The Chicago Cubs averted a disastrous weekend, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Sunday to forestall a four-game sweep and keep within the second wild-card place.
The writing had been on the wall for some time for the White Sox, however they have been formally eradicated from playoff rivalry with Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
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.
Memorable day for Grace and Dunston
Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace, as they so usually did throughout 9 seasons as teammates, walked by the Cubs dugout Sunday afternoon, stopping earlier than they reached the steps.
They have been fittingly honored earlier than the collection finale, incomes blue blazers with their enshrinement within the Cubs Hall of Fame. Dunston, 60, spent 12 seasons (1985-95, ‘97) on the Cubs, whereas Grace, 59, was a staple at first base for 13 years (1988-2000).
Dunston mentioned he likes to inform folks, “I live good and my house is paid off because of Grace.”
Before Sunday, Grace thought the excellence of getting probably the most hits within the main leagues within the Nineteen Nineties was “probably the biggest feather in my cap.”
“Today that’s no longer the case,” Grace mentioned. “Today is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my professional career. To say it’s an honor doesn’t do it justice.”
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, president of enterprise operations Crane Kenney and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson congratulated Dunston and Grace as they joined different members of the staff’s Hall of Fame on the sphere: Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Fergie Jenkins, Andre Dawson, Billy Williams, Randy Hundley and Pat Hughes.
Dunston and Grace recalled the shortstop’s first throw that Grace picked, although their perspective on the play differs. Grace thinks Dunston threw it within the grime, testing his glove, however Dunston identified the 14 errors he dedicated the yr earlier than Grace’s call-up.
“When he did catch it, I said, ‘I think we have something,’” Dunston mentioned, smiling.
Colson Montgomery’s progress continues
Colson Montgomery doubled in his closing at-bat Saturday in opposition to Biloxi. The White Sox’s first-round decide in 2021 went 1-for-3 with a stroll for Double-A Birmingham in a 4-3 loss.
Sox normal supervisor Chris Getz likes the progress Montgomery continues to make in his third skilled season. The 21-year-old shortstop is the highest prospect within the group in response to MLB.com.
“Colson has been very good,” Getz mentioned Saturday in Detroit. “He’s managed the zone. He’s very selective offensively. Defensively, he’s turning into extra constant. He confirmed off his vary. He’s received a stable arm. Overall, it’s been a extremely good yr for Colson.
“He’s going to go to the Arizona Fall League and he can look back and he’ll be proud of the body of work he was able to accomplish considering he got a late start.”
Montgomery was slowed by a midback pressure initially of the season. He’s slashing .282/.462/.482 with 12 doubles, seven homers and 33 RBIs in 57 video games between the Arizona Complex League (10 video games), Class A Winston-Salem (17) and Birmingham (30). He’s slashing .223/.398/.408 with the Barons.
Getz desires gamers all through the group, resembling Montgomery, to come back into camp subsequent spring considering huge.
“Beyond just Colson, coming into spring training next year the message is going to be the expectation here is to make this ballclub,” Getz mentioned. “That goes past whether or not you’re on our major-league roster proper now or minor-league guys in spring coaching.
“That’s the competitiveness we need here with the White Sox. I certainly want to ingrain that mindset in all our players.”
What we’re studying this morning
Week forward: Cubs
The Cubs have practically made it by a stretch of 27 video games in 27 days that included solely sooner or later off Sept. 1 adopted by a doubleheader in Cincinnati. The robust stretch ends with a three-game collection at Coors Field earlier than a day without work Thursday, considered one of three the Cubs get earlier than the common season ends Oct. 1.
Sunday’s collection finale in opposition to the Diamondbacks capped 14 consecutive video games in opposition to postseason contenders. The Cubs have an opportunity within the subsequent two weeks to beat up on the Colorado Rockies (six video games) and Pittsburgh Pirates (three video games) main into the ultimate week.
First they should take care off enterprise in Denver. Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon are lined as much as begin in opposition to the Rockies.
An necessary tiebreaker shall be on the road when the Cubs journey to Arizona for the ultimate three video games of the journey. The Cubs should sweep the collection to carry the tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks. Major League Baseball not performs a Game 163 if groups are tied for a playoff spot. Instead, a head-to-head tiebreaker would decide the end result.
- Monday: at Rockies, 7:40 p.m., Marquee
- Tuesday: at Rockies, 7:40 p.m., Marquee
- Wednesday: at Rockies, 2:10 p.m., Marquee
- Thursday: off
- Friday: at Diamondbacks, 8:40 p.m., Marquee
- Saturday: at Diamondbacks, 7:10 p.m., Marquee
- Sunday: at Diamondbacks, 6:10 p.m., ESPN
Week forward: White Sox
The Sox conclude a run of 16 straight in opposition to the American League Central with matchups in opposition to the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins.
The Sox are 2-7 throughout this stretch, which included dropping two of three in opposition to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium final week.
The collection in opposition to the Twins would be the closing division video games this season. The Sox are 21-24 in opposition to the AL Central.
Expected to contend for a division title initially of the season, the Sox discover themselves in fourth place and fielding questions on whether or not it’s necessary to keep away from 100 losses.
“I don’t know the answer to that.” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned Saturday. “Ninety-nine, 100, is {that a} huge distinction? I don’t know. I simply wish to win as many video games as attainable. I’m not focusing a lot on the losses, I’m specializing in the wins.
