May 17, 2015 Chicago Tribune After Travis Wood notches save, Cubs announce he's heading to bullpen By Fred Mitchell Travis Wood, who earned his first career save Saturday against the Pirates, is headed to the bullpen, manager Joe Maddon said after the 4-1 victory. "He is going to be in the bullpen, and then we will make an announcement (Sunday) regarding what we are going to do at some point," Maddon said. One possibility could be promoting left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada from Triple-A Iowa, where he has been rehabbing from a groin injury. "I hope I get called up, but I don't know yet," Wada told reporters through an interpreter Thursday after his last outing. Wada, 34, joined Iowa on April 17 and his 30-day allotted rehab time is winding down, though he has minor league options remaining. He's 1-3 with a 2.86 ERA this season. He went 4-4 with the Cubs last season, posting a 3.25 ERA. Wood's relief appearance was the fifth of his career and first since Sept. 11, 2012, against the Brewers. He has struggled as a starter this year. Getting the job done: Jon Lester (4-2) was sharp while earning a victory for the fourth consecutive start. He experienced a cramp in the seventh inning when the Pirates threatened with two men on and Andrew McCutchen at the plate. After a visit to the mound from Maddon and the trainer, Lester looked Maddon in the eye and said he was OK. Following a wild pitch, Lester managed to retire McCutchen for the third out. Lester displayed rare emotion as he swung his arm forcefully heading toward the dugout. "That was kind of a huge turning point in the game right there," Lester said. "They got a little momentum, some infield hits. To get out of there unscathed was huge, especially in a tight game." Roster move: Outfielder Matt Szczur, who was the hero in Friday's victory over the Pirates with a fluke game-winning single, was sent down to Iowa Saturday. Right-handed reliever Brian Schlitter was recalled because of the tired bullpen. "Szczur was wonderful," Maddon said. "Of course he didn't like it. But he understood it. It's just the way it has to be. Just picking up the pen. There were just no other options." Schlitter allowed two hits in the eighth without recording an out.

Maddon says he is sensitive to the problems some of his relievers have been experiencing. "You have to keep talking to them. And you have to keep putting them back out there," Maddon said. "Have to keep shooting. More than anything, it's probably based on location. I have always believed every pitch is the right pitch to throw in any count if it is located properly and thrown in the right spot with conviction. "You have to help them get beyond that moment when they start doubting themselves. That's the biggest problem for any player. But when a relief pitcher starts doubting himself and expects something bad to happen again, it probably will. That's hard, man. It's hard." Lefty-righty: Maddon says he does not subscribe to the conventional notion that left-handed relievers should be brought in to face left-handed batters and right-handers for right-handed hitters. He brought in left-hander Zac Rosscup to face the right-handed-hitting McCutchen on Friday and he flew out to right. "A lot of people say: 'How could you possibly do that?' But you do," Maddon said. "And I am not the only one. There have been a lot of guys who do it the same way." Extra innings: The Cubs have gone a season-high seven games without an error. … Jorge Soler has hit safely in 13 of 16 games this month to raise his average to .281. … Lester became the 22nd active pitcher to reach 1,500 strikeouts when he fanned Sean Rodriguez in the fourth inning. -- Chicago Tribune Saturday's recap: Cubs 4, Pirates 1 By Fred Mitchell The summary Jon Lester won his fourth straight outing with seven strong innings to defeat Pirates ace Gerrit Cole 4-1 before the largest crowd at Wrigley Field this season: 38,883. The Cubs’ victory was their sixth in a row. On the mound For the first time in his career Lester allowed at least nine hits, but he gave up only one run. The Cubs are 16-2 when their starter has a quality outing. At the plate Anthony Rizzo has a nine-game hitting streak, one shy of his career high from July 11-24 last season. In the field Second baseman Addison Russell made an acrobatic catch of Neil Walker's soft liner in the sixth inning. The number 1,500 — Lester's career strikeouts after he caught Sean Rodriguez looking in the fourth inning. Lester struck out four more Pirates and finished the day with seven. The quote "The atmosphere has always been great here, even before the (left-field) bleachers opened up. These fans are into it, they want us to win and they show up every day." — Lester on support at Wrigley Field

Up next Vs. Pirates, 1:20 p.m., Sunday; WGN-9. -- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon living in the moment but not getting wrapped up in it By Fred Mitchell Joe Maddon insists he is trying to avoid becoming a fan. That is he won't succumb to the fickle day-to-day emotions that only non-invested bystanders can afford to feel and express. Yet as a fairly objective observer and astute manager of a burgeoning Cubs team, Maddon allows that he hardly can wait to see how the young nucleus of this ballclub might withstand the pressure of a division race. Of course, it is only the middle of May, but riding a six-game winning streak while chasing the first-place Cardinals inspires optimism. The Cubs subdued the Pirates again Saturday at Wrigley Field, winning 4-1 behind starter Jon Lester's seven staunch innings, Travis Wood's first career save and fundamental hitting, fielding and baserunning. The Cubs have won six in a row for the first time since winning seven straight from July 31-Aug. 6, 2011. "The pertinent part is to not be locked up in the emotion of the moment," Maddon said of his role. "Don't become a fan. Just continue to be the manager. When bad things are happening, you have to fight that tendency to become emotional and just play along. You can't permit that to happen. So when it gets rowdy like that, you have to stay focused on what's going on, who's on deck, what's going on in the bullpen? Is my defense in the right spot? Honestly, that can be difficult sometimes." Lester alleviated a lot of potential stress with his performance as he improved to 4-2 with a 3.70 ERA after a shaky start this season. Offensively, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler each collected two hits to help send Pirates ace Gerrit Cole (5-2, 2.40) to the showers after giving up two runs on seven hits in six innings. "I do have a little gig on the top of my card written on a nightly basis that says: 'Do not be a fan.' I tell myself that," Maddon said. "(That's) so I don't forget certain things. I think it becomes stressful when you become a fan. If you remain manager, it is not as stressful." Even though Maddon tries to remain detached from fan emotions, he realizes the early potential of this team to hang around and perhaps contend for the National League Central title throughout the summer and fall. "A mind once stretched has a difficult time going back to its original form," Maddon said. "There is no other way to be. When you play this game, you want to be at that moment always … every day. If you train yourself to be in that moment like that all of the time, then there is no longer pressure. There is nothing to take on a negative connotation. It should be one (moment) that really brings out the best in you." The Cubs are six games above .500 for the first time since Oct. 3, 2009, when they were 83-77. "I really believe our guys have the mettle to handle all that stuff," Maddon said regarding high expectations. "We have to get there and live it first, and you have to teach yourselves how to win this year so we can do it on an annual basis. The Pirates were that way for several years, for an example." A crowd of 33,883 represented the largest this season at Wrigley Field.

