September 13, 2016 Chicago Tribune Kyle Hendricks pitches eight no-hit innings as Cubs cut magic number to 3 By Mark Gonzales Kyle Hendricks earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in economics, and Monday night the ascendant Cubs right-hander earned his master's in pitching. Hendricks, 26, relied on his finesse and pinpoint control to pitch eight no-hit innings before Jeremy Hazelbaker homered leading off the ninth to barely dim a 4-1 victory over the rival Cardinals at Busch Stadium. "It's got to catapult him in the minds of people voting (for the Cy Young Award) right now," manager Joe Maddon said after Hendricks (15-7) lowered his major-league-leading ERA to 2.03. "That was spectacular." It also had special meaning for the Cubs (92-51), who reduced their magic number for winning the NL Central to three. "I've always had confidence in my pitchability," said Hendricks, who has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 20 consecutive starts. Maddon wanted the focus to be on Hendricks even after plate umpire Joe West ejected Maddon less than two minutes after Hendricks hung an 0-2 changeup that Hazelbaker smacked over the right-field fence. Catcher Miguel Montero quickly visited the mound, but tension mounted after he returned behind the plate. "(West) tapped me on the shoulder and told me to go out," Montero said. "So I'm walking out, and (West) then said, 'If you go out, I'll count it as a visit.'" As Montero went to the mound for a second time, Maddon came out to argue with West and was tossed. "There was a misinterpretation there," Maddon said. "We needed a little bit more time to get (closer Aroldis Chapman) ready, based on the situation. That's all. And I needed the catcher to go out to the mound. "We were denied, and I didn't like it. So I made my stand. I truly believe we were proper in that." Hendricks left to a standing ovation after walking two and striking out seven, thanks to the sharpness of all of his pitches. "It's a different form of dominance," Maddon said. "Everyone wants dominance to be pure force. Finesse can be dominant also when it's done properly, when it's done like he does it." Hendricks never thought he would get close to pitching a no-hitter, especially because he relies on inducing soft contact and he said he threw a terrible pregame bullpen session. He admitted thoughts of a no-hitter crept into his mind in the fifth, and he received exceptional defensive help in the ensuing innings. Shortstop Addison Russell ranged far into the shallow left-field grass on a grounder to retire Jhonny Peralta, and right fielder Jason Heyward reached into the seats to catch Hazelbaker's foul pop on consecutive plays in the sixth.

Third baseman Kris Bryant ranged to his left before tumbling but regained his balance to retire Stephen Piscotty in the seventh. Hendricks has allowed two runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts while posting a 6-0 record and 1.26 ERA in that span. "He prepares himself better than anybody I've caught in my career," Montero said. "And he's got a pretty good idea on the mound." -- Chicago Tribune Kyle Hendricks continues brilliant season, flirts with no-hitter By Paul Sullivan The Cubs were hoping to throw a wild celebration at Busch Stadium on Wednesday, when a sweep of the three-game series would clinch the National League Central title. But Kyle Hendricks threatened to move the party up a couple of days, taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning Monday night in a 4-1 win over the Cardinals. A solo home run by Jeremy Hazelbaker leading off the ninth ended the no-no. And that preceded some fireworks between Cubs manager Joe Maddon and plate umpire Joe West that got Maddon ejected. Hendricks said thoughts of the no-hitter were creeping in inning by inning and admitted his heart sank when Hazelbaker connected on an 0-2 changeup. "Yeah, but if you're going to give it up, at least it's that way and not a cheap hit or something," he said. "Just left the ball up and he got it. What are you gonna do?" Hendricks missed out on history, but he made his case for the Cy Young Award with another gem. Maddon said Monday's performance should "catapult" Hendricks to the top in the minds of voters. "There's been talk for a while now about that," Hendricks said. "Those are all just based on results. The only way results are going to come is if you focus on the little things. That's my preparation, consistent work between my starts, simple thoughts taking the mound, and just trying to make good pitches." Facing the league's most power-happy lineup, Hendricks breezed through the Cardinals as if he was on his way to a picnic. He walked two men and faced only one batter over the minimum into the ninth, changing speeds and keeping the Cardinals lineup off balance all night. Hendricks lowered his league-leading earned-run average to 2.03 and has allowed three runs or fewer in his last 20 starts. Before the game, Jon Lester marveled over how well Hendricks executes a game plan, going over each hitter with catching coach Mike Borzello and the night's starting catcher. "It's like you can sit in the background and write it down and go through each at-bat with him as he's doing it," Lester said. "His recall is unbelievable, what he does and how he goes about it. It's fun to watch just because he's so different than anyone else. You don't worry about the radar gun or what he's throwing or anything else. He really has a good idea of how to set guys up and finish them. It's been impressive to watch him this year, how he executes." It's that preparation that has made Hendricks, a Dartmouth grad, one of the game's brightest young starters.

"He prepares himself better than anyone I've caught in my career," catcher Miguel Montero said afterward. "He's fun to catch, and it's been fun because he's a guy that wants to learn every day, wants to get better. "He's open-minded for whatever advice you can give him. It's an honor to catch him." Hendricks' no-hit bid was kept intact by some stellar defensive plays, including two in the sixth when Addison Russell backhanded a ball and threw out Jhonny Peralta, and Jason Heyward went into the first row of the right-field box seats to catch a foul pop. In the seventh, Kris Bryant went into the hole at third to snag a grounder by Stephen Piscotty, got up on one knee and easily got his man. The Cubs reduced their magic number to three, and can still clinch at Busch Stadium with victories Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. But clinching in St. Louis is no big deal to Maddon or Cubs players. "I know it would be kind of a little thorn in their side for us to do it here," Lester said. "But we know these guys are fighting for a playoff spot, so we know what they're going to bring in intensity and all that stuff… If we have a chance, great. If we don't, we go home and it'll be even better at home." But if the Cubs do manage to clinch here, Maddon confirmed he doesn't believe a team can "over-celebrate" anything. "I just think that applies to people who don't like to celebrate," he said. "If you're an anti-celebratory person, then over-celebrating becomes a concept. But for me, I think celebrations are celebrations. " Hendricks' night was just the appetizer. The real party is on deck. -- Chicago Tribune Changes help career of Cubs' Kyle Hendricks By Mark Gonzales As recently as last winter, the Cubs acquired Adam Warren from the New York Yankees partly as insurance in the event Kyle Hendricks struggled. But that competition never crystallized, as Hendricks quickly stabilized his spot in the rotation, and Warren never got untracked as a reliever and was returned to the Yankees as part of the Aroldis Chapman trade on July 24. A case can be made, however, that Hendricks, 26, might be the most improved pitcher in the National League based largely on his ascent. Thanks to some changes made this offseason, Hendricks has a reasonable chance to win the NL Cy Young Award in the eyes of manager Joe Maddon and his teammates. “The only way results are going to come is if you focus on the preparation,” Hendricks said Monday night after pitching eight no-hit innings before settling for a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Hendricks, who lowered his major league-leading ERA to 2.03, continues to get stronger despite the lack of a 95 mph fastball. Hendricks is 6-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his past seven starts, largely because he has mastered changes he made last winter after an inconsistent 2015. “Last year I don’t think he was ready to change because it probably was too much to ask a guy,” catcher Miguel Montero said. “I think he felt he needed to do something different.”

In this case, Hendricks incorporated a four-seam fastball and curve with more frequency. The result is that he’s keeping opposing hitters more honest and off-balance. “It’s been huge,” Hendricks said. “Last year my mechanics weren’t where they were, my confidence either. I almost was like a two-pitch pitcher.” Maddon marveled at Hendricks’ confidence and ability to spot his pitches at any count. “He had the ability to throw something soft in a fastball count, and a fastball in a (soft) count,” Maddon said. “He and Miggy were perfect together. It was a great marriage.” Perhaps the greatest compliment came from Montero, 33, who started his career catching Hall of Fame left-hander Randy Johnson and caught Jake Arrieta’s first no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in August of 2015. “It’s been fun since he’s a guy who wants to learn every day and gets better,” Montero said. “He’s open-minded about whatever advice you can give him. “To me, it’s an honor to catch him. I like to help him and I like to learn from him because he’s been teaching me so much. He’s advancing and not following into a pattern he did last year. Last year he was too predictable. And he knew that.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Joe Maddon gets his money's worth in ejection By Mark Gonzales Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon joked that he was out of breath by the time he reached the mound Monday night to pull Kyle Hendricks in the ninth inning. But Maddon got his money’s worth – probably a low four-digit fine – after telling home plate umpire Joe West in colorful words that he was wrong not to allow catcher Miguel Montero to make another trip to the mound after Hendricks lost his no-hit bid on a leadoff home run by Jeremy Hazelbaker on an 0-2 changeup. After getting tossed, Maddon went to the mound even though he already was ejected. First base umpire Andy Fletcher spoke calmly with Maddon before Maddon returned to home plate to resume his argument with West before leaving the field. “It was inappropriate when it happened, so I was not going to be very honorable at that particular moment,” Maddon said of West’s actions. “It was inappropriate. He knew it.” Maddon, however, declined to be goaded when a reporter asked him to elaborate. “Come on,” Maddon replied. “Just write it. You guys saw it. You know what happened. I don’t need to get into any more trouble. Just write it.” This was the third ejection of the season for Maddon. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs expect executive Jason McLeod to depart for a GM job soon By Mark Gonzales

