Cubs Return To The NLDS For The First Time Since 2017

GOOD MORNING, CHICAGO FANS

I hope some of you are spending a few days in Milwaukee and flooding Wrigley North with more Cubs fans! NLDS Game 1 was a nightmare, but let’s hope we get more celebrations like this one:

CHICAGO BEARS

BYE WEEK

• Theo Benedet will reportedly take over for Braxton Jones at left tackle after the bye week 👀

• Joshua Blackwell won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his blocked FG vs. the Raiders. He had previously won the award in Week 18 of 2024 after returning a punt for a TD vs. the Packers.

• More on their upcoming schedule below in Mild Take

SCHEDULE 📅 MONDAY 10/13 @ Washington

CHICAGO CUBS

WILD CARD SERIES

W - CUBS 3 PADRES 1 (GAME 1)

THE PERFECT PLAYOFF PEN

• Cubs bullpen threw 4.2 perfect innings (0 H, 0 BB, 4 K) to follow Matthew Boyd’s strong performance

• Wrigley Field exploded when Seiya Suzuki (5th straight game with a HR) and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back homers in the 5th inning

L - PADRES 3 CUBS 0 (GAME 2)

CEASE AND SILENCED

• Padres jumped on opener Andrew Kittredge for a quick 1st inning run

• Dylan Cease (3.2 IP, 5 K) and company struck out 11 Cubs and only allowed 5 total baserunners

W - CUBS 3 PADRES 1 (GAME 3)

DO OR DIE OR DEFENSE

• Pete Crow-Armstrong made a sweet sliding catch in the 1st and drove in the Cubs’ 1st run in the 2nd

• Jameson Taillon (4.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 K) and 5 relievers combined for a shutdown performance in front of showstopping defense

Wild Card Quick Hits:

• After a first half of the season with an elite offense and second half with impressive pitching, the Jed Hoyer run prevention special was fully on display in this series. Pitching and defense wins championships 🤷‍♂️

• Mason Miller struck out 8 consecutive Cubs hitters in Games 1 and 2

• The makeshift reclamation Cubs bullpen was dominant: 17.2 IP, 3 runs, 13 K, 4 BB

• Every Cubs pitcher who made an appearance in the series was acquired by trade or through free agency

• Cubs offense struggled against elite pitching and the Wrigley wind, but they had the 2nd highest team OPS in the Wild Card round (.699 OPS)

• Kelly (1.250 OPS), Seiya (1.000 OPS), and Michael Busch (1.200 OPS) all stood out at the plate

NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

L - BREWERS 9 CUBS 3 (GAME 1)

DREAM BECOMES A NIGHTMARE

• Michael Busch hit a leadoff HR…it was all downhill from there

• 3 straight doubles, a Nico Hoerner error, consistent contact, and an 11-pitch Blake Perkins AB drove Matthew Boyd out of the game after recording only 2 outs

• Cubs hit 3 solo HRs in an otherwise quiet offensive game

NLDS Quick Hits:

• Cubs decided to start Boyd on short (3 days) rest in Game 1. I thought Colin Rea would have been the choice!

• Ben Brown made the roster in place of Taylor Rogers

• Shota Imanaga will start Game 2 tonight! I’m guessing that lines up Jameson Taillon for a favorable home start in Game 3

• Brewers LF Jackson Chourio injured his hamstring in Game 1 and his status is unclear

STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐ Michael Busch

5-for-14 (.357 AVG), 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1.223 OPS

PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥 Dansby Swanson double play

After being named the Game 1 starter in the Wild Card Series, Matthew Boyd got emotional about the opportunity. Watch his moving press conference here.

Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Nick Foligno, Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and Cole Kmet were among the other Chicago sports representatives at Wrigley Field watching the Cubs in the Wild Card Series!

