April 27, 2017

Daily Herald, Cubs come up short, Lester finishes April without a win http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170426/cubs-come-up-short-lester-finishes-april-without-a-win

Cubs.com, Rizzo homers, drives in 4, but Cubs fall short http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/226669820/josh-harrison-pirates-beat-cubs/

Cubs.com, Missed chances, botched defense cost Lester http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/226748944/cubs-jon-lester-loses-to-pirates/

Cubs.com, Maddon looking forward to Fenway return http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/226673680/joe-maddon-returns-to-fenway-park-with-cubs/

Cubs.com, Cubs open Interleague set at Fenway Park http://atmlb.com/2pCTtAq

ESPNChicago.com, Pirates rookie Gift Ngoepe on historic night: 'It was just awesome' http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19249696/pittsburgh-pirates-rookie-gift-ngoepe-first-african-player-reach-majors

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Bullpen Finding Its Form After Early-Season Struggles http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-bullpen-finding-its-form-after-early-season-struggles-wade-davis-duensing-edwards-rondon

Chicago Tribune, Kyle Schwarber beset by timing issues: 'Just takes one walk, one good at-bat' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-kyle-schwarber-timing-issues-20170427-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Jon Lester goes winless for month as Cubs come up short in loss to Pirates http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-pirates-spt-0427-20170426-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Kyle Hendricks happy for chance to pitch at Fenway Park http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-kyle-hendricks-start-notes-cubs-spt-0427-20170426-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Joe Maddon goes back in time with birthday game http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-20170426-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, No time to stew: Cubs’ Jon Lester moves on to chowda after loss http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/no-time-to-stew-cubs-jon-lester-moves-on-to-chowda-after-loss/

Chicago Sun-Times, Precautionary days for Ben Zobrist boost Javy Baez playing time http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/precautionary-days-for-ben-zobrist-boost-javy-baez-playing-time/

-- Daily Herald Cubs come up short, Lester finishes April without a win By Bruce Miles

Sooner or later, Jon Lester will get a decision to go his way in 2017. It wasn't to be Wednesday night in Pittsburgh for the Cubs ace left-hander. For the second straight start, Lester allowed 5 earned runs, this time in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park. Lester finished April with a record of 0-1 with an ERA of 3.68 in 5 starts. The Pirates jumped on Lester for 2 runs in the first inning and three in the second, and a Cubs comeback fell just short. The Cubs wound up taking two of three in the series. They enjoy an off-day today in Boston before beginning a big interleague series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Friday. In two of his early no-decisions, Lester was victimized by a lack of run support or late-inning bullpen implosions. He has now endured two straight rough outings. He gave up 5 runs at Cincinnati last Friday before his teammates bailed him out in a 6-5, 11-inning victory. He wound up throwing 107 pitches in 5⅔ innings against the Pirates, giving up 10 hits while walking two, striking out five and giving up 2 home runs. "It's probably the best I threw the ball all year," Lester said. "That's baseball." Last year, Lester went 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA, finishing second in Cy Young Award balloting. "I don't think he was really pleased with his last outing," manager Joe Maddon said of Lester on his pregame radio show Wednesday. "So I expect him to be really kicked in right now." The Cubs probably don't have too much to be worried about when it comes to Lester. He will sit in the dugout this weekend when the Cubs face his former team, the Red Sox. Maddon flip-flopped the starting rotation, beginning with the series in Cincinnati. He moved Lester ahead of Jake Arrieta, hoping to take advantage of Lester against the Pittsburgh lineup and allowing Arrieta to pitch in Boston. The first half of the equation didn't quite work out for the Cubs. There was nothing wrong with the Pirates' slugging percentage against Lester. Josh Harrison led off the bottom of the first inning with a homer, and Francisco Cervelli later drove in a run with a double. Phil Gosselin and Andrew McCutchen had RBI doubles in the Pirates second, and Josh Bell hit a long homer to center in the sixth. The Cubs got a 2-run homer from Anthony Rizzo in the eighth. It was Rizzo's fifth homer of the season. On the road trip, he has 4 homers and 12 RBI. "We had the right guys up at the right time, and it did not work out," Maddon told reporters after the game. -- Cubs.com Rizzo homers, drives in 4, but Cubs fall short By Adam Berry and Carrie Muskat PITTSBURGH -- After seeing his team score five runs over the previous three days, manager Clint Hurdle decided it was time for a change atop the order. Hurdle turned to Josh Harrison, his "Tabasco sauce" leadoff man, and Harrison helped spice up the Pirates' lineup in a 6-5 win over the Cubs on Wednesday night at PNC Park. "Put something else on there," Hurdle said before the game, "and see if we can enlighten the flavor a little bit."

