The annual fan fest will be back next January.

The Cubs Convention was the first of these annual fan fests to occur. Now held by many teams, the first CubsCon was in 1986. It was held at the Chicago Hilton and Towers in its early years, then more recently at the Sheraton Chicago.

The last such gathering was in 2020, just before COVID-19 shut baseball and just about everything else down. Famously, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts got booed at the 2020 Convention when introducing Marquee Sports Network [VIDEO].

The 2021 Cubs Convention was cancelled due to the pandemic and the 2022 Convention didn’t happen largely due to baseball’s lockout, so the upcoming Convention will be the first in three years.

We don’t have any details yet about the 2023 Cubs Convention; there hasn’t been a press release from the team, just a “Save The Date” email that landed in inboxes late this morning saying that the team would be resuming the annual gathering from January 13-15, 2023, with a link to this page on the Cubs website to sign up for updates.

Given that the Cubs do have Marquee up and running now, it would be nice if they’d carry multiple sessions on the channel for out-of-towners who can’t make it, or for anyone who feels the cost ($120 for the most recent one) is too expensive.

When there are more details, including information on how to buy passes, I’ll pass it along here.

The Cubs continue to impress down the stretch

I imagine I do more fourth-wall breaking than most people whose articles you read online with any frequency. Last week I did so in telling you what a grind it can be to write about an ugly loss near the end of a long season. One of you brave readers gave me credit for trying to dig three bright spots in a dumpster fire of a loss.

This game is just the opposite. This is exactly the kind of game that is a treat to write about. I have so many directions I can go in talking about this one. I easily have four or five valid candidates for the three stars of the game. To top all of that off, I get the joy of a meaningful Cubs win. No, this isn’t the kind of September game that impacts any Cubs playoff chances, since they’re eliminated for this year. But, as I explained to my wife during the game, despite the residual possibility of helping the hated rival Brewers to make the postseason, there is a bit of honor amongst thieves. This game matters to the Phillies and the Brewers and so, without risking injuries or anything like that, you try to win.

And win they did. The recipe was much the same as it has been throughout this second half run. That is, they got a strong start and made it hold up. They didn’t hit much, but they hit enough. The bullpen didn’t have a lot of work to do, but it did it well. They got the job done. Your definition of a second half run and mine may differ. But in my book, a team that looked possibly destined for 100 plus losses playing more or less .500 ball over its final 100 games is a bit of a run. It ain’t the 2015 Cubs, but darned if this wasn’t fun.

Honestly, I’ve had enough fun with this second half that I’m starting to feel territorial. You see, when things were going bad and it looked like those 100-plus losses were possible, I did a format change here mid-season. I went to a format where I looked for three positives in each game and tried to focus on guys who would be a part of the team in 2023 and maybe beyond where possible. I tweaked that just a bit further after the trade deadline and with things going decidedly better. Now I use a format slightly similar to hockey’s three stars.

I don’t peruse the internet often these days looking for what others write about baseball. There are many fine writers out there, though I’ll still contend we have some of the best right here at Bleed Cubbie Blue. Ido catch a headline here or there and I’m seeing some about the team on the North Side of town and their futures looking up. Seriously, you are late to the party if you are just noticing it now. I’ve been saying it in this space for a while. This just isn’t the team it initially looked like.

Some part of me is still frustrated that this organization didn’t do a bit more to be competitive this season. The offseason was a mess with the lockout, but it was a mess for all 30 teams. There were a large number of injuries, but by and large injuries were up all across baseball, particularly early on. That should have been foreseeable specifically because of the lockout.

All of that is water under the bridge now. Eventually you play the hand you were dealt. This organization did and they made what they had work. I’m not ruling out five more wins and a 73-win season at this point. That’s just a mindboggling finish to me at this point. Even as someone who had been fairly upbeat about how things were going, I would have never given any chance to a sub-90 loss season. Frankly, there are probably two shots. One being five wins and the other being a late cancel/not made up game at the tail end of the season between two teams well out of it. No one likes to issue refunds, but no one wants to come back after the scheduled end of the season to make up a game either. As someone living outside of Tampa, I’m well aware there is some gnarly weather out there this month.

I’ll say again, welcome back to all ye who abandoned hope many mile markers ago and are just coming back to find a team that is playing better. Certainly no longer an embarrassment. While you familiarize yourself with some of the changes going on here, I’ll go to the three stars in a fine September win.

First, I’m biased towards starting pitching. No matter how much baseball changes, you can still fall back on a strong start to give your team a chance to win. Thank heavens Marcus Stroman, one of the few Cubs players under a guaranteed contract beyond this season, has put behind him the struggles at Wrigley Field heading into next year. On his way to his fifth win of the year, Marcus needed to face just 26 batters to record 21 outs. He almost finished three times through the order. He yielded four hits, a walk, and one run. He hit a batter and he struck out six. That kind of performance gives you a strong chance of winning a game.

After that, it gets trickier. The Cubs had two players with two hits. They had two players drive in a run. And they had two players with extra-base hits. But only one Cub accomplished all three of those things. Yan Gomes has a single, a double, and a run batted in. Yan did a respectable job this year as a second catcher and his production did not dip after picking up increased playing time in August and September after Willson Contreras was injured.

I could go with Ian Happ for the other two-hit game or Christopher Morel for the homer in this one. But I’m gonna let the three stars cover the flow of the game. That is, Stroman got them off to a great start with his strong performance, Yan Gomes had the decisive run batted in. The beginning and the middle. That just leaves us the end where Manuel Rodriguez only needed two batters to record three outs after inheriting the tying run on third with nobody out and notched his third save of the year.

Now we turn our attention to the Heroes and Goats as we look to see who WPA felt were the three stars.

Game 154, September 27: Cubs 2, Phillies 1 (68-86)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Marcus Stroman (.278). 7IP (26 batters), 4H, BB, R, 6K, HBP (W 5-7)
• Hero: Manuel Rodriguez (.274). IP (2 batters)
• Sidekick: Yan Gomes (.205). 2-3, 2B, RBI

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Willson Contreras (-.202). 1-3, DP
• Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.152). 0-3, DP
• Kid: Alfonso Rivas (-.070). 0-3

WPA Play of the Game: With two outs and a runner on second in a game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Yan Gomes doubled, scoring Ian Happ with the run that turned out to be the difference in the game. (.219)

*Phillies Play of the Game: In the top of the sixth, Bryce Harper batted with a runner on first and two outs, the game was 1-0 in favor of the Cubs. Harper doubled and tied the game. (.185)

Rizzo Award Cumulative Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• David Robertson +22.5
• Christopher Morel +18
• Scott Effross +17
• Nico Hoerner/Patrick Wisdom +12.5
• Frank Schwindel/Daniel Norris/Alfonso Rivas -9.5
• Nelson Velazquez -11
• Rafael Ortega -11.5
• Yan Gomes -14
• Jason Heyward -15.5

Up Next: Game two of the three-game set between these two teams. Hayden Wesneski (2-1, 2.45) continues the compelling start to his MLB career. He’ll be opposed by Aaron Nola (10-12, 3.28). This is arguably the toughest opponent to date for Wesneski.

