August 4, 2015 Chicago Tribune Cubs' starting pitchers feel strong, confident they'll finish strong By Mark Gonzales PITTSBURGH — Mother Nature took another bite out of a goal by the Cubs' starting pitchers to throw 200 innings apiece this season. But based on their recent success and the addition of Dan Haren, they believe they have enough stamina and strength to carry their team to the postseason. "We do feel strong," said Kyle Hendricks, who threw seven-plus innings and 100 pitches Saturday in a win at Milwaukee. "And lately, this is the strongest I felt. I had plenty in the tank. I think we're finally peaking. "We're in August and heading into the last two months, but I know all our starters feel strong and have plenty left in the tank." The Cubs were force to sit and wait Monday night, as their National League Central showdown at Pittsburgh was postponed in the top of the fifth tied at 1 after the second rain delay lasted 1 hour, 20 minutes. The game, which included a 2:09 delay with two outs in the bottom of the second, will be rescheduled from the start at a date to be determined. No statistics from this game will count. Jon Lester, coming off a 14-strikeout performance Wednesday against the Rockies, struck out three and had a 3-2 count on Francisco Cervelli before the rains arrived in the second. When play resumed, Rafael Soriano relieved Lester and completed the at-bat by fooling Cervelli on a called third strike. This marked the start of an important week for the Cubs, who face the wild-card leading Pirates and Giants, whom they now lead by one-half game for the second wild card. The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the third on singles by Addison Russell, Chris Denorfia and Anthony Rizzo off reliever Joe Blanton, but the Pirates tied the game in the bottom of the third on doubles by newcomer Michael Morse and Gregory Polanco. Rookie third baseman Kris Bryant returned one day after feeling weak following a head injury suffered when he was tagged on the head by Brewers shortstop Jean Segura. Bryant struck out in each of his first two at-bats. Meanwhile, Lester received a lift from catcher David Ross, who threw out speedy Andrew McCutchen on a steal attempt to end the first, and then picked off former Cubs slugger Aramis Ramirez at first base in the second.

Lester's endurance is the least of the Cubs' concerns, as he has pitched at least 200 innings in six of the last seven seasons and had pitched seven innings or more in six consecutive starts entering play Monday. The Cubs' starters are on pace to throw 953 innings, which would fall short of manager Joe Maddon's goal of 1,000 innings. "It's a goal, but when you play the amount of close games we have, the 2-1, 3-2 games, any time you get a chance to blow an inning open and get a couple extra runs, you probably want a position player and not one of my starters to hit for themselves," pitching coach Chris Bosio said. "In the American League, (1,000 innings) is easy to achieve. But in the NL, I'm really happy with the work they've done. If you look at it as a whole on paper, it looks great." Jake Arrieta leads the staff with 1402/3 innings and should easily surpass his career high of 1562/3 innings set last year. Maddon has monitored Arrieta's pitch count since he threw 122 pitches June 21 in a shutout at Minnesota. -- Chicago Tribune Jon Lester's advice to young Cubs: Play stupid By Mark Gonzales Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester said he asked manager Joe Maddon to consider moving him up in the rotation as the result of throwing only 31 pitches Monday night before a two-hour, nine-minute rain delay ended his performance. But Lester emphasized he suggested moving up in the rotation merely because of his brief outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates and not because they will open a four-game series Thursday night at Wrigley Field against defending World Series champion and current National League wild card challenger San Francisco. “It’s still a little early to be wrapped up in that,” Lester said as he and his teammates watched the Giants blow a six-run lead and lose 9-8 at Atlanta in 12 innings. “We all know we got a big series with them coming up. But we also have a lot of baseball to go. If this was the middle of September, I’d probably be talking about it a little more. “But we got a long way to go. We got a big series against them this week, and then we go back out there (Aug. 25-27). We got seven games against them. We got a long ways to go and we got to worry about beating the Pirates. If we beat the Pirates, that sets us up pretty well as well. We got to worry about the task at hand and not worry about what the Giants are doing.” Lester could move up as early as Thursday night to pitch the series opener, or he could take his normal start on Saturday. In the meantime, Lester shared some wisdom on how his younger teammates should respond to the test of playing for a playoff berth for the first time. “This is going to sound really bad, but I’ve always been a big believer in playing stupid,” Lester said. “Being naive. I’ve seen it with the Rays in 2008. They were naïve to the situation. They had nothing to lose. We have nothing to lose. We’re not supposed to win. We’re supposedly in the rebuilding stages. If we make the playoffs, it’s just an added bonus. So I like that. I like having that to where we’re not really the underdog, but we’re not really expected to do anything, so we come into situations like this. It’s a little harder (playing) division (opponents), because you play them so much. You don’t take division games lightly. But when you play other teams outside the division, that’s when we can really pounce on the situation and take advantage of that. Maybe sneak attack guys and take two of three before they knew what happened.”

