A dismal Sunday afternoon ended a nasty week for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox.
The Cubs’ promising begin in April has hit a street block in May, whereas the Sox stay in a free fall after sequence losses to the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros.
Every Monday all through the season, Tribune baseball writers will present an replace on what occurred — and what’s forward for the Cubs and Sox.
Liam Hendriks getting nearer
Liam Hendriks’ return to the Sox seems imminent, although supervisor Pedro Grifol wouldn’t give a date earlier than Hendriks’ look Sunday with Triple-A Charlotte.
“We’ll talk to him after and see where we go from there,” Grifol mentioned Sunday morning.
Hendriks struck out the one batter he confronted in a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Durham Bulls.
Hendriks mentioned he initially deliberate to return to Chicago on Sunday and be prepared for the sequence that begins Tuesday in opposition to the Cleveland Guardians. He allowed 4 runs on two residence runs in two-thirds of an inning in his earlier outing Thursday, and he mentioned he didn’t “want to be a burden” on the group by returning earlier than he was prepared.
The Knights have loved having Hendriks across the clubhouse for his character and his penchant for getting the clubhouse unfold.
“It’s awesome being around Liam, it’s just super inspiring,” mentioned Jake Burger, who returned to the Sox on Saturday from his personal rehab stint. ”Every time I see him on the market and discuss to him within the clubhouse, it’s superior to speak to him. And the spreads are fairly good down there, too, courtesy of him and (Garrett) Crochet. … (Friday) it was a extremely good meals truck with a sizzling rooster sandwich.”
The Sox belief Hendriks to be trustworthy about the place he’s.
“Self-evaluation is a really big part of this game, and he’s a really good self-evaluator,” Grifol mentioned. “Not only do I appreciate it, I admire it because I think the instinct is always to get back as quickly as possible. And his instinct and his knowledge is ‘I’ve got to get back when I’m ready to get back and make sure I’m able to contribute to what we want to accomplish here.’”
Christopher Morel flexing energy
Christopher Morel just isn’t hitting any low cost pictures.
Morel has picked up the place he left off in Triple A, hitting three residence runs in his first 5 video games for the reason that Cubs recalled him from Iowa. His solo homer within the fifth inning Sunday landed within the second deck in left discipline. The monstrous 461-foot shot tied Patrick Wisdom (June 21, 2022) for the longest residence run by a Cub since Willson Contreras hit one 464 toes on July 29, 2021.
All three of Morel’s residence runs have gone at the very least 400 toes.
“He’s got some some fast-twitch fibers that not all of us have,” mentioned Dansby Swanson, who hit behind Morel on Sunday. “It’s pretty cool when he connects like that.”
When second baseman Nico Hoerner returns from the injured record, which may very well be as quickly as Friday in Philadelphia, the Cubs should discover a option to get Morel common at-bats. That would possibly imply he will get the majority of his begins because the designated hitter as a result of they seem lukewarm to enjoying him at third base, preferring his comfortability up the center.
Finding methods to maintain Morel within the lineup might come on the expense of Nick Madrigal and Trey Mancini until they work in Mancini at first base to present Matt Mervis a break in opposition to powerful left-handers.
Week forward: Cubs
The Cubs shall be challenged to show round their tough begin to the nine-game journey after the pitching employees surrendered 27 runs within the ultimate two video games in opposition to the Minnesota Twins.
The Astros and Philadelphia Phillies lineups received’t be any simpler. And a scuffling Cubs offense shall be examined by Astros starters Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier to start the sequence in Houston.
The Cubs get what may very well be a much-needed break day to regroup Thursday earlier than taking over the reigning National League champion Phillies, in opposition to whom they went 6-0 final 12 months.
A giant query: Can right-hander Jameson Taillon set the tone Monday in Houston? He hasn’t appeared sharp in two begins since coming off the IL and was restricted by a pitch rely. The Cubs want a powerful outing from him, partly to avoid wasting a bullpen that wanted to cowl 8⅓ innings the final two video games.
- Monday: at Astros, 7:10 p.m., Marquee
- Tuesday: at Astros, 7:10 p.m., Marquee, TBS
- Wednesday: at Astros, 7:10 p.m., Marquee
- Thursday: off
- Friday: at Phillies, 6:05 p.m., Marquee
- Saturday: at Phillies, 3:05 p.m., Marquee
- Sunday: at Phillies, 12:35 p.m., Marquee
Week forward: White Sox
The Sox get a much-anticipated break day Monday earlier than ending the homestand with a pair of three-game sequence in opposition to division foes, the Guardians and Royals.
The defending American League Central champion Guardians have underachieved all season. They entered Sunday hitting .228 and ranked third-to-last within the majors in runs scored (138). Shane Bieber will match up in opposition to Lance Lynn in Tuesday’s opener.
The rebuilding Royals took three of 4 from the Sox final week at Kauffman Stadium however have the third-worst ERA within the majors at 5.44, simply above the Sox (5.50). Veteran Zack Greinke is scheduled to face Dylan Cease on Friday.
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: vs. Guardians, 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Wednesday: vs. Guardians, 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Thursday: vs. Guardians, 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Friday: vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Saturday: vs. Royals, 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Sunday: vs. Royals, 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH
What we’re studying this morning
This week in Chicago baseball
May 15, 1996: White Sox’s Tony Phillips punches a Brewers fan
It turned out a fan heckled Tony Phillips, allegedly making disparaging remarks about his mom. After listening to it for just a few innings, Phillips took issues into his personal palms and eliminated himself from the sport after the highest of the sixth to confront the fan.