General manager Jed Hoyer confirmed Monday that the Cubs have granted the Twins permission to talk to Jason McLeod about their vacant GM job, and Hoyer believes McLeod eventually will be a major-league GM. "No question," Hoyer said. "We dodged a few bullets the past few years with him. I'm sort of expecting, if not now, soon." McLeod, 44, is the Cubs' senior vice president of scouting and player development. He has overseen drafts that produced Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. in the first round. "There's probably not a better scouting and player development guy out there," Hoyer said. "He has all the skills to do every other part of the (GM) job. He's got a great way about him as a person. He manages people very easily. They love working for him. "He'll be very good at it once he gets the job, but we dodged some bullets and probably know it's somewhat inevitable that at some point he's going to get an opportunity, which is great." McLeod withdrew from consideration for the Padres GM job in 2014. He and Hoyer worked together with the Red Sox and were instrumental in the drafting of Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, Clay Buchholz and Josh Reddick. Different strokes: Jon Lester has a hard time grasping the extra rest given to him and his fellow starting pitchers, even in the wake of recent arm injuries to Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals and Danny Salazar of the Indians that hinder their teams' playoff chances. "Everybody is different," said Lester, who will revert to pitching on four days' rest when he takes the mound Wednesday. "Everyone is so worried about protecting people, and injuries are going up. I don't have the right answer to it. I don't think there's a right or wrong way." Lester said his left arm feels well and that "there's a time and a place for breaks." "The All-Star break is a great time to screw around with some things and give some guys extra days if needed," he said. "But especially now, with the point of the season we're in, personally I'd just rather pitch (every fifth day)." -- Chicago Sun-Times Big-game hunting: Hendricks nearly no-hits Cards in latest gem By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS – Despite that sparkling ERA and the huge second-half run, does anybody feel sure Kyle Hendricks can keep that up when the games get bigger? Next question. In the biggest game of his magical season, Hendricks took a no-hitter into the ninth inning Monday night against the Cardinals in St. Louis before Jeremy Hazelbaker drove an 0-2 pitch over the right-field wall leading off the ninth to break it up. He didn’t get the no-hitter. But consider Hendricks’ statement made with what might prove the signature start of his Cy Young candidacy – culminating in a 4-1 victory over the rival Cardinals that kept alive the Cubs’ hopes of clinching the division title at Busch Stadium on Wednesday. “That was, I would guess, his best major league performance ever,” manager Joe Maddon said. “A spectacular performance. It’s got to elevate him in the minds of the people voting [for the Cy Young Award] right now.”

Hendricks (15-7) gave up two walks, but nobody reached second until the homer, and he faced the minimum possible until walking Jedd Gyorko with two out in the eighth. Never in trouble, Hendricks also never seemed to sweat – a trait that has become a big part of his growing reputation and success. “I was pretty calm, actually,” said Hendricks, who settled in after what he called his worst pregame bullpen session of the year. “I was definitely thinking about it from probably the fifth inning. It creeps into your mind. Guys started getting quiet and not talking to me. It’s a different mental approach, a situation I really haven’t been in.” That could describe much of his breakout season, which began as the Cubs’ fifth starter and is finishing strong as a potential Game 2 playoff starter. Monday’s performance, which reduced the Cubs’ magic number for clinching the division title to three games and reduced Hendricks’ major-league-leading ERA to 2.03, reminded Maddon of the kind of dominance Jake Arrieta his in his no-hitter in Los Angeles late last season on the way to the Cy Young Award. “It’s a different form of dominance,” Maddon said of Hendricks, who relies on the best changeup on the staff and spotting a fastball more than 5 mph behind Arrieta’s. “Everybody wants dominance to be pure force,” Maddon said. “Finesse can be dominant.” Even Hendricks considered his pitching style and said: “Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever really get that close to one.” Maddon pulled Hendricks after the home run on his 96th pitch, in a continuing effort to preserve pitches and innings on his staff for October. But not before Maddon got ejected by home plate ump Joe West, who took issue with the Cubs’ infielders hanging out on the mound with Hendricks as reliever Aroldis Chapman warmed up. Maddon’s ensuing debate assured enough time for Chapman to get ready. “It’s not about that moment; it’s about Kyle,” Maddon said. Hendricks struck out seven and got help – spectacular at times – from his fielders. On back-to-back plays in the sixth, Addison Russell robbed Jhonny Peralta of a hit, ranging to the hole and making a quick throw for the first out of the inning, followed by right-fielder Jason Heyward reaching over the first row for a foul popup. Heyward kept hold of the catch despite a fan in a Cardinals shirt trying to wrestle the ball from his glove as teammate Javy Baez fought off the fan. In the seventh, third baseman Kris Bryant lunged to his left to snare Stephen Piscotty’s smash, before scrambling to his feet to throw him out by a step. Hendricks did the rest, with the best start yet during a streak of 20 consecutive starts allowing three or fewer runs – the 13th in that stretch in which he has allowed one or none. “Today was just one of those days everything was starting to fall into place for me,” he said. And if anybody’s still wondering how sustainable that is into next month? “I don’t see why not,” Maddon said. “Everything’s there.” --

Chicago Sun-Times Spoiler alert: Cubs look to bounce Cards before October rematch By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS – Talking over the weekend about the big series against the rival Cardinals this week, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo seemed to especially like the idea of playing “spoiler.” Huh? What kind of team on the way to clinching the division title with more than two weeks to go in what looks like a 100-win season talks about being a spoiler in the playoff race? Maybe one that knows that once it takes care of its own business, it can take care of the dangerous Cardinals, too. “I like what Rizzo’s saying,” said World Series veteran – and likely Game 1 playoff starter – Jon Lester. “I like the idea of being that spoiler, that we knock them out of the playoffs. And the aura of the Cardinals being in the playoffs every year kind of goes away. Like knocking out the Yankees. “And especially us doing it. That would be a little thorn in their side.” It could also be a significant thorn cleared from the postseason briar patch for the Cubs. Even after Kyle Hendricks beat the Cardinals with his near no-hitter in Monday night’s series opener to reduce the magic number for clinching the division to four games, the Cardinals still had played .500 baseball (7-7) against the Cubs this season – including 2-5 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. “Teams in your division know you more than other teams,” third baseman Kris Bryant said. “Especially the Cardinals. They’re a tough team to play. They play us tough. If we could come in and do that, it’d be great for us.” The Cubs have two more against the Cardinals in this series, then three more in the final home series of the season. The Cardinals are a half-game behind the Mets for the second NL wild-card spot with 19 games to play. “We can definitely affect them more than they can affect us at this point in the race,” said another postseason veteran pitcher, John Lackey, who spent 2015 and part of 2014 with the Cardinals. “It’s definitely an organization that expects to win over there,” he added. “They expect a lot when it comes to October.” They also don’t need long memories to remember who ended their October in 2015 after a 100-win regular season. Cubs players say they’re more concerned about their own business than assuring certain playoff matchups – or assuring that they won’t get certain matchups. “We’ve got to finish what we’ve started, “ said right fielder Jason Heyward, another ex-Cardinal. “We’ve earned the right to be in this position at this point, but we have business to finish as far as punching our ticket. After that you play for home-field advantage. And after that you go play for a ring. “You can’t take these things for granted; they’re not easy to do.” Lester said, “We’re fine no matter what.” But then he remembers the crazy scene at Wrigley Field when the Cubs beat the Cardinals in the rivals’ only postseason meeting.

“I’m still new to all this he said of the rivalry,” he said. “I know it meant a lot for these guys that have been here. And the fans. Especially to do it at Wrigley, and the fans getting to be a part of that and the celebration.” To be able to do it again? To take care of the Cardinals before they even have to think about an October rematch? To play spoiler? “Yeah,” Lester said, “it would be pretty cool.” -- Chicago Sun-Times McLeod to meet with Twins as Cubs brace for front office losses By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS – After five seasons together as a front office, rebuilding the Cubs on the field, general manager Jed Hoyer thinks this will be the year he’ll have to rebuild some of the front office. The Minnesota Twins, who are restructuring their front office after firing longtime GM Terry Ryan, have sought permission to interview Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ top scouting and player development executive, for the Twins’ top baseball job, Hoyer said. “There could be more,” Hoyer said, adding there’s a “good chance” the Cubs lose McLeod or another high-ranking club official to teams raiding the front office of the team with the best record in the majors. “We have people that really should be desirable. I think it’s a strong possibility. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Assistant GM Shiraz Rehman also has been linked to the Twins opening. Hoyer worked with McLeod under Theo Epstein in Boston and then took him to San Diego when he landed the Padres GM job in 2010. “There’s probably not a better scouting and player development guy out there,” Hoyer said. “And he has all the skills to do every other part of the job. He’s just got a great way about him as a person. He manages people really easily. He’ll be really good at it once he gets [a GM] job.” Hoyer said he anticipates bench coach Dave Martinez also will start to get even more attention than past years as manager jobs open up after the season. As for his own lame-duck status as GM, Hoyer said he anticipates extending his tenure with the club even though Epstein and ownership have not yet worked out an extension that both sides continue to say is imminent. “I know I’m a lame-duck GM, but we’re both pretty happy, so I think we’ll be here,” Hoyer said. -- Chicago Sun-Times Record in 1-run games lowers Cubs’ mark vs. Pythagorean By John Grochowski The Cubs and Cardinals entered their series Monday night 16 games apart in the standings but with a couple of by-the-numbers similarities. Through Sunday, both were 21-22 in one-run games. Both also had won four games fewer than their runs and runs allowed would suggest through the Pythagorean projection — a much bigger deal to the Cardinals in their tight wild-card race with the Mets and Giants than to the runaway Cubs.