Lester, a veteran of five post-seasons and two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, wasn’t done. “I can sit here until I’m blue in the face and talk to these guys about what to expect and for the stretch run. I’ve been through it all. I’ve been up 10 games and went home. I’ve been down and we got in the playoffs. I’ve been ahead the whole year and did the same thing. So it doesn’t matter until you do it. The biggest thing these guys can learn is just going through it. Whether we’re there or not, you just go to go through and build on those experiences, and the next year you come out and build on that.” Lester said he asked Maddon to consider moving him up in the rotation because he threw only 1 2/3 innings. He currently is scheduled to pitch Saturday, and moving his start up to Thursday would affect Kyle Hendricks, who is scheduled to pitch that day. But Lester was mindful of his teammates. “I don’t want to move guys around, just to move guys around because I want to pitch because of what happened,” Lester said. Lester was more fussy about his unsuccessful attempt to convince Maddon to let him return after the first rain delay. Lester said he rode a stationary bicycle and threw to stay loose during the day. But the delay was too long for Maddon to take a risk. “Like ‘I’ve always said – (Maddon) is the manager, and it’s his decision. You can argue with him all you want. But at the end of the day, it’s like arguing with your dad. You’re not going to change his mind.” Maddon and Lester praised the PNC Park groundscrew workers for keeping them abreast of the fickle weather that constantly changed and subsequently resulted in a postponement after four innings following a one-hour, 20-minute rain delay. “It stinks, but we have another doubleheader to add to the mix,” Lester said. The Cubs return to PNC Park on Sept. 15-17. There is an off-day on Sept. 14, but that would force the Pirates to play on 30 consecutive days and necessitate approval by the Major League Baseball Players Association. None of the statistics from the first four innings will count, and the game will start over. -- Chicago Tribune Monday's recap: Cubs at Pirates, ppd. By Mark Gonzales A 2-hour, 9-minute rain delay with two outs in the bottom of the second caused Jon Lester to be pulled, and Monday's game between the Cubs and Pirates was postponed in the top of the fifth tied at 1 after a second rain delay lasted 1:20. The game will be rescheduled at a later date. At the plate Kris Bryant said he felt fine after hurting his head Sunday following a headfirst slide. He struck out in his first two at-bats. On the mound Rafael Soriano allowed a leadoff double to Michael Morse to start the third and was pulled two batters later. Key at-bat

The Cubs had a chance to extend their rally in the third, but Jorge Soler flied to center. Key number 134 1/3 – Innings thrown by Lester this season. The quote "I've always slid headfirst, but I think I've made strides sliding feet first when I got to pro ball. Sometimes it's tough to think on the run like that." — Bryant Up next At Pirates, 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, WGN-9. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Kris Bryant says goodbye to headfirst sliding By Mark Gonzales PITTSBURGH — After experiencing a scare four years after a friend was paralyzed, Cubs rookie slugger Kris Bryant vows to no longer employ a headfirst slide. "I have only one head, only one life," Bryant said Monday, one day after feeling weak and leaving in the middle of Sunday's game at Milwaukee after sliding into shortstop Jean Segura. "There's nothing really to joke about with that. So we're taking this very seriously." After leaving the game, Bryant said he immediately thought of Cory Hahn, whose promising career at Arizona State ended in 2011 on a slide against New Mexico. Hahn, who now works in the scouting department for the Diamondbacks, played on scout teams with Bryant during their youth. "It's instinct," said Bryant, who returned to the lineup after showing no lingering symptoms. "It's hard to think when you're running full speed. I think that was the hardest I've run. I run very hard every time and looking back, I think I'll be sliding feet first." Bryant said he never suffered any injury while sliding headfirst until Sunday. "There are more important things than being safe (on a headfirst slide), and I think my safety is more important than that," Bryant said. Schwarber's study hall: Rookie catcher Kyle Schwarber sat Monday night against Francisco Liriano, and there's a chance he might not return to the lineup until Wednesday night against Jeff Locke – the third consecutive left-hander scheduled to face the Cubs. But Maddon has marveled about Schwarber's study habits. "He's a different cat," Maddon said. "He's got the nuances of what's going on." Maddon has been particularly pleased with Schwarber's setup behind the plate and his maneuverability. The sudden array of facing left-handed starters also will give more playing time to Chris Denorfia, who started in left field in place of Chris Coghlan. "You take the good with the bad and do the best you can," Denorfia said.

Extra innings: Catcher Miguel Montero will rejoin the Cubs from a minor league rehab assignment sometime after the start of a four-game series against the Giants. ... Left-hander Clayton Richard was designated for assignment, and outfielder Matt Szczur was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. -- Chicago Sun-Times Javy Baez has big night, comes home run short of cycle in Iowa win By David Just Javy Baez is making steady strides down on the farm. The Cubs infield prospect went 3 for 6 and finished a home run short of the cycle as the Iowa Cubs scored 10 runs in the final two innings to steal a win from the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Monday night. Down a run with two outs in the ninth, Baez smashed a three-run double to right to put Iowa in front. His earlier triple had gone to left field. Baez has now posted a stellar .311/.389/.551 slash line in 43 games and 190 at-bats at Iowa. He’s certainly getting closer to being ready for another promotion to the Cubs. Another Cubs prospect, pitcher Carl Edwards Jr., pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs gain ground on Giants, keep Lester in play for early return after rainout By Gordon Wittenmyer PITTSBURGH – The Cubs didn’t get a victory – didn’t even get to play more than four innings Monday night at PNC Park. But after two lengthy rain delays finally canceled their game against the Pirates Monday night, the Cubs moved into sole possession of the National League’s second wild-card position. And they might even get big-money ace Jon Lester back on short rest earlier in that upcoming four-game, weekend series against the Giants after he threw only 31 pitches Monday. Lester, who faced only five batters before the first deluge hit, offered to come back on short rest, and manager Joe Maddon said he expected to make that decision Tuesday after looking at the rest of the rotation with pitching coach Chris Bosio. What was set, he said: Jake Arrieta and newly acquired Dan Haren are to make their scheduled starts as planned Tuesday and Wednesday in Pittsburgh. The Pirates also are sticking to their scheduled starters for those games (J.A. Happ and Jeff Locke). The Cubs and Pirates were tied 1-1 through four innings when the second of two long rain delays hit, eventually causing a postponement of the game – and wiping out all the records from the game. That included two hits and an RBI by Anthony Rizzo. “He was lamenting that fact, Maddon said. “However, he did say, `Just turn the page,’ to his credit.” No makeup date was announced. The Cubs return to Pittsburgh once more this season for a scheduled three-game series Sept. 15-17.

