Maddon awed by HR boom: It's 'extraterrestrial'
Cubs manager Joe Maddon wondered what's going on with the baseball this season, after his team and the White Sox combined to hit five homers in the first four innings on Wednesday.
2019 ScheduleAll times ET
2019 Schedule
40-33, 1st in NL Cent
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
The Cubs are calling up a top pitching prospect as righty Adbert Alzolay will take the place of Tim Collins who was designated for assignment. The Cubs believe Alzolay is on top of his game right now as Theo Epstein said recently his curveball was the best he's seen from him. Fellow Venezuelan and Cubs catcher Willson Contreras had this to say: “I hear really good stuff about him. Really good fastball command. Good spin rate. He's striking people out, he's throwing hard and it makes me proud. I know where he comes from, how hard he works every day to be here and finally his day has come.” A home grown pitcher has been a rare sight at Wrigley Field under Epstein. Alzolay could pitch in relief as soon as Thursday night.
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
Watch Willson Contreras discuss his 2 homer night including his first grand slam since the last time he faced the White Sox.
Contreras powers Cubs past Giolito, White Sox 7-3
Willson Contreras homered twice and drove in five runs, and the Chicago Cubs handed Lucas Giolito his first loss since April by downing the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Wednesday night.
Bote hits solo homer in 4th (0:29)
Contreras cranks 2 home runs in Cubs' win (0:51)
Why unlikely leadoff man Kyle Schwarber makes the Cubs so dangerous
"It gives us a lot of punch to start the game." Schwarber isn't a traditional top-of-the-order hitter, but the Chicago slugger is finding success in his second attempt in the role.
Jimenez, traded by Cubs, wins it for ChiSox in 9th
White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez beat the team that traded him with a ninth-inning home run Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
Schwarber smacks another leadoff homer (0:56)
Jiménez homers in 9th to power White Sox past Cubs, 3-1
Eloy Jimenez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning in his first game against his first major league organization, helping the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
The Cubs got a first pitch HR from Kyle Schwarber and that was it on offense as Ivan Nova and Sox relievers shut them down in a 3-1 loss. In a drama filled moment, former Cubs prospect Eloy Jimenez hit a go-ahead ninth inning home run off of Pedro Strop to secure the win for the White Sox.
Hamels reaches milestone in 8-K outing (0:55)
Cubs plan to go slowly with injured Hendricks
The Chicago Cubs plan to move slowly with Kyle Hendricks after tests confirmed the right-hander is dealing with a shoulder impingement.
Cubs' Kimbrel throws 1-2-3 seventh in Triple A
The Chicago Cubs still won't put a timeline on Craig Kimbrel coming up, but he took his first steps toward returning to the majors after throwing eight pitches in Triple-A.
Kimbrel has perfect minor league debut for Cubs (0:26)
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
Craig Kimbrel went 1-2-3 in his debut for Triple A Iowa against Sacramento. He threw 8 pitches, getting a fly out, ground out and strikeout.
MLB pitching tiers: Ranking every staff from 1-30
Who's getting the most from their entire pitching crew to shut down 2019's homer-happy hitters?
MLB All-Star voting update: Bellinger holds slim overall lead on Yelich
A breakthrough first half has the Dodgers slugger in front of the reigning NL MVP for top vote-getter honors. Where does your favorite star rank?
MLB lineup tiers: Which teams are in their own league?
Looking at which teams have delivered and what you can project for them, there's a huge difference between MLB's elite and the pack in pursuit.
Power Rankings: NL rivals ready to challenge Dodgers for No. 1
L.A. has been on top for much of the season, but the Braves, Cubs and Brewers are in hot pursuit.
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
Watch Kris Bryant discuss his throw home on the winning sequence for the Dodgers in their 3-2 win over the Cubs on Sunday.
Dodgers edge Cubs 3-2 with late-game heroics
Russell Martin singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, Alex Verdugo made a game-saving catch for the game's final out and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 Sunday night.
Can these Cubs really contend with the dominating Dodgers?
Saturday's comeback win over L.A. might feel good, but getting beyond the NL's top team won't be easy.
MLB dads dish on when they knew their sons would be stars
Fathers of five All-Stars, including Mike Trout, Kris Bryant and Max Scherzer, reveal the moments they realized their sons had what it takes to make it as pro ballplayers.
Jesse Rogers ESPN Staff Writer
Watch Yu Darvish discuss his great outing in the Cubs 2-1 win over the Dodgers on Saturday.
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2019 NL Central Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 40 | 33 | .548 | - | W1 |
| Milwaukee | 40 | 34 | .541 | 0.5 | L3 |
| St. Louis | 38 | 35 | .521 | 2 | W1 |
| Cincinnati | 34 | 38 | .472 | 5.5 | W4 |
| Pittsburgh | 33 | 40 | .452 | 7 | W1 |
2019 Team Leaders
- Batting
- Pitching
BATTING AVERAGE
Home Runs
RUNS BATTED IN
Earned Run Average
Wins
Strikeouts
Team Stats
- Batting
- Pitching
Runs371
Batting Average.252
On Base Percentage.336
Slugging Percentage.449
Earned Run Average3.87
Quality Starts35
WHIP1.32
BAA.245