Cub Tracks falls down in Philly

#Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. The Cubs dropped a 6-2 decision and the Phillies clinched. I didn’t watch the celebration. Did you?

WELCOME to today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits collection of Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, overheated, steeped in writers’ tears, and then cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor. No artificial intelligences were deployed, employed, entranced, or embalmed in the commission of this missive (apparently I might be training some though). Cub Tracks eagerly awaits the advent of robotic umpires and has already amended the three laws. The going is weird. Cub Tracks turned pro a long time ago.

Cub Tracks. Where the great ones run away.

The Cubs are finishing upon the road, starting with three against playoff-bound Philadelphia, the current home of several much-missed former Cubs. Nate Pearson will be the opener for the North Siders as Phillie stalwart Aaron Nola treads the rubber for the opposition. It looked bad at the outset but you have to play the games.

In the background, the Cubs continued roster churn, with Jorge Lopez ending his season on the IL and Trey Wingenter being optioned. Caleb Killian and recently-acquired Gavin Hollowell will be in the ‘pen.

Killian, coming in for Pearson in the second, brought in some meatballs, but he wore the innings and will hopefully learn something he can use later. That ump didn’t help him or anyone else.

In other news, Charlie Blackmon’s beard is retiring.

Story of the game.

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“We clearly, for two years, haven’t done good enough,” Swanson said. “I’m sure there’s probably a lot of different avenues that need to be pursued or looked at. Just to figure out what’s going to be our mixture to set out not to just try and get in, but what can we do to frickin’ dominate? There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to accomplish that here.” — Sahadev Sharma {$}.

• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): “Desire Paths” and what’s gone wrong with the current era of Chicago Cubs baseball. “… the phrase describes an unplanned trail created as a more direct connection between two points.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): ‘That’s the goal’: Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer knows his team has work to do for perennial playoff appearances. “That is the goal,” Hoyer said before their series-opening 6-2 loss to the Phillies…”
• Patrick Mooney *The Athletic{$}): Five takeaways from Craig Counsell’s blunt assessment that the Cubs aren’t good enough. “We have to push each other in these situations,” Counsell said. Sahadev Sharma, too {$}.
• Jay Cohen (AP*): Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga working on a strong finish to his impressive rookie season. “Look, he’s been our best pitcher,” Counsell said.
• Tim Stebbins (MLB.com*): Porter Hodge flashing veteran vibes in debut season. “For a 23-year-old kid in his first experience in the big leagues, he carries himself like a veteran,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said over the weekend.
• AP*: Cubs claim reliever Enoli Paredes off waivers from the Brewers. “Paredes, who turns 29 on Saturday, went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA and one save in 17 relief appearances with the Brewers.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Adam Wainwright names a pair of Cubs as the toughest hitters he faced throughout career. A Cubs HoFer and a Pittsburgh-area native.
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Seiya Suzuki’s recent hot stretch leaves Cubs with as many questions as answers about 2025 lineup. “He is working to find a way to carry the late-summer performance into the rest of the season.”

Food for Thought:

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I’m in another book. This one is a charity tribute to Black Sabbath.