates next week. Arrieta will face the Boston Red Sox during a three-game series at Fenway Park starting April 28. Lester currently isn't lined up to face his former team. "If you don’t have the off-days, you cannot do it," manager Joe Maddon said as the Cubs have scheduled days off on Thursday and April 27. "Things can be changed once again. We don’t know that. For now, you just make your best guesses." -- Chicago Sun-Times Identity crisis averted? Cubs optimistic comebacks lead to more By Gordon Wittenmyer The Cubs had a losing record through 13 games? Two days later, they beat the Brewers to win their fourth series in the last five. The power-hitting champs were striking out too much and getting out-homered by lesser teams? But then came Wednesday, when Albert Almora Jr. homered early for the Cubs’ first run and Addison Russell walked it off in the ninth with a two-out, three-run shot to left field to beat the Brewers 7-4. And what about that bullpen that couldn’t hold a lead all weekend? The Cubs’ last eight pitching changes haven’t yielded a run, and the bullpen had enough swagger by Wednesday that it showed off by scoring the winning run. Pinch-running reliever Carl Edwards Jr. even swore afterward he could have stolen second and third bases but settled for advancing on a hit and grounder, then trotted home from third on Russell’s game-ender. So which is it? Who are these Cubs 15 games into their title defense? If you claim to know, you’re lying. “One of the things about coming off of a world championship or coming off of a really good season is that there’s a tendency to think we have the same group together, so the same things are going to happen again,” general manager Jed Hoyer said of a team that improved to 8-7 with comeback wins against the Brewers the last two games — after being 11-4 a year ago on the way to 103 wins and a title. “I think every team has to create their own identity,” Hoyer said, “and every team has to go through that process again. Maybe [the early adversity] is good for us in a way. It forces our guys to realize that just bringing back a lot of the same guys on a really good team doesn’t [make it] just happen overnight.”

Identity? For opponents, the identity is as clear as the diamond-studded shine of World Series rings. “These teams we’re playing, man, they’re coming for us,” said struggling right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who walked four and gave up two home runs in five innings. “We have the target on our backs. They’re playing their best baseball.” Nobody said it was going to be easy the second time around. In fact, many warned since the winter of the challenges that include the shorter offseason, the trappings of sudden celebrity, the so-called hangover and the simple odds stacked against a repeat. “It’s not like we’re playing poorly,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We’re just not hitting up to our capabilities yet. The defense overall has been really good. The starting pitching for the most part has been really good. And I think you’re seeing really good signs out of some of the bullpen guys.” If anything, surviving a 4-5 homestand might have been as significant as any other feat during the early part of the season. The Cubs opened the home-stand with a rain-delayed, first-ever championship banner-raising ceremony that pushed the game well after midnight and ended with Anthony Rizzo’s walk-off single in the ninth. An emotional ring ceremony came before the second game. And smaller events involving the championship were spread throughout the rest of the homestand. The only series the Cubs have lost so far was the weekend sweep by the Pirates that involved blown leads in all three games — while Edwards, the team’s top reliever, was on bereavement leave. “There’s been a lot going on, a lot of outside factors pushing against us,” said Hendricks, who is fighting his own mechanical and velocity issues. “So to be able to focus on the game, get some big wins [was important].” Said Hoyer: “It takes time [to build an identity]. I’m certainly not concerned.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Roster decision looms as Cubs prepare for three-city road trip By Gordon Wittenmyer Three weeks after the Cubs kicked the can down the road on the Tommy La Stella–Matt Szczur conundrum, it looks like the can’s about to kick back, probably by the time the team opens a road trip Friday in Cincinnati. The Cubs face a tough roster decision in the next few days with La Stella, the backup infielder, who will return from the bereavement list. The Cubs expect to keep the extra pitcher they added to the bullpen even when La Stella returns. So barring an injury, that would mean waiving — or trading — Matt Szczur, the versatile outfielder who’s out of minor-league options, or optioning La Stella to the minors. “It is a tough decision. It’s a really difficult decision,” manager Joe Maddon said. “You’re trying to weigh the potentialities of losing a player that you’d like to keep or exercising the rules that are in place and optioning a guy out and keeping the other guy.” The last time the Cubs optioned La Stella was last summer, when he went AWOL for three weeks and had to be coaxed back by the team. That history is not expected to influence any decision made this time around.