The Cubs got solid pitching and timely hitting and beat a playoff contender.

Something’s gotten into Marcus Stroman recently and I like it — a lot.

Ever since MLB announced the pitch clock as part of several rule changes for the 2023 season, Stroman has picked up his pace of pitching and has been successful with it. Monday’s game was his third start since the rule changes were announced and he’s posted a 2.25 ERA, 0.800 WHIP and held opponents to a .171 batting average over that span. Monday he threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits, and the Cubs generated just enough offense to defeat the visiting Phillies 2-1.

Stroman and his opponent, Zack Wheeler, matched zeroes through the top of the third. With two out in the bottom of the third, Christopher Morel gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead [VIDEO].

The homer was Morel’s 15th of the year and after a prolonged slump, he’s hitting better over his last seven games: .286/.412/.857 (4-for-14), with all four hits going for extra bases, two doubles and two home runs. It would be great to see Morel finish the year on an upswing.

Stroman continued his strong pitching into the sixth, when a two-out double by Bryce Harper scored Bryson Stott to tie the game 1-1. Stroman completed the seventh inning having thrown 97 pitches (64 strikes) and after a long period of not pitching well at Wrigley Field, three of his last five starts there have been excellent and his season ERA at home has dropped to 5.71. He’ll get one more start this year, likely at Wrigley Sunday against the Reds. Also, this:

The Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Ian Happ led off with a single and after Nico Hoerner lined out, Happ took second on a ground ball to short. Yan Gomes was the next hitter [VIDEO].

Gomes wound up on second with a double, his second hit of the game, and Happ scored to make it 2-1.

That left it up to the Cubs bullpen to preserve the lead. Brandon Hughes was summoned to pitch the eighth. He’s been closing lately, but this was likely done because the first two hitters in the inning (Bryson Stott and Kyle Schwarber) were lefthanded hitters. Hughes retired Stott on a fly to left and walked Schwarber, but then got Rhys Hoskins to hit into a double play.

The Cubs didn’t score in the bottom of the eighth and Hughes was left in to face the lefthanded Harper to start the ninth. Harper singled, putting the tying run on base, and Manuel Rodriguez was called in to preserve the lead. ManRod had just about the most efficient outing you could imagine — three outs on two pitches. He got J.T. Realmuto to hit into a force play on his first pitch and here’s the second one [VIDEO].

And so today, the complaint department door is closed and locked up tight. Solid pitching and timely hitting won a game against a team likely headed to the postseason — the Phillies maintained their 1½-game lead for the last wild-card spot because the Brewers also lost Tuesday. You’re going to see a lot of games paced like this next year with the pitch clock. The game took just two hours, 15 minutes, and that was the Cubs’ second-fastest nine-inning game of 2022. The 6:40 p.m. start (which I hope the Cubs will extend to all night games in 2023) meant everything was done before 9 p.m.

The win improved the Cubs’ September record to 12-11 and now they must go just 5-3 in their eight remaining games to avoid losing 90 games this season. I think that’s quite possible.

Attendance watch: The announced tickets sold number of 32,069 was larger than I expected on a chilly 54-degree evening (the coolest at Wrigley since May 7), and there might have been 18,000 or so in the house. The Cubs have now sold 2,478,405 tickets for 76 dates, an average of 32,611 per date. They must average 24,319 for the final five dates to get to 2.6 million for the year, a mark it does appear they’ll reach.

The Cubs and Phillies will meet again Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field, the final night game of the year at the North Side ballpark with the Cubs having another chance at a series win. Hayden Wesneski will start for the Cubs and Aaron Nola will get the call for Philadelphia. Game time is 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

The Cardinals and Yankees clinched division titles. A look ahead to the playoffs. And other news from around baseball.

Looks like no one wants to pitch to Aaron Judge.

• The Cardinals clinched the NL Central title last night. John Denton has an FAQ about the Cards and the playoffs.
• And the Yankees clinched the AL East and Bryan Hoch has a FAQ about that.
• Aaron Judge walked four times in last night’s clincher, so he’s still sitting on 60 home runs. Richard Deitsch spoke to the broadcasters who may end up calling the historic home runs about how they’re approaching the call. (The Athletic sub. req.) Michael Kay admits that he’s “nervous” about the whole thing.
• Kiley McDaniel spoke to over a dozen MLB executives about what kind of free agent contract (and with whom) can Judge now expect after one of the greatest offensive seasons ever. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Robert O’Connell looks at the “uncivil war” rivalry between the Yankees and Dodgers in the 1970s.
• Dan Szymborski notes that three playoffs teams, the Dodgers, Rays and Braves, have gotten bad injury news recently.
• Howard Megdal looks at the Braves two Rookie-of-the-Year candidates and how they are succeeding without much minor league experience for either of them.
• Jay Jaffe looks at Braves hurler Kyle Wright’s breakout 20-win season. If Wright throws five innings or less for the rest of the season, he’s set a modern record for the fewest innings thrown by a 20-game winner.
• The Blue Jays may have lost their big home-field advantage as Canada will drop their vaccine mandate for visitors starting October 1.
• Esteban Rivera breaks down the swing of Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette and how his new “scissors kick” is paying dividends.
• Blue Jays right-hander Alex Manoah has been given a sportsmanship award for the way he defended his catcher, Alejandro Kirk, from online abuse.
• Tom Verducci explains why the Phillies won’t have another late-season collapse again this year. They aren’t living up to that prediction so far.
• Dayn Perry looks at why the White Sox 2022 season went off the rails.
• J.J. Cooper warns those who are expecting a robot umpire revolution that they will likely be disappointed because it likely won’t make a big difference.
• Harry Palattella has five potential breakout stars for this year’s playoffs.
• David Adler has 11 rookies who could make a big difference in the playoffs.
• Andrew Simon lists the players that Statcast has determined to be the best in the game in each skill category.
• Michael Baumann examines the fierce competition to finish third in this year’s AL MVP voting. Behind Judge and Shohei Ohtani, of course.
• Ben Verlander, Justin’s very online little brother, has a new documentary about how the Japanese view Ohtani. As it turns out, he’s even bigger over there than Verlander imagined.
• The Mariners signed right-hander Luis Castillo to a five-year, $108 extension. Jay Jaffe looks at the deal and what the M’s can expect out of Castillo going forward.
• Chad Jennings looks at the Red Sox’s decision about Rafael Devers’ future with the team and how the situation compares to when Mookie Betts was a year away from free agency a few years ago. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Will Leitch has one player on each team who has a good shot at a comeback in 2023 after a poor 2022.
• Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning had hip surgery and his availability for the start of next year is in doubt. In the spirit of Craig Calcaterra, who is convinced that Dunning is actually a down-on-his-luck B-movie actor from the 1940s, the injury was the result of a brawl at the Clover Club in Los Angeles when Mickey Cohen’s men got tired of Dunning not paying his bar tab. Dunning also made a move on Lana Turner, whom Cohen’s enforcer Johnny Stompanato had his eye on. (That ended in scandal years later, but Dunning wasn’t involved with Turner at that point.)
• Jayson Jenks and Alec Lewis have an oral history on Zack Greinke’s time with the Royals. (The Athletic sub. req.) Greinke is certainly one-of-a-kind.
• The Twins are going to have new uniforms and a new scoreboard for 2023.
• Marlins pitcher Richard Bleier got called for three balks in one at-bat against the Mets last night.
• And finally, I can’t sit through it, but if you can, here are all 700 Albert Pujols home runs in one minute.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.

