The Cubs improved to a Major League best 29-11 with the 8-1 victory over the Giants late Friday. Jake Arrieta, with his ‘B stuff’ posted his eighth win of the season. Kris Bryant homered, drove in four run and Ben Zobrist and Jorge Soler hit back-to-back jacks in the eighth inning.
Friday’s win came at a cost for the Cubs. Jason Heyward injured himself making an incredible diving catch in right center in the first inning. Heyward left the game and will undergo an MRI on his right hip area Saturday to determine the severity of the injury. X-rays were negative and did not show any broken bones. Heyward was in pain after the game when he talked to the beat writers.
If Heyward does not go on the disabled list, it’s safe to say he will not play Saturday and will likely miss the remainder of the series in San Francisco. The Cubs should add a position player to the active roster before Saturday night’s game. With the best case scenario being that Heyward is unavailable an even shorter bench with three catchers will handcuff Joe Maddon.
Matt Szczur is on a rehab assignment with Double-A Tennessee. Szczur played Thursday and made two plate appearances. The Smokies’ game was rained out Friday. Multiple reports early Saturday morning indicated Szczur would likely be activated from the DL if Heyward has to be placed on the disabled list.
The Cubs have time to get a player to San Francisco with the 6:15pm CDT scheduled first pitch.
Results from Jason Heyward’s MRI are expected to be announced at some point Saturday.
- Report from CCO (with Video)
- Report from Comcast SportsNet
- Report from the Tribune
- Report from the Sun-Times
- Report from ESPN Chicago
Jorge Soler
Jorge Soler put together his best game of the season Friday and arguably the most complete regular season game of his career. Soler was engaged offensively, defensively and on the bases. Soler started the second inning rally, ran the bases well and hit a home run in the eighth inning.
Soler made a game-changing catch in the third inning at the wall in left that took at least a two-run double away from Buster Posey and ended the inning. The Cubs had a four-run lead at the time Soler read the ball perfectly off Posey’s bat and caught it just before hitting the wall. Soler made another excellent catch later in the game.
Joe Maddon was “gushing” over Soler’s performance after the game. Maddon did not focus on the home run. Maddon pointed to Soler playing a complete game.
“I don’t care about the home run at all,” Maddon said to ESPN Chicago. “It has nothing to do with how excited I am right now. Everything else I saw, I saw a Major League Baseball player out there. That’s what got me excited.”
Jason Heyward is going to miss time, how much is yet to be determined. The Cubs will need Jorge Soler to play the way he did Friday night to maintain the same level of play from the first 40 games of the season.
Jake Arrieta
Jake Arrieta completed seven innings and allowed one run on Friday night as the Cubs started the series in San Francisco with the win over the Giants.
Arrieta told the beat writers after the game that he’s still not where he wants to be. Arrieta improved to 8-0 in nine starts with a 1.29 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 2.50 FIP with Friday’s win in San Francisco.
Since last June 15 (29 starts), Arrieta is 24-1 with a 0.99 ERA and 0.74 WHIP. Arrieta has given up 109 hits with 47 walks and 210 strikeouts in 210 innings. The Cubs have won each of Arrieta’s last 22 regular season starts.
“I’m still not there. It might sound kind of stupid, but personally, there’s a little more in the tank. Once I get fine-tuned and have everything working, it’s going to be tougher for the opponent.”
Arrieta explained, “This was another night where I came out with by ‘B’ stuff and was able to sequence things pretty effectively.”
Joe Maddon has maintained all season and reiterated there is another level to Arrieta that “we haven’t seen yet this year.”
Friday’s Post-Game Reports and Recap
Here are the post-game reports and recap from Friday’s 8-1 victory over the Giants …
- CCO – Jake Arrieta, Cubs Bash the Giants
- Comcast SportsNet – Cubs win comes with a catch
- ESPN Chicago – Cubs bust out lumber behind Jake Arrieta in ending Giants’ win streak
- The Sun-Times – Arrieta beats Giants for 19th straight win, expects to get better
- The Tribune – Cubs cope with loss of Jason Heyward as Jake Arrieta continues his mastery
Ryan Williams
RHP Ryan Williams was placed on the 7-day DL on Friday with an undisclosed injury. Williams left Thursday’s game in the sixth inning with an apparent injury. Details were unavailable at the time and were not given Friday. The release from the I-Cubs stated “details are yet to be determined, but the injury is not expected to be serious.”