In the final days of spring training, the Cubs tabled the La Stella-Szczur decision by having reliever Brian Duensing open on the disabled list because of back spasms that sidelined him earlier in camp. “We’ve had a lot of internal discussions about it,” Maddon said of talks with front-office bosses Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. “We’ll see how it all plays out, but we still haven’t concluded yet.” Rotation gyration The Cubs are using the day off Thursday to return the rotation to its original order. Jon Lester will start the series opener against the Reds on Friday, and Jake Arrieta will move back to Saturday. That also puts Lester into the next series against the Pirates, against whom he has a 2.35 ERA in nine career starts. Arrieta then would open the series after that in Boston. The last time he pitched there (2014), he took a perfect game into the fifth inning and a no-hitter two outs into the eighth. First love Kyle Schwarber got his first day off of the season, sort of. He came off the bench in the seventh to pinch-hit (he struck out and later popped out) and finished the game in left field. Until then, he had a .379 on-base percentage as the leadoff man this season, along with three home runs and a team-leading .463 slugging percentage. And Maddon said he doesn’t anticipate any changes at the top of his every-day lineup. “I love where he’s at,” Maddon said of Schwarber, who was tied for the team lead in RBI until Addison Russell drove in four runs Wednesday. “He’s doing a great job. And if you look at his numbers, they’re pretty spectacular already.” -- Daily Herald Cubs flip Lester, Arrieta starts in upcoming Reds series By Bruce Miles The Chicago Cubs have juggled their pitching rotation for upcoming games, flip-flopping lefty Jon Lester and right-hander Jake Arrieta. After an off-day Thursday, the Cubs open a weekend series at Cincinnati. Lester will open the series Friday night with Arrieta going Saturday. Originally, Arrieta was scheduled for Friday and Lester for Saturday. The switch will enable Lester to pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates next Wednesday and for Arrieta to pitch in Boston the following weekend. The Pirates are a more favorable matchup for a left-handed pitcher. "The off-days have permitted it," said manager Joe Maddon. "That's the whole thing. We've had so many off-days early on. We did it originally, and it played out pretty well when we did the Jake-Jon thing early. The teams we put them up against, we felt better about. "Moving it forward again, another off-day permits it. Then we get back to where we had started from. If you don't have the off-days, you can't do it. And there is still the threat of rain over the next couple of days, even in Cincinnati. So things can be changed once again. We don't know that. Right now, you're trying to make your best guesses." Decision time coming:

Infielder Tommy La Stella will be eligible to come off the bereavement list in time for Friday's series opener against the Reds. The Cubs will have a roster move to make. When reliever Carl Edwards Jr. came off the bereavement list on April 17, La Stella went on. Edwards was replaced on April 14 by reliever Brian Duensing, who was activated off the disabled list. If the Cubs keep eight relief pitchers -- something that seems likely -- they'll likely have to decide whether to keep La Stella or backup outfielder Matt Szczur (who started Wednesday). La Stella has minor-league options remaining. Szczur does not. "It is a tough decision," Joe Maddon said. "It's a really difficult decision. You're trying to weigh the potentiality of losing a player you'd like to keep or exercising the rules that are in place and optioning a guy out and keeping the other guy. What do you think is necessary right now and why? Back to: What is your organizational concepts and philosophies? And how do you want to treat this moment." Maddon added he has discussed the issue with team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer and that a decision on how many relievers to keep has not been made. -- Daily Herald Never quit: Cubs walk off in dramatic fashion against Brewers By Bruce Miles If Chicago Cubs players were wearing their World Series rings to Wednesday night's Bricks and Ivy charity ball, they might have shown fans the inscription. On each player's ring, it reads: "We never quit." That was the rallying cry last year, and it rang out in the clubhouse following Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Apparently, it's still a thing this year. Russell hit a walk-off 3-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning off Neftali Feliz to cap a 4-run rally and lift the Cubs to a 