A sweep of the Colorado Rockies sends the Chicago Cubs into the ultimate week of the common season in playoff place with six video games to go.
The Chicago White Sox must win three of their last six video games to keep away from 100 losses. They end the season at residence with three towards the Arizona Diamondbacks and three towards the San Diego Padres. A schedule change means the Diamondbacks sequence will start Tuesday and conclude Thursday, with Monday an off day.
Every Monday all through the common season, Tribune baseball writers will present an replace on what occurred — and what’s forward for the Cubs and Sox.
Cubs infielder Miles Mastrobuoni taking advantage of his taking part in time
The lifetime of a bench participant tends to carry restricted taking part in time and generally being the odd man out when a roster spot is required.
Miles Mastrobuoni knew he wouldn’t be getting many at-bats after the Cubs recalled him Aug. 19. He went a month earlier than beginning a recreation and in that span recorded 4 plate appearances, at one level going 11 days between getting into in any function. But with Jeimer Candelario (low again pressure) and Nick Madrigal (proper hamstring pressure) each on the injured checklist, the Cubs’ third-base choices have thinned, resulting in extra alternatives for Mastrobuoni.
He’s began 4 of the Cubs’ final 5 video games, going 8-for-15 with two doubles, two stolen bases and 5 runs scored to accompany strong protection at third.
“Just be yourself, understand what you do well, and just do that, don’t try and be somebody you’re not,” Mastrobuoni mentioned Saturday. “Maybe that kind of crept in a little early, trying to make a name for myself and everything like that. And I learned from that and was able to let the shoulders sink down and take a weight off my chest and just be me.”
When the Cubs acquired Mastrobuoni from the Tampa Bay Rays in November, that is the function they envisioned him becoming into, and as he has grow to be extra snug the 27-year-old infielder has thrived.
“My role there was coming off the bench and do what I can and now things have changed,” Mastrobuoni mentioned. “So I try and do the same thing, don’t let the moment get too big. And even if you look from the outside and it can be a little big, just try to slow the game down.”
Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi aimed to be obtainable day-after-day
Boston Red Sox designated hitter Justin Turner hit a line drive to left area within the fourth inning Saturday at Fenway Park.
The ball skipped off the Green Monster and White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi performed it completely. He made an on-target throw to second base to get Turner out.
Benintendi is aware of left area at Fenway Park effectively, as he spent the primary 5 years of his profession with the Red Sox.
“A lot of good memories here,” Benintendi mentioned earlier than the sequence started in Boston. “It’s always fun to come back to this stadium.”
After making his debut in 2016, Benintendi performed a minimum of 138 video games for the Red Sox from 2017-19. He appeared in 148 video games for the World Series championship crew in 2018.
Benintendi has performed a team-leading 147 video games throughout his first season with the White Sox.
“There’s only so many things you can control in this game,” Benintendi mentioned. “I feel being ready and getting your physique proper to play a recreation, whether or not you’re feeling 100% otherwise you don’t, it’s simply prepared to get on the market and play the sport each single day.
“Something I feel like I’ve always tried to do. There are injuries that you can’t avoid. There are broken bones and things like that I’ve experienced and you can’t really do anything about. But trying to be out there every day and at least being available every single day.”
He entered Sunday with a team-leading .328 on-base proportion. Overall, Benintendi is slashing .263/.328/.360 with 5 residence runs and 45 RBIs.
What we’re studying this morning
Week forward: Cubs
If the Cubs are going to outlive this subsequent week and get into the postseason, the bullpen might want to maintain it collectively because the injury-hampered group continues to get examined. Mark Leiter Jr. hasn’t pitched since Wednesday and wasn’t used Sunday. Instead, left-hander Drew Smyly was warming within the eighth inning of Sunday’s 4-3 win if lefty Nolan Jones got here up, however José Cuas acquired out of it.
Asked if it was secure to imagine Leiter is banged up as to why he hasn’t pitched the previous few days, supervisor David Ross pointed to the Rockies’ right-handed lineup. However, the Rockies had left-handed pinch-hit choices, together with Ryan McMahon, who pinch hit within the ninth towards Julian Merryweather.
“I don’t know what you want to assume, but you can write whatever,” Ross mentioned of Leiter’s availability.
Ross additionally didn’t present any specifics Sunday of when Adbert Alzolay might return. He is eligible to come back off the 15-day injured checklist earlier than the Cubs’ sequence opener Tuesday towards the Braves. The Cubs arrived in Atlanta on Sunday evening and have Monday as the ultimate day to relaxation their aid arms on a day without work earlier than the top of the common season.