Harrison hit a leadoff homer against left-hander Jon Lester and began a double steal as the Bucs put up five runs in the first two innings, matching their output from the last three games. "We wanted to push the envelope with him at the top, push the envelope on the bases. Try to do something to break up some rhythm for Lester on the mound," Hurdle said. "Josh has shown the ability to do that in the past. He did some more of it tonight for us." Francisco Cervelli, Phil Gosselin and Andrew McCutchen each doubled in a run, and first baseman Josh Bell padded Pittsburgh's lead with a solo homer off Lester in the sixth. Lester battled through his second straight rough outing, allowing five runs on 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings. The problem wasn't Lester, who said he felt better than he did on April 16 at Wrigley Field when he threw seven shutout innings against the Pirates. The problem was the Cubs went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, stranding 13. "We had more than a ton of opportunities," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You look at a game like that -- don't blame anybody. We collectively left too many guys on base. We had the right guys up there at the right time, and it did not want to work out." The Pirates' early offense, fueled by a few uncharacteristic Cubs misplays, was enough to cover another short start from top prospect Tyler Glasnow, who allowed three runs and recorded 10 outs on 89 pitches. The Bucs' bullpen took over from there. Wade LeBlanc, Juan Nicasio and Felipe Rivero combined to toss 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Glasnow. Setup man Daniel Hudson served up a towering two-run shot to Anthony Rizzo, who drove in four of the Cubs' five runs. With the Pirates' lead down to one run, closer Tony Watson recorded the final four outs -- the last two on a double play following an error by Jordy Mercer -- to seal the win and avoid a three-game sweep. "He's got ice in his veins," Mercer said of Watson. "It's not a big deal." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The rundown: Lester's defense did him few favors on the night, particularly in the second inning. With one out and runners on the corners, Harrison took off for second base, drawing Lester off the mound. Gosselin played his part in the double steal, racing home. But their execution was flawed, and the Cubs had Gosselin trapped in a rundown. However, catcher Willson Contreras dropped the throw from third baseman Kris Bryant, allowing Gosselin to score and Harrison to reach second safely. Harrison came around to score on McCutchen's double to right field, finishing Pittsburgh's three-run inning. "We did everything right on that," Maddon said. "Willson just did not hold onto the ball. ... Good throw to the plate, and the easiest part, we didn't do." Can't go home: The Pirates were holding on to a two-run lead in the fifth when Kyle Schwarber came to the plate with one out and runners on second and third. He hit a hard grounder down the first-base line off LeBlanc, but Bell scooped it up and fired home. While most first basemen would have simply stepped on the bag and taken the out at first, Bell remembered the advice he received late last season from Harrison. "'Hey, if you feel something, you've just got to trust it. That's the game,'" Bell said. "'You can't second-guess yourself, or it's too late.' In a game like tonight, that play was a separator. I was happy." Cervelli received Bell's one-hop throw, turned and tagged out Lester as he slid across the plate. Hurdle then called upon right-hander Nicasio, who retired Bryant to end the inning.