The Cubs (34-21,+7) and Cardinals (32-23,+5) were strong in one-run decisions last year and exceeded Pythagorean. But their ups and downs against the norm are nothing compared to the Rangers, who are rolling to the American League West title in rare fashion at +11 vs. Pythagorean. Most teams come close to their projection, with the formula: runs^2/(runs^2 + runs allowed^2) = winning percentage. The Reds, Marlins, Astros and Mariners are right on their projection, and 23 of the 30 major-league teams are within four games of Pythagorean. The White Sox (68-74) are one game better than the 67-75 record suggested by their runs data. Exceptional bullpen performance or unusual runs of clutch hitting — for better or worse — can move record vs. Pythagorean a bit. Chance is a factor, too, and we see regression to the mean from season to season, though roster changes can outweigh the regression effect. Chance or not, a rare run vs. Pythagorean can boost a team into the postseason or knock a good team out. We’re seeing that with the Rangers, who are 85-59 and a giant step ahead of the Cubs’ +7 vs. Pythagorean that led the majors last year. By the formula, the Rangers’ 697 runs and 676 runs allowed normally would lead to a 74-70 record that would leave them 1½ games behind the Astros and Mariners in the AL West instead of 9½ games up. That’s fueled by a 31-10 record for a .756 winning percentage in one-run games, not far off the 2012 Orioles’ major-league-record .763 percentage on a 29-9 record in one-run games. Those Orioles also were +11 vs. Pythagorean, making them one of seven teams who finished the regular season +10 or better since League Divisional Series began in 1995. Since then, no team has reached the World Series and only one has won more games the next season: υ 2012 Orioles, +12 at 93-69, lost ALDS, +0, 85-77 in 2013. υ 2009 Mariners, +10, 85-77, no playoffs, +2, 61-101 in 2010. υ 2008 Angels, +12, 100-62, lost LDS, +5, 97-65 in 2009, lost LCS. υ 2007 Diamondbacks, +11, 90-72, lost LCS, +0, 82-80 in 2008. υ 2005 Diamondbacks, +11, 77-85, no playoffs, -4, 76-86 in 2006. υ 2004 Yankees, +12, 89-73, lost LCS, +5, 95-67 in 2005, lost LDS. υ 1997 Giants, +10, 90-72, lost LDS, -2, 89-74 in 1998. Compared to those outliers, the Cubs’ and Cards’ -4 is right on Pythagorean, though any shortfall in wins could loom large for the Cardinals. -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Hendricks just misses no-hitter By Bruce Miles

ST. LOUIS -- It was just over a year ago when St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said he liked it better when the Chicago Cubs were finishing last. Those days are done. Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks put his own special stamp on the rivalry Monday night by tossing 8 innings of 1-hit ball at Busch Stadium as the Cubs defeated the Cardinals 4-1 and reduced their magic number to 3 for clinching the National League Central. Hendricks' bid for a no-hitter ended in the bottom of the ninth inning when Jeremy Hazelbaker led off with a home run to right field on an 0-2 pitch. Aroldis Chapman came on at that point and finished the game for his 14th Cubs save. The 26-year-old Hendricks had Cardinals batters lunging and flailing at pitches all night as the Cubs increased their lead over the Cardinals to 17 games. Hendricks, a bona fide Cy Young candidate, improved his record to 15-7 with an ERA of 2.03, the best in the big leagues. The Cubs can clinch the division by sweeping this three-game series. Hendricks isn't what many might think as a no-hit pitcher, but his mix of pitches and location had the Cardinals off balance all night. "Honestly, I didn't ever think I would get that close to one," he said. "Obviously, I'm pitching to contact, just trying to put balls in play. But you can run into one of those special days where everything's working and you're making all your pitches, and why not?" About the home run, Hendricks said better that than a scratch single. "Yeah, but if you're going to give it up, at least it's that way and not a cheap hit or something," he said. "Just left the ball up and he got it. What are you going to do?" Hendricks gave up a one-out walk to Yadier Molina in the second inning, but Randal Grichuk grounded into a double play to end the inning. In the sixth, Hendricks got help in the form of two sparkling defensive plays. Shortstop Addison Russell went to the hole to field Jhonny Peralta's grounder and throw him out. The next batter, Hazelbaker, lofted a foul fly down the right field line. Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward ran over to make a catch while tumbling into the stands. The Cubs got Hendricks his first run in the second on Ben Zobrist's home run. Anthony Rizzo's RBI single made it 2-0 in the third. Dexter Fowler hit a booming 2-run homer in the fifth to make it 4-0. In all, Hendricks walked two and struck out seven, throwing 96 pitches, 64 strikes. "Just tremendous location," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team is 92-51. "Unbelievably good location, the ability to throw something soft in a fastball count and the ability to throw his fastball in a count where they're expecting soft and then locating it. He has movement going both ways." Maddon got himself tossed from the game by home-plate umpire Joe West after Hazelbaker's home run. West was upset the Cubs were taking too much time in a conference on the mound as they tried to get Chapman ready. Catcher Miguel Montero went back behind the plate after talking to Hendricks, and Maddon wanted to send Montero back out again.

When Maddon came out of the dugout, he and West got into it, and Maddon got tossed. "There was a misinterpretation there," Maddon said. "We needed a little more time to get the pitcher ready based on the situation, that's all. And I needed the catcher to go out to the mound. That's all. That's it. We were denied, and didn't like that, and I made my stand. "But it's not about that moment. This is Kyle's night, I would guess his best major-league performance ever." As far as the Cy Young voting goes, Hendricks has downplayed it much of the second half. "There's been talks now for a while about that," he said. "Again, those are just based on results. The only way results are going to come is if you focus on the little things." -- Daily Herald Hoyer: Too early to think about Chicago Cubs playoff roster By Bruce Miles ST. LOUIS -- The next-best thing to speculating about when the Chicago Cubs will clinch the National League Central seems to be speculating about who will be on the playoff roster. Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Monday the Cubs haven't discussed that seriously yet. "I think we're in the top of the first inning of those conversations, both with regard to the roster, and I know there's been speculation about the rotation," Hoyer said. "We haven't made any decisions, and nor do I think we'll make any all that soon. "We have some time to make those decisions. Some of the movements we've made with the rotation over the last few days are not linked at all to the way things would line up later on. We're trying to get guys the right rest and matchups. That's a big part of it. "As we get into that last week to 10 days, those will be important conversations. But right now it seems premature to talk about that, in part because we have 20 more games left. There's plenty of time to line those things us." The price of success: Jed Hoyer acknowledged that the Minnesota Twins have asked for permission and will talk about their vacant GM job with Jason McLeod, the Cubs' scouting and player-development chief. Hoyer also joked about his own status as a lame-duck GM, as he and team president Theo Epstein have expiring contracts. Neither Hoyer nor Epstein has seemed worried about that, and both have said they're happy in Chicago. "Day to day," Hoyer said. "It's all good. It's all the same. I know I'm a lame-duck GM, but I think we're both pretty happy, so I think we'll be here." The Twins may go with a similar structure to that of the Cubs, with a team president and a GM. It seems McLeod could fit either role. "It's a great opportunity for that person," Hoyer said of promotions. "In some ways, we're out for the same goal, but we all have individual goals, too.

"If that leads one of our good employees to go run another team, you'll be sad to see them go but you're happy for them. In this business, there are only a handful of those jobs. I think you have to look at it that way. "I expect that Jason will talk to Minnesota, as has been speculated. I don't have any timing on that, but I expect it's going to happen." Striking the balance: A chance to clinch the NL Central early has the Cubs trying to strike the balance between resting players and keeping them sharp. "I think there are challenges that go with it," Jed Hoyer said. "I think there's a double-edged sword to the fight to the last day. It keeps you fresh and it keeps you hungry, but at the same time there's an element that it kind of wears you down. "I do feel like we saw that a little bit with Jake (pitcher Arrieta) last year. I think he admits it, he sort of hit the wall in that one-game playoff. "Obviously I'm thrilled for him that he won the Cy Young because of his September and his August, but if we have chance to keep guys fresh and keep guys ready to be really good in October, I think we have to do that." Rotation plans: Lefty Mike Montgomery will slide back into the starting rotation Thursday against the Brewers. He will be followed by John Lackey, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. -- Daily Herald Rozner: Silly season about to begin for Cubs By Barry Rozner If this Chicago Cubs season has been too easy for you, don't worry because the circus is about to come to town. The Cubs will clinch the Central Division this week and that will start the parade of elephants and zebras, clowns and jokers, and -- most frightening of all -- the network newscasts. Yeah, if this is the calm before the storm, consider what's coming to be a massive outbreak of tornadic activity that is sure to shake your foundation. Soon will begin the stories about jinxes, goats and black cats, and a flood of tales about dying relatives watching from their hospital rooms, hanging on for one last chance. Know where the high ground is and prepare yourself now, before the tsunami hits. Cubs players, however, will not be able to hide from it all. There will be wave after wave of reporters asking 22-year-old Addison Russell, 23-year-old Javy Baez and 24-year-old Kris Bryant what they know about the 1908 Cubs and everything that's gone wrong since. They'll want to know what the young Cubs remember about Babe Ruth's called shot in 1932. They'll ask about Leon Durham's Gatorade soaked glove from 1984. They'll wonder about Les Lancaster forgetting the count in 1989. They'll want to know if anyone knows what happened to Kevin Tapani in that ninth inning in 1998.