A thrice-weekly digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB factoids, gathered from reputable sources. The “Homer in the Gloaming” and other Cubs legends.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and various narratives to follow as they unfold over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along. We also include Cubs’ player birthdays and a bit of world history, for context.

Today in baseball history:

• 1920 - 1920 - A grand jury indicts eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the 1919 World Series in the “Black Sox Scandal.” (1,2)
• 1930 - The Cubs bring down the season’s curtain as Hack Wilson has his 189th and 190th RBI in a 12-11 victory over the Reds. Wilson’s Major League RBI record will remain untouched. With Riggs Stephenson and Kiki Cuyler each driving in 100 runs, the Cubs have the first all-100 RBI outfield in the 20th century. The Boston outfield in 1894 also had the same credentials. (1)
• 1935 - With nothing on the line, the pennant winning Cubs finally lose to the Cardinals and snap their 21-game win streak. The skein is the longest in the majors since the Giants of 1916 when New York won 26 games and tied one. However, Chicago’s win streak is the longest without a tie since 1880. (1)

Box score.

• 1938 - Gabby Hartnett* hits his famous “Homer in the Gloamin’” in the ninth inning against the Pirates’ Mace Brown to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory, their ninth straight, at Wrigley Field. It is a key triumph en route to the Cubs’ National League pennant. (1,2)
• 2007 - The Chicago Cubs clinch the NL Central division title with a 6-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Reds, combined with a loss by the Milwaukee Brewers. It is the third different franchise that Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella has led to a division title. For Chicago, Alfonso Soriano hits his 32nd home run of the season, taking Bronson Arroyo deep in the first inning. It is Soriano’s sixth home run leading off a game this month, a new major league record. It is also his 13th homer in September, tying Ernie Banks’ franchise record. (2)
• 2012 - 2B Darwin Barney of the Cubs makes a wild throw to first base after fielding Justin Upton’s ground ball in the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 8-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. The miscue ends Barney’s 141-game errorless streak, tying Placido Polanco’s all-time record for a single season, set in 2007. (2)
• 2015 - Chris Denorfia of the Cubs does something unprecedented when he homers as a pinch-hitter for Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the 11th inning to give his team a 1-0 win over the Royals. His blast off Miguel Almonte is the first-ever pinch-hit, walk-off homer in extra innings in a 1-0 game. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Wilbur Good, Jim Brillheart, Dick Barrett, Dick Gernert, Joey Nation.

Today in world history:

• 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt.
• 1066 William the Conqueror, then Duke of Normandy, invades England landing at Pevensey Bay, Sussex.
• 1542 - Explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo discovers California, at San Diego Bay, naming it San Miguel and claims it for Spain.

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• For world history.

*pictured.

There is a very active baseball history community and there are many facets to their views. We strive for clarity. Please be aware that we are trying to make the historical record as represented by our main sources coherent and as accurate as is possible. No item is posted here without corroboration. Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources, so that we can address them to the originators.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.

The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks if the Cubs will avoid 90 losses this year.

Welcome back to BCB After Dark; the grooviest get-together for night owls, early-risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Welcome back to all you hep cats. And if you’re new, welcome to you too. Please let us know if we can do anything for you today. There are still a few good tables available. Please seat yourself. There’s no cover charge. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon

The Cubs beat the Phillies, 2-1 this evening in a game the Phillies really needed. Except that the Brewers also lost, so the Phillies kept their 1 ¹⁄₂ lead for the final Wild Card spot. The win was also the Cubs’ 68th on the year, which is important when it comes to the poll question later.

Last night I asked about minor league first baseman Matt “Mash” Mervis, who leads all of the minor leagues in RBI this season. He’s gone from an undrafted free agent two years ago (although in a draft of only five rounds) to being on the cusp of the majors. The question was what did you think Mervis was going to do next year? You were mostly optimistic, with 46 percent of the vote saying that Mervis is going to be the Cubs’ everyday first baseman next year. Another 23 percent thought he’d be part of a platoon or rotation at first. So 69 percent of you think he’s going to be a big part of next year’s Cubs team.

I don’t normally do a movie essay on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, but I promise to have something to say about the 1976 film Silver Streak tomorrow. But I alway have time for jazz, so those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.

Tonight we’ve got one more tribute to tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, whom we lost last week at the age of 81. Here is Sanders and his Quartet playing at a jazz festival in Southwestern France in 2004. With Nat Reeves on bass, Anthony Wonsey on piano and Joe Farnsworth on drums, here’s “Body and Soul.”

Welcome back to those of you who skip the jazz.

Tonight’s question is simple. Will the Cubs lose 90 games this year? Last season the Cubs lost 91 games, so losing fewer than that would be an improvement.

Right now, the Cubs’ record stands at 69-86. To avoid losing 90 games this year, they will have to go 5-3 in the final eight games. They have five home games—two against the Phillies and three versus the Reds, and then another three game in Cincinnati. So the schedule is favorable. It’s always difficult for a losing team to win more games than they lose, but the Cubs are now 33-29 over the second half.

So can the Cubs win five of their final eight games to avoid losing 90 games? Or, and I haven’t checked the forecast, if they get a rainout that doesn’t get made up, they will only need to win four of seven. That counts too.

Of course, we can also debate whether they should want to. Losing more games would likely give the Cubs more ping-pong balls (or whatever system they’re using) in the first ever MLB Draft Lottery. But that’s maybe an argument for another day, although you’re welcome to start it here.

And a reminder. The way I phrased the poll, a “Yes” vote argues that the Cubs will not lose 90 games.

Thank you so very much for stopping by. We hope you’ve been able to relax for a while. Please find a way home safely. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for another edition of BCB After Dark.