"May have very well swung the game in our favor. However, that's not a play many first basemen are ever going to make," Hurdle said. "He chose differently, and he chose well as far as getting an out. For me, a big part of the game. Very well could have swung the game in our favor." QUOTABLE "I could've had a good RBI chance there and didn't come through. I'm not too worried about it at all. I know we have a good team here. It's one game, it's one loss." -- Schwarber on the missed opportunities "If the team can win, that's all that matters, really. I'm glad they could come through and score a lot of runs." – Glasnow SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Rizzo belted a two-run homer with one out in the eighth, his fifth of the season and 20th of his career against the Pirates. That matches the 20 he has hit against the Reds, which he reached over the weekend when he knocked three in Cincinnati. Rizzo has four homers in his last six games. The exit velocity on Wednesday's homer was 98 mph, with a maximum height of 127 feet and an estimated distance of 358 feet from home plate, according to Statcast™. GIFT KEEPS GIVING Growing up in a South African baseball clubhouse with his mother and little brother, Gift Ngoepe overcame nearly impossible odds to reach the big leagues. But he made it on Wednesday, as the Pirates called up the infielder to balance out their bench. Ngoepe entered the game in the fourth inning to play second base in his Major League debut. Ngoepe, the first African-born player in big league history, singled up the middle in his first at-bat. Ngoepe hugged first-base coach Kimera Bartee as the Cubs rolled the ball toward the Pirates' dugout. "I've dreamt about this over and over and over," Ngoepe said, "and it lived up to every aspect of the dream that I had as a kid." WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: After a day off in Boston, Jake Arrieta opens the Cubs' Interleague series against the Red Sox at 6:10 p.m. CT on Friday. The last time he pitched at Fenway Park was June 30, 2014, when he flirted with a no-hitter and gave up one hit over 7 2/3 innings. Pirates: After an off-day on Thursday, the Pirates will travel to Miami and begin a three-game series against the Marlins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday at Marlins Park. Right-hander Jameson Taillon is scheduled to make his fifth start of the season. Taillon has never faced the Marlins. -- Cubs.com Missed chances, botched defense cost Lester By Carrie Muskat PITTSBURGH -- Jon Lester began Wednesday as the only Major League pitcher with at least four starts this year without a decision. That changed, although not in the way the Cubs' lefty would've liked. Lester served up five runs over 5 2/3 innings in the Cubs' 6-5 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park. He was upset about three pitches that resulted in a home run by Josh Harrison in the first, a double down the left-field line by Phil Gosselin in the second and a homer by Josh Bell in the sixth. Lester didn't get much help as the Cubs went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13.

"We had more than a ton of opportunities," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You look at a game like that -- don't blame anybody. We collectively left too many guys on base. We had the right guys up there at the right time, and it did not want to work out." Lester said he felt better with his command than he did on April 16, when he threw seven shutout innings against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. "It's probably the best I've thrown the ball all year," Lester said. "That's baseball. I made the adjustment too late. The two innings cost us five runs, and I put these guys behind the eight ball too early." Besides the lack of clutch hits, there were some botched plays. The Pirates had runners on the corners in the second when Harrison broke for second. Lester threw to second baseman Javier Baez, who threw to third baseman Kris Bryant to get Gosselin, who started for home, in a rundown. But it fell apart as catcher Willson Contreras dropped Bryant's throw for an error, allowing the run to score. "We did everything right on that," Maddon said. "That was perfect, actually. Willson just didn't hold onto the ball. ... Good throw to the plate, and the easiest part, we didn't do. I was happy with the way we ran [the play], actually." Added Bryant: "Plays matter. This was a game we had a couple plays that really mattered, and we didn't take advantage of them." Anthony Rizzo did drive in four runs, including a two-run homer in the eighth. But the Cubs loaded the bases in the first and second innings, and they couldn't deliver. "I could've had a good RBI chance there and didn't come through," Kyle Schwarber said of his at-bat in the second with two on. "I'm not too worried about it at all. I know we have a good team here. It's one game, it's one loss." Added Maddon: "It was a weird night. However, won two out of three, had an opportunity to pull it out in the ninth, so there's nothing for me to lament." -- Cubs.com Maddon looking forward to Fenway return By Carrie Muskat PITTSBURGH -- Joe Maddon remembers his first trip to Boston in 1995. He was a coach on the Angels, the team arrived around 6 a.m., and it was raining. That didn't stop him from exploring. The Angels were staying in Cambridge, Mass., and Maddon asked the hotel van to drop him off in Harvard Square. "I just walked and checked out Harvard and a coffee shop there and wanted to feel this whole thing, and I did and went to the train station and jumped on a train and went to Chestnut Hill because I wanted to see [Boston College]," Maddon said on Wednesday. Maddon and the Cubs will be in Boston for a three-game Interleague series against the Red Sox, which starts at 6:10 p.m. CT Friday. The Chicago contingent will have an off-day on Thursday in Boston, so Maddon could do a little more wandering. One of the things Maddon also did on that first trip in 1995 was check out the area around Fenway Park. "What's behind the [left-field] wall is actually really interesting to me, so that was another thing," Maddon said of his adventure. "I had to take a walk by myself down the street to see it. My first trip to Boston was about me, and I wanted to see the city." Maddon saw plenty of games in Boston when he was manager of the Rays.