“It’s like .299 and .300. It’s a big deal for hitters but it’s .299. I’ve seen guys come out of the game when they get a hit for .300 and I’m like, .299 is really good too.”
- Monday: vs. Royals, 6:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Tuesday: vs. Royals, 6:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Wednesday: vs. Royals, 6:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Thursday: vs. Twins, 6:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Friday: vs. Twins, 6:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Saturday: vs. Twins, 6:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Sunday: vs. Twins, 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH
This week in Chicago baseball
Sept. 11, 2008: Albert Pujols drives in his a hundredth run within the Cardinals’ 3-2 loss to the Cubs, turning into solely the third major-league participant to achieve the milestone in his first eight seasons.
The sixth-inning double ended a scoreless recreation for starter Rich Harden, who thew 55 of his 86 pitches for strikes and had just one stroll to go along with his three strikeouts.
Pujols prolonged his major-league-record streak of reaching 30 homers and 100 RBIs in his first eight seasons, two greater than any participant in historical past.
Sept. 13, 1998: Sammy Sosa hits residence runs No. 61 and 62, passing Roger Maris’ file.
The largest crowd of the season at Wrigley Field joyously celebrated Sosa and an unbelievable 11-10 victory in opposition to the Brewers. But outdoors response to Sosa matching Mark McGwire was significantly extra subdued.
Sosa grasped the magnitude of what he had achieved: “Unbelievable. It was something that I can’t even believe I was doing.”
Sosa took maintain of an Eric Plunk fastball within the ninth inning and despatched it screaming onto Waveland Avenue for No. 62, knotting the best residence run chase the sport had seen.
“I said to McGwire, ‘Wait for me,’ ” Sosa said. “He listened to me. Now we’re together. We’ll see where we go.”
Only 5 days earlier, Sosa was hugging McGwire on the sphere at Busch Stadium in St. Louis after Big Mac broke Maris’ file which had stood for 37 years. But in lower than every week’s time, Sosa hit 4 residence runs to catch McGwire and ship the race into overdrive with solely two weeks left within the season.
When McGwire broke Maris’ file Tuesday night time in St. Louis, the sport was stopped for quarter-hour as he hugged teammates and addressed Cardinals followers. When Sosa hit his 62nd on Sunday, the one motive he was capable of take three curtain calls was as a result of the sport was briefly halted after celebrating followers littered the outfield with trash.
No one from Major League Baseball or the Maris household was readily available for Sosa’s second, and Fox didn’t rearrange its TV schedule to seize it. McGwire drove across the subject in a 1962 pink Corvette — a gift from the St. Louis group — on his historic night time. After his huge day, Sosa merely packed his baggage and received prepared for the staff flight for Monday night time’s recreation in San Diego.
“Isn’t it amazing?” Cubs first basebam Mark Grace mentioned. “Who would have thought two people would do it in the same year? It’s unfortunate that the Maris family wasn’t here to be involved. McGwire got so much more because he was the first to do it. And well-deserved. But I hate that it’s ‘Oh, yeah, by the way, Sammy hit 62 today.’ Maybe Sammy will get a blue Corvette.”
Sosa thanked everybody from former White Sox and Cubs normal supervisor Larry Himes to Tribune Co. govt vice chairman Jim Dowdle however saved his most emotional thanks for his adopted hometown.
“Chicago, I love you,” he mentioned.
Sept. 15, 1902: Cubs infielders Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance, later immortalized in verse, flip their first double play collectively.
Sept. 17, 1953: Ernie Banks makes his debut with the Cubs.
He begins at shortstop and bats seventh, turning into the primary Black participant in staff historical past. He went hitless in three at-bats.
His closing hit of his profession got here on Sept. 26, 1971 — an RBI single within the first inning off the Phillies’ Ken Reynolds for the Cubs’ solely run that day.
Sept. 17, 1983: White Sox clinch the AL West
The White Sox gained “ugly” and sometimes, breezing into the playoffs with 99 wins — a determine exceeded in membership historical past solely by the 1917 staff, which gained 100 video games.
“I remember the day after we clinched the division championship that year we had another full house and everybody was introduced on the field — the players, coaches, Eddie Einhorn and me,” mentioned Jerry Reinsdorf in 2000, who, with then co-owner Einhorn, was in solely his third season in baseball.
“Jerry Koosman (a 40-year-old pitcher at the time) was standing next to me and he turned and said, `Enjoy the moment because they’re few and far between.’ Little did I know then how right he was.”
The White Sox gained the American League West by an unheard-of, record-setting 20 video games that summer season and captured necessary honors resembling Manager of the Year (Tony La Russa), Rookie of the Year (Ron Kittle) and Cy Young Award (LaMarr Hoyt). Future Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk completed third in Most Valuable Player balloting.
“Absolutely, that summer was as much fun as I’ve had in baseball,” Reinsdorf mentioned.
It made the first-round playoff loss to the Baltimore Orioles that rather more excruciating. The Sox’s bats abruptly turned chilly, baserunning gaffes prevailed, Greg Luzinski and Kittle have been injured by pitches and the staff dropped three straight after successful the opener within the best-of-five collection.
The Orioles went on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies within the World Series.
“That’s baseball,” La Russa mentioned. “I’ve been on teams that didn’t win in the playoffs because we didn’t play to our capabilities. In this case, Baltimore was a very good team and history proved that.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com