The Smokies fail to put the Blue Wahoos away. Iowa also loses.

So the Smokies lost tonight, meaning there will be a decisive game 3 for the Southern League title. Iowa also has an afternoon game and then that will be the end of the 2022 Minor League season.

Really bad bullpen day.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were tranquilized by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 7-1.

The Smokies bullpen wasted a terrific start from Riley Thompson. Thompson kept the Blue Wahoos from scoring for five innings. Thompson gave up two hits and two walks. He struck out eight.

The Smokies scored first in the third inning when center fielder Zach Davis was hit by a pitch and then right fielder Yonathan Perlaza doubled him home from first. But that would be all the offense the Smokies could manage this evening.

Throughout the second half of the season, the bullpen has been a real source of weakness for the Smokies. But the relievers have been very good so far in the postseason. Unfortunately, the struggles resumed in the sixth inning when three pitchers combined to allow seven runs.

Dalton Stambaugh was first called upon to relieve Thompson after 91 pitches. He gave up a leadoff single and then a passed ball sent the runner to third. But Stambaugh got the next two batters out on a pop up and a ground out right at a pulled in infield. So it looked like the Smokies were going to escape with their lead intact.

Things immediately fell apart after that. Stambaugh exited and manager Michael Ryan brought in Michael McAvene to make his Double-A debut with a runner on third and two outs. McAvene gave up three straight singles and then he walked in another batter to make it 2-1.

It became 4-1 when a grounder to third base ended up being an infield single and a throwing error by Jake Slaughter.

McAvene then left without retiring a batter. Hunter Bigge came on and gave up a walk and two more singles to make it 7-1 before the damage ended.

Stambaugh’s final line was one run on one hit over two-thirds of an inning.

McAvene got the loss. In case you’ve lost count, he surrendered five runs on four hits and a walk without retiring a hitter.

Bigge was charged with one run on three hits over 1.1 innings. He struck out one and walked one.

The Smokies managed just five hits tonight and no one had more than one. Perlaza was 1 for 4 with the RBI double and a walk.

Left fielder Cole Roederer went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got stuck by the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 7-5.

The I-Cubs got another solid start from Wyatt Short, who held the Mud Hens scoreless until giving up a two-run home run to Brendon Davis (that’s confusing) in the fifth inning. Short’s final line was two runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out seven and walked just one.

Dakota Mekkes came on to relieve Short in the sixth and did not have a good time. Mekkes got knocked around for five runs on just one hit over one-third of an inning. Three of the five runs were unearned, but it was Mekkes’ own error that led to the unearned runs. Mekkes walked two, hit one batter and struck out one.

The I-Cubs broke out to a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning. First baseman John Hicks hit a two-run home run in the third inning, his 20th on the season. Hicks also doubled in a 2 for 5 game.

Left fielder Alexander Canario chipped in a two-run home run of his own in the fourth. It was Canario’s fifth home run for Iowa and 36th overall. Canario went 2 for 5 and scored twice.

DH Matt Mervis was 2 for 5 with a bloop double.

Catcher Tyler Payne was 2 for 5.

——

Go get ‘em, Marcus.

Tuesday’s game threads? All right here.

The Cubs open a series against a team vying for a postseason berth.

Today's roster moves: Here

Tuesday notes...

• WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY: The Cubs are 11-11 so far this September, but have won just three of their last nine home games.
• THE NEW GUYS: Seventeen Cubs have made their major league debuts this season, second-most among major league teams this season, one behind the Athletics (18). The Guardians (16) and Pirates (14) are just behind the Cubs.
• THE BULLPEN GUYS: Nine pitchers have recorded a save for the Cubs this year. That’s tied for second-most in a single season in franchise history (also done in 1970 and 2019). The franchise record is 12 pitchers with at least one save, set last year.
• HAPP-ENINGS: Ian Happ’s 41st double on Sunday made him the first Cub to have more than 40 doubles since Anthony Rizzo had 43 in 2016. The last Cub to have more than 43 doubles was Aramis Ramirez, who hit 44 of them in 2008.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Phillies lineup:

Marcus Stroman, RHP vs. Zack Wheeler, RHP

USA TODAY NETWORK

USA TODAY NETWORK

More important, I think, than the good ol’ “Marcus Stroman home/road” thing that I’ve been talking about recently is the fact that Stroman has worked quickly in his last two starts, both of which have been quality starts (and the one at Wrigley vs. the Rockies was excellent).

I would think that the coaching staff sat down with Stroman after the rule changes for next year were announced and told him he probably should start working on picking up his pace. The results have been great. Keep it up!

Oh, yes, the Phillies. These two pitchers matched up July 23 in Philadelphia. Stroman threw six innings and allowed one run. Zack Wheeler threw seven innings and allowed one run. The Cubs won the game off the Phillies bullpen. With tonight being the coolest night for baseball in Chicago since June, this could very well be a pitchers’ duel.

Since that game, Wheeler has a 3.42 ERA and 1.132 WHIP in six starts — he missed a month with an elbow issue — and Stroman has a 3.23 ERA and 1.188 WHIP in 11 starts. Should be a good one tonight.

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Phillies site The Good Phight. If you do go there to interact with Phillies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2022 Game Thread procedure will be like last year’s, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Cubs catcher is back. Will this be his last hurrah as a Cub?

Willson Contreras injured his ankle in the Field of Dreams Game. You remember, right? [VIDEO]

That looked possibly season-ending, but he stayed in the game. He tried to play through it for the rest of August, and actually hit reasonably well — just 9-for-43 (.209), but five home runs giving him a .581 slugging percentage in 12 further August games.

Finally it got too much and the Cubs placed him on the injured list September 6, though his most recent game played was August 30.

Today, the Cubs activated Contreras from the injured list and also returned outfielder Seiya Suzuki from the restricted list. To make room for these two, Jared Young was optioned to Triple-A Iowa and Michael Hermosillo was designated for assignment.

And so Willson Contreras will play some games at Wrigley Field over the six remaining home contests, including starting tonight's game at DH. Will they be his last at Wrigley as a Cub? “As always, we await developments.”

The Phillies are trying to hold on to a wild card spot. The Cubs’ mission: Play spoiler.

One last 2022 series against a team likely headed to the postseason. And, another welcome back to Wrigley for Kyle Schwarber. If there’s any reason why the crowds at Wrigley might be decent during a chilly late-September week, it’s people wanting to see Schwarber.

For more on the Phillies, here’s Ethan Witte, who runs our SB Nation Phillies site The Good Phight.

The Phillies are coming off a tough series against the Braves where they split a four game series that they very easily could have swept. With the Brewers winning three of four against the Reds and the Padres taking two of three from the Rockies, suddenly the Phillies are only 1½ games ahead of Milwaukee for the final spot. These games against the Cubs become very important for their playoff hopes as they’re running out of time. Their magic number to clinch a spot remains at eight, so winning this series against the Cubs is an absolute must. Sweeping is ideal.