"It's the American League East, and I cut my teeth there as a manager," Maddon said. Worth noting • The Cubs tweaked their rotation for the three-game series, flipping Kyle Hendricks and Brett Anderson, so Hendricks starts on Sunday and Anderson goes Monday against the Phillies at Wrigley Field. The Phillies have a slash line of .230/.294/.410 against left-handed pitchers, which is the reason for the switch. Because of Thursday's off-day, Hendricks will be pitching on regular rest. • Kyle Schwarber was expected to be the Cubs' designated hitter for the three games, but Maddon wasn't ready to reveal who will play left field. Schwarber did just fine as the DH during the World Series last fall, batting .438 (7-for-16) with a double and two RBIs after missing the regular season because of a knee injury. • Ben Zobrist did not start on Wednesday, which will give him two days off prior to the series in Boston. Zobrist has been battling a stiff back, although he said he's feeling fine and the move was more precautionary. "I'm being respectful from his back's perspective," Maddon said. "Of course, I played him in the worst weather [Monday and Tuesday] and gave him the best weather off [on Wednesday]. "I'm looking at the big picture down the road. The latter part of the season, I want him to be well and healthy." • During his tenure with the Cubs, Chris Coghlan didn't pull off the acrobatic move he did during Tuesday's Blue Jays game when he dove over Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina at home plate. "That is shocking," Maddon said of the play. "That's other-worldly. That's something you see Bo Jackson or [former high jumper] Dick Fosbury do. That also is the residue of the rule about blocking home plate. He could've just ran [Molina] over but probably internally somehow felt he couldn't and put himself at risk by landing on his head. I want to make a point of that also." How would anyone know they could do that? "When do you ever practice that?" Maddon said. "The only time you know you can do that is right after you're done doing it." -- Cubs.com Cubs open Interleague set at Fenway Park By Carrie Muskat Kris Bryant's dad marked this weekend on his calendar as soon as he saw the Cubs' schedule. So did Jon Lester's wife and his parents and Anthony Rizzo's family. On Friday, the Cubs will open a three-game Interleague series with the Red Sox, their first meeting at Fenway Park since 2014. Chicago swept that series, which included a stellar game by Jake Arrieta, who flirted with a no-hitter. The right-hander didn't give up a hit until Stephen Drew singled with two outs in the eighth, and he received a standing ovation as he walked off the field from the Fenway crowd. Arrieta will be back on the mound again, opening the series on Friday. Lester, who came up in the Red Sox's organization, will not pitch in the series, while John Lackey, who did pitch for Boston from 2010-14, will start on Saturday. Drew Pomeranz was scheduled to start Friday for the Red Sox, who were sorting out their rotation after a rainout on Tuesday against the Yankees.

"It's really special," Arrieta said of Fenway Park. "I got to pitch there several times early in my career, and the first time you're there, it's kind of like your first experience at Wrigley [Field]. It's an environment like nothing else. "Wrigley and Fenway are the last two really ultra old-school stadiums and venues. It's really cool to get to visit those places. It's a unique place, and there's a lot of character there and a lot of history. You have to pitch a little different there to certain guys because of the wall [in left]." Does Arrieta remember the reception he received from the Fenway fans? "You want your home team to win, but they appreciated the performance I put up there, and it was a neat feeling," Arrieta said. "You get goosebumps. To pitch well like that and be acknowledged by the Fenway fans was pretty awesome." Bryant's father, Mike, was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 1980 Draft out of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He played two seasons in the Minor Leagues, finishing with a .204 batting average. Mike even proposed to his wife, Susie, on Yawkey Way behind the Green Monster at Fenway Park. His son, Kris, knows the area after playing in the Cape Cod League, having taken batting practice at Fenway. Kris and his teammates signed their names on the left-field wall at the time, and he was curious if they had been painted over. As far as dealing with the Green Monster as a hitter, Kris wasn't sure what to do. "I watch the games all the time, but once you get in the park, it's right on top of you," Kris said. "It feels you have to hit it really high. It's definitely a little intimidating." Lester was looking forward to seeing the few teammates who remain from his days there. He has been texting Dustin Pedroia about the weekend reunion. "We did everything together," Lester said of his time with the second baseman. "We did the Minor Leagues, the [Major League] debuts, the World Series, the ups and downs, everything. He was probably -- if not the first -- the second person I called when I signed with the Cubs. His friendship and him as a teammate mean a lot to me." Lester's arrival in Chicago in 2015 has helped turn the Cubs around, and last year, culminated with their first World Series championship since 1908. The Cubs are bringing their trophy this weekend, and it will be featured at an event to benefit Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein's Foundation To Be Named Later, which was hosting a concert on Saturday, featuring Cubs fan Eddie Vedder. The concert is sold out. It will mark the first time the Red Sox's curse-busting 2004 World Series trophy and the Cubs' '16 trophy will be on display together. "The biggest thing is they're both storied franchises with a lot of great history and a lot of great players who played for both of them," Lester said of the Cubs and Red Sox. Things to know about this game: • On one hand, Arrieta surrendered five runs (four earned) on eight hits over six innings in his last outing at Cincinnati. On the other hand, the righty racked up a season-high 16 swinging strikes -- more than the 15 he had over his previous two starts combined. Arrieta's 15.8-percent swinging-strike rate was his fourth highest in a game since the start of last season. • Pomeranz has faced the Cubs three times in his career, including last May 11 at Wrigley Field while with the Padres when he threw six shutout innings. This season, the left-hander has not gone deep in his starts. He had an interesting outing against the Rays on April 16 when he struck out 10 over 4 1/3 innings. • Pedroia did not start on Wednesday for the Red Sox because of lingering soreness in his left knee and ankle. He was injured Friday in Baltimore on a hard slide by the Orioles' Manny Machado. The Red Sox are short-handed in the infield with Pablo Sandoval on the 10-day disabled list with a right knee sprain and Brock Holt on the DL with vertigo.