Neither Maddon nor players blamed the Pirates or umpire crew for the long night at the ballpark without resolution. Lester said the team was kept informed at every turn. And Maddon said the problem was not human error (or motives) but constantly changing weather patterns in the area. “It truly was a weather situation,” Maddon said. “Typical Pennsylvania summer.” Meanwhile, during their second rain delay Monday, the Cubs watched on TV as the Giants’ lost to the Braves on a 12th-inning walkoff – putting the Cubs ahead of the Giants by a half-game in the race for that second wild-card slot. “It was a good game, but it’s still a little early to be wrapped up in that,” Lester said. “We all know we’ve got a big series with them coming up. We also have a lot of baseball to go.” That might be easy for Lester to say – as a two-time World Series champion and veteran of seven pennant races. How does he think this young core of Cubs might handle this one? “This is going to sound really bad, but I’ve always been a big believer in playing stupid,” Lester said. “Being naïve. I’ve seen it. I saw it with the Rays in 2008. They were naïve to the situation [and beat Lester’s Red Sox to reach the World Series]. They had nothing to lose. “We have nothing to lose. We’re not supposed to win. We’re supposedly still in the rebuilding stages. We make the playoffs, that’s just an added bonus. I kind of like having that, to where we’re not really the underdog but just not really expected to do anything. So when we come into situations like this – it’s a little harder in the division just because you play them so many times. … But when we play other teams outside the division, that’s when we can really pounce on the situation and take advantage of that, and maybe kind of sneak-attack guys and take two out of three before they knew what happened.” At 10 games over .500 with two months to play, it remains to be seen how much sneaking up the Cubs can actually do down the stretch. “I can sit here till I’m blue in the face and talk to these guys about what to expect in the stretch run. And I’ve been through it all,” Lester said. “But it doesn’t matter until you actually do it. The biggest thing these guys can learn is just going through it. Whether we’re there at the end or not. Just go through it and then you build on those experiences, and the next year you come out and build on that.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Life has been `whirlwind’ for Cubs’ Addison Russell since last in Pittsburgh By Gordon Wittenmyer PITTSBURGH – It hit Addison Russell almost as soon as he got to PNC Park Monday. “I walked in the clubhouse,” the Cubs’ second baseman said, “and was just like, `Oh, wow, I just remember being here like three months ago just thinking how inexperienced I was.” Russell walked into the big leagues that day, April 21, in Pittsburgh, and quickly experienced his first three-strikeout game in the majors. The next day: his first hit. The day after: his first extra-base hit and RBI in a one-run victory. The next three-plus months have been a “whirlwind” for the Cub rookie, who seems nothing like the quiet kid who debuted the last time he was in Pittsburgh. More confident in the clubhouse, he seems to have developed almost a swagger on the field as he heads into August, having found a hitting groove since the All-Star break.

When he singled leading off the third after a long rain delay Monday night in Pittsburgh, it made him 17-for-57 (.298) since the break, including two homers in the past week. Second wind? Maybe. But more important, he’s adjusted his mechanics, and is starting to drive the ball more consistently. “He has an entirely different kind of stance and setup and start to his swing,” Maddon said. “It’s much more efficient. He’s getting there on fastballs much better. I think he’s making better decisions at the plate.” Russell, at 21 one of the youngest players in the majors, said the mental side of his approach and work with hitting coach John Mallee has been as significant. “I believe that I’m in a good place,” he said. “I seem to get the grasp of things pretty quick the way that he’s explaining things. And we’ve just got a good thing going right now.” He also might be the Cubs’ best starting infielder barely three months after switching from shortstop to learn a new position on the fly. And that could come into play in a big way whenever the Cubs decide to recall AAA shortstop Javy Baez from the minors, which could signal a middle infield shuffle also involving slumping shortstop Starlin Castro. Russell said he’s prepared for anything and welcomes more young players such as Baez joining the team, even if it results in a rotation of middle infielders down the stretch to keep guys fresh. “It’s always good to see those type of guys up here, and that energy’s going to be good,” Russell said. “Some of the guys get tired, and can sometimes need a break. But Joe does a good job of spacing out the playing time and explaining things.” Playing time down the stretch could become a big deal for the Cubs rookies, none of whom have experienced a sixth month in a season. Tuesday’s game will be No. 100 for Russell combined between AAA Iowa and the majors. His career high was 110 games in 2013. Because of injuries he played only 55 last season. “I’m just going to have to do the best that I can,” he said. “I have to come in earlier and make sure the body’s feeling good. Just basically put myself in a good position to succeed and finish up the season strong.” And enjoy the ride. “I’ve gotten to meet some players I watched playing on TV when I was in high school, I go tot have conversations with people I never really thought I’d ever talk to,” he said. For example: Justin Verlander, he said. Whether that involved the chance to meet actor Kate Upton along the way, Russell is enjoying a life nothing like it was four months ago – including regularly getting recognized when he’s out at restaurants in Chicago. “That’s pretty cool,” he said. “I can’t even really explain how much [life has changed]. “I’ve faced failure. I’ve come back from failure. It’s just all the things that I kind of expected from my rookie year and then some. “But I’m glad about where I am today and just trying to get better.” --