The Des Moines Register did not have any details on Williams’ injury. The Cubs have not said why Williams was placed on the DL or how long he is expected to miss.
Ryan Williams was 4-1 in eight starts with a 3.30 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. In 43 2/3 innings, Williams allowed 18 runs, 16 earned, on 43 hits with 12 walks and 30 strikeouts.
Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino was not with the Iowa Cubs for the first two games of the series in Tacoma. Victorino was placed on the temporary inactive list. The Cubs have not addressed his status with the organization.
Victorino reported to Iowa on May 6 and played in nine games. Victorino was hitting .233/.324/.367 with two doubles and a triple for a .690 OPS. Victorino walked three times with a strikeout in 30 at bats.
Shane Victorino was in the lineup the last three games of the series in Reno that ended Tuesday. Iowa had a scheduled off-day Wednesday before the series opener Thursday in Tacoma.
Ryan Kalish
According to the PCL transactions page, OF Ryan Kalish was placed on the 7-day Thursday with a appendicitis. Kalish was designated for assignment last Saturday to make room on the active roster for Miguel Montero. Kalish was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa the next day.
Kalish did not play in a game for Iowa before landing on the disabled list.
Matt Murton
The I-Cubs activated OF Matt Murton from the 7-day DL prior to Thursday’s game in Tacoma. Murton was placed on the disabled list May 5, backdated to May 3, with an oblique injury.
Murton played in 11 games before going back on the DL for the second time this season. Murton hit .260/.280/.304 with a double and a .584 OPS.
News, Notes and Rumors
• According to the Tribune, Jed Hoyer, The Other Guy in Cubs front office, fits role perfectly.
• Before Friday’s game, Joe Maddon told ESPN Chicago that he planned to rotate his starting position players during the weekend series with the Giants. Maddon’s plans likely changed with the injury to Jason Heyward.
• ESPN reported Addison Russell’s position switch helped trigger Cubs’ run last season.
• According to the Sun-Times, the pen is a mightier issue for Maddon than Cubs’ quiet bats.
• Comcast SportsNet reported prior to Friday’s game Jake Arrieta claimed he has had three-four bad starts this season.
• Peter Gammons tweeted Friday that if he was the Cardinals, Red Sox, Orioles, Dodgers or the Royals he would pursue LHP Rich Hill before the trade deadline. Hill is 6-3 in nine starts this season for Oakland with a 2.54 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 2.93 FIP. Hill has given up 17 runs, 14 earned, on 35 hits with 21 walks and 59 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings.
• The St. Louis Cardinals sent Jhonny Peralta out Friday for a rehab assignment with Low-A Peoria Chiefs. Peralta is expected to be back in the Cardinals lineup in two-three weeks. Peralta is supposed to play shortstop and third base while rehabbing in the minors.
And last, but not least and better late than never … a must read from Andy McCullough about Dan Haren and the inner turmoil that led to his retirement.
This Day in Cubstory
2013 – Cubs selected Eduardo Sanchez off waivers from the Cardinals
2011 – Marlon Byrd was beaned by Alfredo Aceves at Fenway Park
2010 – Cubs signed RHP Bobby Howry
2000 – Cubs released Andrew Lorraine
1999 – Cubs acquired Rick Aguilera and Scott Downs from the Twins for Kyle Lohse and Jason Ryan
1991 – Don Zimmer is fired by the Cubs and replaced by Jim Essian
1991 – Jacob Turner, born
1981 – Josh Hamilton, born
1968 – Billy Williams set a new record for outfielders in consecutive games played. Williams played in his 659th straight game in a day the Cubs climbed over .500 for the first time that year with a 6-5 victory over the Phillies
1955 – Warren Hacker lost a no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning in Milwaukee when he gave up a home run to George Crowe
1941 – Bobby Cox, born
1936 – Cubs acquired Ethan Allen and Curt Davis from the Phillies for Chuck Klein and Fabian Kowalik
1909 – Senators selected George Browne off waivers from the Cubs
1907 – After the Cubs beat the Giants 3-0 at the Polo Grounds in New York, players had to form a protective ring around umpires Hank O’Day and Bob Emslie. Pinkerton guards had to fire shots in the air in order to try to get the unruly crowd that had spilled onto the field to disperse. John McGraw egged on the crowd.