They'll ask about the foul ball, the botched double play and the manager who slept while it all went awry in 2003. They may even suggest Carlos Zambrano should have remained in that game and finished what he started in 2007. It will go on and on and on. Players will be coached never to roll their eyes and remain patient while all three rings are filled, acrobats soar and music blares. The magnitude of it all has been too much for some in the past, but these players seem unfazed by the stage or the history. Lurking as well is a possible rematch with the Cardinals, a team fans love to hate, but that the players view as just another foe. If they have to face them again, the Cubs will approach this opponent with respect -- as they do each team -- but not reverence. As for the St. Louis approach, perhaps the Cardinals look forward to the opportunity, should they make the playoffs. "We thought all along that if somebody could put pressure on the Cubs, we'd love to see how they would respond," Cardinals broadcaster Al Hrabosky told the MLB Network recently. "We swept the Cubs in Chicago earlier in the season. The team knows they're capable of doing it." Sounds like they want the Cubs. "When you get into the postseason, it's a completely different ballgame," Hrabosky said. "With all the experience the (Cardinals) have, the veteran core of leadership here, it would be a lot of fun to watch the Cardinals and Cubs match up again in the postseason." So there you go. The silly season isn't even underway yet, but it will probably kick off this week in St. Louis, when the Cubs have a chance to wrap up the division at Busch Stadium. The degree of nonsense will begin to ratchet up and the Cubs will have to manage it from now until the end of October -- or maybe early November -- should they play that long into the postseason. The good news is Theo Epstein has been through just as bad -- or maybe worse -- in Boston, and he's got the right guy in Joe Maddon to deflect the incoming fire. The Cubs have placed a premium on acquiring strong-willed players, and even their young stars seem able to handle anything that comes their way. They're going to need it when the invasion begins. As for you, well, the best advice might be something my grandmother was wont to say when the water got too deep. Don't forget to hold your nose. -- Cubs.com Three to go: No no-no, but Cubs on cusp By Carrie Muskat and Jenifer Langosch

ST. LOUIS -- Cy Young voters can't overlook Kyle Hendricks any more. The right-hander threw eight no-hit innings on Monday night before serving up a leadoff homer to Jeremy Hazelbaker in the ninth in the Cubs' 4-1 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. With the win, the Cubs' magic number to clinch the National League Central is now three. "Unbelievably great," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Hendricks' outing. "It's unfortunate he did not get the no-hitter. They did not get good swings against him all night. He was in charge that entire game. It's got to catapult him in the minds of people voting right now. That was spectacular." The loss cost the Cardinals an opportunity to leap the Mets in the NL Wild Card race. With both teams losing on Monday, the Mets still hold a half-game lead for the second Wild Card spot. Maddon lasted long enough to pull Hendricks from the game. Home-plate umpire Joe West ejected him after an animated argument following Hazelbaker's home run. It was the third time Maddon has been tossed this season. "We needed a little more time to get [Aroldis Chapman] ready based on the situation," Maddon said. "I needed the catcher to go out to the mound, that's all. That's it. That's it. We were denied, and I didn't like that, so I made my stand." But this was Hendricks' night, and he now leads all Major League pitchers with a 2.03 ERA. He struck out seven and has given up three earned runs or fewer in each of his last 20 starts. Hendricks faced the minimum over seven innings, although he did walk Yadier Molina with one out in the second. But he got Jedd Gyorko to hit into a double play and end that inning. Hendricks also walked Gyorko with two outs in the eighth. "He made not many mistakes in the middle of the plate," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, whose club fell to 32-40 at home. "He was pushing the corners all day long. He's been doing that most of the season. He doesn't give a whole lot." The Cubs' defense backed up the soft-spoken pitcher known as "The Professor," including a stellar play by Jason Heyward, who dove into the right-field seats in the sixth to grab Hazelbaker's foul ball. Monday marked the first time since Sept. 25, 1995, that the Cardinals were held to one hit by the Cubs. In that game, Bernard Gilkey broke up Frank Castillo's no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Zorilla: Ben Zobrist entered Monday's game hitless in his last three games, but that ended when he led off the Cubs' second with his 15th home run. According to Statcast™, the ball had an exit velocity of 102.8 mph and traveled an estimated 422 feet, his longest of the season. He now has 15 home runs, the most since he hit 20 with the Rays in 2012. "It's a big thing to win in this division, but it's just a stepping stone," Zobrist said. "For us as a team, we really want to do much more than win the division. It's the first step toward accomplishing our overall goal this season." Playing spoiler: Hazelbaker not only foiled Hendricks' no-hit bid with his 12th home run, he snapped an 0-for-16 streak. Prior to the hit, Hazelbaker had been 1-for-25 when putting an 0-2 pitch in play. The homer, which was the team's NL-leading 205th of the season, prevented the Cardinals from being no-hit in St. Louis for the first time since 1906. There has still never been a no-hitter thrown at Busch Stadium III. "You just want to break it up," Hazelbaker said. "That's what you want to do. But at the same time, you don't want to go to the plate thinking, 'This guy has a no-hitter.' You're thinking about what your plan is, what your approach is and what you're going to do in that at-bat. That stuff you have to leave in the dugout when you go out there and go out there with a game plan."

Glovework: Jhonny Peralta led off the Cardinals' sixth with a hard-hit ball to shortstop Addison Russell, who was able to stop it and make the throw in time to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Hazelbaker then lofted a ball into foul territory in right, but that didn't stop Jason Heyward from diving into the first row of seats and making the catch. Second baseman Javier Baez went over to check on Heyward and signaled that the catch had been made. "I realized it was a no-hitter in the fifth, and then I saw Peralta hit the ball in the hole and Addy made a great play, and I was like, 'These are the things that happen in a no-hitter,'" Cubs catcher Miguel Montero said. Leaking: After five consecutive starts without allowing a home run, the Cardinals' Mike Leake served up two in Monday's loss. Zobrist's blast put Leake behind in the second, and he later served up a two-run homer to Dexter Fowler. In his second start back from shingles, Leake lasted six innings, but also allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits. "I feel like I have good energy and I'm there," Leake said. "It's just a matter of getting better." QUOTABLE "He wasn't overpowering anybody. He's a pitcher. He located his fastball, he gets hitters off balance, and he's fun to watch. You can see from last year to this year how he's been getting better every single outing. He's the best-prepared guy every time before he takes the mound. He prepares better than anybody I've caught in my career. He's got a pretty good feel for the hitters." -- Montero, on Hendricks "It's still baseball, even though we lost today. Any time something like that is happening, it's still nice to be a part of." -- Leake, on having some appreciation for an opponent nearly completing a no-hitter INJURY REPORT Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter exited the game after his back tightened up during a seventh-inning at-bat. Matheny received "good reports" from the medical staff after the game, an indication that the injury is not considered serious. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Jason Hammel will make his 28th start of the season on Tuesday. In his last outing, he gave up a career-high 13 hits over 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers. The right-hander is 4-4 with a 4.80 ERA in 10 starts against the Cardinals, three of which have come this season. First pitch will be at 7:15 p.m. CT from Busch Stadium. Cardinals: The Cardinals will try to even the series on Tuesday behind left-hander Jaime Garcia, who is seeking his own bounceback performance after four straight starts. Garcia, who has a 4.19 ERA at home this year, has a career 2.27 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) against the Cubs. -- Cubs.com Hendricks turning Cy whispers into shouts By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS -- The Cubs' Kyle Hendricks has outsmarted hitters, and he's done so in a dominating fashion, even if the radar gun says the opposite. Hendricks had a no-hitter through eight innings and a four-run lead on Monday night against the Cardinals, then lost both as Jeremy Hazelbaker led off the ninth with a home run. Chicago posted a 4-1 win, and Hendricks most likely picked up a few more Cy Young votes as he lowered his ERA to 2.03, the best in the Major Leagues.

"It's just a different form of dominance," manager Joe Maddon said of Hendricks, now 15-7. "Everyone wants dominance to be pure force. Finesse can be dominant also when it's done properly, like he does. He's added a little more, he's added a wrinkle with the four-seamer, which makes him more difficult." What Hendricks does is fool batters. "He has the ability to throw something soft in a fastball count, the ability to throw a fastball when they're expecting soft, and then locating it, and he has movement going both ways," Maddon said. Hendricks' goal? To keep things simple. "I didn't think I'd ever get that close to [a no-hitter]," Hendricks said. "I'm pitching to contact, trying to put balls in play. You can run into one of those special days, make all your pitches -- why not?" Hendricks got help from shortstop Addison Russell and right fielder Jason Heyward, who made back-to-back stellar defensive plays in the sixth. Hendricks also got a boost from his catcher, Miguel Montero. "He wasn't overpowering anybody," Montero said. "He's a pitcher. He located his fastball, he gets hitters off balance, and he's fun to watch. You can see from last year to this year how he's been getting better every single outing. He's the best prepared guy every time before he takes the mound. He prepares better than anybody I've caught in my career. He's got a pretty good feel for the hitters. "It was fun to catch him. It's been fun because he's a guy who wants to learn, who wants to get better. He's open-minded to whatever advice you can give him. To me, it's an honor to catch him." It's no surprise that Hendricks, who has heard his name mentioned when Cy Young candidates are discussed, is the studious type. After all, he went to Dartmouth to major in finance. "There's been talk for a while about [the Cy Young], and those are based on results," Hendricks said. "The only way results are going to come is focus on the little things, and that's my preparation and consistent work between my starts, and just trying to make my pitches." It's the second straight season in which a Cubs pitcher has dominated the second half. Last year, Jake Arrieta went 12-1 with an 0.75 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break and won the Cy Young Award. This year, Hendricks is 8-1 with a 1.33 ERA in 11 second-half starts. Arrieta leads all NL pitchers in wins (17) and in batting average against (.185). The Nationals' Max Scherzer is first in innings pitched (203 2/3) and strikeouts (251); Hendricks is 17th and 18th, respectively. What's the determining factor? "I think every year is different," Chicago pitcher Jon Lester said. "You have to look at the team, you have to look at the individual. You have to take everything in account. I hope [Hendricks] does get a really good look. What he's done this year is pretty remarkable, especially the last two and a half months." -- Cubs.com Russell, J-Hey preserve Hendricks' masterpiece By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS -- Addison Russell and Jason Heyward made back-to-back stellar defensive plays in the sixth inning of Monday's 4-1 win, the type you mark in your scorebook as "key moments," especially if a pitcher has a no-hitter going, which was exactly the situation the Cubs' Kyle Hendricks was in.