Cubs.com Weather postpones Cubs' opener vs. Bucs By Adam Berry PITTSBURGH -- The Cubs took a half-game lead in the race for the National League's second Wild Card spot Monday night. But inclement weather and two lengthy delays halted their first attempt to gain some ground on the Pirates. After a two-hour, nine-minute delay during the second inning, the Cubs and Pirates were further delayed before the fifth inning began. After waiting out the unpredictable weather another hour and 20 minutes, Monday night's game at PNC Park was officially postponed just before 11 p.m. CT. "It was truly a nature situation. Typical Pennsylvania summer," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, a native of Hazleton, Pa. "It felt familiar." A makeup game will be rescheduled at a later date. The Cubs will start right-handers Jake Arrieta and Dan Haren the next two nights, as planned. The Cubs' rotation beyond Wednesday has yet to be finalized. Lester threw only 31 pitches in 1 2/3 innings and could be available sooner than usual given his light workload. "If it's right, then we'll do it. If it's not, then we'll stay in the normal [rotation]," Lester said. "I don't want to move guys around just to move guys around, just because I want to pitch because of what happened tonight." Each team scored a run in the third inning, but the game was delayed again after the fourth as lightning flashed and thunder boomed around the ballpark. Just when it appeared the grounds crew was ready to take off the tarp around 10:10 p.m., the rain briefly returned and the tarp remained on the field. "Nobody was upset here," Maddon said. "I told [crew chief Paul Nauert] I thought he did a good job with trying to get the game in. It just did not want to cooperate." During the second delay, some good news for the Cubs played out on the PNC Park video board. The Braves beat the Giants, 9-8, in 12 innings to give the Cubs a half-game lead in the Wild Card standings. "It was a great game to watch," Lester said. "Obviously it helps us, but at the same time, we've got to worry about what we're doing in this clubhouse day in and day out." This could be an important week for the Cubs' postseason chances, as they're scheduled for two more games with the Pirates and four against the Giants at Wrigley Field. But with Monday night's game washed away, the Pirates' four-game lead over the Cubs for the top Wild Card spot remained intact. "We've got a long ways to go, and we've got to worry about beating the Pirates," Lester said. "If we beat the Pirates, that sets us up pretty well as well. We've got to worry about the task at hand and not what the Giants are doing." -- Cubs.com Bryant healthy, but rethinking slide technique By Adam Berry

PITTSBURGH -- Kris Bryant was back in the Cubs' lineup and ready to play before Monday night's rainout in Pittsburgh, but his early exit from Sunday's game may force him to reconsider one aspect of his game. Bryant passed all of the necessary concussion tests after leaving in the fifth inning of Sunday's 4-3 win over the Brewers following a hard slide into second base. Brewers shortstop Jean Segura appeared to accidentally hit Bryant in the head during the slide. "I feel a little bit better. Just kind of precautionary yesterday," Bryant said Monday at PNC Park. "I only have one head. I only have one life. There's nothing really to joke about with that, so we're taking it really serious." Bryant has never had a similar issue in the past. But Sunday's scare, brief as it was, led Bryant to reconsider his head-first slides on the basepaths. In fact, Bryant said, it was the first thing he thought about after leaving the game. "That's just instinct, though. It's hard to think when you're running full speed. I think that's the hardest I've run all year, and I run pretty hard every time," Bryant said. "Looking back on it, yeah, I think sliding feet first is the more safe way to go. "I've always slid head first, but I've made some pretty good strides sliding feet-first when I got into pro ball. It's just instincts. Sometimes it's hard to think on the run like that." Bryant is a friend of Cory Hahn, the former Arizona State University baseball player who broke his neck and wound up paralyzed from the chest down after a head-first slide into second base in college. "I think there's more important things than being [called] safe," Bryant said. "I think my safety's more important than that. Definitely makes you rethink some things." Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he had no problem with the way Bryant slid on Sunday but acknowledged the benefits -- both in terms of safety and effectiveness -- of sliding feet first. "You always prefer feet-first sliding," Maddon said. "A lot of guys aren't really good at it or don't like it. But I'll tell you one thing, infielders don't like it because it's a much more intimidating way to apply a tag. ... If a guy's coming feet first, you will never attempt to block the bag." -- Cubs.com Cubs designate Richard, recall Szczur By Adam Berry PITTSBURGH -- The Cubs designated left-hander Clayton Richard for assignment on Monday -- for the second time in the last two weeks -- in order to balance out their thin bench. Outfielder Matt Szczur was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Richard's spot on the active roster. He was available for Monday night's series opener against the Pirates at PNC Park, once again giving the Cubs a four-man bench. The Cubs had been carrying eight relievers and only three reserve position players -- Chris Denorfia, David Ross and Jonathan Herrera. The Pirates are set to start three straight left-handers this week, so the Cubs added a right-handed hitter in Szczur. "To carry an extra pitcher with only a three-man bench would've been kind of difficult. We had to balance it out a little bit," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Game in progress, you're going to need it."