7-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. "Absolutely, we feel very strongly about that," Russell said of the slogan. "It seems that whenever you kind of count us out, we seem to have a spark. That's all it takes, just one hit, one walk and we get rolling." The Cubs were on the brink of falling below .500 again at 7-8, as they trailed 4-1 in this game. But the victory moved them to 8-7 and had them feeling good again after scoring back-to-back come-from-behind victories over the Brewers to take two of three in the series. Over the previous weekend, the Pirates swept the Cubs in three, and it seemed a little queasiness had crept in during an emotional homestand, during which the Cubs raised their championship banner and received those rings. But the equilibrium seems to have returned as they get set to embark on a three-city trip that begins Friday at Cincinnati. "It is the resiliency, it is the fact that we do not quit," said manager Joe Maddon. "It's on the ring. We do not quit. It's on the ring, man. And that's a perfect example today. "I don't think that we've really been feeling badly. It's just that Pittsburgh came from behind twice and beat us. All of a sudden, we returned the favor against Milwaukee. Again, it's the latter part of the game. We did a better job

of taking care of the latter part of the game today. We have to do that more consistently. You're seeing signs, really good signs, with the bullpen guys." The bullpen pitched 4 scoreless innings in relief of starter Kyle Hendricks, who gave up 4 hits and 4 runs in his 5 innings. Even though the optics hadn't been good, Cubs relievers came into the game with an ERA of 3.83, and they lowered that to 3.53 Wednesday to to along with a WHIP of 1.20. As for Hendricks, the reigning ERA champ in baseball is at 6.19 as he sorts out things with his mechanics. He gave a nod of appreciation to his teammates. "Today, especially, that was an unbelievable win today," he said. "Getting behind early like that and for the bullpen to come in and shut it down, really for those last four innings and the offense. Tough in the beginning against (Brewers starting pitcher Tommy) Milone; he threw really well today. Just grinding out at-bats, man, it was fun to watch from in here. "Yeah, that's what we were doing all year last year. So it was really good to see." -- Cubs.com Cubs rally late with Russell's walk-off homer By Carrie Muskat and Adam McCalvy CHICAGO -- For the second straight game, the Cubs rallied for a win. Kris Bryant hit a game-tying RBI single in the ninth and one out later, Addison Russell smacked a walk-off, three-run homer Wednesday to lift the Cubs to a 7-4 victory over the Brewers and take the series. "It's been an emotional week," manager Joe Maddon said of the Cubs' first homestand of the year in which they raised the championship banners and received their rings. "I like where we're at and what we're doing." Trailing 4-3 with one out in the ninth, Jon Jay drew a walk in Brewers closer Neftali Feliz's second inning of work, and reached third on pinch-hitter Miguel Montero's single. Bryant tied the game with an RBI single, and he and pinch-runner Carl Edwards Jr. both moved up on Anthony Rizzo's groundout. Russell then launched a 2-0 pitch into the left-field bleachers. Left fielder Hernan Perez glanced up, then headed to the dugout as the ball sailed into the seats. It was Russell's second career walk-off hit; he also hit a game-winning RBI double on May 26, 2015. According to Statcast™, the homer had an exit velocity of 109 mph. "Today I would say give the Cubs' hitters a lot of credit," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We made enough pitches today. They just did a nice job of staying alive and staying in counts in certain at-bats." Russell hit a bloop RBI single in the eighth as well and now leads the Cubs with 12 RBIs. "I was just trying to put the ball in play, something over the middle of the plate to start me out," Russell said of his at-bat in the ninth. "[Feliz] threw me two sliders away, and I was looking for something a little more in. He threw a fastball." The Cubs have shown their resilience in back-to-back games. On Tuesday, the Cubs rallied from a 5-0 deficit for a 9-7 win to end a four-game losing streak. On Wednesday, they had to wait as the start of the game was delayed 55 minutes because of rain, then finished with their second walk-off win of the year. They opened this homestand on April 10 with the first, beating the Dodgers on Rizzo's RBI single. The rain delay on Wednesday must have given the Brewers more time to work on their hitting. Travis Shaw and Jett Bandy each smacked home runs to raise Milwaukee's Major League-leading total to 29.