The offense has been a bit inconsistent, the bullpen following suit, so a good week from both parts of the club would do wonders to help the team’s confidence. They also need extraordinary performances from their top three pitchers in Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez. They’ve done very well playing teams that are in the National League basement this year, but at this point on the calendar, every team is dangerous. They cannot take these games for granted.

Fun fact

The last time these two teams played in Wrigley Field the last week of September was 2000, when both the Cubs and Phillies were on their way to 97-loss seasons. They split a four-game series.

Fun fact 2: The manager of that Phillies team was Terry Francona, who’s currently on his way to the postseason with the Guardians.

Probable pitching matchups

Tuesday: Marcus Stroman, RHP (4-7, 3.80 ERA, 1.170 WHIP, 3.94 FIP) vs. Zack Wheeler, RHP (11-7, 2.98 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, 2.93 FIP)

Wednesday: Hayden Wesneski, RHP (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 0.818 WHIP, 3.25 FIP) vs. Aaron Nola, RHP (10-12, 3.28 ERA, 1.309 WHIP, 2.64 FIP)

Thursday: Javier Assad, RHP (1-2, 4.28 ERA, 1.573 WHIP, 5.20 FIP) vs. Ranger Suarez, LHP (10-5, 3.38 ERA, 1.298 WHIP, 3.68 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Wednesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Thursday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside Cubs and Phillies market territories)

Prediction

The Phillies have lost 13 of their last 20 road games. The Cubs swept the Phillies in Philadelphia in July, also defeating Wheeler. This is the Cubs’ chance to inject themselves into the postseason conversation, as the Phillies are trying to hold on to that wild card berth.

Gonna go out on a limb and say the Cubs will take two of three.

Up next

The Cubs have their final series of 2022 against the Reds. Yes, it’s basically one series, three at Wrigley Field beginning Friday afternoon, then three in Cincinnati (rescheduled from the lockout) starting next Monday.

Two of these players are likely headed to the postseason. And two ... are not.

Time to check in with old friends again.

Javier Báez

It’s been stated by some that Javy feeds off the energy of crowds, and that’s one reason he had a lousy 2020 in empty ballparks. It might be a reason he’s had a rough 2022 — Tigers fans haven’t been at Comerica Park in large numbers this year, for obvious reasons.

That energy could work in more than one way. Báez got mercilessly booed by White Sox fans during the Tigers’ series against the White Sox on the South Side over the weekend.

He went 4-for-15 with a three-run homer, and overall in 10 games against the White Sox in Chicago this year hit .302/.302/.581 (13-for-43) with three doubles and three home runs.

Could be small sample size, sure. Or it could be something.

Javy sure had fun taunting Sox fans after the homer [VIDEO].

Kris Bryant

Last Saturday, Bryant was officially ruled out for the rest of the year:

Bryant played in 42 games this year, the fewest of his MLB career (except for the truncated 2020 season, when he played in 34 of the Cubs’ 60 games). He hit .306/.376/.475 (49-for-160) with five home runs, all of them on the road.

Presuming he’s healthy for the 2023 season, Cubs fans will next see Bryant in two Spring Training games: Sunday, March 3, when the Cubs play the Rockies at Salt River Fields, and Tuesday, March 14, when the teams meet at Sloan Park.

Anthony Rizzo

Since the last update here, Rizzo has hit .241/.333/.517 (7-for-29) with two home runs. His homer last Saturday against the Red Sox was his 32nd, matching his career high set in 2014 and matched in 2016 and 2017 with the Cubs.

Here’s that 32nd HR, which was the deciding factor in the Yankees’ 7-5 win [VIDEO].

There have been comments made about some of Rizzo’s home runs this year not going out of any park but Yankee Stadium. That one, though:

The Yankees can clinch the AL East title with a win tonight in Toronto. (Of course, they could have done that Monday, but the Blue Jays won in 10 innings.)

Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber is leading the major leagues with 192 strikeouts.

So what? He’s also leading the National League with 42 home runs, two of which he hit Sunday against the Braves. Unfortunately for Kyle, the Phillies lost that game 8-7.

Schwarber is having a weird year. Overall he’s batting .214/.314/.487, a low BA but a decent OBP despite that. His 78 walks rank fourth in the National League. (Comparison point: Ian Happ leads the Cubs in walks with... 54.)

All of this has produced just 1.3 bWAR, because Schwarber has become a liability in the field (-2.0 defensive bWAR).

We’ll get to see him for three games against the Cubs beginning tonight in Wrigley Field. In the three-game series the Cubs swept in Philadelphia in July, Schwarber went 1-for-11 with four strikeouts. The one hit was a home run. In his career against the Cubs, Schwarber is 3-for-24 with eight strikeouts — and all three hits are home runs.

The games are very important for Schwarber and the Phillies as they lead the Brewers by just 1½ games for the final wild card spot.

Recent #Cubs,#MLB, and #MiLB news, four days a week. No game Monday. The writers mostly talk about pitching.

Welcome to today’s edition of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits from Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, overheated, and then cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor.

No game Monday. Today the Cubs meet the Phillies, with a chance to dampen their gonfalon hopes. Spite is a good motivator.

Not a hail of bullets but some well-chosen shots anyway.

* means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled sarcasm font in the comments.

• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs minor-league managers, coaches weigh in on pitch clock and how to make it better. “... David Ross said he’s eager to pick High-A South Bend manager Lance Rymel’s brain about rules changes when he meets with the big-league team in Chicago.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs can aim high in pursuit of free-agent arms: ‘We’ve started talking about names’. “The more pitchers, the better,” Tommy Hottovy said. Michael Cerami adds on. Evan Altman has thoughts.
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): What signing a ‘big-time horse’ could do for the Cubs’ rotation. “In other words, if the Cubs acquire an ace, that boosts the quality of the rotation throughout.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): For starters: Cubs’ rotation thriving down the stretch. “On great teams, you have five starters, but you need 10,” Adrian Sampson said. Meghan Montemurro has words {$}.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): The Cubs pitching staff is seeing early fruits of organizational depth. “It shows you how valuable and how important it is for teams to be able to manage the entire season,” pitching coach Hottovy said.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Adbert Alzolay wants to be as flexible as possible to help the Cubs be aggressive in the offseason. “He’ll fill whatever role helps the team win, and helps the team improve.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs prospect Matt Mervis ‘on the radar’ as potential 2023 Opening Day first baseman. “That’s definitely on the radar,” Cubs manager David Ross said. Jordan Bastian has similar thoughts.
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Frank Schwindel joining Águilas Cibaeñas of Dominican League. “Schwindel’s wife and her family are from the city of La Vega in Cibao, so he’s got strong ties to the region and has played there previously.”
• Will Leitch (MLB.com*): Every team’s player eyeing a rebound in 2023. Nick Madrigal “... still feels like a perfect fit at Wrigley Field over the next half decade.”