Richard was coming off a solid start Sunday, when he held the Brewers to one run on five hits over six innings. But with right-hander Dan Haren set to make his first start for the Cubs on Wednesday, there once again wasn't a spot for Richard. The Cubs picked up Richard from the Pirates on July 3. He made three appearances, including two starts, before being designated off the active roster on July 22. Richard cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A before being called up again to start Sunday. "Clayton's done a great job for us," Maddon said. "With the situation, we had to augment the team on the field. We couldn't afford to carry that many pitchers, so we chose to do this. "Everything was discussed. All we could do for right now was to designate him. That's the only option we had." -- Cubs.com Cubs eye 6th straight win as Arrieta faces Bucs By John McGonigal With Pittsburgh primed and positioned for postseason play, recent acquisition J.A. Happ is excited to be a part of the club as he makes his Pirates debut Tuesday against Jake Arrieta and the Cubs at PNC Park. With Monday's series opener postponed after the fourth inning, both starters -- Jon Lester (1 2/3 IP) and Francisco Liriano (2 IP) -- were used, and both teams will keep their rotations on track and unaffected through at least Tuesday's game. Happ, who was acquired on Friday from the Mariners, totes a less-than-stellar 4.64 ERA and 4-6 record, but he feels healthy and confident. "It's nice to go to a club that's in it, playing good baseball," Happ said. "I know they're in the thick of things, and it should be an exciting couple months down the stretch." While things haven't gone too well for Happ recently -- Seattle was 1-10 in his last 11 starts -- the same can't be said for Arrieta. The 29-year-old right-hander (11-6, 2.62 ERA) makes his first start of August after going 4-1 with a 1.90 ERA in July. Three things to know for this game • Despite the rainout, Chicago took a half-game lead for the second spot in the National League Wild Card race following a Giants loss Monday. The Cubs are going for their sixth consecutive victory. • Arrieta has allowed just two earned runs in 14 innings against Pittsburgh this year, but Pirates star Andrew McCutchen has historically owned an advantage over the Cubs starter, hitting .412 (7-of-17), with two doubles and a .974 OPS. • The last time Happ faced the Cubs was on June 30, 2012, with the Astros. He surrendered three runs on five hits over six innings in a loss to then-Chicago pitcher Matt Garza. Only two Cubs position players who played that day -- shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony Rizzo -- are still with Chicago. • Pittsburgh hasn't done well this year in the second game of series against division rivals, going 4-10 and being outscored 65-47. Three of the four wins were at home. --

ESPNChicago.com Rapid Reaction: Cubs washed out By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates were rained out after two delays totaling 3:29. Here's a quick look at the details: How it happened: The game started on time despite some early showers but got delayed in the bottom of the second inning for 2:09. Starters Jon Lester and Francisco Liriano didn't return as Rafael Soriano and Joe Blanton took over. Rain came again after four innings, delaying the game for 1:20 before it was called for good. No makeup date was given. What it means: Anthony Rizzo's two hits were washed out as was David Ross' pickoff of a runner at first base and one trying to steal second on him. More important is the fact the makeup game adds to an already busy finish to the season. The Cubs already have two off-days taken up this month due to previous rain outs. Now they may have to use up another one. The Cubs did pull ahead of San Francisco by a 0.5 game for the second wild-card position as the Giants lost on Monday night. The rotation: Lester and Joe Maddon will talk with pitching coach Chris Bosio to determine if they want to bring him back on short rest after the lefty threw just 31 pitches on Monday. He could pitch on Thursday or Friday against the Giants instead of Saturday. What's next: Game 2 of the series takes place on Tuesday night when Jake Arrieta (11-6, 2.62) takes on J.A. Happ (0-0, 0.00). -- ESPNChicago.com Rain washes away Jon Lester's start but not his playoff perspective By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon claims he wasn't frustrated with two long rain delays totaling 3 hours, 29 minutes before his team's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates was finally postponed on Monday night. After all, he grew up in the area. "It was truly a nature situation," Maddon said afterwards. "A typical Pennsylvania summer." The starts and stops ruined Jon Lester's night after just 31 pitches so the discussion on Tuesday will focus on whether to bring Lester back on short rest. "I don't want to move guys around just to move guys around just because I want to pitch because of this," Lester stated. "If it's a possibility, great, if not I'll pitch on my normal turn." The Cubs might want to send him back out there as soon as possible considering his 1.66 ERA and major league leading 50 strikeouts in July. He had three more to start his August but they were washed away as the game will have to be replayed from the beginning. Lester tried to convince Maddon he could keep going after the first delay -- though 2:09 is usually too long to take the mound again. "It's like arguing with your dad, you're not going to change his mind," Lester joked. "It stinks but we have just another doubleheader to add to the mix." The playoff race: While waiting for the game to resume the Cubs watched their main wild-card rival, the San Francisco Giants, blow a 6-0 lead to the Atlanta Braves eventually losing 9-8 in extra innings. The Cubs aren't exactly scoreboard watching on a day-to-day basis but they're aware of their surroundings. "If this was the middle of September I'd probably be talking about it a little more," Lester said.

