The Cubs had a rough night against the Reds and will have to be better prepared Tuesday. The Cubs have dropped five of the last six games but maintained their lead over the Giants in the NL Wild Card race.
The Giants lost a 14-inning marathon at Dodger Stadium, 5-4. The Cubs lead for the second Wild Card in the Senior Circuit is 5 ½ games, six in the loss column. The Cubs lost a half game to the Pirates, who had the night off. Joe Maddon maintains the Cubs goal is winning the division. With 32 games left on the schedule, the Cubs are 10 ½ back of the Cardinals in the NL Central.
The Cubs are calling up at least four players Tuesday as rosters expand across baseball. INF Javier Baez, LHP Tsuyoshi Wada, RHP Trevor Cahill and OF Quintin Berry will be added to Maddon’s active roster prior to Tuesday’s game with the Reds.
The two 40-man roster moves required to call-up Cahill and Berry were not announced. And updates on RHP Rafael Soriano and RHP Carl Edwards Jr. were not provided Monday. Soriano and Edwards Jr. are on the DL, but both relievers were expected to be added to the active roster Tuesday.
The Cubs are expected to make a few more additions once Iowa’s season ends. The I-Cubs play their final regular season game Monday.
Joe Maddon will have five new players in the clubhouse Tuesday with the addition of OF Austin Jackson from the Mariners.
Austin Jackson
The Cubs made one deal prior to Monday’s waiver trade deadline and picked up OF Austin Jackson and cash from the Mariners for a player to be named later and the Cubs’ International slot No. 4 ($211,100).
Jackson is a very good player that will provide depth in the outfield and insurance in the event of another injury or if Jorge Soler is out for longer than a month.
According to Bruce Levine, Jackson will see most of his time in right field. The Cubs outfield defense is rather concerning and Jackson should help.
Joe Maddon told ESPN Chicago that “five positions could be rotating depending who is on the mound for the opposition.” Maddon plans on playing the hot hand at the plate and using defensive replacements for late in the game. Kris Bryant could see more time in the outfield, especially against lefties. With Bryant in the outfield, Javier Baez could play third base.
Austin Jackson gives Maddon a very good option, one that offensively was hitting .304/.339/.435/.774 in 42 games since the break with eight doubles, a triple and four home runs. Jackson is 2-for-3 as a pinch-hitter this year (5-for-10 in his career) and against left handed pitchers, Jackson has a .294/.327/.441 slash line this season with a .767 OPS.
- Report from Comcast SportsNet
- Report from the Sun-Times
- Report from ESPN Chicago
- Report from Bruce Levine
Kyle Hendricks
Kyle Hendricks had an inconsistent outing Monday night. Joe Maddon told the Sun-Times he thought Hendricks “had good stuff” but he believed Hendricks would like to have two pitches back.
Hendricks was not pleased with his outing. Hendricks said that he has to try to keep building.
Kyle Hendricks completed five innings Monday and allowed three runs on five hits with three walks, a HBP and four strikeouts. Hendricks is 2-2 in his last nine starts with a 5.40 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. Hendricks has averaged 5 1/3 innings per outing.
Fernando Rodney
RHP Fernando Rodney made his first appearance at Wrigley on Monday night since the trade. Rodney pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning. Rodney has pitched in two games for the Cubs and hasn’t allowed a run or hit. Rodney has a strikeout and a hit batsman in two innings.
According to Bob Dutton, the deal for Fernando Rodney that was announced a player or cash would be sent to Seattle for the veteran reliever is a cash transaction.
The Cubs agreed to play the remainder of Rodney’s $7 million salary for this season. Based on the report, the Cubs are responsible for around $1.5 million of Fernando Rodney’s 2015 salary.
Albert Almora Jr.
Albert Almora Jr. finished August by extending his hit streak to 12 games on Monday. Almora Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, a walk, a RBI and two runs scored in the Smokies 9-1 victory over the Suns. Almora Jr. recorded hits in all but three games in August.
In 31 games, Almora Jr. batted .352/.413/.504 with 14 doubles, a triple, a home run and a .917 OPS. Almora Jr. walked 11 times with 13 strikeouts in 125 at bats.
Over his last 48 games, Albert Almora Jr. is hitting .312/.377/.484 with 18 doubles, a triple and four home runs for a .861 OPS.
News and Notes
• The Dodgers acquired OF Justin Ruggiano from the Mariners prior to Monday’s deadline.
• From Christopher Kamka: Addison Russell has hit two rather impressive home runs off two of the best relievers in the game this season. Russell took Kelvin Herrera deep on May 29 and Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning of Monday’s game. Herrera has allowed four longballs this season, just three homers have been hit off Chapman.
• According to Comcast SportsNet, the Jake Arrieta buzz faded quickly with Monday’s loss as the Cubs head into September.
This Day In Cubstory
2001 – Sammy Sosa hit the longest home run in Turner Field history. Sosa’s 53rd longball of the season traveled 471 feet to straight away centerfield and Sosa hit it off Greg Maddux.
1999 – Sammy Sosa hit home run No. 56 off the Padres’ Sterling Hitchcock
1978 – Cubs signed free agent Cookie Rojas
1972 – Kevin Orie, born
1971 – Ferguson Jenkins led the Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Expos. Jenkins hit two homers and drove in three runs.
1967 – The Cubs started a streak of four straight doubleheaders by taking two from the Mets. Ferguson Jenkins picked up his 17th win in game one, 8-2, and Don Cardwell struck out 11 in game two in a 3-0 victory over the Mets
1961 – Catcher Cuno Barragan hit a home run in his first Major League at bat as the Cubs lost 4-3 in 14 innings to the Giants at Wrigley Field. Barragan did not hit another homer in the big leagues
1939 – Rico Carty, born
1927 – Cubs signed free agent Art Nehf
1911 – Cubs selected Jimmy Lavender in the Rule 5 Draft
1910 – Cubs selected Hank Griffin in the Rule 5 Draft
1910 – Cubs selected Bill James in the Rule 5 Draft
1908 – Cubs selected Jimmy Archer in the Rule 5 Draft
1906 – The umpires assigned to the Cubs and Cardinals game came down ill with suspected food poisoning. Cubs’ pitcher Carl Lundgren and Cardinals’ catcher Peter Noonan were chosen to be the umpires. Mordecai Brown pitched a five-hitter and beat the Cardinals 8-1 for the Cubs 14th straight win at West Side Grounds.
1904 – Cubs selected Milly Maloney in the Rule 5 Draft
1902 – Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance appeared together in the lineup for the first time. Evers started at short, Tinker at third and Chance at first base.