• The Red Sox will be without setup reliever Matt Barnes until the series finale because he is serving a four-game suspension for throwing a pitch near the head of Machado Sunday. -- ESPNChicago.com Pirates rookie Gift Ngoepe on historic night: 'It was just awesome' By Jesse Rogers PITTSBURGH -- He had to tell himself not to cry, and that was before South Africa native Gift Ngoepe became the first player from that country -- and the African continent as a whole -- to play in a major league game. Not only did he play on Wednesday night, but he also had a hit and a walk in the Pirates' 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Afterward, Ngoepe was asked what he was thinking as he was standing on first base following his fourth-inning single off Jon Lester. "I thought about where I've come from, making the journey from South Africa to pursue my dream of playing in the major leagues someday," Ngoepe said. "I thought about the struggles of being in the minor leagues for 8½ years and then to finally get up here and get a hit in my first at-bat. The whole thing was just awesome. That's the only word I can think of to describe it. It was awesome." There was a buzz in the Pirates' dugout and throughout the stadium as manager Clint Hurdle pulled an unusually early double switch, bringing Ngoepe off the bench to play second base in the top of the fourth inning. "I told myself not to cry, because I'm in the big leagues and I'm a big guy," Ngoepe said. "[Francisco] Cervelli hugged me, and I could feel my heartbeat through my chest. It was emotional, and I had to fight back the tears." Hurdle offered his take. "Jordy [Mercer] just kept telling everybody, 'He's representing 1.62 billion people. He's one of them, 1.62 billion,'" Hurdle said. "Everybody was pulling for him." To make room for Ngoepe on the roster, the Pirates optioned reliever Dovydas Neverauskas to Triple-A Indianapolis. On Tuesday, Neverauskas became just the second Lithuanian to appear in an MLB game. "It shows that you don't have to be from a big country like the United States to reach your dream of making it to the major leagues," Ngoepe said prior to his debut. "Dovydas is from Europe. I'm from Africa. Baseball is not a popular sport [on either continent], but if you work hard enough and dream a little bit, anything is possible." Two innings after his first big league hit, Ngoepe earned his first walk; later, he helped turn a game-ending double play. The rookie infielder was the toast of the locker room after the win as he searched for words to describe his historic night. "It was just awesome," Ngoepe said. "I don't know what other word to use. It was just awesome." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Bullpen Finding Its Form After Early-Season Struggles By Tony Andracki