"Look at the Brewers -- they've been puncturing hurricane-force stuff," Maddon said. "It's incredible what they've been doing. To beat them two out of three here when they're at the top of their offensive game is pretty good." Milwaukee's Eric Thames, whose five-game homer streak ended on Tuesday, was held hitless for the first time in 13 starts. Chicago's Kyle Hendricks walked Thames with one out in the first to set up Shaw's homer, his second in as many days. Bandy led off the second with his third of the season to open a 3-0 lead. The Major League leader in ERA in 2016, Hendricks gave up one homer over 23 innings in four starts in April last year. The Brewers must have figured something out, because they also hit two homers off the right-hander on April 8. "It's tough. I mean, we had that lead late and that's a game we should have won," Shaw said at the finish of Milwaukee's 6-3 road trip. "But like I said last night, that's a good lineup, and overall on the road trip, I thought we played very well." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Center of attention: Albert Almora Jr. has earned a spot in the big leagues with his defensive play, but he's also been contributing at the plate. On Tuesday, he hit a key two-run single, and on Wednesday, Almora launched his first home run of the season with one out in the Cubs' second. The shot had an exit velocity of 107 mph and traveled 407 feet to right. Eighth: The Cubs planted the seeds for their victory in the eighth, when they pulled within 4-3 on Russell's bloop RBI single. Almora had a chance to be the hero when he came up with two on and one out, and he battled Corey Knebel in an 11-pitch at-bat. Almora fouled off six straight pitches, then took two, and was frozen on a breaking ball and called out on strikes. With Knebel at 30 pitches, Counsell turned to Feliz, who got Javier Baez to strike out swinging to strand the tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position. "I thought that was my best at-bat of the day," Almora said of his battle with Knebel. "Give credit to him. It was a well fought battle. ... Tip your hat in that situation." But that extra work impacted Feliz in the ninth, when he was at 30 pitches by the time Russell stepped to the plate for the game's final at-bat. The final fastball was supposed to be low and away, but found the inner half of home plate. Russell jumped on it. "That's the risk of doing it," Counsell said of extending his closer. "But I'd do it again, because I think that at-bat in the eighth where he strikes out Baez is the game as well." QUOTABLE "It's something I've done in the past. I'm confident I can do it, and I'm glad [Counsell] was confident in me. If it happens again, I'll try to be ready for it again. -- Feliz, whose last multi-inning save was April 10, 2011 for the Rangers, a year and a half before he underwent Tommy John surgery. "Teams are coming for us, we have targets on our backs. They're playing their best baseball. Our guys, to be able to grind it out and win a few ballgames, is good to see." – Hendricks NUMBERS GAME Thames set a franchise record on Tuesday by hitting safely in his 12 starts to open the season but he went hitless on Wednesday. Hendricks walked Thames in the first and again in the third, then got him to ground out to end the fourth. In the sixth, the Brewers loaded the bases with two outs against Mike Montgomery, who fell behind Thames, 3-1. The Brewers' slugger then fouled off four straight pitches before grounding out to Baez. Thames walked in the ninth. He also ended another streak, having gone eight straight games with an extra-base hit.

WHAT'S NEXT Brewers: Zach Davies will try to get on track when he starts opposite Carlos Martinez as the Cardinals come to Miller Park for a four-game series beginning Thursday at 7:10 p.m. CT. The Brewers hope this is the year they turn things around against the Cardinals; St. Louis has won 61 of 91 matchups between the teams over the past five seasons. Cubs: After an off-day Thursday, the Cubs head to Cincinnati to open a three-game series against the Reds. Jon Lester will get the start on Friday on the one-year anniversary of Jake Arrieta's second career no-hitter. Arrieta, by the way, will start Saturday. First pitch is 6:10 p.m. CT. -- Cubs.com Walk-off win epitomizes Cubs' resiliency By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Engraved on the Cubs' championship rings is the phrase, "We never quit." It was their motto last season as they won 103 games and eventually the World Series. That may be the theme for 2017 as well. For the second day in a row, the Cubs rallied for a win as Addison Russell smacked a walk-off three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning Wednesday to beat the Brewers, 7-4. On Tuesday, the Cubs had to rally from a 5-0 deficit for the win. "It's one of those ugly wins but we'll take it any day of the week," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "It is the resiliency, it is the fact that we do not quit. It's on the ring. We don't quit. It's on the ring, man, and that's a perfect example today." The Cubs have had daily reminders about the franchise's first World Series championship in 108 years during this nine-game homestand, which began on April 10 when they raised the banners. Anthony Rizzo won that game with a walk-off RBI single in the ninth against the Dodgers. Since then, the Cubs players have received their rings, celebrated former teammates and alumni, and tried to get back to just playing baseball. One of last year's themes was to "embrace the target." They feel as if the bullseye is on them. "Teams are coming for us, we have targets on our backs," starter Kyle Hendricks said. "They're playing their best baseball. Our guys, to be able to grind it out and win a few ballgames, is good to see." The Cubs trailed 4-3 with one out in the ninth when Jon Jay drew a walk against Neftali Feliz, and reached third on pinch-hitter Miguel Montero's single. Kris Bryant tied the game with an RBI single, and he and pinch-runner Carl Edwards Jr. both moved up on Rizzo's groundout. Russell then launched a 2-0 pitch into the left-field bleachers for his second homer of the season. Left fielder Hernan Perez glanced up, then headed to the dugout as the ball sailed into the seats. It was Russell's second career walk-off hit; he also hit a walk-off double on May 26, 2015. "He's definitely not afraid," Maddon said of the young shortstop, who leads the Cubs with 12 RBIs. "Today was a classic example, really staying with it mentally. He's just learning his craft." Being versatile is another theme from last season, and Edwards chipped in by pinch-running. Third-base coach Gary Jones told the reliever what to be prepared for. He didn't have to worry once Russell made contact. "It was just a nice little trot running home," Edwards said.

