July 23, 2017

Chicago Sun-Times, With a heavy heart, Jon Lester strong against Cardinals http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/kyle-hendricks-returning-to-cubs-rotation-monday/

Chicago Sun-Times, Kris Bryant returns, sparks Cubs’ rally past Cardinals http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/kris-bryant-back-in-cubs-lineup/

Chicago Sun-Times, Ice Cube completely destroys seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/ice-cube-completely-destroys-seventh-inning-stretch-at-wrigley-field/

Daily Herald, Bryant's return helps fuel Cubs' win over Cardinals http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170722/bryants-return-helps-fuel-cubs-win-over-cardinals

Daily Herald, With Hendricks returning, Cubs' rotation likely set http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170722/with-hendricks-returning-cubs-rotation-likely-set

Daily Herald, Ostrowski: Orioles' Britton to Cubs? Risky, but possible http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170722/ostrowski-orioles-britton-to-cubs-risky-but-possible

Cubs.com, Cubs sink Cards' 'pen after Waino-Lester duel http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243778332/cubs-strike-last-after-wainwright-lester-duel/

Cubs.com, Lester's emotional day ends with wild win http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243791442/cubs-jon-lesters-emotional-day-ends-with-win/

Cubs.com, Returning from DL, Hendricks to start Monday http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243758364/cubs-kyle-hendricks-to-return-start-monday

Cubs.com, Bryant shakes off pinkie, delivers in return http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243745812/kris-bryant-back-in-cubs-lineup

Cubs.com, Quintana faces Cards in Wrigley home debut http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/243766202/quintana-faces-cards-in-wrigley-home-debut

ESPNChicago.com, Is Willson Contreras becoming the most valuable Cub? http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45067/is-willson-contreras-becoming-the-most-valuable-cub

CSNChicago.com, After Losing Uncle, Emotional Jon Lester Pays Tribute With Notre Dame Rallying Cry http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/after-losing-uncle-emotional-jon-lester-pays-tribute-notre-dame-rallying-cry

CSNChicago.com, Kris Bryant Ignites World Series Nostalgia With Cubs' Epic Eighth-Inning Comeback http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kris-bryant-ignites-world-series-nostalgia-cubs-epic-eighth-inning-comeback

CSNChicago.com, With Kyle Hendricks Back In The Mix, Cubs Set Rotation For Crosstown Series With White Sox http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kyle-hendricks-back-mix-cubs-set-rotation-crosstown-series-white-sox

CSNChicago.com, Freak Of Nature: Kris Bryant Wows Again With Insane Healing Ability http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/freak-nature-kris-bryant-wows-again-insane-healing-ability-cardinals-wrigley-field-maddon-nl-central

CSNChicago.com, Juan Pierre Felt 'A Little Bit A Part' Of Last Year's World Series Team http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/juan-pierre-felt-little-bit-part-last-years-world-series-team

Chicago Tribune, Cubs offense comes through for Jon Lester with 3-run rally to beat Cardinals http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-cardinals-spt-0723-20170722-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Jose Quintana eager for his first at-bat with Cubs: 'I want a hit' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jose-quintana-hitting-cubs-notes-spt-0723-20170722-story.html

-- Chicago Sun-Times With a heavy heart, Jon Lester strong against Cardinals By Brian Sandalow One of left-hander Jon Lester’s best traits during his career has been his resolve. On Saturday, he used plenty to beat the Cardinals. After allowing two runs in eight innings, Lester said his uncle died Friday. To honor his uncle, who went to Notre Dame, Lester wrote ‘‘PLACT’’ on the front of his cap, an acronym for the Irish’s ‘‘Play Like a Champion Today’’ slogan. ‘‘That was to let him know I was thinking of him,’’ a tearful Lester said before ending his postgame news conference. Third baseman Kris Bryant said he didn’t know Lester’s uncle had died until being asked about his teammate’s performance. ‘‘He’s probably one of the best teammates that I’ve been able to play with in my short time,’’ Bryant said. ‘‘You know what you’re going to get from him every day on the mound. He’s going to be the same guy, same competitor, and I love that about him.’’ Kyle’s back Manager Joe Maddon revealed the Cubs’ rotation for their four games against the White Sox. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks will return from the disabled list to start Monday, and right-hander John Lackey will start Tuesday in the two games at Wrigley Field. Right-hander Jake Arrieta and Lester will start Wednesday and Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Left-hander Mike Montgomery, who’s out of the rotation, was available out of the bullpen Saturday. Maddon praised his attitude and versatility. ‘‘He accepts it,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘He understands it. He gets it.’’ For now, it looks like a six-man rotation isn’t in the cards.