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: at Braves, 6:20 p.m. Marquee
- Wednesday: at Braves, 6:20 p.m. Marquee
- Thursday: at Braves, 6:20 p.m. Marquee
- Friday: at Brewers, 7:10 p.m. Marquee
- Saturday: at Brewers, 6:10 p.m. Marquee
- Sunday: at Brewers, 2:10 p.m. Marquee
Week forward: White Sox
Will Luis Robert Jr. attain 40 residence runs? The heart fielder has 38 on the season, however exited Sunday’s recreation with left knee soreness and might be examined additional Monday in Chicago.
Will the White Sox keep away from 100 losses? They have 96.
Those are a few numbers to watch within the last week of the season.
As the end line nears, supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned “I just want them to play hard, to compete and play hard”
“That’s all I ask, just play hard to the last out of the season,” Grifol mentioned earlier than Sunday’s recreation. “Don’t take this opportunity for granted. You’re in a major-league uniform, playing in a major-league stadium, people who pay to come see you play and we owe the fans and everybody a strong effort to the very last out.”
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: vs. Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Wednesday: vs. Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Thursday: vs. Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Friday: vs. Padres, 6:40 p.m., NBCSCH
- Saturday: vs. Padres, 6:10 p.m., NBCSCH
- Sunday: vs. Padres, 2:10 p.m., NBCSCH
This week in Chicago baseball
Sept. 27, 1930: Hack Wilson hit two residence runs for the Cubs, giving him an NL-record 56 for the season.
Sept. 27, 1935: Cubs clinch the NL pennant and gained their twenty first consecutive recreation with a doubleheader sweep of the Cardinals.
The Cubs gained the pennant with the opening-game victory. They gained 100 video games that season earlier than shedding within the World Series to the Tigers.
Sept. 27, 1993: White Sox clinch the AL West with a 4-2 win at Comiskey Park.
The victory was the ninetieth of the season and despatched the Sox into the AL playoffs towards the defending World Champion Toronto Blue Jays, who clinched the East title towards Milwaukee about an hour after the Sox wrapped up the West.
As quickly as Ellis Burks hauled in a lazy fly ball from Seattle Mariners catcher Dave Valle for the ultimate out, the sellout crowd of 42,116 broke right into a goose-flesh ovation that lasted 20 minutes.
Fireworks spewed from the pinwheel within the center-field scoreboard, however they went virtually unheeded. The sore-throated roar of the gang and the pounding of hearts drowned out every part.
Everyone from bullpen catcher Jose Antiqua to General Manager Ron Schueler partied into the wee hours. They drenched each other in beer and heat champagne. They handed round cigars. They lathered one another with shaving cream.
“You write a script and Bo’s there to fill it out,” mentioned Schueler of Bo Jackson, placing into phrases what everybody knew and felt.
Jackson, the one man ever to play within the main leagues on a plastic hip, crushed a 3-0 pitch virtually as excessive because it went far and simply cleared the left-field fence to set off a thunderous celebration that lasted lengthy into the evening. His three-run residence run was a magical second that just about appeared predestined. He by no means ought to have performed after having a hip alternative final winter. But not solely did he make the crew, he made believers of followers in all places when he homered in his first at-bat of the season on April 9.
Sept. 28, 1920: 8 White Sox gamers indicted on costs of throwing 1919 World Series.
The 1919 White Sox — thought-about by some baseball historians as one of many biggest groups ever to take the sphere — have been heavy favorites to beat the Reds within the World Series.
But within the best-of-nine sequence (Major League Baseball determined to develop from the best-of-four format on account of postwar demand), the Reds dominated. There had been rumors and experiences that the repair was in, and certainly the Sox’s efficiency was suspect.
A yr later, eight White Sox gamers have been charged with throwing the World Series. In 1921, all have been acquitted by a jury that deliberated simply 2 hours, 47 minutes.
A day after their acquittal, nonetheless, baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis dominated the gamers allegedly concerned — Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Oscar “Happy” Felsch, Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Fred McMullin, Charles “Swede” Risberg, George “Buck” Weaver and Claude “Lefty” Williams — could be banned for all times from organized baseball.
Sept. 28, 1938: Gabby Hartnett’s two-out, two-strike, last-of-the-ninth residence run — the “homer in the Gloamin’” — beats darkness and first-place Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5.
Three days later Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals for his or her tenth win in a row, clinching the pennant.