Hendricks had faced the minimum number of batters through five innings. The only baserunner to that point was Yadier Molina, who had walked with one out in the second but was retired when Jedd Gyorko grounded into an inning-ending double play. Jhonny Peralta led off the Cardinals' sixth with a hard-hit ball to Russell, and the shortstop was able to stop it and make the throw in time to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. With a first step of -0.63 seconds according to Statcast™, Russell was in motion before the ball was put into play. His throw of 85 mph was his third hardest of the season, and second fastest for an out. Jeremy Hazelbaker then lofted a ball into foul territory in right, but that didn't stop Heyward from diving into the first row of seats and making the catch. Statcast™ recorded Heyward's first step at 0.2 seconds, and he reached a top speed of 17.7 mph to cover 113.7 feet. His route efficiency was 95.7 percent. What was Heyward thinking? "Catch the ball," Heyward said. "If you can reach it, catch the ball." The fans in that section helped Heyward get back to his feet, and Javier Baez ran over to signal that the right fielder caught the ball. "That's a good play," Hazelbaker said. "[Heyward] covered a lot of ground to reach over the stands and make that play. It was a good play on his part. He tipped his hat on the play that [Randal] Grichuk made, so that's just appreciating good plays. We're able to do that." Heyward flied out to center to open the Cubs seventh and Grichuk made a diving catch. Heyward saluted the center fielder as he trotted off the field. Hazelbaker eventually spoiled Hendricks' no-hit bid with a leadoff home run in the ninth inning, driving an 0-2 pitch to right. "[Hendricks] was sharp," Heyward said. "He was able to throw a lot of his pitches. All of his pitches, I felt, looked the same. He was able to throw them in the locations they needed to be." Hendricks appreciated the efforts in the field. "Obviously, [a possible no-hitter] was in my head at the time, so after they made those plays, it kept me going," Hendricks said. "It opens your eyes when someone makes those plays behind you. It locks you in a little more. It helped me make better pitches, really. You always have a few of those plays in one of those games." Catcher Miguel Montero felt the same way. "I realized it was a no-hitter in the fifth, and then I saw Peralta hit the ball in the hole and Addy made a great play, and I was like, 'These are the things that happen in a no-hitter,'" Montero said. -- Cubs.com Maddon ejected in unusual situation By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS -- Kyle Hendricks admits that he had to laugh watching Cubs manager Joe Maddon argue with home-plate umpire Joe West in the ninth inning of the team's 4-1 win over the Cardinals on Monday.

Hendricks knew that he was going to be pulled after losing his bid for a no-hitter when Jeremy Hazelbaker led off the Cardinals' ninth with a home run. Aroldis Chapman was warming up in the bullpen but apparently wasn't quite ready. Catcher Miguel Montero exchanged a few words with West, although he isn't exactly sure why. "I really didn't understand why he was arguing with me," Montero said. "[West] tapped me on the shoulder. He said, 'If you go out there [to the mound], I'm going to count it as a visit.' I said, 'What's going on? Is that possible? I don't know if that rule exists.' "I said, 'You know what, it doesn't matter, because he's coming out of the game,'" Montero said. "That's when [Maddon] came out, and after that I'm not responsible for what happened." Maddon and West had an animated exchange while the Cubs' infield gathered on the mound around Hendricks. "I knew [Maddon] was trying to get some time," Hendricks said. "We were laughing a little bit about it on the mound -- it's the only way to relieve the situation after the homer." Maddon, however, was ejected for the third time this season and 46th time as a manager. "There was a misinterpretation there," Maddon said. "We needed a little more time to get the pitcher ready based on the situation. I needed the catcher to go out to the mound, that's all. That's it. That's it. We were denied, and I didn't like that, so I made my stand. I truly believe we were proper in that." West's reaction was unexpected, and Maddon figured he'd try to understand the situation better before taking his protest a step further. After he was ejected, he went to the mound to pull Hendricks, but first-base umpire Andy Fletcher came over to remind him he'd been tossed. "I was not even supposed to go out there," Maddon said. "That's not going to stop me from walking out there. It was inappropriate what happened, so I was not going to be very honorable at that particular moment." -- Cubs.com Bryant rising to top in crowded NL MVP race By Mike Bauman Voters for the 2016 National League Most Valuable Player award are faced with a dilemma. It's not an ethical dilemma. It's not even an empirical dilemma. It's more of a definitional dilemma. We start from the basic premise that two of the prime candidates for the award are Cubs -- Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. Their credentials are clearly in order. Daniel Murphy of the Nationals is deservedly in the conversation along with rookie Corey Seager of the Dodgers. Nolan Arenado of the Rockies is having a terrific season, but recent history with this award suggests that players from sub-.500 teams do not generally have this award bestowed upon them. You can feel free to insert your own favorite candidate for purposes of this discussion. As a voter in this election, I'm listening closely to the two basic schools of thought on this matter. One is that with two MVP candidates on the same team, someone else must be the most valuable player. I have heard Murphy advocates use exactly this argument. It is, on one hand, sensible, and on the other hand, arbitrary. It also underscores the basic notion of "most valuable player" being potentially different than "the best player." That could be the same individual, although that split occurred in the American League MVP voting in 2012 and 2013 when Mike Trout of the Angels may have been the

best player in the league, but the voters saw Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers as the most valuable. But in those two years, Cabrera's Tigers finished first in their division and Trout's Angels finished third. This is an essential part of the pro-Murphy argument this year. It is the notion that one of the Cubs cannot be MVP because Rizzo and Bryant, by simultaneously being so good for the same team, have damaged their individual chances to win the award. Following this logic, Murphy who has had a big year for the Nats, while last year's MVP, Bryce Harper, has had a sub-standard campaign, becomes a more logical candidate because he is the Nationals' answer to the Lone Ranger. There is no way the Nats would have the second-best record in the league without Murphy's huge campaign. On the other hand, why should either Bryant or Rizzo be penalized because he has a teammate playing at an MVP level? I don't find a compelling answer for that one. The Cubs have the best record in baseball, 92-51 after Monday's 4-1 victory over St. Louis and on pace for a 104-win season. This kind of thing could be beyond the reach of just one MVP candidate. Maybe a record this good requires at least two players to be performing at an MVP level, not to mention the occasional pitcher in the running for a Cy Young Award. I don't believe that an MVP candidate should be penalized because one of his teammates is having a splendid season. In recent weeks, the race has been moving in Bryant's direction as his numbers become more and more impressive. But even if the offensive production ended in a three-way tie, the defensive metrics would favor the two Cubs over Murphy. And then there is the factor that sets Bryant apart from the other two candidates. He has made starts at third base, left field, right field and first base. He also has made appearances in center field and at shortstop. And he has been fully capable wherever the Cubs have asked him to play. You combine that remarkable versatility with his offensive production, and Bryant looks very much like an MVP. And, Rizzo having a splendid season doesn't alter that. The MVP race could change, depending on the work that is done in the final three weeks of the season. But the MVP remains an award that is based on the value of one player to his team. At this late juncture in the season, it is difficult to put any National League player above Bryant in that category. -- Cubs.com Cubs not looking beyond September yet By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS -- The Cubs may be close to clinching the National League Central for the first time since 2008, and could do so against their biggest rivals, the Cardinals, but getting that postseason berth is all that's on the players' minds, not where they do it or who will be on the playoff roster. "It doesn't [matter where]," manager Joe Maddon said on Monday. "Honestly, it doesn't. It just matters that we do. You'd always rather have it happen sooner rather than later just to make plans. I have no preference. Just to do it would be my preference." The Cubs began play on Monday with a 16-game lead in the division and a chance to clinch on Wednesday if they sweep the Cardinals in the three-game series. But St. Louis is still alive in the NL Wild Card race and is also one of three teams with a winning record against Chicago this season. "Bully for them," Maddon said.

General manager Jed Hoyer said there have been no discussions regarding the potential playoff roster, partly because the Cubs need to know who they'll face. "We haven't made any decisions, nor do I think we'll make any all that soon," Hoyer said on Monday. "We have some time to make those decisions, and some of the movements we've made with the rotation the last few days aren't linked at all to the way things could line up later on. It's just trying to get guys the right rest, right matchups." Last year the Cubs won a Wild Card berth, and after beating the Pirates, ousted the Cardinals in the NL Division Series. Did the young Cubs learn anything from last year's NLDS? "I think the biggest thing is just confidence, especially for the guys who have been here for a long time and have gotten beat up by the Cardinals for a few years," pitcher Jon Lester said. "I felt last year we played them really well, but they always found a way to beat us late in the game [during the regular season]. To do that in the playoffs on a big stage, I think was a big confidence booster for our guys." But Lester was quick to caution that having the best record in the Major Leagues this year won't mean anything if the Cubs don't complete this journey. "The Cardinals won 100 games last year," he said. "No matter what you do during the season, it's nice, it's fun, it's the process, but what matters here is another month. That's where we put our handprint on the season. ... What this team will be remembered for is next month, not during the season and how many wins and all that stuff." Lester said the players have done a good job of not looking too far ahead. "You can't worry about matchups and the postseason and where we might have to travel to," he said. "We have to worry about right now, today, and I think that's what made our team really good this year." The Cubs also will be happy to not have to deal with the Wild Card game. "I feel the one-game playoff last year, we're humble enough to realize that's a crapshoot," Hoyer said. "We had the hottest pitcher in the last 25 years on the mound [in Jake Arrieta], and even still, if [Starling] Marte's ball gets through in the sixth inning, it's a 4-2 game with runners at first and third and one out. We got lucky, and it was a double play. "You look at that game and that environment, and you don't want to go through that," Hoyer said. "Everyone wants a series to test themselves." -- Cubs.com With Hammel on hill, Cubs aim to shrink magic number to 1 By Nick Krueger Jaime Garcia will attempt to overcome his recent woes while Jason Hammel looks to continue his success against the Cardinals in game two of a three-game set. The Cubs magic number to clinch the National League Central is three after a win on Monday, while the Cardinals remain a half-game behind the Mets for second NL Wild Card spot. The North Siders would clinch the division by winning the two remaining games in the series. Hammel is 5-7 on the road this season, but two of those wins have come against the Cardinals. He has a 1.35 ERA at Busch Stadium and has allowed two runs in 13 1/3 innings there in 2016. Only 10 of Garcia's 28 starts have been quality, but his ERA is almost a full point better at home (4.19) than on the road (5.16). He has an 8.06 ERA over his last five outings.