But Lester did talk more about the playoff chase in general. He's been through it all. Leading by a lot in a division and trailing in a wild card race. He likes the Cubs position in that it's the first time a team full of young players is experiencing meaningful games. He'd rather they didn't think about it though. "I've always been a big believer in playing stupid," he said. "We have nothing to lose. We're not supposed to win. We're supposedly still in the rebuilding stages." Lester stopped short of calling the Cubs underdogs but that's exactly what they are. And it's a position that really can only be used once in a team's progression. Next year the Cubs can't use that angle -- but they can now. "Maybe we can sneak attack guys and take 2 of 3," he said half-kidding. "We're not really the underdog but we're not expected to do anything. If we make the playoffs it's an added bonus. I like that." It allows a young team to play loose. The moment they tighten up is the moment they give away a small advantage. The Pirates and Giants are supposed to get to the postseason, they've been there before. Let them feel the pressure. "The biggest thing these guys can learn is to go through it," Lester said. "Whether we're there at the end or not you just have to go through it and then you build on those experiences." -- ESPNChicago.com Kris Bryant won't slide head first anymore By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant says he's done with headfirst slides after leaving a game on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers due to dizziness. "I only have one head," Bryant said on Monday. "I only have one life so there's nothing really to joke about." Bryant went through concussion protocols and was deemed OK to play Monday night after making contact with Brewers shortstop Jean Segura while sliding head first into second base in the fifth inning of the Cubs' 4-3 win. The play was a wake-up call for Bryant, as it reminded him of friend and former Arizona State player Cory Hahn's incident where he was left paralyzed after a headfirst slide. "I've always slid head first but I've made some pretty good strides in sliding feet first," Bryant said. "Sometimes it's hard to think on the run." Bryant says the coaches encourage players to slide feet first but manager Joe Maddon thought the injury was more of a fluke than anything else. "I didn't have any problem with it," he said. "It's a crazy game, things happen. You always prefer feetfirst sliding. A lot of guys aren't good at it or don't like it but I'll tell you one thing, infielders don't like it because it's a much more intimidating way to apply a tag." Bryant hopes he can change his ways, though sometimes "instincts" take over. He knows a head injury can be a serious issue. "There's more important things than being safe (at the base)," Bryant said. --

ESPNChicago.com Cubs designate Clayton Richard for assignment, promote Matt Szczur By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- For the second time this season the Chicago Cubs designated lefty pitcher Clayton Richard for assignment while promoting outfielder Matt Szczur from Triple-A Iowa, manager Joe Maddon announced Monday afternoon before the Cubs played the Pittsburgh Pirates. Richard, 31, is actually 2-0 for the Cubs this season, having won his latest start on Sunday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers, but his roster spot was in jeopardy the moment the Cubs traded for Miami Marlins starter Dan Haren on Friday. "Clayton did a great job for us but we had to augment the team on the field," Maddon said. "We just can't afford to carry that many pitchers." The Cubs had 14 pitchers on their roster, which meant a short bench and hence the demotion of Richard who the Cubs would love to keep if he can clear waivers again. Meanwhile, Szczur has appeared in 32 games for the Cubs this season compiling a .211 batting average with a home run and eight RBIs. He's known as a defensive whiz in the outfield. "We wanted to balance it out a little bit," Maddon said. Maddon now has two left-handed batters, a righty and a switch hitter on the bench as the Cubs take on three lefty starters for the Pirates this week. Rookie Kyle Schwarber isn't starting behind the plate on Monday night as tough lefty Francisco Liriano throws for the Pirates -- and David Ross catches Jon Lester -- but he will play Wednesday when Jeff Locke starts. Maddon sounded undecided about Tuesday's catcher as another lefty, J.A. Happ, pitches for the Pirates while Jake Arrieta is on the mound for the Cubs. Maddon has been hesitant to use Schwarber when Arrieta throws, but it sounds like he's getting closer to allowing it. "I think Schwarber has advanced defensively," Maddon said. The bigger issue looming is playing time once Miguel Montero returns from a thumb injury. He had a hit in his first rehab assignment for Double-A Tennessee on Sunday and Maddon believes he should be ready by this weekend. Then the manager will have some tough decisions to make. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs push to the playoffs begins By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH – Sixteen of 58. That’s how many games the Chicago Cubs have left against the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, their two main competitors for wild-card positions. The New York Mets are part of that group, but the Cubs already swept the season series against them. So now their sights are set on more than just a winning record as their weekend takedown of the Milwaukee Brewers has set them up for a dramatic finish to the season. The Cubs hold their fate in their own hands as they have a favorable schedule with home games throughout the dog days of August while the Giants have a brutal stretch starting with this weekend’s series against the Cubs. San Francisco will play 26 straight against plus-.500 teams, which is the exact same number of games the Cubs have the entire rest of the season against plus-.500. The Philadelphia Phillies proved in sweeping the Cubs recently any team can beat any other on a given night or series, but the closer we get to the offseason the more likely those sub-par teams won’t be as focused. The Cubs should take advantage just as they did in Milwaukee.