Russell, 23, is growing up quickly. He came through in Game 6 of the World Series, hitting a home run and a double and driving in six runs. This homestand, a lot of those memories have been rekindled. He knows the inscription on the ring. "We feel very strongly about that," Russell said of the "never quit" attitude. "It seems like you can never count us out. We seem to have a spark. That's all it takes is one hit, one walk and we get rolling." -- Cubs.com Cease unhittable in start with South Bend By Mike Rosenbaum Dylan Cease has shown improvement in each of his three starts for Class A South Bend this season. On Wednesday, the Cubs' No. 3 prospect was untouchable as he fired a career-high six innings without allowing a hit against Great Lakes. Cease, ranked 71st on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced in the outing before departing after 92 pitches (55 strikes). He walked three and struck out seven, including five swinging strikeouts. "I was more excited about going six than I was about going six hitless," Cease told MiLB.com. "I was just excited I was able to get that last guy to swing at a breaking ball. I knew I was running low on pitches, so to make it through six was really exciting." The Cubs signed Cease for $1.5 million as a sixth-round pick in 2014, knowing that the young righty would require Tommy John surgery. He was eased into action in late 2015 and then impressed with the move up to the Class A Short Season level last year, when he posted a 2.22 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings (12 starts) for Eugene. Cease's scoreless performance on Wednesday was his second in as many starts for South Bend, and he's now tossed 13 scoreless frames dating back to his season debut on April 8. Overall, the 21-year-old owns a 0.60 ERA and has allowed just six hits through his first 15 frames, with 22 strikeouts and eight walks. South Bend went on to lose its combined no-hit bid in the top of the seventh, though it would be the only knock allowed by the club's staff. Right-hander Matt Swarmer pitched well in relief of Cease, striking out four over three innings, as the Cubs shut out the Loons, 3-0. -- Cubs.com Hendricks seeking 'balance' amid slow start By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks is a slow starter, and he knows that. But it doesn't make it any easier for the Cubs' right-hander to deal with how his 2017 season is going so far. Hendricks walked four, matching a career-high, and lasted five innings in the Cubs' 7-4 come-from-behind win over the Brewers on Wednesday. The Major League ERA leader last year, Hendricks has a 6.19 ERA in three starts. "The style of pitcher he is and what he throws, it's all there," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He's not injured, he feels good. He threw one 86 mile-an-hour fastball right by [Eric] Thames. When he gets back to 87, 88 [mph], you'll see a greater separation between the fastball and the changeup. Right now, there's not a dramatic separation between the two pitches, and that's where the disconnect is for him now. I'm fully confident he'll get an uptick in velocity back."