‘‘I think we’ll look and see what’s happening over the course of August,’’ Maddon said. A matter of time Thanks to national TV, all three games of the Cubs’ series against the Pirates before the All-Star break had different start times. And the 7:05 p.m. start Sunday for ESPN means each game of this series will have had different start times. Maddon was asked about the different start times and proposed a solution. ‘‘I believe it should be homogenized throughout baseball,’’ he said. ‘‘I think start times should always be the same in each city. There should be, like, two times. I know sometimes maybe national TV can interfere with that, but I like homogenized start times day and night. That would be awesome. I think it would really help players.’’ Grab a bat, Q Left-hander Jose Quintana will pitch Sunday and said he’s eager to do what he can in the batter’s box to help his new team. ‘‘I want a base hit,’’ said Quintana, who was hitless in 32 plate appearances with the White Sox but did have an RBI this season. Maddon didn’t sound concerned that Quintana would get hurt by trying to do too much with the bat. ‘‘I’m happy that he’s eager to do that stuff, but I haven’t even spoken to [pitching coach Chris Bosio] or the hitting coaches regarding how they feel about his ability to hit or bunt,’’ Maddon said. Roster shuffling Infielder Tommy La Stella was optioned to Class AAA Iowa. Right-hander Felix Pena was recalled from Iowa. -- Chicago Sun-Times Kris Bryant returns, sparks Cubs’ rally past Cardinals By Brian Sandalow Kris Bryant showed it’s good to be young, healthy and a quick healer. And clutch. That helps, too. After testing his injured left pinkie in the batting cage, Bryant returned to the Cubs’ lineup and sparked their 3-2 comeback victory Saturday against the Cardinals. He suffered the injury sliding headfirst into third base Wednesday in Atlanta and didn’t play Friday, but he went 2-for-4 in his return, tying the score with a broken-bat single in the eighth inning before scoring on Anthony Rizzo’s go-ahead double. ‘‘K.B. being able to play was the difference in today’s game,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘A combination of the hit and his speed.’’ With Bryant back, the Cubs were able to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. One reason for that was Bryant’s healing power, which brought him back after it was thought he might miss the entire series. ‘‘Some good supplements right there, man,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘That’s good fish oil.’’

Whether it was supplements and fish oil or the training staff, ice and hot and cold water that Bryant credited, it was the second time this season he returned from an injury earlier than expected. Bryant sprained his right ankle in late June in Washington but avoided a stint on the disabled list and missed only two games. ‘‘Our trainers were unbelievable,’’ Bryant said. ‘‘I can’t give them enough credit. They made me feel great. But maybe I am a fast healer.’’ Bryant said he took a few swings in the cage Friday and didn’t feel great, but he was encouraged. He woke up Saturday feeling better, tested the injury and was put into a lineup that was released much later than usual. ‘‘I feel bad because everybody has to wait for the lineup when you don’t know if you can play,’’ Bryant said. ‘‘But I was ready to go.’’ Bryant was worth the wait for the Cubs, who almost wasted another strong start from left-hander Jon Lester after struggling against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright for most of the day. Coming off a one-run, seven-inning outing Monday against the Braves, Lester was almost as good against the Cardinals. He retired the first 17 batters he faced but fell behind 2-0 after allowing back-to-back home runs to Paul DeJong and Randal Grichuk in the eighth. The Cubs, though, rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning, with Ben Zobrist’s two-out double bringing in Jon Jay to cut the deficit in half. Bryant followed with his tying single, then dashed from first on a 3-2 pitch to score the decisive run on Rizzo’s double after center fielder Dexter Fowler’s throw short-hopped the plate. He took advantage of how deep the Cardinals’ outfield was playing and again showed the kind of baserunner he is. ‘‘The head start [on a 3-2 count] really does help, and something that I take pride in is my baserunning and surprising people,’’ Bryant said. ‘‘Hopefully I did that today.’’ In a National League Central that Maddon said might be close the rest of the way, the victory might mean something later. ‘‘It’s already Jaugust,’’ Maddon said, combining July and August. ‘‘There’s no waiting around right now. Everybody feels the same way, and we took advantage of the [All-Star] break, I believe. We’ve come back with renewed energy, and you don’t want to give up anything right now.’’ -- Chicago Sun-Times Ice Cube completely destroys seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field By Chris De Luca Mike Ditka, Ozzy Osbourne and Jeff Gordon can now rest easy. Rapper/actor Ice Cube arrived at Wrigley Field on Saturday and performed what should go down as the worst seventh-inning stretch ever. Thankfully, Twitter has the evidence. This might go down as the worst in history. Ice Cube is in town promoting his Big3 event at UIC on Sunday. No word on whether his cover of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is available yet on iTunes. Here’s a look at some other seventh-inning stretches we would all like to forget. Here’s Ozzy Osbourne destroying the stretch in the way only he could manage to do it. Mike Ditka provided this version in 1998. Someone needed to take that Iron Mic away from Da Coach.