Food for Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the opinions of writers whose work is linked to in this series of articles. Thanks for reading!

The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks you if Matt Mervis will be the Cubs’ first baseman next year.

Welcome back to BCB After Dark, the happening spot for night owls, early-risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come join us on this September evening. The show is just getting started. There’s no cover charge tonight. Please let us find a table for you. If there’s anything we can do for you, let us know. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon

There was no Cubs game today. Well, there was an Iowa Cubs game that was on the Marquee Network. Matt Mervis homered. But for the Cubs of Chicago, it was the final off-day of the season and there are only nine games left before we say goodbye to the 2022 Cubs.

Last week I asked you if you thought catcher Willson Contreras would be back with the Cubs next season. By a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent, you are optimistic that one of the final two links (Kyle Hendricks being the other) to the 2016 team will return. Contreras is also the final link to the Jim Hendry era, having signed with the team as a 17-year-old infielder back in 2009.

Here’s the part where I talk about movies and jazz. You’re free to skip ahead to the baseball question at the end. You won’t hurt my feelings.

We lost the great tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders last week at the age of 81. Sanders was a leader of avant-garde jazz since the late-1960s and was a kind of spiritual heir to John Coltrane, with whom he played with in the years before Trane died. Sanders didn’t play on Coltrane’s masterpiece A Love Supreme, but he was a part of the group on stage on A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle. That album, which came out last year from previously-undiscovered tapes, is one of only two known recordings of Coltrane playing A Love Supreme live.

But Sanders has a long career on his own merits, incorporating African sounds, world beats, funk and the avant-garde into his own form of free jazz. His best-known song, “The Creator Has A Master Plan,” can be interpreted as a kind of follow-up piece to “A Love Supreme.” (Some of the riffs on “Creator” will remind you of “Supreme.”) And despite Sanders’ tendencies to push the boundaries of jazz, it’s actually quite accessible.

Here’s a live performance of “The Creator Has A Master Plan” from Germany in 1999. It’s only a little more than 11 minutes long, so it’s even more accessible than the 33-minute original version on Sanders’ 1969 album Karma. This features William Henderson on piano, Alex Blake on bass and Hamid Drake on drums.

This week’s film is Silver Streak, the 1976 film that was the first of four films that paired Gene Wilder with Richard Pryor. Directed by Arthur Hiller (Love Story) and written by Colin Higgins (Harold and Maude), it’s a weird combination of a Hitchcockian suspense film, a rom-com, a buddy comedy and an action thriller. It’s also an artifact from the mid-seventies when people thought that the era of cross-country train travel was coming back.

I’ll reserve what I think of it when I write up my full review on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, but for now, I’ll say there is a lot going on in this movie. The film also stars Jill Clayburgh, Patrick McGoohan, Ned Beatty and Scatman Crothers and a musical score by the legendary Henry Mancini.

Here’s the trailer for the film for those that need a reminder. A warning: the trailer contains the (in)famous scene with Gene Wilder in blackface.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

Most of the talk right now about the Cubs is about next season. Sure, there’s the question of whether they can avoid 90 losses, but the Cubs as a whole are playing for next season more than this year.

One of the biggest problems the Cubs have had this year has been getting production out of first base. Frank Schwindel, last year’s feel-good story, struggled all season and ended up getting released. The backup option, Alfonso Rivas, has been a lot better on defense but hasn’t provided much offense either. P.J. Higgins has hit a little better than Rivas but he’s more of a catcher than a first baseman. And then there’s Patrick Wisdom, who’s played some first base and hit OK, but he’s 30, is primarily a third baseman and the numbers and the eye test say his glove in 2022 hasn’t matched his good defense in 2021.

But there’s one guy in the minor leagues who has torn three leagues apart. First baseman Matt Mervis started the season in South Bend, got promoted to Tennessee and is now clobbering the ball in Triple-A Iowa. He hasn’t gotten a shot at the majors and the Cubs have been frank as to why: he doesn’t need to be on the 40-man roster this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft and a whole lot of other minor leaguers do need to be added.

But in the minors this season, the 24-year-old Mervis has hit .310/.380/.610 with 36 home runs and a minor-league leading 119 RBI. As such, he’s been getting a lot of notice from the Cubs beat writers. Here’s one piece from Andy Martinez and another from Patrick Mooney (The Athletic sub. req.) that both ask the same question: “Can Mervis be the Cubs starting first baseman in 2023?”

So here’s your chance to weigh in on whether “Mash” Mervis will be the man for the Cubs next season. The numbers say he can be. The scouts are more qualified in their praise. On the one hand, he’s never shown anything like what he’s done this in the minors before. On the other hand, he’s only played one minor league season before this one, with the 2020 season being lost to COVID. So maybe that’s not a fair criticism, although Mervis did not hit well in 2021.

The Cubs also have the chance to sign a free agent first baseman as well. I know some of you will say to spend the money elsewhere, but this isn’t an either/or proposition. The Cubs have enough money to sign several free agents. Josh Bell is the premier first baseman available on the market this winter. Anthony Rizzo can opt out of his contract with the Yankees and he might be interested in coming back home. (He might not too.) Brandon Belt has had an injury-plagued season, but he’d been a reliable rock for the Giants at first base for over a decade before that. I can’t see José Abreu switching sides of Chicago, but you never know. There are other options, including possible trades.

I’m not asking you if you think one of those players will be the Cubs first baseman next year. I am asking you if you think the Cubs think that Mervis is a good enough option that you think they’ll pass on trying to acquire a first baseman from outside the organization.

So what is Matt Mervis’ immediate future? Where (and how much) will he play on the North Side in 2023? A regular first baseman? A platoon player? A guy who rides the Des Moines shuttle? Or will he spend most of the year down in the minors?

Thank you so very much for stopping by. Be sure to check and see if you’ve forgotten anything. Please get home safely. Tell your friends about us. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for another edition of BCB After Dark.

Iowa falls to Toledo in extra innings.

Just the I-Cubs tonight. Tomorrow afternoon, there will be the penultimate Iowa game of the season. And tomorrow evening, the Smokies will try to win their first outright Southern League title since 1978.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs laid an egg against the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 8-5 in ten innings.

Matt Swarmer took the hill to start the game end left after giving up four runs on five hits over 4.2 innings. One of the four runs allowed was unearned. Swarmer walked three and struck out four.