Hendricks isn't going to overpower hitters with his pitches -- he relies on precise location. He said his mechanics have been a little off, and he's been throwing a lot between starts. "I have to find the right balance now," Hendricks said. "I don't feel strong out there so I have to get my arm strength so I feel I can step on it and get the velocity back." That doesn't mean Cubs fans will see him firing 96-mph fastballs. What it will hopefully result in is fewer walks. Hendricks even walked Brewers pitcher Tommy Milone in the fourth. "The walks were just awful," Hendricks said. "I definitely have to make some adjustments, get ahead in the count. I'm not pitching deep in games, and getting a lot of long counts. I've got a lot of work to do." At one point, Cubs catching coach Mike Borzello was seen talking to Hendricks on the bench between innings. "We went in with one game plan, and we noticed they were sitting on a few of the things we were trying to do," Hendricks said. "I didn't realize it right away. By the time he came over to me, we could talk about it and find out where we wanted to go with the game plan. I got better contact in the later innings. I still need to find that groove and lock it in." Hendricks had given up one homer over 23 innings in four starts in April last year, and four in 11 starts in his career to the Brewers. Milwaukee must have figured something out because the Brewers hit two homers off the right-hander on April 8, and another pair on Wednesday. It's early. Last season, Hendricks was 1-2 with a 3.91 ERA in four April starts. "That's always been my M.O., being a slow starter," Hendricks said. "I felt good in spring, and it just hasn't transitioned yet. Staying with the process, I know what I have to do." -- Cubs.com Lester leads Cubs into Cincy Friday By Carrie Muskat Friday marks the one-year anniversary of Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta's second career no-hitter, which he pitched at Great American Ball Park against the Reds. Arrieta had originally been scheduled to start in Cincinnati that day, but the Cubs tweaked the rotation, and instead, Jon Lester will open a three-game series against the Reds. Lester will be making his fourth start, and is still searching for his first win of 2017. The lefty ranks among the top five pitchers in the National League with a 1.00 ERA, giving up two earned runs over 18 innings so far. Two of his three starts have been quality starts. He just doesn't have that "W." The Reds will counter with Tim Adleman, who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville last Sunday to work out of the bullpen. Cincinnati decided to insert the right-hander into the rotation in place of Sal Romano, who was optioned to Louisville. "I'm looking forward to it but it's not going to be different from any other start," Adleman said. "I'll just go prepare like I normally would and try to turn in quality innings." Three things to know • The Reds have yet to announce Saturday's starter, but Cody Reed may get the assignment. The lefty has not given up a run over eight innings in four appearances this season. • Arrieta will start on Saturday, one day after his no-hitter anniversary. On April 21, 2016, the right-hander struck out six and walked four in a 16-0 Cubs victory over the Reds. Lester is 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA in nine career starts against the Reds, who are batting .256 against left-handed pitchers.

• The Cubs have ranked last in the NL in home runs, and are probably eager to get back to Great American Ball Park, where they've had success. Anthony Rizzo hit six homers there last year, while Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist each hit five. Bryant had an amazing game last June 27, when he went 5-for-5 with three homers, two doubles and six RBIs. -- ESPNChicago.com These Cubs are starting to look like the Cubs of 2016 By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Just like that, it's starting to feel a lot like 2016 again for the Chicago Cubs. On consecutive days, they've snatched victory from defeat, thanks to a high-powered offense that led the league last year in wins (eight) after trailing after eight innings. They got their first ninth-inning comeback win of this season Wednesday, when Addison Russell capped a four-run frame against the Brewers with a walk-off, three-run homer off reliever Neftali Feliz. "When you count us out, we seem to have a spark," Russell said after the 7-4 win. "All it takes is one hit, one walk, and we get rolling." A walk by Jon Jay, then a pinch-hit single from Miguel Montero set the stage for MVP Kris Bryant's first (regular-season) game-tying hit in the ninth inning or later in his career, which was followed by Russell's blast. Yes, this game felt very much like the 2016 Cubs. "We keep on coming back for more," manager Joe Maddon said. "It's really one of those ugly wins, but you'll take it any day of the week. It is the resiliency. It is the fact that we don't quit. It's on the ring: 'We Don't Quit' [sic]. It's on the ring, man. It's a perfect example today." Maddon was referring to the World Series rings the players received at the beginning of the homestand, in one of several ceremonies celebrating last year's run that prompted players to describe this past week as "emotional." Now they can start a nine-game road trip feeling a lot better about themselves after dropping below .500 for a moment. Two come-from-behind wins will do that. "You definitely want to go into Cincinnati with the sense we can come back in any part of the game," Russell said. "That's what we did today. Just don't give up. That's the type of style that we play." A clutch Russell hit is a throwback to last season, as is the Cubs' ability to pick each other up when there's failure. Three of their young players struck out in the eighth inning with men on base, including Albert Almora Jr., who had the tying run 90 feet away with one out. He struck out in an epic, 11-pitch at-bat. It looked like the Brewers would survive. Then came the ninth-inning heroics. "I didn't get the job done," Almora said. "We were still confident coming into the ninth inning. We did the job today." Not everything felt like 2016, however, as Kyle Hendricks is off to a bad start. He gave up two home runs and tied a career high with four walks Wednesday. But the bullpen was there to pick him up. In fact, it was the second consecutive day that the relief staff picked up a starter. That's a change from just a few days ago, when the bullpen couldn't hold even a small deficit, let alone a lead. "We did a better job of taking care of the latter part of the game," Maddon said.