"I'm looking forward to some winning baseball," Bryant said. "Having the fans out there screaming their heads off and just having fun with it. … Today was a good game for us, kind of getting that atmosphere going. When they open up the new bleachers out there in right field, it will be even better. So we are all really excited for it." -- Chicago Sun-Times Travis Wood heading to Cubs bullpen By Brian Sandalow Travis Wood is going to the bullpen. Joe Maddon said Wood, who picked up his first career save in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, will not make his next start and is heading to the bullpen. Wood is 2-2 with a 5.59 earned-run average and has struggled in May, allowing 15 earned runs in three starts. That is before Saturday, when he threw a perfect ninth. Closer Hector Rondon had worked in three straight games, and though he warmed up, Wood got the chance to hold a three-run lead. “He got a save,” Maddon said. “It was a beautiful thing, man.” With Wood in the bullpen, there’s a hole in the rotation. Maddon said the Cubs would make an announcement Sunday about what they would do. He was then asked whether the announcement had something to do with Tsuyoshi Wada, whose rehab stint at Triple-A Iowa is expiring after he started the season on the disabled list with a mild left groin strain. “We’ll announce everything tomorrow. That’s a good try,” Maddon said wryly. “I don’t cave that easily, man.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Jon Lester looks the part in Cubs' sixth straight win By Brian Sandalow Games like Saturday are partially why the Cubs gave Jon Lester $155 million for six years. Sure, they’ll get their full money’s worth if and when he wins in October, but what he did against Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates on a warm May afternoon has value as well. Pitching with the wind blowing out and a day after the bullpen was shredded over 6 1/3 innings, Lester threw seven innings and allowed only one run while striking out seven in a 4-1 victory over the Pirates. The bullpen needed to be saved, and even with a hot offense Lester probably wasn’t getting much support against Cole, but he did more than enough to lead the Cubs to their sixth consecutive victory. In short, it was an ace’s performance. “Obviously, we all know, starting pitchers coming into the day of your start what kind of transpired the day before, the day before that,” Lester said. “Obviously yesterday was a long one for us and you know you have to figure out a way to go deep in the game.” What Lester did is what somebody with Lester’s contract and pedigree is expected to do. Actually, it’s what Lester needs to do for the Cubs to turn their warm May feelings into a season with a memorable October conclusion. Other than Sean Rodriguez’s third-inning home run, Lester looked and acted the part of the true No. 1 starter the Cubs think he is. “He’s done it before and he knows what it takes to be that,” Maddon said.

Lester’s outing reached its crescendo in the seventh. With two runners on and the Cubs up 2-1, Lester grabbed at his side on an 0-1 pitch to Andrew McCutchen and was tended to by Maddon and a trainer. After looking at Maddon and saying he was fine, Lester threw a wild pitch that moved runners to first and third, but recovered and got McCutchen looking with a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner to end the threat. As he left the mound, Lester yelled in excitement and the season-high crowd of 38,883 erupted. “Not just for me… that’s kind of a huge turning point in the game right there,” Lester said. “They got a little momentum, some infield hits. To get out of there unscathed is huge, especially in that tight game.” A little more than a month ago, there was doubt whether Lester would create that at Wrigley. He lost his first two decisions as he worked back to form after the dead arm that plagued him in spring training. But things have changed in May. Not only did he get his 1,500th strikeout of his career when he struck out Rodriguez to end the fourth, but he won his fourth consecutive start for the fifth time and first since May 3, 2011. “Jon was Jon. He’s pretty special out there,” Kris Bryant said. “Competing every pitch. He made some really good pitches. I think we were in a couple jams there and he got some big strikeouts. He wears his heart on his sleeve and it’s pretty cool to see out of a guy like that. I’m learning a lot from him and how he focused he is. He did a really good job today.” Maddon echoed that. “Jonny was fabulous and that permitted everything to work for us today, because their pitcher was really good too,” Maddon said. “That’s what I was talking about – you have to pitch better than good pitching to win, and we had the better pitching today. Jonny set that whole thing up. He was outstanding.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Maddon not bound by conventional wisdom By Brian Sandalow The so-called “book” of accepted baseball logic said Joe Maddon made a curious move in the sixth inning of Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the bases loaded and two outs, Maddon brought in left-hander Zac Rosscup to face former MVP and right-handed hitter Andrew McCutchen, replacing righty reliever Justin Grimm. A closer look, however, might reveal why Maddon made the move he did. Entering Friday, right-handers had three home runs but were hitting .219 against Rosscup, and the young lefty also had moved past his appearance Sunday in Milwaukee when he gave up two homers. McCutchen is also off to a slow start for his standards, and was hitting .250 against lefties, though for his career he’s a .326 hitter against southpaws. “I’m not concerned left or right or right or left. There’s guys that are neutral and there’s actually guys that reverse. There’s actual pitchers that get both sides out well, and there’s actually guys that get out the opposite side better,” Maddon said. “It’s been pounded into our mindset for too long that it’s got to be a righty on a righty and a lefty on a lefty. For me, ‘Cup, he falls in that category of getting anybody out. “I thought Grimm had reached his Waterloo. He pitched the day before. You could see he was really grinding it out. He was not comfortable. We did not want to lose the lead right there.” Rosscup’s ability to get righties – even McCutchen – was more important to Maddon than the traditional wisdom. And it paid off when McCutchen flew out to Jorge Soler.