It was just over a week ago when Cubs fans were freaking out about the bullpen's struggles in a weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was understandable, given Cubs relievers allowed 11 runs in the course of blowing two late leads to end that three-game sweep at the hand of the Bucs. But since then, the Cubs bullpen has been fantastic. In eight games entering Wednesday night's series finale with the Pirates in Pittsburgh, the Cubs bullpen is working on a stretch where they've posted a 1.56 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over the last 28.2 innings. In that span — in which the Cubs are 6 — relievers have allowed six runs (five earned) while striking out 33 batters and surrendering just one homer. They've been especially stingy over the last three games, allowing just five baserunners in eight shutout innings, including three straight scoreless frames to close out a 1-0 victory Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. Wade Davis has been the anchor at the back end of the bullpen the Cubs were hoping he'd be when they traded Jorge Soler for him over the winter. Davis is a perfect 5-for-5 in save opportunities and has not allowed a run in 9.1 innings, allowing just three hits and a pair of walks in the season's first month. Setting up in front of Davis, Hector Rondon and Carl Edwards Jr. have combined to allow one run and three hits in 15.1 innings. Brian Duensing — who started the year on the disabled list after a back issue sapped his spring training — is still searching for a rhythm and has surrendered six runs and 10 hits in 6.1 innings on the season. Over the last week-and-a-half, the 34-year-old southpaw has allowed more runs (three) than the rest of the Cubs bullpen combined. Take Duensing's numbers away from that same eight-game stretch and the Cubs bullpen has been even more fantastic — 0.73 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. Of course, it's still not even May yet, so this stellar stretch is just another small sample size. But just like that, the Cubs suddenly have a Top 10 bullpen, tied for the Colorado Rockies for ninth in Major League Baseball with a 3.07 relief ERA. -- Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber beset by timing issues: 'Just takes one walk, one good at-bat' By Mark Gonzales The lofty comparisons for Kyle Schwarber have been tempered recently after a 2-for-19 rut. Schwarber admitted his missed a chance to help the Cubs at least tie the game in the eighth inning Wednesday night when he struck out on a pitch from Daniel Hudson of the Pittsburgh Pirates that sailed out of the strike zone. Anthony Rizzo followed later with a two-run home run that only brought the Cubs to within one run of a 6-5 loss that snapped their four-game winning streak. “Ball four, and I swung through it,” Schwarber said. But Schwarber, who maintains a .351 on-base percentage, isn’t discouraged about his recent slump. “I’m not too worried about it at all,” Schwarber said. “I know we have a good team here, it’s one game, one loss. I feel like Jon (Lester) battled. It’s just the nature of the game right there.”

Schwarber has had his share of broken bats due to opponents jamming him, and the numerous foul pitches indicate that his timing is slightly off. “I’m still going to be the most confident player on the field,” Schwarber said. “And I know that this is just a way things will play out sometimes. Even though I might get frustrated, I know at the end of the day, I still believe I’m a good hitter, and it’s going to turn around at some point. “It just takes one walk, one good at-bat, whatever it is. So I’m going to keep going out there, day after day and work good at-bats and drive some balls.” -- Chicago Tribune Jon Lester goes winless for month as Cubs come up short in loss to Pirates By Mark Gonzales Despite tinkering in the Cubs rotation, ace Jon Lester will finish April without a victory for the second time in three seasons. It's not a major cause for worry, considering Lester allowed two runs in his first three starts. But a rough start Wednesday night was too much for him and the Cubs to overcome in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates that prevented them from earning their first series sweep. "It was a weird night," manager Joe Maddon said. "He gave up two homers and a hard-hit ball down the third base line. That's it." Maddon shifted the responsibility to an offense that was 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 runners though it did compile 12 hits. As for Lester, he seemed just as bewildered as Maddon at his result, especially after he had thrown seven shutout innings against the Pirates on April 16. "It's probably the best I've thrown all year," Lester said. "If you compare my two starts, I had better stuff this time." Lester took responsibility for changing his game plan only after the Pirates scored five times on seven hits in the first two innings. "The score says what it says, and the outcome is the outcome, but it's hard to see it when it's on my side," Lester said. Lester continued the Cubs' disturbing habit of falling behind early as they have allowed 21 runs in the first inning of their 21 games. Hurting their cause further, catcher Willson Contreras dropped a throw on a sweeping tag attempt that allowed Phil Gosselin to score to make it 4-1 in the second. Lester did settle down to retire 11 of 12 batters, but his homer to Josh Bell in the sixth to make it 6-3 loomed large after Anthony Rizzo smacked a towering two-run homer in the eighth to cut the Cubs' deficit to one. The homer was the fourth in six games for Rizzo, but the Cubs missed several chances to give Lester more support. "It could have been a lot different if I came through in an at-bat with guys on base," said Kris Bryant, who hit a tapper in front of the mound for the third out of the fifth with two runners aboard. "It did feel like we scored a little more than five runs, but we didn't." Lester was on the short end of history. Gift Ngoepe, the first player from the continent of Africa to reach the majors, singled off Lester to open the fourth inning in his first major-league at-bat.