That allowed for the late-inning dramatics, which included a bloop single to right by Russell the inning before his home run. That hit "got him going," Maddon noted. The Cubs haven't made the best contact in key spots this season, but perhaps they're coming around. "I want us to move the baseball better in certain situations and not succumb to the strikeout," Maddon said. "We were better last year at that. We need to get back to that." At 8-7, the Cubs are hardly firing on all cylinders, but all they need to do for now is keep their heads above water until things really click. The past two days provide for that, giving them a moment to breathe. A Wednesday night charity event featuring the entire organization will feel a lot better after their latest two wins. And you better believe there will be plenty wearing their rings. "We Never Quit" was an appropriate refrain on Wednesday. "That was an unbelievable win today," Hendricks said. "There's been a lot going on. A lot of outside factors pushing against us, so to be able to focus on the game and get big wins ... these teams we're playing are coming for us. The target is on our backs." Said Maddon: "It's been an emotional week. It's been a nice conclusion to it." -- CSNChicago.com Addison Russell’s Walk-Off Homer Sends The Message For Cubs: ‘We Never Quit’ By Patrick Mooney The Cubs showed so much guts and resiliency during their championship season that they had "WE NEVER QUIT" inscribed on the bottom of the outer band to their World Series rings. Not even 10 percent into the schedule, it's still way too early to draw any grand conclusions about the 2017 team. But largely the same group of players – supremely talented and a year older and a year wiser – has already shown some of those essential qualities. Addison Russell flipped his bat to the ground and had a little bounce in his steps on Wednesday after he connected with a 97-mph fastball from Neftali Feliz, launching it into Wrigley Field's left-field bleachers for a three-run, walk-off homer. Russell tossed his helmet aside and jumped into the mosh pit awaiting at home plate, teammates pouring bottled water on him after a dramatic 7-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. "Just don't give up – that's the type of style that we play," Russell said. "It seems like whenever you kind of count us out, we seem to have a spark. That's all it takes – one hit, one walk and we get rolling." That comeback ended the homestand where the Cubs finally raised a World Series banner, got their championship bling and unofficially ended their 2016 victory tour. The defending champs are 8-7 and have won four of their first five series this season, hoping this creates a sense of momentum for a three-city road trip that goes through Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Boston. "There's been a lot going on, a lot of outside factors pushing against us," said Kyle Hendricks, who has a 6.19 ERA after a four-run, five-inning start against the Brewers. "It was a tough stretch for a little bit there, but these teams we're playing, man, they're coming for us. We have the target on our backs." Friday will mark the two-year anniversary of Russell's big-league debut. He's still only three months removed from his 23rd birthday. He's already been a 21-homer, 95-RBI, All-Star shortstop, one of the clutch hitters for a championship team. Russell delivered in the eighth inning by softly lifting a Corey Knebel curveball over the head of first baseman Eric Thames and just beyond the infield dirt for an RBI single that sliced Milwaukee's lead to 4-3.