Each pitcher faced the Brewers in his previous start, with Hammel allowing nine runs (eight earned) and 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings. It was the second-most runs Hammel had allowed in a start this season, but Garcia didn't fare any better, logging 3 2/3 innings and giving up five runs on eight hits. The Cubs have four runs on 10 hits in 11 2/3 innings over Garcia's two starts against them this season. The Cubs are 1-7 in Hammel's last eight road starts since the beginning of June; the Cardinals have dropped each of Garcia's last three starts at home. Three things to know about this game • Though righties are hitting .230 against Hammel this season, the Cardinals have had some success. St. Louis has five right-handed hitters with at least 10 at-bats against Hammel who are hitting at least .340 against him in their careers. • Cardinals manager Mike Matheny indicated on Monday that Aledmys Diaz might be ready for his first start off the disabled list on Tuesday. The club wanted to see how his timing looked in batting practice and how his fielding work went on Monday before committing to playing him. • Cardinals outfielder and first baseman Brandon Moss was out of the lineup on Monday due to a 1-for-41 slump. He could sit again on Tuesday, although he has hit four home runs against the Cubs this season despite a slightly below average .985 OPS against them. "He's been around long enough to know there are some things he's going to have to do a little different, and he knows that," Matheny said. -- Cubs.com McLeod to interview for Twins' front-office role By Rhett Bollinger DETROIT -- The Twins asked for and received permission to interview Cubs executive Jason McLeod for their vacant front-office position, Chicago general manager Jed Hoyer confirmed Monday. McLeod, the Cubs' senior vice president of player development and amateur scouting, is considered an up-and-coming candidate to oversee a front office. The Twins are looking to emulate the structure of organizations such as the Cubs, who have a president of baseball operations and a general manager. "I expect Jason will talk to Minnesota, as has been speculated," Hoyer said. "I don't have any timing on that. I'm expecting that to happen." McLeod has an eye for talent, helping to rebuild the Red Sox and Cubs under Theo Epstein. McLeod also had two stints with the Padres, including working with Hoyer from 2010-11 before joining the Cubs. Players he's drafted include Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Masterson, Clay Buchholz, Josh Reddick, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber. McLeod has 21 years of experience in baseball operations and coaching, including six with the Red Sox, spending his final five years in the organization as director of amateur scouting. He also worked in a variety of roles with the Padres from 1994-2003, including as a scout and a Minor League coach. McLeod, 44, turned down chances to interview for vacant GM positions with the Mariners and Padres last offseason, saying it wasn't the right time. "We've dodged a few bullets the last few years with him," Hoyer said. "I'm sort of expecting if not now, soon. There's probably not a better scouting and player development guy out there. He has all the skills to do every part of the job. He's got a great way about him as a person. He manages people really easily, and I think people love working for him.

"I think he'll be good at it once he gets the job. I think we've dodged some bullets, and we know it's probably inevitable that he's going to get an opportunity, which is great." -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Joe Maddon ejected after stall tactic irks umpire By Jesse Rogers ST.LOUIS -- The ninth inning between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals on Monday was not without drama -- and that had nothing to do with starter Kyle Hendricks and his near no-hitter. Cubs manager Joe Maddon tried to stall after Hendricks gave up his first hit of the game, a home run to Jeremy Hazelbaker leading off the bottom of the inning. Closer Aroldis Chapman wasn’t quite ready to take over, but home plate umpire Joe West was having none of the stall tactic. “We needed a little more time to get the pitcher ready, based on the situation,” Maddon said after the 4-1 win. “And I needed the catcher to go out to the mound. We were denied. I didn’t like that. I made my stand.” As soon as Hazelbaker homered, catcher Miguel Montero walked out to the mound, which is customary after a no-hit bid is broken up, especially in the ninth inning. Montero returned, and then a couple infielders visited Hendricks. After West actually helped Maddon get Montero’s attention, he denied the catcher a second visit. "He said, 'Hey, if you go out there, I’m going to count that as a visit,'" Montero said. "I was like, 'It doesn’t matter. He was coming out of the game anyway.'" Maddon took issue with West's not allowing the Cubs to regroup after Hendricks lost his no-hit bid. His feeling was that usually there is some leeway, but West gave none. The two argued, and Maddon got ejected. The manager then went to the mound to make his pitching change after being tossed. "I’m not supposed to go out there because I had been kicked out already," Maddon said. "It was inappropriate what had happened, so I was not going to be very honorable at that particular moment." Maddon tried to steer the postgame focus to Hendricks and his masterpiece on the mound, but West's inserting himself into the ninth-inning action didn’t sit well with the Cubs' skipper. “Just write it,” Maddon said. “You guys saw it. You know what happened. I don’t need to get into any more trouble. Just write it.” -- ESPNChicago.com Near no-hitter cements Kyle Hendricks as Cy Young candidate By Jesse Rogers ST. LOUIS -- If this doesn’t wake Cy Young voters to the greatness that is Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks’ 2016 season, then nothing will. OK, maybe an actual no-hitter would have done the trick, but Hendricks did everything but no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals in his team’s 4-1 win Monday night. “Unbelievably great,” manager Joe Maddon said. “They did not have a good swing against him all night. He was in charge of that entire game. It has to catapult him in the minds of people voting right now. That was spectacular.” Actually, there was one good swing by Jeremy Hazelbaker to lead off the ninth inning. The 0-2 changeup was supposed to be buried in the dirt, but Hendricks left it up, and Hazelbaker sent a no-doubter into the right-field stands. It was his final pitch, after he didn't allow a St. Louis hit in the first eight innings.

“I was pretty calm,” Hendricks said. “I was definitely thinking about it from about the fifth inning. Guys started getting quiet, not talking to me.” If Hendricks -- and his 85-mph average pitch velocity -- is an unlikely Cy Young candidate, then that applies to throwing a no-hitter as well. He admits that he pitches to contact, which usually doesn’t lend itself to keeping runners off base for an entire game, yet there he was through eight innings with just two walks on his ledger. His sinker and changeup can make the best hitters in the game look silly. “He’s a pitcher,” catcher Miguel Montero said. “He located his fastball. He gets hitters off-balance. He’s fun to watch.” Hendricks is an artist in the same way former Cubs great Greg Maddux was: in and out, up and down. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have the best defense in the game behind you. Jason Heyward, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant flashed leather to help put Hendricks on the brink of history. A few hours earlier, he never imagined this would be his night. “My pregame bullpen was probably the worst I had all year,” Hendricks said. Montero agreed. Then came game time, and a pitcher whose confidence has grown throughout the season showed off why he has been one of the best all season. Methodically, Hendricks sent the Cardinals back to their dugout, mostly via ground ball outs. He mixed in seven strikeouts to go with a few lazy fly balls. After a one-out walk in the second was erased by a double play, it was “game on” for the Dartmouth alum. “After the second inning, he got on track,” Montero said. “He was painting the corners, pitching at the bottom of the strike zone. That’s the best I’ve seen him.” Innings three through seven flew by. A two-out walk in the eighth led to a moment of pause, but a foul popup to end the inning brought Hendricks within three outs. Hazelbaker ended the dream quickly. “I left it up,” Hendricks said. “Had all the makings for it [a no-hitter], but still got the W.” It isn't like the win had no meaning. It reduced the Cubs’ magic number to clinch the NL Central to three while delivering another blow to the Cardinals’ playoff hopes. “He’s the best prepared guy every time before he takes the mound,” Montero said. “He’s the best prepared of anyone I’ve caught in my career.” Maddon hopes the near no-hitter earns Hendricks some Cy Young votes, but in reality, Hendricks has been pitching at that level for most of the year. In 20 straight starts, since the middle of May, Hendricks has given up three runs or fewer. He was the backbone of the staff during its worst stretch right before the All-Star break, and he continues to own the lowest ERA in baseball, at 2.03. If that doesn’t get him noticed, nothing will. His favorite moment of the night came at the end, when he could finally take a breath and celebrate a masterful, one-hit performance with his teammates. “It was awesome,” Hendricks said. “That was one of the coolest parts. Everyone so happy for me and had my back the whole game.” -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Kyle Hendricks loses no-hit bid in ninth By Jesse Rogers ST.LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks came three outs away from his first career no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Cardinals LF Jeremy Hazelbaker led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a