“All I was trying to do is get him out, so I wasn’t thinking about he’s a former MVP or something like that,” Rosscup said. “I’ve just got to attack the hitter that’s in front of me.” That Maddon made the move he did was another sign that he doesn’t always care for baseball orthodoxy. On Friday in both pre- and post-game sessions with the media, Maddon railed against excessive batting practice. Normally, BP is an accepted part of baseball preparation, but that didn’t matter much to Maddon, whose team skipped batting practice Saturday for the third consecutive game. “We took it during the game today,” Maddon quipped Friday. “That’s my point though. It has nothing to do with the outcome of the game. It has everything to do with pitching. If you’re pitching well you can take five hours of BP if you have a good pitcher out there and it’s not going to help you.” That line of thinking might not go with traditional baseball management, and neither did using Rosscup when he did Friday. Perhaps neither does the conversation the two had a bit after Rosscup’s rough outing against the Brewers. Maddon said he told Rosscup he had “confidence with you against anybody at any time. Just know that. Just know that. I’ll put you in against anybody at any time.’” Maddon lived up to that, conventional wisdom or not. “I’m just trying not to disappoint,” Rosscup said. “He’s told me that he’s got confidence in me and you can see that in the moves he makes.” RELIEF IN THE PEN Reliever Brian Schlitter was recalled from Triple-A Iowa and outfielder Matt Szczur was optioned. The move was in response to the heavy workload endured recently by the bullpen, but it also leaves the Cubs with 14 pitchers and only three position players off the bench. “That’s just the way it has to be,” Maddon said. “We had to thicken up the pen and there was just no other options.” That might be, but at least for Saturday the Cubs’ bench was down to catchers Welington Castillo and Miguel Montero, plus infielder Jonathan Herrera. Maddon hinted that situation might not carry into Sunday, though Szczur can’t come back for 10 days, barring an injury. “There’s a lot of different possibilities but just for today, we wanted to do this just for today,” Maddon said. “Then we’ll figure out tomorrow.” -- Daily Herald Miles: Cubs display plenty of guts, reap lots of glory By Bruce Miles Joe Maddon is fond of a nice glass of red wine following Cubs games. But the manager may have seen fit to share a six-pack of suds with somebody following Saturday's gutsy 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. That's six-pack as in 6 straight victories for the Cubs, who are sporting a nice 21-15 record. Maddon pulled out all of his managerial stops on a warm, humid day while a season-high 38,883 nervously watched.

Starting pitcher and ace Jon Lester did his part by overcoming cramps in his upper right leg and pitching 7 innings to improve to 4-2 with a 3.70 ERA. It got interesting after that. With a bullpen that pitched 11 innings over the previous two days, Maddon had to rest his relief regulars. Brian Schlitter came up from Iowa and couldn't get either of the two batters he faced to start the eighth, but veterans Phil Coke and Jason Motte summoned up the resolve to work out of trouble and hold the Pirates scoreless. The surprise came in the ninth, when left-hander Travis Wood went 1-2-3 to earn his first career save. Wood will move from the rotation to the bullpen after some shaky starts, but the Cubs were able to use him Saturday and avoid using closer Hector Rondon for a fourth straight day. "Yeah, Jonny was fabulous and that permitted everything to work for us today because their pitcher was really good today, too," Maddon said, referring to Pirates starter Gerrit Cole. "You've got to pitch better than good pitching to win. We had the better pitching today. Jonny set the whole thing up. He was outstanding. "The bullpen, how's that? Schlitter had a tough day, but how about Coker not playing in awhile, getting a comebacker and fielding it properly? And then Motte coming back like he did and not permitting anything, which is huge. Woody was out there. One batter (on base), and I was going to bring Rondon in. But it was set up for (Wood), and he got a save. It was a beautiful thing." The Cubs signed Lester to a six-year, $155 million contract to be their ace and pitch through tough days. After a visit by the trainer with two outs in the seventh and two men on, Lester got Andrew McCutchen looking and showed plenty of emotion as he exited the field after his 110th pitch with the game still close at 2-1. "Not just for me," he said of being fired up. "That's probably a huge turning point in the game right there. They got a little momentum, some infield hits. To get out of there unscathed is huge, especially in that tight game." The Cubs offense was led by the R&B Boys: Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. They combined to get on base six times, with Rizzo adding a huge sacrifice fly in the 2-run burst in the bottom of the seventh. Starlin Castro, another of the Cubs' young core, chipped in with 2 RBI. Bryant and Rizzo singled back to back in the first, and Castro hit a sacrifice fly. Bryant walked and Rizzo singled and stole a base in the third, with Castro driving Bryant home on a forceout. "It's been fun with them, but it's not just us," Bryant said of the three young stars. "This lineup is a pretty good lineup up and down, and even some of our pitchers can hit, which is pretty cool." -- Daily Herald Cubs shuffle their pitching deck By Bruce Miles Changes are coming to the Cubs' pitching staff. Travis Wood, who has struggled as a starter, is moving to the bullpen. He got his first look-see there Saturday, working a perfect ninth inning to earn his first career save in a 4-1 victory over the Pirates. When asked if one could assume Wood would make his next scheduled start, manager Joe Maddon replied: "No, you can't assume that."