So maybe the only questions are can the Cubs hold up against the playoff tested teams, and are their rookies ready for the pressure of a postseason race? By the end of this week we may know if the Milwaukee series set the Cubs up for some big things to come or if the results were a mirage generated from the timing of the trade deadline where the Brewers ripped up their offense. Will the step up in class prove too much? As for the youth on the team, it feels like several of their young guys already hit a wall in July and maybe they’re coming out of it. August is usually the month for that but with rookies it may come earlier. Addison Russell is reborn with his new batting stance, driving the ball with a leg kick we haven’t seen before while playing lights-out at second base. “He thinks he can hit every ball hard,” manager Joe Maddon said over the weekend. Jorge Soler also looks more comfortable at the plate while Kyle Schwarber isn’t showing any signs of rookie nerves. That leave Kris Bryant, whose hustle play on Sunday to get to second base on his run-scoring single is yet another reminder he’s a winning player despite some struggles at the plate. You don’t worry about Bryant. There will be a hot streak in him to come or at the very least he’ll contribute to winning games. That’s all Maddon asks of his players. Just contribute. Shortstop Starlin Castro could be a key player for the Cubs down the stretch. Unless there’s some radical moving of the chess pieces in order to sit him once Miguel Montero comes back, Castro’s first job is to play solid defense. There may never be a more confounding player in the field. He made glorious defensive plays against the Brewers then almost cost them the finale on Sunday, making an error on a routine play with two outs in the ninth. It’s impossible for the shortstop not to be a key in a playoff push, right? Is Castro up for it? The pitching staff got a boost from the additions of Tommy Hunter and Dan Haren. Their rotation has been solid most of the season, and the bullpen has mostly been good as well. A hiccup here or there is expected, but a healthy relief staff will be a huge key. Maddon has been cognizant of their workload – same with his position players. We’ll see if his early season use of all of his players pays off now. As for Maddon, calls to win manager of the year haven’t started but they may soon. No team has ever made the playoffs playing four rookie position players on a regular or even semi-regular basis. If the Cubs just come close Maddon should probably win the award; if they actually beat out the world champions or another perennial playoff contender then start building the statue now. All the pieces are in place for a great finish. The Brewers helped make sure of that, allowing the Cubs to reach 10 games over .500 for the first time. Now they have to do the rest. It starts in Pittsburgh where, according to ESPN Stats and Information, the Cubs have averaged a run more per game against the Pirates than the rest of the league. They’re four back of the first wild card spot with three to play this week against the team ahead of them. It feels like the playoffs start on Monday. -- CSNChicago.com Rained out in Pittsburgh, Jon Lester wants Cubs to play 'stupid' down the stretch By Patrick Mooney PITTSBURGH — Jon Lester’s Cubs Way for young players learning on the job and experiencing a pennant race for the first time: “This is going to sound really bad, but I’ve always been a big believer in playing stupid,” Lester said. “Being naïve.” The Cubs wanted their young players to feel the thunder-and-lightning intensity of a playoff-type atmosphere against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

The Cubs got actual thunder and lightning on Monday night, sitting through two separate rain delays that combined to last three hours and 29 minutes before the game got postponed at almost midnight local time. Manager Joe Maddon didn’t become frustrated with the way this 1-1 tie got wiped away after four innings, blaming it on unpredictable, shifting weather patterns: “It was truly a nature situation. Typical Pennsylvania summer.” The game won’t be replayed this week as part of a doubleheader. The Cubs still have Jake Arrieta (11-6, 2.62 ERA) and Dan Haren (7-7, 3.42 ERA) lined up for Tuesday and Wednesday against the Pirates (61-43). The Cubs (57-47) are already scheduled to return to Pittsburgh next month (Sept. 15-17) for another series that could have huge playoff implications. Lester remembered the win-or-else pressure he felt with the Boston Red Sox and how Maddon’s carefree Tampa Bay Rays did the worst-to-first turnaround and made it to the World Series. “I saw it with the Rays in 2008,” Lester said. “They were naïve to the situation. They had nothing to lose. We have nothing to lose. We’re not supposed to win. We’re supposedly still in the rebuilding stages. “If we make the playoffs, that’s just an added bonus. I like that. I like (how) we’re not really the underdog, but we’re (also) not really expected to do anything.” The Cubs are 10 games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2008 season, when they captured a second straight division title before falling into an organizational abyss. It’s hard to remember another week that’s been this anticipated around the team (or at least one that involved actual, meaningful games and not trade-deadline intrigue, the debut of another hyped prospect or some Wrigley Field renovation update). The Cubs openly overpaid Lester — $155 million guaranteed — for his been-there, done-that big-game experience. Lester got five outs and pushed Francisco Cervelli to a 3-2 count before the storm became too much and both teams cleared the field in the middle of a scoreless game. The first rain delay started in the second inning and lasted two hours and nine minutes, forcing the Cubs and Pirates to scrap what had been a matchup between two left-handed starters with elite stuff: Lester vs. Francisco Liriano. The Cubs haven’t reworked their rotation yet, but Lester threw only 32 pitches and sounded optimistic that he wouldn’t have to wait another five days. The San Francisco Giants will open a marquee four-game series on Thursday night at Wrigley Field. During the second delay, PNC Park’s video board in left field showed the Atlanta Braves coming back to beat the Giants in the 12th inning. That 9-8 loss at Turner Field moved the defending World Series champs to a half-game out of the second wild-card spot now held by the Cubs. All together now: Play stupid. “When we play other teams outside the division,” Lester said, “that’s when we can really kind of pounce on the situation and take advantage of that, maybe kind of sneak attack guys and take two out of three before they know what happened.” --