home run to right field on an 0-2 pitch. Hendricks was then pulled in favor of Aroldis Chapman, though manager Joe Maddon was ejected in the process as home plate umpire Joe West seemingly thought the Cubs, who won 4-1, were stalling after the home run. Hendricks was masterful in forcing light contact early in the game, and he got help on defense from shortstop Addison Russell, right fielder Jason Heyward and third baseman Kris Bryant. Each made big plays to keep the no-hit bid alive. Hendricks did the rest, walking two and striking out seven before leaving after allowing the home run. He also lowered his NL-leading ERA to 2.03. Hendricks just missed becoming the second Cubs starter this season to throw a no-hitter. Jake Arrieta's gem on April 21 against the Cincinnati Reds remains the only no-hitter thrown in the majors this season. The Cubs' win reduced their magic number to clinch the NL Central to three. -- ESPNChicago.com Jed Hoyer on scouting/development guru Jason McLeod leaving: 'It's inevitable' By Jesse Rogers ST. LOUIS -- The Chicago Cubs could lose one of their top lieutenants to another team as they approach the end of the regular season with the league’s best record. Winning usually draws interest from foes and in this case vice president of scouting and amateur development, Jason McLeod, could be the beneficiary. Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer confirmed interest from the Minnesota Twins, and expects McLeod to talk with them soon about their vacant GM position. “We dodged a few bullets the last few years with him,” Hoyer said Monday afternoon. “I’m sort of expecting it. If not now, then soon. There’s probably not a better scouting and development guy out there.” McLeod was instrumental in the drafting and/or development of players such as Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell. He previously turned down any serious consideration from other teams, including his hometown San Diego Padres. He’s often said he’d like to finish what he and the Cubs’ front office started nearly five years ago in rebuilding the team and farm system. He might be able to do that this October. “We have people that are desirable,” Hoyer said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Hoyer doesn’t think McLeod will be the only employee other teams show interest in. As for his own contract, it’s up at the end of the year along with that of team president Theo Epstein. Both repeatedly have stated they’ll be back. The same can’t necessarily be said about McLeod. “He has all the skills to do every other part of the job,” Hoyer said. “He just has a great way about him. He manages people really easily. He’ll be really good at it once he gets the job. “I do expect our regular-season success this year we will have some employees asked about.” -- ESPNChicago.com Can Kyle Hendricks maintain Cy Young-worthy pace? By Bradford Doolittle When Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks takes the mound Monday night in St. Louis, he’ll do so with an MLB-best 2.07 ERA. As manager Joe Maddon likes to say, that’s good stuff. But it’s only when you begin to burrow beneath that sparkling figure that the full scope of Hendricks’ breakout season begins to take shape.

Hendricks’ lead in ERA over second-place Noah Syndergaard (2.48) is now .406. That’s the largest gap between first and second place in MLB ERA since Jake Peavy’s .469 gap over Brandon Webb in 2007. And it keeps getting bigger: Since the beginning of July, Hendricks has a 1.22 ERA, which is .9 runs better than any other pitcher in baseball. Washington’s Max Scherzer clocks in a distant second at 2.12. We should acknowledge that if Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw had not been injured, we would not be harping on Hendricks’ ERA gap. Kershaw has a 1.89 ERA, but is almost certainly not going to qualify for the ERA title. That aside, if Hendricks retains his current ERA advantage, at season’s end the gap would be the 30th-largest gap in 146 years of big-league ERA champs. During the 60 years that Cy Young awards have been handed out, it would rank 13th. Either way, it’s about a once-in-five-years performance. Unfortunately, having a huge ERA gap doesn’t guarantee Cy Young hardware. Of the 12 Cy Young-era hurlers who have won the ERA title by a bigger margin than the one currently enjoyed by Hendricks, eight won the award: Bob Gibson, 1968 Ron Guidry, 1978 Greg Maddux, 1994 and 1995 Pedro Martinez, 1999 and 2000 Randy Johnson, 2001 Jake Peavy, 2007 And four did not: Whitey Ford, 1958 Hoyt Wilhelm, 1959 Kevin Brown, 1996 Roger Clemens, 2005 HOW HE HAS DONE IT? Hendricks is in the middle of an amazing Cy Young chase despite a much-discussed absence of power pitching. His average fastball speed (87.9 MPH) ranks 78th out of 82 qualifiers, and two of those behind him are knuckleballers. Yet it’s not fair to say that Hendricks’ fastball is ineffective. His .735 OPS allowed on fastballs ranks 22nd in baseball and is 65 points better than the big-league average. The biggest reason for this is movement: Hendricks’ average break length on fastballs (6.3 inches) ranks fifth among qualifiers. Second, there is command: Hendricks gets his fastball into the lower half of the strike zone about 13 percent more than the league average. Hendricks actually has a max velocity of around 91 to 92 MPH, but has learned that movement and location are more important for him than velocity. During his postgame chats with the media, one of his first self-critiques of any outing is about his fastball command, and never is the word “stuff” uttered. In fact, Hendricks has rarely overthrown his fastball this season. But last season, he allowed a .935 OPS on pitches of 90 MPH or more. He threw 111 such pitches. This season, he’s thrown just 34. So while Hendricks has a “slow” fastball, the pitch is really quite effective. And any fixation with that pitch ignores the fact that the most important thing about Hendricks’ fastball is that it sets up his changeup, which has become one of the best weapons of any pitcher around. Only three pitchers have thrown more changeups than Hendricks.

And his success on that pitch has yielded a haughty strikeout rate (29.1 percent) and a .338 OPS allowed that ranks 14th out of 203 pitchers who have thrown at least 100 changeups. BUT CAN HE KEEP DOING IT? What we really want to know about Hendricks' run is how likely it is to continue. The question of sustainability not only is crucial to what we can expect of Hendricks’ postseason prospects, but perhaps also to his Cy Young candidacy. On that latter front, you figure the more his performance is sustainable, the more it’s a product of things under his control and less subject to variance. In theory, that bolsters Hendricks’ award viability, because then you can’t as easily dismiss his numbers as mirrors and great defense. Though Hendricks doesn’t have a power-pitcher makeup, the effectiveness of his pitches has resulted in unremarkable peripheral stats. His strikeout rate is just a tick below the big-league average. His walk rate is better than that, but not anything like Kershaw. His homer rate is better than average but not extreme. And while he’s more of a ground ball guy than a fly ball guy, on the whole, his ball-in-play hit types are fairly balanced. There is nothing here screaming regression to the mean, either in a good way or a bad. That brings us to what may be the key metric behind Hendricks’ success. This statistic is called “well-hit average,” a metric in the ESPN database compiled by Inside Edge. It rates every ball hit into play according to how well it was struck, and that information is aggregated for both hitters and pitchers. Among qualifying hurlers, Hendricks leads the majors in WHA at .096. Here’s what we want to know: To what extent is WHA sustainable? It’s a cool metric, but if it’s not something that holds up from season to season, it’s merely descriptive. To test that, we looked at all two-year stretches (since 2009) in which the same pitcher threw a minimum of 100 innings in both seasons, and ended up with 694 matches. Then we measured the year-to-year correlation in four areas: strikeouts per 9 innings, walks per 9 innings, homers allowed per 9 innings and well-hit average. Perfect correlation is 1.00, and the closer you get to that figure, the stronger the year-to-year correlation, or sustainability, of the metric. The chart at right shows how our categories ranked. Good news! (Well, if you’re rooting for Hendricks.) Esoteric as it sounds, well-hit average is a metric that seems to have a high level of year-to-year correlation. In this sample, it’s not as strong as strikeouts, but a little more sustainable than walk rate and way more than homers. This suggests, rather strongly, that the key metric explaining Kyle Hendricks’ success is sustainable, a product of his efforts and not luck, or other unseen forces. Nothing is guaranteed of course, especially in the playoffs, where randomness probably trumps everything. But if you want to nitpick Hendricks' lofty ERA, good luck. It’s for real. Simply put, the guy is hard to hit. -- CSNChicago.com Kyle Hendricks' Evolution Almost Leads To No-Hitter As Cubs Cut Magic Number To Three By Patrick Mooney ST. LOUIS — Kyle Hendricks has sneaky-good athleticism for someone who can walk through Wrigleyville without being noticed by Cubs fans. The Dartmouth College graduate has the analytical mind to absorb detailed scouting reports and apply all that information on the mound. A young pitcher is now living up to those Greg Maddux comparisons that once sounded lazy and unfair, painting the corners with an artist’s touch, creatively outthinking hitters. It all almost came together on Monday night at Busch Stadium, the in-depth research, snowballing confidence and never-nervous body language, Hendricks finishing three outs away from the 16th no-hitter in franchise history and settling for a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in front of 43,397.