The Cubs will announce a roster move or moves Sunday, and it's likely they'll activate left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada off the disabled list. Wada, who had a mild left-groin strain, has completed a rehab assignment at Class AAA Iowa, where he went 1-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 6 starts. Last year, he came up and went 4-4 with a 3.25 ERA in 13 starts. Wood is 2-2 with a 5.45 ERA. Saturday's relief appearance was the fifth of his career. He made 4 with the Reds in 2011. The Cubs added a 14th pitcher to the roster Saturday when they recalled right-handed reliever Brian Schlitter from Class AAA Iowa. To make room, they optioned outfielder Matt Szczur to Iowa. Szczur had the game-winning RBI on a bloop single in Friday's 11-10, 12-inning victory. "That happens sometimes," said Maddon. "Szczur was wonderful. He understood it. Of course, he didn't like it. But he understood it, and that's just the way it has to be. We had to pick up the pen, and there are just no other options. "We had to do this just for today. And then we'll figure out tomorrow." Schlitter may go right back to Iowa, and the Cubs may make another move. Currently their bullpen contains four lefties: Wood, Zac Rosscup, James Russell and Phil Coke. Until retiring the only batter he faced Saturday, Coke had not worked since May 9, and there has been speculation he could be let go. Minor matters: Northwestern product Eric Jokisch got the win Friday night for Class AAA Iowa, tossing 6 innings and giving up 1 earned run in a 6-5 victory over Nashville. Jokisch is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Javier Baez was 3-for-4 with 2 stolen bases. He had a six-game hitting streak entering Saturday and hiked his average to .311 for the season. Kyle Schwarber hit his seventh homer of the year for Class AA Tennessee in a 9-4 victory over Montgomery. Schwarber, last year's top draft pick of the Cubs, was 3-for-4 and raised his average to .333). Dan Vogelbach (. 360) was 2-for-3 with 2 doubles. Duane Underwood improved to 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA for Class A Myrtle Beach in a 7-3 victory over Carolina. Underwood, who pitched last year for the Kane County Cougars, worked 5 innings, giving up 4 hits. This and that: The Cubs are 6 games over .500 for the first time since Oct. 3, 2009, when they were 83-77. They have won six in a row for the first time since July 31-Aug. 6, 2011 ... Jon Lester became the 22nd active pitcher to reach the 1,500-strikeout mark ... Anthony Rizzo has hit safely in nine straight games ... Kris Bryant has reached base in 7 of his last 11 plate appearances. -- Cubs.com Lester battles the heat to cool down Bucs By Sarah Trotto CHICAGO -- Sweat dripped from Jon Lester's baseball cap as he pitched on a muggy Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Along with the heat, the Cubs' ace had to deal with cramping, mainly in his right leg.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon and the trainer checked on Lester after he threw his 108th pitch and had an 0-2 count on the Pirates' Andrew McCutchen in the seventh inning. Lester stayed in the game and threw a wild pitch that advanced the lead runner to third. On his 110th pitch, Lester struck out McCutchen looking to end the inning with runners at the corners. Lester (4-2) allowed one run and nine hits, struck out seven and walked one in seven innings for his fifth consecutive quality start as the Cubs beat the Pirates 4-1. The Cubs have won six straight for the first time since July 31-Aug. 6, 2011. Maddon encountered an assertive Lester when he visited him on the mound in the seventh. "He calmly looked at me and said he was fine," Maddon said. "There was no 'Maybe. I don't know if I'm going to be OK. I'm fine.' Just like that." Lester confirmed he was doing well after the game. "Nothing a couple bottles of water and Gatorade can't fix," he said. Lester said he had been battling the cramping for at least an inning. He used the visit from his manager as a chance to regroup. "I knew with how good of a hitter McCutchen is and how much damage he can do, the first two pitches I made to him I got away with," Lester said. "We knew we had to bear down and make good pitches and threw the curveball a little short, was able to spot the heater. I knew that was probably my last batter, just try to air it out and make the pitches the best I can." Lester has picked up a victory in four consecutive starts for the first time since 2011. He earned his 1,500th career strikeout when he got Sean Rodriguez looking to end the fourth with runners at second and third. Lester is the sixth active lefty and 22nd active pitcher to reach the milestone. "He kept 92-93 [mph] the whole game, he kept the cutter the whole game, he kept the curveball the whole game, kept his command," Maddon said. "Everything was there at the very end. He was exhausted. He's a sweater, man. He was sweating pretty good. He held it up." Extra Bases • The Cubs are six games above .500 for the first time since Oct. 3, 2009. • Hector Rondon warmed up in the bullpen but didn't enter the game. Travis Wood instead pitched the ninth and got his first career save. Rondon had pitched in three consecutive games. • Anthony Rizzo is one game short of his career-best 10-game hitting streak. • Kris Bryant extended his career-best hitting streak to six games. -- Cubs.com Lester powers past Bucs as Cubs win sixth straight By Tom Singer and Sarah Trotto CHICAGO -- Jon Lester went one inning longer and allowed one run less than Gerrit Cole. That's all the Cubs needed Saturday to run their winning streak to six with a 4-1 victory over the Pirates. It is the team's longest victory run since seven straight July 31-Aug. 6, 2011.

"We're pitching pretty well. Obviously, our offense has done some pretty good things, and we're playing good defense," Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said. "We're having a lot of fun with this and hopefully we'll keep it going." Lester went seven innings -- ending the seventh by striking out Andrew McCutchen with two men on two pitches after manager Joe Maddon noticed something in his delivery and had trainers check on him. The lefty allowed nine hits, hurt only by Sean Rodriguez's homer in the third, while walking one and fanning seven. In his six innings, Cole allowed seven hits and saw Starlin Castro make two run-scoring outs: A first-inning sacrifice fly and third-inning infield grounder. The Cubs added two runs in the seventh off Arquimedes Caminero -- one on his wild pitch, another on an Anthony Rizzo sacrifice fly that scored Dexter Fowler after he had gone to third on a balk. "We've got to do a better job of protecting the ball," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We're staying in the hunt and we give up three walks, a wild pitch and a balk in that inning. We put a finger in one place, then just have to move it around, stopping the other leaks going on." Cubs left-hander Travis Wood pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his first career save in just his fifth career relief appearance. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bad read costs Bucs: The Pirates missed out on one of the few scoring opportunities they figured to have against Lester. Starling Marte, on second with an infield single and steal with one out in the fourth, didn't get a good read on a blooper by Jung Ho Kang. Neither second baseman Addison Russell nor right fielder Jorge Soler had a shot at it, but Marte had to stop at third, and the threat ended with consecutive strikeouts of Corey Hart and Rodriguez. "I think he played it right," Hurdle said in defense of Marte -- perhaps thinking of how Russell made an acrobatic catch of a similar flare the next inning. Pirates can't answer opportunity's knock: Men on second and third, none out -- Lester out of the game. That's the shot the Bucs had in the eighth, and they came up empty. Moving on up: Lester earned his 1,500th career strikeout when he got Rodriguez looking to end the fourth with runners at second and third. Lester is the 200th pitcher all time, sixth active lefty and 22nd active pitcher to reach the milestone. Highlight reel: Cubs second baseman Russell backed up Lester with his defense. The 21-year-old rookie, who reached the Majors on April 21, made a leaping grab of a soft liner behind second base with runners on first and second in the fifth. QUOTABLE "Nothing sped up for him. He seemed to be focused on making the next good pitch -- which is what elite pitchers do." -- Hurdle, on Lester SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The attendance was 38,883, the largest crowd of the season at Wrigley Field. "I'm looking forward to some winning baseball, having the fans out there screaming their heads off, just having fun with it," Bryant said. "Today was a good game for us getting that atmosphere going. When they open up the new bleachers out there in right field it will be even better, so we're all real excited for it." Hart went 0-for-3 -- striking out twice and hitting into a double play -- and is 1-for-20 in his starts, compared to 6-for-14 as a pinch-hitter.