CSNChicago.com Cubs: Social media is biggest winner/loser at trade deadline By Patrick Mooney PITTSBURGH — Starlin Castro says he heard enough speculation about getting traded that he stopped checking his Instagram account, trying to block out the noise from Cubs fans wondering what’s next for the All-Star shortstop. The lasting image from this deadline will be New York Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores in tears, thinking he’s about to be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Amid a flurry of jump-the-gun reports, Carlos Gomez posed with teammates on a charter flight for a goodbye photo that went up on Twitter and has since been deleted. That deal fell apart, and by July 30 the Brewers had shipped their All-Star/Gold Glove center fielder to the Houston Astros. The next night, Flores made it through the deadline and hit a walk-off homer in the 12th inning to beat the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. This in a season where the Boston Red Sox benched Pablo Sandoval for “liking” an attractive woman’s pictures on Instagram during the middle of a game. Sandoval admitted to checking his cell phone while using the bathroom, and it became the perfect storm for a last-place team, an overheated media market and the new guy with a five-year, $95 million contract. If you are a young, rich and famous ballplayer, why even bother being on social media? “I like to talk s--- to people,” Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta said. “People like to talk s--- to me.” As soon as Arrieta started his bromance with David Price on Twitter, it became part of a larger story about what the Detroit Tigers might do at the trade deadline and how hard the Cubs will pursue the Toronto Blue Jays rent-a-pitcher this winter. “I like to connect with fans,” Arrieta said. “I don’t use Facebook because it’s all people that I used to kind of know, (back) in high school, third cousins and stuff. I don’t like Facebook. “With Twitter, it’s more like a fan experience. I can interact with them and people from all over the world. Different businesses, companies, networking, I like to (explore) things I’m interested in, so I do reach out to people, or they reach out to me.” Joe Maddon started a Twitter account at his old job to help promote the Tampa Bay Rays, and it has grown to around 246,000 followers. The Cubs manager explained his social-media policy in less than 140 characters: “Just don’t get caught.” “People are going to talk,” said Addison Russell, the rookie second baseman who found himself under a completely different microscope when the Oakland A’s traded him to the Cubs last year. “People are going to share their opinions. “I myself have a personal life. If I have a free minute, and I feel willing to post something that I’m doing, or something that I’m interested in, I’ll go ahead and post it if it’s not offending anyone.” Even if it sometimes feels like the game is trending this way, players aren’t robots or only numbers on a screen. “I still have family and friends back home that are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,” Russell said. “I like to let them know how I’m doing from time to time. People are going to talk. They’re going to send you rude messages. They’re going to send you great messages. “At the end of the day, a ballplayer is another person. We’re just trying to do our job, have some fun and provide for our families. That’s No. 1 for us.”

Jon Lester engaged with angry Red Sox fans on Twitter last December after signing his six-year, $155 million contract with the Cubs, which amounted to $20 million more than what Boston guaranteed in its final lowball offer. Lester said: “The important part of that whole deal was to get the Boston fans that truly understood the decision, and that truly support us, and try to give them a response. “Let them know that they’ll always be a part of our lives and part of our hearts. We’ll never forget our times and our relationships and memories that we’ve had there. “Obviously, within that, you’re going to get just a few people that ruin it for everybody else. The biggest thing is we didn’t want (to let) them ruin it for everybody else. We wanted to continue with the good ones — and we felt like we could be a little bit of a smartass with the bad ones.” The smart-ass New York tabloids — Daily News, Post and Newsday — went with pictures of Flores and “CRYING SHAME.” “That’s kind of awkward, obviously,” Maddon said. “That’s just a product of today’s society and technology. Without social media and everybody having a voice and an opinion right now, something like that probably could not happen — wouldn’t have happened — 10 years ago (or) maybe even five years ago. “It’s the world we live in right now. There’s a lot of things in today’s existence that I think make everything better. I can’t tell you that social media actually does. You got to live with it.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs: Kris Bryant shaken up by concussion scare By Patrick Mooney PITTSBURGH — The Cubs followed concussion protocol and cleared Kris Bryant — one of the franchise’s most valuable long-term assets — to play in Monday night’s showdown with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bryant was back in the lineup, batting third and playing third base at PNC Park, saying he felt fine but still sounding a little shaken up from the headfirst slide that forced him to leave Sunday’s 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers as a precaution. “I only have one head,” Bryant said, and a few reporters at his locker chuckled, thinking he was kidding around. “I only have one life. So there’s nothing really to joke about with that. We’re taking it real serious.” To the point where Bryant will have to reconsider sliding headfirst ever again. “Absolutely,” Bryant said. “That is the first thing I thought after (the play). One of my buddies from Arizona State — he slid headfirst and he’s paralyzed now.” Bryant had played in travel tournaments with Cory Hahn, who now works in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ scouting department after suffering that devastating injury three games into his freshman season with the Sun Devils in 2011. Bryant said he never experienced anything like this before, not so much dizziness, but just a weak overall feeling from Jean Segura’s hard tag and the collision at second base. Bryant — an aggressive base runner with surprisingly good speed for a 6-foot-5 slugger — stretched an RBI single in the fifth inning at Miller Park. “It’s just instinct,” Bryant said. “It’s hard to think when you’re running full speed. I think that’s the hardest I’ve run all year, and I run pretty hard every time.

“Looking back on it, yeah, sliding feet-first is the more safe way to go.” Bryant is 23 years old, already an All-Star and an extremely marketable player as a rookie. He should have a long, productive career in front of him. “I feel like you’re kind of more elusive when you slide headfirst,” Bryant said. “But I think there’s more important things than being safe. My safety is more important. It definitely makes you rethink some things.” --