Sox third baseman Robin Ventura didn’t wish to go into the concourse whereas in uniform and requested energy coach Steve Odgers to comply with Phillips and cease him from entering into hassle.
“By that time it was too late,” Ventura mentioned. “He already took off.”
Phillips stood beneath the left-field stands and referred to as out to the 23-year-old Wisconsin man, motioning for him to come back down to speak. Surprisingly, the fan complied. After a quick dialogue, the fan shoved Phillips and promptly was clocked twice.
May 16, 1996: Sammy Sosa turns into the primary Cub to hit two homers in an inning
He hit them in an eight-run seventh at Wrigley Field in the course of the Cubs’ 13-1 win over the Astros.
“Right now, I’m just feeling good up there,” Sosa informed the Tribune. Before the feat, the slugger had six residence runs in his final six video games and 15 within the first 41 video games, elevating his batting common to .251 and main the group with 33 RBIs.
May 16, 2000: Dodgers go into Wrigley crowd after a fan ran off with Chad Kreuter’s cap
“Some guy apparently hit Chad in the head and took his hat or part of his helmet,” Dodgers bullpen coach Rick Dempsey mentioned. “He went to retrieve it and that was it. I got halfway up (in the section) and was smothered.”
Once Kreuter went after the fan, the decrease field seats behind the Dodgers bullpen resembled a rugby scrum greater than a baseball sport. Fans swarmed the gamers and quite a few punches have been thrown whereas bystanders tried to maneuver to security.
Once the Dodgers on the sphere grew to become conscious of the altercation, they raced to the bullpen to help.
“Some of our guys were so deep in the stands that I was watching to make sure nobody got hurt,” Dodgers catcher Todd Hundley mentioned. “Security had things under control and then one of the fans threw another punch.”
“It got ugly,” Dempsey mentioned. “At one point I got pinned over a chair and couldn’t move. I was just holding one guy’s arm because he looked like he was going to hit one of our players.”
The sport was delayed for 9 minutes. The Dodgers went on to win 6-5.
May 17, 1979: Cubs lose to Phillies 23-22 at Wrigley Field
The Cubs noticed the Phillies a 7-0 lead, then tied the sport at 22-22 within the eighth, solely to lose on Mike Schmidt’s Tenth-inning residence run off Bruce Sutter. Bill Buckner had a grand slam and 7 RBIs for the Cubs.
Perhaps essentially the most superb stat from the sport was that, regardless of scoring a mixed 45 runs on 50 hits, together with 11 residence runs, the Cubs and Phillies struck out solely 11 occasions in 109 at-bats. Cubs hitters had solely 4 strikeouts in 56 at-bats
The Cubs and Phillies mixed to go 17-for-44 (.386) with runners in scoring place, and 11 pitchers have been employed.
May 17, 2019: Kris Bryant hits three homers in consecutive innings for the Cubs
He was simply the twelfth participant to drag off the uncommon feat and the second to take action within the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. He went 4-for-6 and drove in 5 runs within the 14-6 win over the Nationals.
May 18, 1933: The first All-Star Game is introduced at Comiskey Park
The July 6 sport was performed as a part of the Chicago World’s Fair celebration. The thought for the All-Star Game, “The Game of the Century”? That got here from Tribune sports activities editor Arch Ward.
“A smart inspiration in the Tribune’s sporting department will give Chicago as an incident of the Fair, the baseball game of all time,” the paper reported on May 23, 1933. “The baseball managements could have found a million reasons why it could not be done but found every reason why it should be.”
By Ward’s design, the lineups for the sport have been established by a democratic course of. The Tribune requested readers to vote for his or her favourite gamers, and 47 papers rapidly adopted swimsuit.
The American League, bolstered by Babe Ruth’s two-run homer, beat the National League 4-2.
May 18, 1990: Ryne Sandberg’s errorless-games streak ends after 123 video games and 584 probabilities
After the 7-0 win over the Astros, somebody requested the Cubs second baseman which of the streak’s performs stood out. Sandberg didn’t hesitate.
“Just this last one,” he mentioned. “It’s the only one I can think about right now.”
Joe Morgan of the Reds held the earlier report of 91 video games.
May 20, 2006: A.J. Pierzynski and Michael Barrett struggle throughout a Cubs-Sox sport
White Sox baserunner Pierzynski’s shoulder block into Cubs catcher Barrett spawned a second-inning, bench-clearing brouhaha at residence plate.
The struggle boiled over into one other struggle that led to 4 ejections at U.S. Cellular Field.
Pierzynski mentioned he was merely attempting to attain and Barrett was in his method. Barrett grabbing Pierzynski and touchdown a tough proper cross was an obvious misunderstanding.
“I hit Michael (who was blocking home plate) and I got up and my helmet was right behind him,” Pierzynski mentioned. “I went to get my helmet and the next thing I know I’m in a bear hug and he said, ‘I didn’t have the ball, b—-.’ The next thing I know I got punched.”
The Sox wound up beating the Cubs 7-0.
Quotable
“They’re a good low-ball-hitting team as a group and that’s where he lives, so you’ve got less margin for error when the two strengths line up a little bit. And they got the best of him today.” — Cubs supervisor David Ross on the Twins tagging Marcus Stroman for six runs in 2⅔ innings in Sunday’s 16-3 loss
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Source: www.bostonherald.com