INSTANT REPLAY After a 3-minute, 5-second review, the call was upheld that Fowler was caught stealing to lead off the bottom of the third. The Cubs still managed to score a run for a 2-1 lead after a Bryant walk, a Rizzo single and Castro's forceout. WHAT'S NEXT Pirates: A.J. Burnett will be out to continue his inspiring, and confounding, final season in Sunday's 2:20 p.m. ET wrapup of the series. The 38-year-old, who has never finished a season with an ERA lower than 3.30, currently ranks second in the National League at 1.60. Cubs: Jake Arrieta looks to go 5-0 all time against the Pirates in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. He allowed one run in seven innings against Pittsburgh on April 20. -- Cubs.com Wood earns first save in move to bullpen By Sarah Trotto CHICAGO -- Travis Wood's appearance in the ninth inning and his first career save on Saturday were no fluke. The starting pitcher has moved to the bullpen, Cubs manager Joe Maddon announced after his team beat the Pirates 4-1 on Saturday. Maddon said the Cubs will reveal their rotation plans on Sunday. "He's going to be in the bullpen, and we'll make an announcement regarding what we're going to do tomorrow at some point," Maddon said. One possibility is left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada could join the rotation. Wada, whose rehab assignment is expiring, has been on the disabled list since March 27 for a mild left groin strain. Maddon said the Cubs were discussing what to do with the starter. Wada is 1-3 with a 2.86 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Iowa. He allowed a run and struck out six in seven innings in his last start Thursday against Nashville. Last season, he went 4-4 with a 3.25 ERA in 13 starts with the Cubs. Wood pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two flyouts and a popout in his fifth career relief appearance and first since Sept. 17, 2011, against Milwaukee. He has a 0.00 ERA in six relief innings. Four of his bullpen appearances were with the Reds in 2011. Wood, an All-Star in 2013, is 2-2 with a 5.59 ERA this season. He allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Mets on Thursday in his last start. -- Cubs.com Cubs recall Schlitter, option Szczur to Triple-A By Sarah Trotto CHICAGO -- The Cubs bullpen has been scuffling, and after Friday's 12-inning, five-hour game against the Pirates, the team needed a fresh arm. So the Cubs recalled right-hander Brian Schlitter from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday morning before their game against the Pirates. To make room for Schlitter, the Cubs optioned outfielder Matt Szczur to Iowa. The move gives the Cubs 14 pitchers.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon indicated the current setup might be temporary. "We want to do this for today and then we'll figure out tomorrow," Maddon said. Schlitter went 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA in seven appearances with the Cubs from April 10-26. At Iowa, he threw six scoreless innings and earned two saves. "The biggest thing with him is, if the guy gets the ball down, we're in good shape," Maddon said. "He's a bowling ball thrower. He should be on the PBA. Once he gets to be that on a consistent basis, he should be real good." Szczur hit the winning single in the 12th in the Cubs' 11-10 victory over the Pirates on Friday. He hit .172 in 18 games. "Matt was wonderful. He understood," Maddon said. "Of course, he didn't like it, but he understood it. That's just the way it has to be. We had to thicken up the 'pen, and there were no other options." Cubs relievers had a 4.31 ERA entering Saturday. "We have to get better," Maddon said after Friday's game. Extra bases • Maddon said the team is discussing what to do with left-handed starter Tsuyoshi Wada, whose rehab assignment is expiring. He has been on the disabled list since March 27 for a mild left groin strain. • In a perhaps unconventional move, Maddon brought in left-hander Zac Rosscup to face right-handed batter Andrew McCuthen with the bases loaded in the sixth Friday. Rosscup got McCutchen to fly out to end the inning. "It's been pounded into our mindset for too long that it has to be righty on righty and lefty on lefty," Maddon said. "Cup falls into the category of getting anybody out." • Anthony Rizzo's team-leading eighth home run on Friday was his first this season against a lefty. -- Cubs.com Arrieta looks to stay perfect against Pirates By Sarah Trotto CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta has yet to lose an outing in his career against the Pirates. The Cubs right-hander's four victories against Pittsburgh are his most against any opponent. Arrieta (4-3, 3.00 ERA) will try to build on that success when he takes the mound on Sunday in the teams' series finale. In his last outing against the Pirates, Arrieta allowed a run and struck out seven in seven innings on April 20. A.J. Burnett (2-1, 1.60) will start for Pittsburgh. The right-hander is 7-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 14 career starts against the Cubs. His streak of seven consecutive starts without allowing more than two runs to begin the season ties the all-time Pittsburgh record, shared with Bob Walk (1988). Three Things to Look For • The Cubs' 33 stolen bases ranked second in the National League and third in the Majors entering Saturday. The Reds had 43 and the Astros had 38. The Cubs stole 65 bases last season to rank 24th in all of baseball. • Since the start of the 2012 season, the Pirates' 36 homers at Wrigley Field through Friday ranked as the most among visiting teams.

• Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is fourth in the National League for most home runs since 2013. He has 63, one fewer than the Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt and the Padres Justin Upton and nine behind the Marlins Giancarlo Stanton. Rizzo hit his team-leading eighth home run on Friday. His .468 on-base percentage is tops in the Majors. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs swapping Tsuyoshi Wada for Travis Wood in rotation? By John Jackson CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs announced before Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates that they brought up Brian Schlitter to fortify a tired bullpen. But the bigger move with the bullpen went unannounced -- until starter Travis Wood came on in the ninth inning to pick up the first save of his Major League career. After the game, manager Joe Maddon was asked if Wood -- who was 2-2 with a 5.59 ERA in seven starts this season -- was still a part of the rotation. “He’s going to be in the bullpen,” Maddon said, “and then we’ll make an announcement (Sunday) about what we’re gonna do.” The Cubs wouldn’t confirm it, but left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada will join the rotation next week. Wada, who went 4-4 with a 3.25 ERA last season with the Cubs, has been on the disabled list since March 27 with a left groin strain. Wada’s rehab assignment is expiring and the Cubs will have to make a move with him. Wada is 1-3 with a 2.86 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Iowa this season. Wood, who allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings in his last start against the New York Mets on Thursday, was an All-Star in 2013. -- ESPNChicago.com Jon Lester settling into role as Cubs' ace By John Jackson CHICAGO -- After throwing his 108th pitch on a warm, humid day, Jon Lester turned around to face center field and began shaking his legs. That prompted Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and trainer P.J. Mainville to jog out to the Wrigley Field mound with a sense of urgency. When they arrived, the left-hander turned around and, with sweat dripping from the brim of his cap, looked directly at Maddon. "He told me he was cramping, and that's still not something I want to hear," the manager said afterward. "But he calmly looked at me and said, ‘I'm fine.' There was no, ‘Maybe, I don't know if I'm going to be OK.' He said, ‘I'm fine.' Just like that." Two pitches later, everything was fine with Lester and the Cubs. A day after a 12-inning marathon depleted the bullpen, Lester produced a much-needed lengthy outing, and he allowed just one run while scattering nine hits in seven innings as the Cubs extended their win streak to six with a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. As he walked off the mound following the top of the seventh -- after striking the Pirates' Andrew McCutchen out with two runners on -- Lester pumped his fist a few times and let out a scream as he headed back to the dugout.

"That was kind of a huge turning point in the game right there," Lester said. "They've got a little momentum, some infield hits. To get out of there [unscored upon] is huge, especially in that tight game." At that point, the Cubs had a 2-1 lead. In the battle of No. 1 starters, Lester (4-2) got the win over Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (5-2), who was 6-0 in six starts against the Cubs before Saturday. "Jonny was fabulous, and that permitted everything to work for us today because their pitcher's really good too," Maddon said. "You have to pitch better than good pitching to win, and we had the better pitching today." At 21-15, the Cubs are starting to feel like they're on the verge of something special this season. "The thing I appreciate the most is there are no outliers," Maddon said. "Everybody's on the same page. Everybody gets the team concept, everybody's pulling for each other, and when a guy has a bad moment, somebody's there to pick him up. When somebody does something well, he's congratulated almost to the point where you might hurt the guy. "It's a really high-energy dugout with a lot of young players being properly overseen by the veterans." Of course, one of those veterans is Lester. "He's pretty special, competing every pitch," rookie Kris Bryant said. "We were in a couple of jams there, and he got a couple of big strikeouts. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and it's pretty cool to see. I'm learning a lot from him and how he goes about his game and how focused he is, and he did his job today." For a while, though, it seemed as if Lester might not be able to finish the job in the seventh. After retiring the first two batters, Josh Harrison and Neil Walker reached on a couple infield hits to bring up McCutchen. Lester was fighting the cramps throughout the inning, and things intensified after he got ahead 0-2 against the All-Star center fielder. That's when he turned his back, sparking the visit to the mound. When play resumed, Lester threw a curveball in the dirt and then caught McCutchen looking with a fastball on the outside corner for strike three. "That's very cool," Maddon said. "He wanted it. He calmly felt good about it. Obviously, I wasn't going to take him out unless I had to, but he was very assertive: ‘I'm fine.'" And so he was. -- ESPNChicago.com Rapid Reaction: Cubs 4, Pirates 1 By John Jackson CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs extended their win streak to six games with a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. Here's a quick look at the game. How it happened: After the Cubs used eight pitchers in Friday's wild 11-10 win in 12 innings, starter Jon Lester gave the team a much-needed lengthy outing. The left-hander allowed just one run in seven innings and ended with a flourish by striking Andrew McCutchen out looking with runners on first and third. The Cubs plated single runs in the first and third innings, and the rallies had a similar feel. In the first, Anthony Rizzo singled to right with one out, which sent Kris Bryant to third. Bryant then scored on a sacrifice fly by Starlin Castro. In the third, Rizzo singled with one out, which sent Bryant to third. Bryant then scored on a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop by Castro. The Cubs added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh without the benefit of a hit. Addison Russell walked with one out, stole second and advanced to third as the throw from catcher Chris Stewart sailed into the outfield. Russell then scored on a wild pitch by Pirates reliever Arquimedes Caminero.