Iowa tied the game back up in the bottom of the fifth and Iowa’s bullpen held the Mud Hens in check until extras. But Danis Correa had trouble finding the plate as he took over to pitch the tenth inning. In his one inning of work, Correa gave up four runs on two hits, two walks and two wild pitches. Correa struck out one.

After Toledo scored a run in the top of the first inning, first baseman Matt Mervis tied it back up with a 441-foot solo home run. It was Mervis’ 36th home run this year and 15th with Iowa. Mervis went 2 for 5 with an additional RBI on a groundout in the bottom of the tenth, giving him 119 this season. That’s the most in all of Minor League baseball since the Mets’ Pete Alonso hit the same number in 2018.

Third baseman Scott McKeon was 2 for 3 with an RBI double and a walk. He scored once.

Catcher John Hicks was 2 for 5 with a double.

Center fielder Darius Hill tied the game up with a two-run single in the fifth. Hill went 1 for 5 and scored once.

Mervis’ home run.

These are always fun.

It was late September at Wrigley Field and the National League pennant had been decided a week earlier, the Cardinals clinching and the Cubs eliminated three days before that. All of this happened in a year when the Cubs awakened from their 20-year slumber and were in first place briefly in July.

But on this September afternoon, just 4,512 paid to see the Cubs face the Cardinals. Those few thousand saw the Cubs mount several stirring comebacks and eventually win in a walkoff, though no one called them “walkoff wins” decades ago.

The Cardinals put three on the board off Joe Niekro in the first inning. Ted Savage’s home run off Steve Carlton made it 3-1 in the fourth, but St. Louis scored in the top of the fifth to make it 4-1. The Cubs came back to within two runs when a run scored on a double play in the bottom of that inning, and then took the lead in the sixth. Adolfo Phillips’ RBI single made it 4-3, and John Boccabella drove in a pair to give the Cubs a 5-4 lead.

But then former Cub Lou Brock once again tormented his old team, homering in the top of the seventh off Bill Stoneman to tie the game 5-5. In the bottom of the inning, Glenn Beckert singled and Billy Williams doubled him to third. After Ron Santo was intentionally walked to load the bases, Ernie Banks’ groundout scored Beckert to give the Cubs a 6-5 lead.

Brock continued his Cubs torture by smacking a two-run homer in the top of the ninth off Stoneman and St. Louis led 7-6. In 17 games against the Cubs in 1967, Brock hit .440/.442/.760 (33-for-75) with six home runs and eight stolen bases. Lifetime, Brock batted .334/.378/.479 with 20 home runs and 98 stolen bases in 256 games against the Cubs. The .857 OPS was his best against any team.

Just imagine if he’d still been a Cub on those late 1960s contending teams. Sigh.

Anyway, here’s Robert Markus’ Tribune description of the Cubs’ winning rally in the bottom of the ninth:

With one away, Ron Santo planted a home run on the Astroturf in center field to tie it against Al Jackson, the fourth Cardinals pitcher.

After Ernie Banks fanned, Al Spangler hit what appeared to be a single to right, but took off for second and beat Roger Maris’ throw for a double. Randy Hundley followed with a single between third and short to drive in the run.

The Cubs went just 6-11 against the Cardinals in 1967, one of the reasons they finished 14 games out of first place. Back then teams played 18 games against each other, and the reason there are only 17 games listed there is that the next day’s scheduled game was rained out, postponed at 12:30 p.m. (per the Tribune) after “a morning-long rain.” It was rescheduled for September 28, but another soaking prompted that game to be called at 12:50 p.m. Given that it had no impact on the pennant race, it was cancelled and not made up.

The Cubs drew 977,226 in 1967, their biggest attendance figure since 1958, Ernie Banks’ first MVP season. Even if that cancelled game had been played, they likely wouldn’t have made it to one million, as they hadn’t drawn more than 15,000 to a game since Labor Day. It was a different time.

Sadly, no video survives of this late September comeback victory in front of a very small crowd on a warm (79 degrees) but cloudy afternoon. It all happened 55 years ago today, Tuesday, September 26, 1967, an 8-7 walkoff win over the Cardinals.

The ballclub had a very good road trip with some fine performances.

The Cubs had a 5-2 road trip to Miami and Pittsburgh over the last week, one of their most successful away from Wrigley Field this year. And they did all that with Nico Hoerner and Willson Contreras injured and Seiya Suzuki still in Japan awaiting the birth of his first child.

The makeshift Cubs lineups, which didn’t even look good enough for “insert other split squad joke here,” produced. Granted, the opposition was fairly weak. Still, you have to produce to win and these Cubs did.

Three up

Esteban Quiroz is making a case to be on the 2023 roster

Quiroz is not young. He’ll turn 31 before Opening Day 2023, and he spent more than a decade playing in the Mexican League and the US-based minor leagues before finally making the majors with the Cubs this month. And he was recalled, most likely, only because the Cubs needed a spare part after Contreras hit the IL.

Hit, incidentally, is what Quiroz has done. During the trip, since he was inserted into the starting lineup, he’s batted .389/.478/.389 (7-for-18) in six games with three walks. The only thing he hasn’t shown in the majors so far is power. He’s played well in the field and had good at-bats.

The thing is, with the Cubs’ coming 40-man roster crunch for Rule 5 purposes, you simply can’t keep a 31-year-old spare part infielder on the 40-man over the winter. Best-case scenario: Quiroz is DFA after the season and signed back to a minor-league deal with a NRI to Spring Training.

Let’s put it this way: It probably would have been better for the team (not to mention cheaper) if they’d just put Quiroz on the Opening Day roster instead of signing Jonathan Villar.

Adrian Sampson is making his case for the 2023 rotation

He doesn’t throw that hard and turns 31 in about two weeks.

But Sampson’s journey through several organizations — remember, the Cubs DFA’d him this past May and lost him on a waiver claim to the Mariners — has paid off in some excellent work for the Cubs this summer. He now has a 3.23 ERA in 19 appearances (17 starts) and has posted four straight quality starts. Over this road trip he threw 12 innings, allowed 12 hits and a walk (1.083 WHIP) and two runs (both earned, ERA 1.50). He’ll make two more starts this year and then has a serious case for making the Opening Day roster next year.

Patrick Wisdom is hitting long balls again

Wisdom went just 3-for-15 (.200) on the road trip but all three hits were home runs for an .800 slugging percentage over the seven games.

Sunday’s homer in Pittsburgh went a long, long way [VIDEO].

Wisdom has his OPS up to .739. If he can get hot over the last nine games and get it back closer to .800, he can probably be part of the “Next Great Cubs Team,” likely as a platoon player. Maybe he’d be better off that way — he’s batting .246/.336/.551 with 10 home runs in 118 at-bats vs. LHP. That can play on just about any team.

Three down

Oh no, Erich Uelmen

Uelmen had a 2.25 ERA and 1.063 WHIP in his first 13 MLB appearances covering 16 innings.