It didn't matter that Knebel and Feliz struck out Willson Contreras, Albert Almora Jr. and Javier Baez to kill that rally – or that the starting lineup didn't feature Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist or Jason Heyward and the afternoon began with a 55-minute rain delay and Hendricks putting the Cubs in a 3-0 deficit by the second inning. The day after another comeback win over the Brewers (8-8), Mike Montgomery, Pedro Strop, Koji Uehara and Wade Davis combined to throw four scoreless innings while pinch-running reliever Carl Edwards Jr. scored the game-winning run. "We just keep coming back for more," manager Joe Maddon said. "It was really one of those ugly wins, but you'll take 'em any day of the week. "We don't quit. It's on the ring, man, and that's a perfect example." -- CSNChicago.com Kris Bryant To Eric Thames: ‘Dude, We Got To Hit Together’ By Patrick Mooney Eric Thames now has an open invitation to "The Bryant Man Cage" this offseason. Thames had been so far off the baseball map that Kris Bryant didn't realize they both live in Las Vegas and used to play in the West Coast Conference. But where Bryant's fast track made him a Rookie of the Year, National League MVP and World Series champion within three-and-a-half years of leaving the University of San Diego, Thames has bounced around since the Toronto Blue Jays grabbed him in the seventh round of the 2008 draft out of Pepperdine University. Traded to the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles in the middle of the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Selected off waivers by the Houston Astros and released three months later. Putting up 124 homers and 382 RBI in the Korea Baseball Organization led to a three-year, $16 million commitment from the Milwaukee Brewers. If they had no idea who this guy was, the Cubs know now after clawing back for a 7-4 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, where Thames looked like the Triple Crown candidate for small sample sizes. "I was talking to him at first," Bryant said. "I was like: ‘Dude, we got to hit together.' But he's on some type of run right now. It's impressive to watch. "Everybody has a story. He had to go to Korea for three years. And it's hard not to feel happy for a guy like that who's worked his butt off to get back to this point and things are paying off for him." Maybe Thames will stop by the house where Bryant grew up and his father, Mike, gives lessons and passes on what Ted Williams once taught minor-leaguer hitters in the Boston Red Sox organization. Dexter Fowler has worked out there and Shane Victorino lives in the neighborhood. Against the defending World Series champs, Thames went 6-for-11 with three doubles, three walks, a homer and six runs scored during this three-game series. There will be cynical reactions. After Thames homered in his fifth straight game on Monday night, USA Today reported a representative from Major League Baseball's drug-testing program approached him in the visiting clubhouse. "Random, right?" Thames told USA Today, laughing. "Guess it comes with the territory, right?" Manager Joe Maddon called the production "Bonds-esque" and compared Thames to the zone Daniel Murphy got into when he became a new Mr. October and the New York Mets swept the Cubs during the 2015 National League Championship Series.

"If you want a guy that's really disciplined and knows the strike zone, you probably have to draft it or buy it," Maddon said. "It's hard to create it or nurture it. My experience is that with a guy that's more of a swinger, it's easier to get him to not strike out as opposed to accept the walk. That's just in their nature. "You could get them somewhat better. But to go from being an absolute free-swinger to a disciplined hitter, that's rare. That's absolutely rare. Maybe it's his situation, going away from the limelight and just getting into a little bit more secluded area that he could test things." Until Opening Day this year, Thames, 30, last appeared in a big-league game on Oct. 1, 2012, the end of a season that saw him generate nine homers and a .672 OPS and 87 strikeouts in 290 combined plate appearances for Toronto and Seattle. Veteran catcher Miguel Montero – who never played in the American League – had the same reaction as Bryant: Who is this guy? "He's swinging a hot bat," Montero said. "He doesn't really have a lot of holes in his swing. We went in, he covered inside. We went away, he covered outside. We went breaking ball, he covered breaking ball. "When you're swinging good, it doesn't matter what they throw you, you're going to hit it. Obviously, we need to find a way to pitch him better next time." Imagine what some time in "The Bryant Man Cage" might do to Thames' game. "I think we're just excited when we get him out," Bryant said. "We all go through runs like that where you feel like you just hit everything on the nose – outs, hits, homers – and you just got to ride the wave because they don't happen all the time." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Rearranging Rotation Means Jon Lester Won't Face Red Sox And Pitch This Time At Fenway Park By Patrick Mooney Jon Lester won’t make his dramatic return to the Fenway Park mound after an April that has already seen the $155 million ace get the Opening Night assignment and start the game where the Cubs finally raised their World Series banner at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are rearranging their rotation again for this upcoming three-city road trip so that Lester will face the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night, followed by Jake Arrieta on Saturday afternoon. This means Arrieta won’t be pitching on April 21, the one-year anniversary of his no-hitter at Great American Ball Park. The Cubs wanted the Lester matchup next week against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team with a .178 average and a .534 OPS versus left-handers so far this season. Instead of made-for-TV storylines, the Cubs are going with numbers and logically mapping out a schedule that will see at least five days off this month. With this switch, Lester misses the chance to face the Boston Red Sox for the first time since getting traded to the Oakland A’s at the 2014 deadline, a move that would spark a free-agent bidding war among a few big-market franchises. The Red Sox originally drafted and developed Lester, watching him beat cancer and become a two-time World Series champion in Boston. This also means that Arrieta will get another chance to perform on the Fenway Park stage, where on June 30, 2014 he finished four outs away from a no-hitter and got a standing ovation, flashing the dominance that would make him a Cy Young Award winner the next year and position him for his own megadeal after this season. --