Rizzo drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, which scored Dexter Fowler to make it 4-1. Fowler walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then was balked to third before trotting home on the Rizzo fly ball. What it means: Gerrit Cole's dominance of the Cubs is over. The Pirates right-hander entered with a 6-0 record and 2.92 ERA against in six career starts against the Cubs. Still, it's not like the Cubs roughed him up: Cole allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings. The Cubs' six-game streak is their longest win streak since they won seven straight July 31-Aug. 6, 2011. Lester got off to a slow start this season after missing time in spring training, but the Cubs have won each of his past five starts. His ERA is down to 3.70. Leap of faith: Russell, the rookie second baseman, turned in the defensive play of the game -- and thwarted a potential big inning by Pittsburgh -- when he ran onto the outfield grass and made a leaping/diving catch of a blooper by Neil Walker with runners on first and second in the fifth inning. If the ball had gone over Russell's head, the bases would have been loaded with one out (the runner on second had to hold and wouldn't have scored). Instead, Lester got McCutchen to ground out to shortstop to end the inning. What's next: The finale of the three-game series and homestand pits Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta (4-3, 3.00 ERA) against Pirates righty A.J. Burnett (2-1, 1.60). The 38-year-old Burnett has won his past two starts after going winless in his first five, despite a 1.45 ERA. -- ESPNChicago.com Game-winner Matt Szczur sent to Triple-A By John Jackson CHICAGO -- A fortunate slip and fall in extra innings Friday gave Matt Szczur the game-winning hit in the Chicago Cubs' dramatic 11-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. But because the game lasted 12 innings -- and the Cubs used seven relievers -- Szczur was the unfortunate victim Saturday as a pitcher had to be added to the roster to fortify a tired bullpen. The Cubs recalled right-hander Brian Schlitter from Triple-A Iowa and optioned Szczur to Iowa before Saturday's game with the Pirates at Wrigley Field. "Matt was wonderful," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Of course he didn't like it, but he understood it. That's just the way it had to be. We had to thicken up the pen, and there were just no other options." Szczur, 25, has batted .172 (5-for-29) with five RBIs in 18 games with the Cubs this season. The move leaves the team with 14 pitchers and just 11 position players on the active roster. "We wanted to do this just for today, and then we'll figure out tomorrow," Maddon said. The most likely move is that the Cubs will subtract a pitcher from the roster sometime in the next few days after the bullpen is better rested. But they must wait at least 10 days before recalling Szczur, unless there's an injury. This is Schlitter's second stint with the Cubs this season. The 29-year-old went 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA (six earned runs in 5⅔ innings) in seven appearances from April 10 to April 26. He had two saves with a 0.00 ERA in five appearances with Iowa during his stay in the minors. Maddon believes Schlitter has the ability to be more than just a short-term fix for the bullpen.

"The biggest thing with him is, if the guy gets the ball down, we're in good shape. Period," the manager said. "He's a bowling-ball thrower. He should be on the PBA [Professional Bowlers Association]. That's what he should be. Once he gets to be that on a consistent basis, he should be real good." The Cubs bullpen was roughed up for five runs Friday, but Maddon feels proper pitch location will solve its ills. "I've always believed every pitch is the right pitch to throw on any count if it's located properly or thrown in the right spot with conviction," he said. "You have to help them get beyond that moment when they start doubting themselves. That's the biggest thing with any player. But when a relief pitcher starts doubting himself or expects something bad to happen again, it probably will. That's hard, man." -- CSNChicago.com Jon Lester lives up to 'ace' status as Cubs keep on rolling By Tony Andracki This may start to feel like a dream for Cubs fans. The Cubs are on a six-game winning streak, Jon Lester suddenly looks like a $155 million ace again, the bleachers are open again and Wrigleyville is rocking as the weather heats up. What more could Cubs fans ask for? Lester hurled seven strong innings Saturday as the Cubs took down the Pirates 4-1 in front of 38,883 fans at Wrigley Field, the largest crowd of the season to date. Lester worked around nine hits and one walk in his seven innings, allowing just one run on 110 pitches. "Jonny was fabulous and that permitted everything to work for us today," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Lester racked up seven strikeouts, including catching Andrew McCutchen looking to end the seventh with two men on base, prompting a loud scream and fist-pump from Lester as he strutted off the field. "That was a huge turning point in the game right there," Lester said. "They got a little momentum, some infield hits. To get out of there unscathed is huge. Especially in that tight game. We had a lot of baserunners today, but we were able to make pitches when we needed to. "It's a big win for us to continue this little streak we're on." Lester got ahead of McCutchen 0-2 immediately, but had to call time during the at-bat as he dealt with a cramp. Maddon and a Cubs trainer went out to talk to Lester and with sweat dripping off his hat on a hot, humid day, Lester convinced Maddon to keep him in to finish off the Pirates star. "I went out there and he calmly looked at me and said 'I'm fine.' There was no 'maybe,'" Maddon said. "That's very cool. He wanted it." This is why the Cubs signed Lester. His ace mentality came through on a day when the Cubs were extremely short-handed in the bullpen, the wind was blowing out and a good divisional opponent was in town, looking to atone for Friday's failed comeback. "He's done it before and he knows what it takes to be [an ace]," Maddon said. "He made really good pitches and that's what it takes. Everybody's talking about the wind, but if you make good pitches, you could still survive the wind blowing out and that's what he did today."

The Cubs did not record an RBI hit on the day, instead providing productive outs to get runners home. Starlin Castro drove in the first two runs with a sacrifice fly in the first inning off Pittsburgh ace Gerrit Cole. Castro came through again with an RBI groundout in the third. Addison Russell walked with one out in the seventh, stole second, advanced to third on an error by catcher Chris Stewart and scored on a wild pitch. Anthony Rizzo drove home the fourth run later in the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field. Kris Bryant collected two singles, walked twice and scored a pair of runs to lead the offense. "We're having a lot of fun with this and hopefully we can keep it going," Bryant said. After Lester was pulled, the Cubs escaped a jam in the eighth inning when the first two Pirates hitters singled and doubled, putting runners on second and third with nobody out. But Phil Coke and Jason Motte came up big combining to induce a groundout to the pitcher, a strikeout and then a lazy fly ball to right field to end the threat. Travis Wood pitched the ninth to pick up the first save of his career. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs move Travis Wood to the bullpen By Tony Andracki The Cubs are moving Travis Wood out of the rotation and into the bullpen. Wood has struggled to the tune of a 5.59 ERA and 1.29 WHIP as a starter this season. After a 3.04 ERA in four April starts, Wood carries a 10.13 ERA in May, surrendering 15 earned runs and six homers in 13.1 innings across three starts. Wood was an All-Star in 2013, accounting for 200 innings with a 3.11 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. But he took a step back last season, going 8-13 with a 5.03 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Japanese lefty Tsuyoshi Wada is expected to join the rotation in Wood's place, but no official word will be made until Sunday. The Cubs signed Wada to a one-year, $4 million deal in the offseason, but the 34-year-old starter was placed on the disabled list with a groin injury to start the season. His last rehab start was Thursday with Triple-A Iowa. Wada impressed in 13 starts down the stretch for the Cubs in 2014, going 4-4 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. He initially signed with the Orioles out of Japan, but his career in Baltimore was derailed by arm injuries, including a Tommy John surgery in May 2012. Wood appeared in relief Saturday and picked up his first career save, working a perfect ninth inning. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs' Joe Maddon: The world revolves around confidence By Tony Andracki Joe Maddon loves talking about the psychology of the game.