Then, yikes. Last nine games: 8⅓ innings, 13 hits, seven walks, 10 earned runs (10.80 ERA).

Don’t know what’s happening here but obviously it’s not good and they are going to have to work on fixing it. Uelmen does have talent, but he’s 26 and not a lock for next year’s team.

Rowan Wick appears to have gone down the chain of trust

Wick appeared in only two games on the road trip, both in garbage time in blowout losses. He allowed two runs in the game vs. the Marlins and threw a scoreless inning against the Pirates. Wick turns 30 in November and I don’t think there’s a guarantee for him for 2023 either.

Javier Assad needs to get better — and quickly

The assumption was made by many, I think, that Assad was added to the 40-man roster, and the rotation, because he’d have needed to be added for Rule 5 protection anyway and the Cubs needed a starter.

After a couple of good outings, he’s had a rough go in the last two, He’s got a high walk rate (5.6 per nine innings), and that’s after being pretty good with that at Double-A and Triple-A this year (2.6 per nine innings in 108⅓ innings).

He’ll get two more opportunities to start this year. If there isn’t improvement, I suspect he moves down the depth chart.

The Cubs win 8-3 to complete a series win in Pittsburgh

There are many groupings of people around baseball who don’t get enough credit. I’m sure there are many who I would never think of who make my baseball experience better. But one I can think of that some of you may not be able to is baseball photographers. To be sure, some days I go looking for photos and find something fairly mundane that looks like any of thousands of other photos of thousands of other games each year.

But some days I come across the type of photo that leads for me today. I realize that depending on what format you are reading this in, you might only see a portion of the photo. Without sending any of you looking for other ways to access the picture, let me just bring out some elements of this photo. First, the subject of the photo is the literal high-5 between Cubs third base coach Willie Harris and Patrick Wisdom.

Why do I say literal? Because the two jumped well into the air. I’ve picked quite a few of these Harris photos during his time over there in the third base box. I would love to see Harris coaching third on a team like the Bronx Bomber Yankee teams of the 20’s and 30’s, the Big Red Machine teams of the 70’s, the Broad Street Bomber Rockies teams of the 90’s or even our very own Cubs of 2019 with their 256 homers. I love his energy over there and the fun he has with the players. It isn’t all leaping high-5’s either. He has something personal with many of the players. I think it’s neat.

Also in this photo is captured in the background: “Wisdom - .209.” I’m old enough to remember when a baseball player would be crucified for carrying an average that low. Unless he either a) played gold glove caliber defense at short, center or catcher or b) a prodigious home run hitter, he wasn’t going to get significant playing time. Here’s a guy with over 500 plate appearances this year and who will end this year with over 900 plate appearances in the last two years with a lifetime batting average under .220.

Oh, and he batted third for the Cubs Sunday, the spot generally reserved for your best hitter. Granting that this team is a long way from healthy right now and that it is on track to lose somewhere very close to 90 games this year, things have changed so much. The way we understand and evaluate performance has changed dramatically as has the statistics we use to do so. Patrick Wisdom was a 2.3 fWAR player in 2021 and over a 1.0 fWAR this season. Though his offensive fWAR has dropped by about two-thirds, his defensive value swung from a respectable positive number at a difficult defensive position to some significant negative value. If his defense had been comparable, he would have been in the vicinity of a 2 fWAR season balancing the lesser production with a higher volume (as WAR is positively impacted by increased playing time, all else equal).

So let me tip the cap to the men and women who capture these photos, in this instance Charles LeClaire from USA TODAY Sports. Our enjoyment of sports in enhanced by the work these people do and the many spectacular shots that are available each and every day. Thank you for all that you do to make this sport more attractive to those who consume it.

The Wisdom photo ties nicely into our three stars of this one. Patrick gets the top spot. After four scoreless innings, his three-run homer jump started the Cubs offense. Patrick was also hit by a pitch, stole a base and scored twice.

Adrian Sampson can either have the second spot or you can call them 1A and 1B. It almost always takes two halves to make a whole win. One half is offense and the other defense. Wisdom powered the offense and Adrian Sampson shut the Pirates down for six innings. It took him only 21 batters to record 18 outs. He allowed four hits and one run. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out three. That’s a strong outing.

There are several I could put in the third spot. In an 8-3 win, there were a number of strong performances. Alfonso Rivas had a pair of hits. Ian Happ also had two, one of his was a double, he stole a base, drove in a run and scored a run. Zach McKinstry reached base three times in the leadoff spot, stole a base and scored a run. Keegan Thompson faced only seven batters to record six outs.

All of those would be reasonable choices, but I’m loving the Esteban Quiroz story. Each day, I figure it has run its course. And then he contributes again the next day. All he did in this one was reach base four times, two hits and two walks. He scored two and drove in one. At the danger of repeating myself, this is the most outside the box thing I can remember seeing for a Cubs player. Last year when Patrick Wisdom, Frank Schwindel and Rafael Ortega broke out, all three of them were more accomplished than Quiroz, who last appeared even likely to ever see MLB time in the 2019 season for the Triple-A Padres affiliate in El Paso, Texas. What a story this has been.

Now let’s turn our attention to Heroes and Goats and see what WPA had to say about Sunday’s win.

Game 153, September 25: Cubs 8 at Pirates 3 (67-86)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Patrick Wisdom (.306). 1-4, HR, 3RBI, 2R, HBP, SB, K
• Hero: Adrian Sampson (.242). 6IP (21 batters), 4H, R, 3K (W 8-3)
• Sidekick: Esteban Quiroz (.037). 2-3, RBI, 2R, 2BB, SB, K

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.080). 1-5, 2K
• Goat: Alfonso Rivas (-.036). 2-5, R, K
• Kid: P.J. Higgins (-.031). 1-5, 3K

WPA Play of the Game: Patrick Wisdom’s two-out, three-run homer in the fifth inning busted the game wide open. (.330)

*Pirates Play of the Game: Bryan Reynolds’ homer also came with two outs. It cut the Cubs lead in the sixth to 3-1. (.082)

Rizzo Award Cumulative Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• David Robertson +22.5
• Christopher Morel +18
• Scott Effross +17
• Nico Hoerner +14.5
• Patrick Wisdom +12.5
• Frank Schwindel/Daniel Norris -9.5
• Nelson Velazquez -11
• Rafael Ortega -11.5
• Yan Gomes -15
• Jason Heyward -15.5

Up Next: An off day Monday, followed by three games against the Phillies at Wrigley Field. The Phillies are 83-69 and have the inside track on the sixth and final NL playoff spot. Marcus Stroman (4-7, 3.80) gets the start for the Cubs. The Phillies will go with Zack Wheeler (11-7, 2.98). The Cubs will have their work cut out in this game and likely all series long.