Ngoepe, 27, was born in South Africa but left to play for a Major League Baseball academy in Italy and was signed as a free agent in 2008. Ngoepe was rated as the best defensive infielder in the Pirates' minor-league system in each of the last five seasons by Baseball America. Javier Baez made most of his start while Ben Zobrist rested when he ripped a double off the wall in right-center field and pulled a single to left in his first two at-bats to snap a 2-for-16 slump. The Cubs put the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth, but Albert Almora Jr. — batting for Jon Jay — grounded into a game-ending double play. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Kyle Hendricks happy for chance to pitch at Fenway Park By Mark Gonzales It's unlikely Kyle Hendricks will have the opportunity to visit his former Dartmouth College baseball team when it plays at Harvard on Sunday. That's because the Cubs adjusted their rotation so Hendricks will stay on his normal schedule when he faces the Red Sox on Sunday night, with left-hander Brett Anderson pushed back to start Monday night's home series opener against the Phillies. The Phillies are batting only .230 against left-handers, so moving Anderson back makes sense. Moreover, a source indicated the Red Sox's unfamiliarity with Hendricks might make his changeup more effective against them. Hanley Ramirez (1-for-3) is the only Red Sox regular position player who has faced Hendricks. At any rate, Hendricks is excited for the opportunity to pitch at Fenway Park. He and his Dartmouth friends used to make the two-hour drive from Hanover, N.H., when their academic schedules permitted. "I love those old ballparks," Hendricks said. "It's going to be very cool to pitch there." Business as usual: Reliever Koji Uehara struck out the final batter to clinch each playoff series for the Red Sox in 2013 but he says he isn't overly excited to return to Boston this weekend. "It was certainly a good memory, but now I'm with the Cubs so I don't put much weight on it," Uehara said. Uehara confirmed his agent and the Red Sox discussed his returning but the team pursued another reliever. "It's not going to be a revenge thing," Uehara said. Crunching numbers: Manager Joe Maddon doesn't believe analytics has changed or marginalized the way he manages. "It's almost like a teacher's aide the way you manage the game," said Maddon, whose lineup card sometimes resembles a Lite-Brite toy with colored boxes to represent tendencies. "The thing sabermetrics overlooks sometimes are trends, and they scoff at them because they just think you need to go to a larger sample all the time," Maddon said. "I can't disagree more than I can disagree with that."

Extra innings: Maddon exchanged text messages with pitching coach Chris Bosio, who is "doing better" and is expected to rejoin the team Monday. Bosio left the team Sunday night to address a personal matter. … Maddon still is weighing his designated-hitter options for the interleague Red Sox series. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Joe Maddon goes back in time with birthday game By Mark Gonzales Cubs manager Joe Maddon keeps his mind fresh during games by looking at the video boards. But his intent isn't always to look at how opposing teams are faring. Maddon takes glances to see people's birthdays so he can try to recall where he was when that person came into the world. "The guy was born on June 17, 1992," Maddon said. "OK, I was a roving instructor. I play that game with all the birthdays, but I think about that." Maddon's birthday is Feb. 8, and he recalled the cutoff for the first grade in his hometown of Hazleton, Penn., was Jan. 31. "So athletically, I was ahead of a lot of the kids on my same grade level," Maddon said. But Maddon admitted recalling many of the current birthdays are more challenging. "None of these guys (were born in) 1973, '74, which was a lot more fun," quipped Maddon, 63, who graduated from high school in 1972. -- Chicago Sun-Times No time to stew: Cubs’ Jon Lester moves on to chowda after loss By Gordon Wittenmyer PITTSBURGH — Originally, Jon Lester was scheduled to pitch the series opener Friday in Boston instead of the series finale Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. It would have been his first start against his former team, after an unpleasant departure in 2014 that included a lowball extension offer and eventual trade to Oakland. “It’ll be nice just to go back and not have to worry about all that hoopla and just kind of hang out,” Lester said. “But at the same time it would be kind of fun to pitch there as well.” That had to look even a lot more fun by the end of the second inning in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park. If nothing else, the reception would have been better at Fenway Park. On a night Lester considered it “probably the best I’ve thrown the ball all year,” the Pirates peppered him for five runs on seven hits in the first two innings — a stretch that included three infield hits and an error on catcher Willson Contreras’ dropped-tag attempt that yielded an unearned run. He retired 11 of 12 after that, until Josh Bell’s one-out homer in the sixth. Lester, who swapped places in the rotation with Jake Arrieta because of the Pirates’ early struggles against lefties, allowed only two runs in his first three starts combined. “I had better stuff today than I did that last start [against the Pirates] when I threw seven shutout,” Lester said.