SCHEDULE 📅 M/W/TH*/F*

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

OFFSEASON

PRESEASON

L - RED WINGS 3 BLACKHAWKS 1

• Blackhawks went 0-for-6 on the power play

• Colton Dach had a very good game and scored a goal

L - WILD 3 BLACKHAWKS 2

• Frank Nazar and Nick Foligno scored goals

• Wild scored 3 power play goals in the 2nd period

L - BLUES 4 BLACKHAWKS 0

• The fringe NHLers couldn’t get anything going in their final push for roster spots

Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene and Nolan Allan will all start the season in Rockford. Hopefully Moore and Greene continue to develop and return soon!

Signed D Matt Grzelcyk (who was on a tryout) to a 1-year, $1M contract

Alex Vlasic got cut by a skate during a preseason game a week ago and has been out. He will hopefully be ready for the opener!

Anton Frondell has been lighting it up in Sweden and even scored a Michigan goal

The regular season kicks off tomorrow in Florida! I’m curious what the score ends up being just because the last few Blackhawks season openers have looked like this:

• 2024: 5-2 L

• 2023: 4-2 W

• 2022: 5-2 L

• 2021: 4-2 L

Season Prediction:

72 points, last in division (11 point jump from last season!)

I think the Blackhawks’ future is bright. Perennial contender.

For as often as Kyle Davidson says he expects growth year-to-year, we have to temper any and all expectations until more of the young core has NHL experience.

This season should provide a collection of electric highs, significant development, rocky rookie moments, and hopefully a more competitive and competent brand of Blackhawks hockey thanks to Jeff Blashill and the new coaching staff.

Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are going to be superstars, so they’ll at least be fun to watch on a nightly basis. Levshunov and Rinzel will be powerhouses on the back end. Spencer Knight will put on a show every once in a while. The kids are worth watching, and they’ll be here for a long time.

SCHEDULE 📅 T/TH/SAT

CHICAGO BULLS

OFFSEASON

TRAINING CAMP

• Arturas Karnisovas said more of the same at media day. The team needs to improve from within, they finished last season strong, and they’re excited about the future. He also talked up the Miami Heat’s physicality in the Play-In Tournmant, because, well, Play-In teams are clearly the standard to live up to.

• Coby White is currently limited with a calf injury and should be fully healthy towards the end of the preseason

• Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones are fully healthy

• Preseason begins tomorrow!

SAY WHAT?

A CITYWIDE SALUTE

Ian Happ

Happ gifted playoff tickets to a young Cubs fan! Watch their conversation here:

MILD TAKE

The Bears can win 6 of their next 7 games.

NFL Schedule Release Day is way too big of a production solely designed to spark interest and make the league some extra money.

It’s entertaining TV to predict every team’s record, highlight the best matchups, and get excited for the NFL season even in May.

The biggest truth about release day? The schedule always looks and feels different once the season starts.

The Bears are sitting at 2-2 on their bye week and have a VERY favorable schedule coming up.

3-2 Commanders, 1-4 Saints, 1-4 Ravens, 2-3 Bengals, 1-4 Giants, 3-2 Vikings, 3-1 Steelers

It all starts next week in Caleb Williams’ hometown. Ground zero of last year’s hail mary disaster that triggered a 10-game losing streak. Boxing ring for the Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels duel. This Commanders game should mean a lot to the Bears, and they have a chance for redemption.

Beat the Commanders and cruise forward towards a winning record. If the Bears are really starting to put the pieces together under Ben Johnson, these opponents will appear less and less intimidating.

HITTING THE LINKS

Pete Crow-Armstrong - Who Do You Want to Be, Pete? (The Players’ Tribune)

Patrick Mooney - Craig Counsell’s feng shui: How Cubs manager put his imprint on Wrigley Field (The Athletic)

Scott Powers - The NHL can wait. This Blackhawks prospect is chasing his high school football dreams (The Athletic)

Chicago Bulls - What Bulls Training Camp REALLY looks like | Chicago Bulls All Access (YouTube)

TWO MINUTE WARNING

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the Sho(ta) tonight. I’m ready for more stressful, edge-of-your-seat October baseball!