Sept. 28, 2003: Ron Santo’s No. 10 jersey is retired by the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
“Now I really don’t care if I get into the Hall of Fame anymore,” the emotional former third baseman and present broadcaster mentioned. “This is my Hall of Fame. I really mean it. I can’t explain it, but this is the ultimate.”
The announcement got here as a whole shock to Santo, who was below the impression he’d need to make it to Cooperstown earlier than receiving such an honor. His 342 profession residence runs rank fourth amongst major-league third basemen, and Santo was a nine-time National League All-Star and five-time Gold Glove Award winner.
“It seems like I’m more popular now than I was as a player,” Santo mentioned. “Maybe all you have to do is lose a couple legs and be a Cub fan. That’s what it’s all about in Chicago.”
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 — virtually two years after his demise.
Sept. 29, 1945: Cubs win the National League pennant for the primary time since 1938.
It was the Cubs’ sixteenth league title, the fifth time in 17 years and the third time below Charley Grimm’s management.
The Tribune wrote of that day: “All morning it appeared the climate man would possibly pressure the Cubs to again into the pennant. There was a relentless downpour until an hour earlier than recreation time, and if it had been not possible to play, the Cubs would have clinched the bunting by one thing akin to default.
The lads didn’t wish to triumph in any such vogue and nobody was extra happy than they when the rain ceased and it was introduced that each effort could be made to play a minimum of one recreation, even when the lights needed to be turned on late tonight. Once began, nonetheless, the primary contest went straight via, tho there was a drizzle throughout the early innings.”
Sept. 30, 1990: Last White Sox recreation performed at Comiskey Park.
A crowd of 42,849 followers turned out on a sunny, autumn afternoon to say farewell to what had been proclaimed the “the Baseball Palace of the World” when it opened July 1, 1910.
Many followers have been teary-eyed, realizing that the place the place that they had spent so many blissful instances would quickly be become a parking zone for the brand new Comiskey Park, which was rising simply to the south at thirty fifth Street and Shields Avenue.
“Years from now,” the Chicago White Sox adverts had mentioned all season, “you’ll say you were there.” On at the present time, one of many many banners hanging from the upper-deck railings learn, “Years from now, you’ll park here.”
Besides being the house of the White Sox, the venerable ballpark with the exploding scoreboard had been the location of a number of heavyweight title fights, the house area for the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals, the stadium for the Negro League All-Star Games and the place the Beatles carried out two concert events.
Former Sox Vice President Charles Comiskey, grandson of the person for whom the park was named, was readily available for the ultimate recreation — a 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. Mayor Richard M. Daley threw out the primary pitch. Former Sox nice Minnie Miñoso introduced the lineup card out to the umpires.
When it was over, the gang had joined organist Nancy Faust for a last rendition of “Na-Na Hey-Hey Goodbye.”
Sept. 30, 2008: White Sox win tiebreaker vs. Twins in Blackout Game.
The White Sox defended their residence turf in a playoff-type ambiance to win the American League Central title Tuesday evening with a 1-0 victory over rival Minnesota in a pulsating tiebreaker.
“It’s gratifying in so many ways,” common supervisor Ken Williams mentioned in a champagne-soaked clubhouse. “I’m so proud of the way Gavin Floyd and John Danks responded to the pressure, the situation. It’s what the scouts saw in them, what I saw in them, what the coaches saw, and they delivered.”
Danks had a 7.91 ERA towards the Twins in 4 regular-season begins however redeemed himself in heroic vogue. He pitched eight innings of two-hit ball on three days’ relaxation.
Oct. 1, 1932: Babe Ruth’s “called shot” at Wrigley Field.
In the fifth inning, Ruth on the plate confronted the Cubs’ Charlie Root, with two strikes on him. Ruth, jawing with the Cubs dugout, held out two fingers, after which despatched the subsequent pitch hovering towards Lake Michigan.
The ball whizzed simply to the fitting of what now could be the enduring scoreboard in heart area. The “Ruthian” blow, if ever there was one, traveled almost 500 ft.
Ruth both pointed to the Wrigley Field bleachers or at Cubs taunting him from the dugout earlier than hitting the house run that went down in historical past as Ruth’s referred to as shot throughout Game 3 of the World Series — which ends in a Yankees sweep.
Quotable
“You could feel the energy even pregame. I was walking out to the bullpen 45 minutes before first pitch and I mean, the left field bleachers were basically full 45 minutes before first pitch. … This place is unbelievable because it just resonates with everybody how special the fans are here, how special the environment is so just to be able to be here and pitch in the comfort of home was awesome.” — Cubs starter Jordan Wicks on getting to begin the final regular-season recreation at Wrigley Field.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com