In his second consecutive start, Lester allowed five earned runs. It was his third time as a Cub allowing five earned runs in back-to-back starts. “At the end of the day we lost so it doesn’t really matter how I felt, how my stuff was,” he said. At least Lester didn’t have to stick around long in Pittsburgh to think about it. The Green Monster and chowder should be welcome sights and scents to him by Friday. “It’ll be nice to get to see some of the people in the organization that are still there, from back in my minor-league days and big-league days,” said Lester, who doesn’t have many old teammates left on the Red Sox roster after 2½ years of turnover. Which isn’t so bad, he said. “It’s not like me signing and then going back in ’15 when most of the guys were still there, so I think it makes it easier to go back and deal with everything,” he said. “It’ll be nice to see [Dustin Pedroia], and I’ve been texting David [Ortiz] and hopefully he’ll come by and hang out for a minute. “It’ll be fun.” Despite Lester’s struggles, the Cubs stayed within striking distance against struggling right-hander Tyler Glasnow and the Pirates’ bullpen. “It did feel like we scored a lot more than five runs,” said Kris Bryant, who had three hits and scored twice on Anthony Rizzo hits — including a two-run homer in the eighth by Rizzo that made it a one-run game. “We had more than a ton of opportunities,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Weird night. . . . There were a lot of awkward moments that went against us.” The game was not without its historic moment, when Gift Ngoepe, making his big-league debut as the majors’ first African player, singled and walked in his two plate appearances. -- Chicago Sun-Times Precautionary days for Ben Zobrist boost Javy Baez playing time By Gordon Wittenmyer PITTSBURGH — So much for that dilemma about getting Javy Baez regular playing time at second base. Manager Joe Maddon showed again Wednesday that he plans to rest and preserve Ben Zobrist for what the club expects to be another seven-month season. Zobrist, who was out of the lineup for three games last week because of soreness in his lower back, was on the bench again ahead of a scheduled day off even though he told Maddon he was fine to play. “I’m being respectful from his back’s perspective,” Maddon said. “Give him two days down, it sets him up for [the weekend series in] Boston. Coming off that stiff back a couple of days ago, why do I want to put him in another stiff-back mode?” Zobrist already has been on the bench for six of the Cubs’ first 21 games. Seven of his 15 starts have come at second base. “I’m looking at the big picture down the road,” Maddon said. “The latter part of the season, I want him to be well and healthy.”

Uehara sticking to task at hand Cubs reliever Koji Uehara, the former Red Sox closer who got the last out of Boston’s 2013 World Series championship, downplayed how much he might be looking forward to his first trip back. “To tell you the truth, not very much,” he said through the team translator. Besides, he had talked to the Red Sox about returning after last year, “but Boston decided to pursue another reliever. That was the end of that.” So the bigger point would be, does he want to stick it to the Red Sox this weekend? “Well, not really,” he said. “It’s not going to be a revenge thing or anything like that.” Rotation gyration The Cubs are using their day off to adjust their rotation next time, moving right-hander Kyle Hendricks up to the series finale Sunday in Boston and pushing left-hander Brett Anderson back to the homestand opener Monday against the Phillies, who have struggled against lefties in the early going. The pitching matchups this weekend: Jake Arrieta (3-0, 3.65 ERA) vs. left-hander Drew Pomeranz (1-1, 4.60) on Friday, John Lackey (1-3, 4.88) vs. knuckleballer Steven Wright (1-2, 8.66) on Saturday and Hendricks (2-1, 4.50) vs. lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 3.12) on Sunday. Maddon: Rule is upside down For all the attention and humor inspired by former Cub Chris Coghlan’s somersault over Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina for a run Tuesday night, Maddon seemed struck by the apparent reason behind the dangerous move. “I think it’s the residue of the rule about blocking home plate, I really do,” said Maddon, a critic of the rule that requires the catcher to provide a lane to the plate for a runner when he doesn’t have the ball. “He could have just run him over and probably internally somehow felt like he couldn’t and put himself at risk by landing on his head. I want to make that point.” --