What a weekend for the Chicago Cubs …
The Cubs clinched a spot in the post-season tournament late Friday night after the Giants lost in Oakland. And the Cubs celebrated the trip to the playoffs following Saturday’s game. The Cubs bounced back from two rough losses against the Pirates with a win Sunday night behind Jake Arrieta.
Jake Arrieta simply dominated a very good Pirates lineup. Arrieta took a perfect game into the seventh that was broken up by a clean single. Arrieta was out after seven innings of one-hit ball and he hit his second home run of the season.
Here are the headlines from the last three days that includes a couple of videos, the CCO’s All-Prospect Team, 90 wins and the Cubs’ rookie class garnered more attention.
The CCO’s Cubs All-Prospect Team – Position Players
With prospect ranking season just around the corner instead of another top 21 list we went another direction. If the Cubs put a team together based on the seasons the minor leaguers had what could that 25-man roster look like?
The first of a two-part report focused on the position players, and there might be a name or two you are not familiar with but should learn more about.
The CCO’s Cubs All-Prospect Team – Pitchers
There are more promising young arms in the system than are recognized by mainstream media and prospect rankings. The second of the two part report focuses on the pitchers in the Cubs’ system and a rotation that would be fronted by a hard throwing right hander that focused on being a pitcher and a ground ball machine that has a chance to carve out a successful big league career.
Rambling about the Cubs while Wondering about the Wild Card Game
The always popular ramblings column returned to Friday. Brian is preparing for the Cubs first appearance in the post-season in seven years. Thoughts are shared on Starlin Castro, Jake Arrieta, Kris Bryant, Tom Ricketts, the horrible trade with the Padres and Addison Russell.
The Daily CCO: It’s Win and In for the Chicago Cubs
With the Padres taking care of the Giants on Thursday night it all became about beating the Pirates on Friday afternoon for the Cubs to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
MLB Baseball announced starting times for the Wild Card Games. Kerry Wood Cubs Field opened. The Cubs launched the On the Move Fitness Challenge.
Report includes all of the news, notes and links, plus This Day in Cubs History.
Cubs Rally Falls Short, Lose Opener to Pirates – Pirates 3, Cubs 2
Jon Lester pitched a good game. Lester made two mistakes that cost the Cubs a pair of runs. Gerrit Cole was fastball happy and shut the Cubs down. Two defensive miscues cost the Cubs a run in the eighth.
Starlin Castro tripled in Chris Denorfia in the bottom of the night and made it a one run game. The Cubs could not move the baseball with less than two outs, and a man on third representing the tying run in the ninth. The Cubs dropped the opener of the weekend series and were not able to celebrate punching their ticket to the post-season.
Cubs Clinch a Spot in the Post-Season
The Cubs had their ticket to the post-season punched late Friday night when the Giants lost in Oakland. The Cubs will play in October for the first time in seven years. The five long years of bad baseball at the Major League level officially came to an end this season. The Cubs are in the tournament and anything can happen once a team gets in.
The Daily CCO: The Cubs are Post-Season Bound
Saturday morning was all about the post-season bound Cubs. Joe Maddon’s team wasn’t able to celebrate Friday and planned to pop champagne Saturday.
The team confirmed Kyle Hendricks and Dan Haren will follow Jake Arrieta in the rotation. Hendricks gets the ball Monday in the make-up against the Royals and Haren starts the opener in Cincinnati.
Along with all of the news, notes and links, the Daily Report includes This Day in Cubs History.
Cubs Blanked Before Celebrating Post-Season Berth – Pirates 4, Cubs 0
Jason Hammel allowed two doubles in four innings. The fifth inning wasn’t as kind to Hammel. The Pirates recorded five straight hits, the third, a three-run homer off the bat of Jordy Mercer, gave Francisco Liriano all the run support he would need.
Kris Bryant and Addison Russell reached base multiple times. The Cubs had just four hits and were shutout for the 10th time.
The loss did not stop the Cubs from celebrating making it in to the tournament.
Four Cubs Ranked in Top 15 of 2015 Rookie Class
In the Year of the Rookie, the Cubs have four of the best first-year players in the game. Jim Callis recently ranked this year’s rookie class based on future projection.
Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler are four big reasons the Cubs are post-season bound.
Click here to see where Jim Callis ranked the four Cubs in the top 15.
The Daily CCO: Celebrate Good Times and Cubs News and Notes
The Cubs celebrated making it to the post-season after Saturday’s game. And the party moved from the clubhouse to the field. The Cubs have celebrated after each victory this year, so it was expected the team would crank it up after reaching one of the goals.
Report includes all of the news, notes and links along with This Day in Cubs History.
Jake Dominates and Rakes, Cubs Shutout the Pirates – Cubs 4, Pirates 0
Jake Arrieta took a perfect game into the seventh in a game the Cubs looked to win to salvage the finale of the weekend series with the Pirates. Arrieta gave up a single to Gregory Polanco and hit Andrew McCutchen in the seventh. Arrieta was lifted after seven dominating innings when the Cubs took a 4-0 lead on a two-run double from Starlin Castro.
Jake Arrieta went oppo in the second inning off A.J. Burnett for his second longball of the season.
Kris Bryant quietly collected two more hits and drove in his 99th run of the season. The Cubs posted their 90th win of the year behind another impressive outing from Arrieta.