Cubs Get Right Back On Track With 5-Game Winning Streak

GOOD MORNING, CHICAGO FANS

Baseball season is officially riding solo, and the Cubs are putting on quite the show!

5 in a row. 15 of their last 18. 7-9 to 22-12. First place. This team seems special, and Chicago is pumped!

CHICAGO CUBS

L - PADRES 9 CUBS 7

MO GRANNY MO PROBLEMS

• Moises Ballesteros hit a grand slam to give the Cubs a 5-3 lead, but the pitching staff had a rough night

• Matthew Boyd was erratic and gave up a ton of contact (4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER)

• Cubs scored the first 2 runs of the SEASON off of Mason Miller in the 9th

W - CUBS 8 PADRES 3

PETE’S YOUR PADRE

• Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a 3-R HR off of lefty Wandy Peralta to put the game out of reach

• Edward Cabrera was solid in another 3 ER start (5.2 IP, 1 BB, 7 K)

• Cubs grinded out at-bats, drew 6 BB to 7 K, and saw 182 total pitches

W - CUBS 5 PADRES 4

BEN BROWN BONANZA

• Ben Brown entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the 8th. He only allowed 1 run to score, thanks to a double play, and pitched a perfect 9th!

• Jameson Taillon had a perfect game through 4.2 innings before allowing a HR, walk, and HR in the 5th

• PCA hit a HR in his 2nd straight game

W - CUBS 6 DIAMONDBACKS 5

JACOB’S WEBB

• Jacob Webb earned a 2-inning save after the bullpen almost blew a 6-1 lead

• Cubs jumped on almost-Cub Zac Gallen for 6 runs in 3.2 IP and made him throw 95 pitches in a short outing

• Colin Rea returned to form with a steady 2 ER start over 5.2 IP

W - CUBS 2 DIAMONDBACKS 0

A SHOTA SHUTTY

• Shota Imanaga (7 IP, 4 H, 5 K) and Ben Brown (2 IP, 0 H, S) combined for a masterful shutout

• Ian Happ was a single short of the cycle (!!) and scored both Cubs runs

• Cubs won their 10th game in a row at Wrigley Field!

W - CUBS 8 DIAMONDBACKS 4

SNAKESWEPT

• A Michael Busch (2-for-3, 4 RBI) bases-clearing triple gave the Cubs a 6-2 lead and forced Merrill Kelly out of the game

• Boyd looked more like himself (6 IP, 2 ER, 5 K)

• 5 different Cubs had 2 hits each

STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐ Ian Happ

6-for-19 (.315 AVG), 7 R, 1 HR, 7 BB to 5 K

PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥 Moises Ballesteros grand slam

Justin Steele’s return will be pushed back due to a flexor strain. He was supposed to return after Tommy John in late May or early June, but this new injury will delay it until possibly after the All-Star break.

Tigers hired Kyle Hendricks as a special assistant. He has connections there with former Cubs front office members Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg, but it’s disappointing seeing him work for an organization that isn’t the Cubs. Hopefully he still comes back to be an Assistant GM someday.

Activated Phil Maton and Daniel Palencia from the IL

Riley Martin will miss 8 weeks with a flexor strain

Claimed LHP Doug Nikhazy off waivers from the White Sox

Claimed LHP Luis Peralta off waivers from the Cardinals

SCHEDULE 📅 M/T/W/TH/F/SAT/SUN

CHICAGO BEARS

OFFSEASON

Rookie Minicamp ➡️ Friday and Saturday

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

OFFSEASON

Connor Bedard will not compete in the World Championships this summer. He didn’t participate last year either and had an effective summer of training. He should be better than ever when the season starts!

Prospect Roman Kantserov showed some heroics in the KHL playoffs, but his team Metallurg lost in the semifinals. He could sign with the Blackhawks soon and be on the team next season!

Draft Lottery ➡️ Tomorrow - May 5th!

CHICAGO BULLS

OFFSEASON

Head of basketball operations search now has 4 finalists:
Matt Lloyd, Dennis Lindsey, Bryson Graham, and Dave Lewin

Reports say Matt Lloyd is the frontrunner. He worked in the Bulls organization from 1999 to 2012 and has seemed like the favorite since the start.

Draft Lottery ➡️ Sunday - May 10th

SAY WHAT?

A CITYWIDE SALUTE

Matthew Boyd

Boyd was named a Most Valuable Philanthropist Honoree by the MLB Players Association for his work helping kids in Uganda. Watch him talk more about his foundation:

MILD TAKE

Re-signing Seiya Suzuki would give the Cubs an elite RF/DH combination for years.

Most of the Cubs’ position player group is locked up.

Next season, only Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki will be free agents. The other 7 spots in the lineup will be taken, barring an offseason trade. You could argue giving a spot to Kevin Alcantara would be good for the organization and the payroll. If Matt Shaw continues to learn how to navigate right field, he could have an opening for a full-time role again. Or you could make a big move to add an elite talent to the lineup.

Or maybe both are great Cubs and deserve to stay.

I’ve been on board with making Ian Happ a Cub for life. That implied my acceptance of Seiya walking in free agency. Now I’m seeing where I was wrong.

Seiya spent time at full-time DH. Now that may belong to Moises Ballesteros. Or will he catch some of the time? RF and DH are yet to be determined after this season. Seiya is an elite hitter, and having him and Moises Ballesteros in the lineup every day would be so impactful for the next few years.

From 2023 to 2026, Seiya Suzuki ranks in MLB:
wRC+ - T/20th (131)
OPS - T/23rd (.836)
HR - T/35th (78)

He has dealt with too many injuries, he’s had brutally cold months at the plate, and he even lost his job manning right field before regaining it this season. But Seiya is an elite hitter. He would be difficult to replace.

HITTING THE LINKS

Patrick Mooney - The bitter taste of victory: How Malört and Craig Counsell bring Cubs together (The Athletic)

Patrick Mooney - As Moisés Ballesteros puts on an offensive show, Cubs accelerate his catching program (The Athletic)

Gabby Hajduk - Fast Facts: Sam Roush (chicagobears.com)

Chicago Blackhawks - Every Shift Season 4 Episode 4: The Next Step | Chicago Blackhawks (YouTube)

TWO MINUTE WARNING

Thanks for reading! We need some CRAZY lottery luck this week.