The Cubs won five of the nine games on the three-city West Coast trip, and could have won two more games. The Cubs managed one victory at Dodger Stadium. And it was in extra innings with Kris Bryant supplying two home runs.
There were a lot of positives this weekend at Dodger Stadium. Jason Heyward had hits in five straight at bats, scored the tying run in the ninth inning of Friday night’s game and he came within inches of delivering a big two-out knock on Sunday.
Rob Zastryzny was excellent out of the bullpen in shutting down the Dodgers in relief of Jason Hammel. Justin Grimm stayed on track. Carl Edwards Jr. was electric Sunday and maintained his composure to get out of a bases loaded jam after a mistake behind him gave the Dodgers a run. And the Cubs found out that with the right approach they can score runs off the Dodgers bullpen.
Even with dropping two in a row to the Dodgers, the Cubs did not lose any ground to the Cardinals in the division or to the Nationals for the best record in the Senior Circuit.
Jeimer Candelario saw his on-base streak come to an end after 31 games. Candelario is one of the hottest hitters in the PCL as he prepares to be called up this week.
And Down on the Farm, Trevor Clifton and Jimmy Gonzalez received major awards while the Pelicans punched its ticket to the playoffs.
Here are the headlines chock full of all the news, notes, video highlights and recaps to get you caught up from the last three-plus days before a week at Wrigley …
South Bend Cubs Skipper Jimmy Gonzalez Named Midwest League Manager of the Year
The Cubs’ Low-A affiliate in South Bend has had an excellent season. The SB Cubs are postseason bound and their skipper, Jimmy Gonzalez, was named the best manager in the league by his peers.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans Punch Ticket to Playoffs
The Cubs’ High-A affiliate, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans won the 2015 Mills Cup and was the Carolina League Champs a year ago. The Birds will have a chance to defend the cup this season. Myrtle Beach punched their ticket to the playoffs at the end of last week.
Willson Contreras’ Adjustments Producing Results
Willson Contreras burst on the scene with a home run on a Sunday night at Wrigley Field on the first pitch he swung at in the majors. Contreras cooled off as the league adjusted.
Willson Contreras has adjusted back and the results can be seen in his offensive numbers
Report includes video.
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/26/16
Tom recapped all of the action down in the Cubs’ system from the end of the week.
Eloy Jimenez and Matt Rose produced runs and wins for South Bend. Double-A Tennessee has received a boost from several minor league vets. And Dylan Cease lit up the gun for Short-Season Eugene.
If you follow the Cubs’ minor league system, this is a must read report.
The Daily CCO: Kris Bryant Excelling in Two-Hole of Cubs Lineup and Other News and Notes
Kris Bryant is among the leading candidates for the NL MVP Award. Bryant has spent a lot of time hitting out of the two-hole of Joe Maddon’s lineup. Bryant has put up unbelievable numbers and the Cubs are benefitting from having Bryant and Anthony Rizzo getting more at-bats.
The Daily Report includes updates on Albert Almora Jr., David Ross, Chris Coghlan, Tommy La Stella, John Andreoli, Cubs-Astros Series, Dodgers-Phillies trade and Toby Williams.
Tons of info and This Day in Cubs History are packed in to this one daily report.
Cubs Prospect Jeimer Candelario Extends On-Base Streak to 30 Games
Jeimer Candelario has been one of the hottest hitters in the Pacific Coast League. Candelario extended his on-base and hitting streaks on Thursday with a two-hit performance.
Candelario had a perfect night at the plate on Friday and extended both his hitting streak to 11 games and on-base streak to 31 games. Candelario was unable to reach base Saturday.
Both reports include video.
- Cubs Prospect Jeimer Candelario Extends On-Base Streak to 30 Games
- Jeimer Candelario’s On-Base Streak Comes to an End After 31 Games
Appreciating the Cubs Defense
This report is packed with video of the outstanding defensive plays turned in by Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, Dexter Fowler and Anthony Rizzo over a seven-day period.
There are also some stats to back up the Cubs having the best defense in baseball.
The Cubs are a fun team to watch … especially in the field. If you like defense, this report is for you.
Two Kris Bryant Blasts Too Much for Dodgers, Cubs Comeback and Win in Extras – Cubs 6, Dodgers 4
It took a Kris Bryant solo shot in the eighth, a Jason Heyward double in the ninth, two wild pitches, a two-run homer by Kris Bryant and 10 innings for the Cubs to take game one of the weekend series from the Dodgers. The Cubs found a way to win a game they were outplayed in for seven innings.
Mike Montgomery was shaky at best. Montgomery did not let the game get out of hand and the Cubs pen kept the Dodgers from putting the game away.
Game one at Dodger Stadium went the Cubs way as Kris Bryant took another step towards the NL MVP Award.
Recap includes video of Bryant’s two-run shot in extra innings.
The Daily CCO: Kris Bryant Takes Center Stage in Hollywood and Other Cubs News
In a stadium packed with stars, Kris Bryant might have been the biggest one of them all on Friday night. Bryant hit the first extra innings home run of his career and the Cubs won for the 82nd time on the season.
The Daily Report includes updates on John Lackey, Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, Joe Smith, Tommy La Stella and Chris Coghlan, along with all of the news, notes and links and the very popular This Day in Cubs History.
Cubs Host Pirates and Giants During Upcoming Homestand
The Cubs begin a seven-game homestand Monday with the first of three against the Pirates. The Giants make their annual trip to Wrigley with a four-game series that begins Thursday.
Click on the link for all the details for the Cubs’ seven-game stay at Wrigley.
Kris Bryant Home Runs are Just Fun to Watch
This report is all about the two home runs Kris Bryant hit on Friday night/Saturday morning. Video and some cool stats and facts are included.
Cubs Let the Dodgers Off the Hook – Dodgers 3, Cubs 2
Saturday did not go the Cubs way. Jason Hammel was lifted in the third inning after giving up three runs. Rob Zastryzny and the bullpen were excellent. The Cubs were unable to string any hits together after a first-inning bunt from Ben Zobrist changed the game.
The Cubs lost one that could have and should have been a win.
Cubs Prospect Trevor Clifton Named Carolina League Pitcher of the Year
The Carolina League took notice of how well Trevor Clifton pitched this season. Clifton was named the league’s best pitcher on Saturday.
Trevor Clifton has a bright future and more than earned the award.
The Daily CCO: Cubs News and Notes for the Last Sunday in August
No one thought the Cubs would be 36 games over .500 on the last Sunday in August back in Spring Training. The Cubs have played outstanding baseball for a majority of the season. There is a lot of work to be done. But on the last weekend in August, the Cubs were/are clearly the best team in baseball.
Jason Hammel and Joe Maddon talked after Saturday’s game. Hammel was very unhappy with being pulled in the third inning. Joe Maddon explained why he asked Ben Zobrist to bunt in the first inning.
Albert Almora Jr. returned from the DL. Joe Smith made a rehab appearance.
The Daily Report also includes all of the news, notes, links and This Day in Cubstory.
Cubs Drop the Ball in Finale at Dodger Stadium – Dodgers 1, Cubs 0
The weekend in Los Angeles ended on a sour note for the Cubs. The offense allowed a rookie right-hander to have the best game of his young career. Jon Lester was very good and so was Justin Grimm. Physical mistakes by Trevor Cahill and a mental mistake by Javier Baez cost the Cubs a run late in the game … the only one scored.
Carl Edwards Jr. was dynamic and Jason Heyward continued to hit. But the Cubs offense was a no-show for the most part.