For the Cubs, this masterpiece cut the magic number to clinch the division down to three. For Hendricks, it gave him a signature-type game to add as an exhibit to his National League Cy Young Award case, slicing his major-league-leading ERA to 2.03 with the pinpoint control and unpredictable sequences that should translate in October. The no-hitter suspense ended in the ninth inning when Jeremy Hazelbaker — the No. 8 hitter in a powerful St. Louis lineup — led off and blasted an 0-2, 81-mph changeup that didn’t dive toward the dirt and hung enough to fly 380 feet into the right-field seats. “If you’re going to give it up, at least it’s that way, not a cheap hit or something,” Hendricks said. “Just left the ball up and he got it. What are you going to do?” That’s Hendricks, who still shut down a Cardinals team (75-68) desperately fighting for a wild-card spot, facing only 26 batters across eight efficient innings, allowing two walks and finishing with seven strikeouts. Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs, but Hendricks doesn’t have to overwhelm hitters with triple-digit velocity, because he knows how to minimize damage and pitch away from slugging percentage. According to ESPN, he entered this rivalry game with a 9.6-percent hard-hit rate that ranked third in the majors. Hendricks has now allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last 20 starts, the longest streak by any big-league pitcher this season and a major reason why the Cubs are 41 games over .500 and have the best record in baseball. Miguel Montero — who has caught almost 8,400 innings in The Show — called Hendricks the most-prepared pitcher he’s ever worked with in his career. “This year, I think theory and reality have come together almost every game,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s a meticulous planner. I do believe that he knows exactly what he wants to do per hitter, almost per pitch, before the game begins. But then it’s a matter of putting the ball where you want to. “That’s been the uncanny part about his season this year is that he comes up with this plan that he’s been able to go out there and almost execute it to perfection every game.” Hendricks wants to put the ball in play and let his defense go to work and got enough highlight-reel plays to think this could be history in the making. There was shortstop Addison Russell sliding to his right and popping up to throw out Jhonny Peralta in the sixth inning. On the next play, Jason Heyward chased a foul ball Hazelbaker lifted out toward the right-field seats, knocking into fans and leaning over the first row to make the catch. The next inning saw third baseman Kris Bryant diving to his left and making a good throw to prevent a Stephen Piscotty single. “I was pretty calm, actually,” Hendricks said. “I was definitely thinking about it, obviously. From probably the fifth inning or so, it creeps in your mind. Guys start getting quiet, not talking to me, all the things that come along with it. But it was the same old simple thoughts: Just trying to make good pitches out there.” Hazelbaker made Hendricks pay for the one mistake changeup out of the 96 pitches he threw, a mixture of two- and four-seam fastballs and the curveball that kept the Cardinals off-balance. “I’m not going to lie,” Montero said, “the one guy that I was the most afraid of was (Hazelbaker) after the sixth inning, because he can do a lot of different things. He can get a bunt and beat the throw. He can hit a ball in the hole and beat the throw because he’s so fast. (But I wasn’t afraid of him) hitting the ball out, so you got to give him credit.” Hendricks is 15-7 with a 0.96 WHIP and 173 innings on his resume — and getting stronger the deeper the Cubs get into this World Series-or-bust season — but he will never be anyone’s idea of a self-promoter.

“There’s been talks for a while now about that,” Hendricks said of his Cy Young Award candidacy. “Again, those are just based on results, so the only way results are going to come is if you focus on the little things. That’s my preparation, consistent work in between my starts and then simple thoughts taking the mound.” -- CSNChicago.com Furious At Joe West, Joe Maddon Loses It After Kyle Hendricks Loses No-Hitter For Cubs By Patrick Mooney ST. LOUIS — Cubs manager Joe Maddon lost it after Kyle Hendricks lost the no-hitter, feeling like umpire Joe West tried to upstage his pitcher in the ninth inning on Monday night at Busch Stadium. Maddon didn’t want to become a distraction after getting ejected from a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals that shrunk his team’s magic number to clinch the National League Central to three — and a spectacular performance that made Hendricks look like a potential Cy Young Award winner. But on the TV replay it sure sounded like Maddon ended his nose-to-nose argument with West by saying: “F--- you!” And the normally chatty manager didn’t want to hear another follow-up question about whether “Cowboy Joe” should have had a better feel for the moment. “Come on,” Maddon said during his postgame news conference. “Just write it. Just write it. Just write it. You guys saw it. You know what happened. I don’t need to get into any more trouble. Just write it.” The Cubs already had closer Aroldis Chapman warming up in the bullpen when Jeremy Hazelbaker drilled an 0-2 changeup over the right-field fence for a leadoff homer that ended Hendricks’ no-hit bid. “There was a misinterpretation there,” Maddon said. “We needed a little bit more time to get the pitcher ready based on the situation. That’s all. And I needed the catcher to go out to the mound. That’s all. That’s it. We were denied. And I didn’t like that, so I made my stand. “I truly believe we were proper in that. It’s not about that moment. It’s about Kyle. This was Kyle’s night.” The apparent issue involved veteran catcher Miguel Montero immediately reacting to the Hazelbaker homer by checking in on Hendricks — and then getting conflicting signals from the home-plate umpire. “After I went to the mound and came back, (West) tapped me on the shoulder and told me to go out (there),” Montero said. “So I’m walking out to the (mound). And then he’s like: ‘Hey, if you go out there, I’m going to count it as a visit.’ “I’m like: ‘OK, what’s going on?’ Is that possible? I don’t even know if that rule exists. It doesn’t matter, because (Kyle’s) coming out of the game already. That’s when (Maddon) came out. And after that, I’m not responsible for what happened out there.” So Hendricks didn’t get the Hollywood ending, and this isn’t how Maddon would ever script taking the ball from a pitcher who’s becoming a bigger and bigger story for the best team in baseball. “By that time, I’m a little bit out of breath, and I’m not even supposed to go out there, because I had been kicked out already,” Maddon said. “But that’s not going to stop me from walking out there. It was inappropriate what had happened, so I was not going to be very honorable at that particular moment. It was inappropriate.” The unflappable Hendricks (15-7, 2.03 ERA) stayed in character and always understands the method to Maddon’s madness.

“We were joking on the mound,” Hendricks said. “I knew he was trying to get some time to get Chapman up — (that’s just) Joe and his ways. We were laughing a little bit about it on the mound — the only way you can really relieve that situation after the homer.” -- CSNChicago.com Twins Targeting Cubs' Jason McLeod, Who Might Inevitably Leave For Bigger Job By Patrick Mooney ST. LOUIS — Whether or not the Minnesota Twins hire Jason McLeod to run their baseball operations, there is an “inevitable” feeling around the Cubs that the scouting/player-development chief will soon be getting that type of job. General manager Jed Hoyer confirmed the Twins have requested permission to speak with McLeod, who is expected to interview for what could be a president-level position after helping shape The Cubs Way through first-round draft picks Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber and the development pipeline that produced young talent like Kyle Hendricks and Addison Russell. “No question,” Hoyer said Monday, McLeod is ready to be a general manager now. “We dodged a few bullets the last few years with him. And I’m sort of expecting — if not now — soon.” Once seen as dysfunctional, the Cubs are now viewed as a model organization, entering Busch Stadium with a chance to clinch the division with a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. McLeod has been a good friend and a close advisor to team president Theo Epstein since the early stages of their baseball careers, working together for the San Diego Padres in the mid-1990s and then helping the Boston Red Sox draft players like Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Josh Reddick, Jed Lowrie and Anthony Rizzo. McLeod withdrew his name from consideration when his hometown Padres were searching for a general manager in the middle of the 2014 season, saying he didn’t want to leave with unfinished business and miss being part of a World Series celebration at Wrigley Field. “There’s probably not a better scouting/player-development guy out there,” Hoyer said. “He has all the skills to do every other part of the job. He’s just got a great way about him as a person. He manages people really easily. I think people love working for him. He’ll be really good at it once he gets the job. “We sort of know it’s probably somewhat inevitable at this point that he’s going to get an opportunity, which is great. I’ve worked with Jason since ’03, and he’s been a huge part of my life and Theo’s life. He deserves a shot at some point soon.” Hoyer also confirmed that his future is tied to Epstein, who is in the final year of his contract and keeps saying that he will work out a new deal with chairman Tom Ricketts (without really answering why it’s taken this long). “I know I’m a ‘lame-duck GM,’” Hoyer said, repeating an inside joke among the beat writers covering the team and signaling that he won’t be pursuing the Minnesota job. “But we’re both pretty happy, so I think we’ll be here.” -- CSNChicago.com How 'Try Not To Suck' Became The Rallying Cry For Joe Maddon And The 2016 Cubs By Tony Andracki It's been almost five months since T-shirts became another chapter in the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry.

Korked Baseball suddenly found itself embroiled in a minor controversy as Busch Stadium ushers wouldn't let Cubs fans enter wearing the "Try not to suck" Cubs T-shirts in St. Louis because of the perception the phrase was offensive. Joe Maddon used his platform through the Chicago media to question the decision of the Busch officials, and the Cardinals eventually relaxed and decided to allow the T-shirts into the ballpark. And thus the "Try not to suck" campaign had found all the fuel it needed and the fire is still burning strong as the Cubs invade Busch Stadium again Monday night. "No better publicity than being denied to wear it in a particular ballpark," Maddon said. "I thought that was great. The moment I heard about it, I said, 'Man, the sales are going to jump really good from that particular moment." It was back in January when the slogan started to take shape as a fan asked Cubs infielder Javy Baez at Cubs Convention what advice Maddon gave when Baez made his season debut in September 2015: "Try not to suck," was Baez's answer, prompting an uproar inside the jam-packed Sheraton Grand Chicago ballroom. "I remember him sitting there in that little office in the old clubhouse," Maddon said, "and he's sitting there right across the desk there and just trying to loosen him up a little bit. I knew about his past - I got to know him; I went to see him down in Puerto Rico a couple years ago - and I just wanted to try and relax him a little bit. "That's what that's all about. We all, as professionals, one of the main things you do on a daily basis is try not to embarrass yourself. So how do you do that? By trying not to suck. "Take it with a light heart. ... I want them to just go out there and play like they're in Little League. Like a bunch of kids having a good time. Don't worry about making mistakes." After Baez made that snapshot story public at Cubs Convention, Cubs hitting coach John Mallee and Korked Baseball co-founder Joe Ferro (who puts on hitting clinics with Mallee around the country over the winter) decided to take that catchy phrase and create a T-shirt. Maddon and the Cubs players sported the T-shirts in spring training and the public ate it up. The Korked guys created an entire series of "Maddonisms," including "Do simple better," "Embrace the target" and "If you look hot, wear it." "The website officially launched on March 4 and on March 6, the entire Cubs team was wearing the 'Try not to suck' shirt," Korked co-founder Jacob Chandler said. "It just skyrocketed. We didn't expect to do half of what we've done this year. It's just blown up. "It's raised a lot of money for [Maddon's] charity, which is really the biggest thing we're pushing for - raising money for other charities." Check out the entire collection on KorkedBaseball.com, which helps raise money for Maddon's Respect 90 foundation. --