He can get going about the baseball on the field, too, of course. But he is clearly interested by the mental aspect of the game. He loves the intricacies of the human mind and what makes each individual tick. "There's all these little mind games going on all the time," Maddon said. "The world revolves around confidence, man." That's exactly why the Cubs jumped at the chance to bring Maddon in during the offseason, even with a manager (Rick Renteria) already in place. Maddon is a student of the game, but he's also a teacher, a fan, a coach. A mentor of the mind, if you will. Maddon spent a big portion of Saturday's pregame media session talking about confidence and how he breeds it in his players, especially young Cubs that don't have much experience at the big league level, like pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Zac Rosscup. Hendricks started Friday's game and looked to be cruising before a couple hits just out of the reach of Cubs defenders set up a two-out, three-run double by Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli. Maddon said he intended on letting Hendricks find his way out of the mess, and the hope was the second-year starter would be able to go seven innings. It was a vote of confidence from the Cubs manager to the 25-year-old right-hander making his 20th career MLB start. "More than just the physical components, it's a mental thing," Maddon said. "And that's why we're so into it. It really matters. "Young players, Wrigley Field, Friday afternoon, we've been playing well and now (the Pirates) are coming back, they have momentum, you don't and you have to stop it. There's a lot of stuff going on, man. It totally exceeds (mechanical stuff). "When you're able to control yourself — which we all attempt to do in stressful moments — that's when things get real good." As for Rosscup, he's only 26 and was pitching in just his 43rd career game at this level. Yet Maddon went with Rosscup with the game in the balance in the sixth inning to face former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded and two outs. Rosscup responded by getting McCutchen to fly out to right field. "You're always looking to build confidence," Maddon said. "I'd say primarily, as a relief pitcher, you've gotta have a really short memory. You gotta be almost, like, senile." Maddon admitted it's important for him to keep the right mentality even though he's not playing or directly impacting the action on the field. He said he has the saying "do not be a fan" written on the top of his daily lineup card/stat sheet, as a reminder to keep things even-keeled and reduce the stress of the moment/situation. "I try to control my breathing, also," Maddon said. "The pertinent part is to not get locked in the emotion of the moment. Don't become a fan. Just continue to be manager. "When bad things are happening, you have to fight that tendency to become emotional and just play along. You can't permit that to happen. "I cannot become a fan. I think it becomes stressful when you become a fan. If you remain a manager, it's not as stressful." --

CSNChicago.com Maddon likes what he sees from Hendricks despite results By Tony Andracki If you just look at the stats, Kyle Hendricks is having a rough season. The 25-year-old righty is 0-1 with a 5.15 ERA, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Hendricks has pitched into some bad luck (as a 3.91 FIP would indicate) and is just a couple pitches away from having a much better record and stat line. (Of course, the same can be said for dozens of pitchers around the league.) The Cubs want more from the back end of their rotation and with Hendricks' inexperience, it wouldn't be shocking to see the team send him down to Triple-A if his struggles continue to work out the kinks a bit. Japanese lefty Tsuyoshi Wada is due to conclude his minor-league rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Iowa. Still, Cubs manager Joe Maddon likes what he sees from Hendricks, who was on a roll Friday before the wheels came off in the sixth inning against the Pirates. Hendricks had given up only one run before a couple of basehits fell just out reach of Cubs fielders and then Pittsburgh's No. 8 hitter (Francisco Cervelli) connected on a two-out, three-run double off the right field wall. "He looked good," Maddon said. "I thought he was going seven. I really thought he had a solid chance. It was like low-to-mid-90s [pitch count] when it all broke loose a little bit. If he gets out of there with 90-95 pitches — which was definitely a possibility — he's going 110 yesterday and seven [innings] and he's feeling really good about himself." Hendricks tallied seven strikeouts in his 5.2 innings of work, but he boasts just a 5.9 K/9 ratio in 117 big-league innings. All that contact means more of a chance for hitters to find some grass. "You look at Kyle's numbers; they can be very deceptive," Maddon said. "Part of it is, he's not necessarily a punch-out guy, so the ball's gonna be put in play and sometimes you're unlucky when the ball is put in play. The punch-out guy can avoid that moment." After a ton of minor-league success (2.69 ERA in four seasons), Hendricks got out to a roaring start with the Cubs after his big-league debut in 2014. He made 13 starts for the big-league club down the stretch, going 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, finishing seventh in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Hendricks doesn't have the stuff or pedigree of a young pitcher like Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (whom the Cubs faced Saturday), but Hendricks can still provide value as a fourth or fifth starter on the North Side. Things didn't work out for Hendricks Friday, but Maddon is trying to put the second-year pitcher in a position to succeed down the line. "With Kyle, you're trying to build his confidence regarding letting him stay in to get this particular job done," Maddon said. "You have this opportunity now to go seven, but you gotta get through this mess. It didn't play [Friday]. "I was showing him that I had confidence that he could get through that moment. That matters, too, even though it didn't happen." --