Hard as we try, we can’t forget Jeff Gordon’s rendition. As a community service, here’s Bill Murray restoring order in the seventh inning — during the World Series. You’re welcome! -- Daily Herald Bryant's return helps fuel Cubs' win over Cardinals By Bruce Miles You could not possibly have wrung any more emotion out of Wrigley Field Saturday afternoon. The Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals staged another classic in their ancient rivalry, with the Cardinals hitting back-to-back homers off Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester to take a 2-0 lead in top of the eighth inning. They Cubs weren't finished. In today's parlance, the Cubs probably said the equivalent of "hold my beer." They scored 3 in the bottom of the inning with Kris Bryant hitting a broken-bat single to tie the game and then scoring all the way from first base on Anthony Rizzo's bloop double to shallow left-center. Cubs closer Wade Davis walked two in the ninth but held on for his 19th save and a 3-2 Cubs victory Bryant was doubtful because of a sprained pinkie finger, but he took some early swings and talked himself into the lineup. Lester choked back tears during his postgame news conference. He had the letters "PLACT" on his cap in honor of an uncle who died Friday. That stands for "play like a champion today," Notre Dame's sports motto. "For the Notre Dame fans … he went to Notre Dame," he said. "So it was play like a champion today. I was letting him know I was thinking of him." All of his played out before 41,969 fans, with many coming up from St. Louis and all being thoroughly entertained. "Beautiful game, because we did win, of course" said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, whose team is 50-46. "Two days in a row we played really good baseball. Yesterday they beat us up in one inning, but another great game. We hung in there to the very end, like we normally do. KB (Bryant) being able to play was the difference in today's game, a combination of the hit and his speed. I don't think anybody else scores on that, maybe Jason (Heyward), possibly. Happer (Ian Happ) possibly. "But KB is such a good baserunner. He had it (scoring) in his head the moment the ball was hit. All Jonesie (third-base coach Gary Jones) had to do was wave his arm. You can't underestimate the importance of one person in the lineup. And there it was." Bryant injured his finger sliding Wednesday at Atlanta, and he might have missed this entire series, and not just Friday's game. But the finger checked out only "sore" Saturday, and as Maddon said: "Soreness plays." Back to back homers by Paul DeJong (a graduate of Antioch High School) and Randal Grichuk gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny sent starter Adam Wainwright back out for the bottom half. A one-out single by Jon Jay and a two-out RBI double by Ben Zobrist brought the Cubs within 1. Bryant singled off Matt Bowman, and Rizzo dunked his double in off Brett Cecil, with Bryant putting on a baserunning clinic -- combining speed and awareness -- to score. "Full count, I got a head start, so that was huge," he said. "That's something that I take pride in, my baserunning, surprising people, and hopefully I did that today."

With the National League Central bunched at the top with the Brewers, Cubs, Pirates and Cardinals, Bryant agreed this one was especially important. "Probably one of our better wins of the year," he said. "Lester pitching great. Wainwright pitching unbelievable, too. Just a pitchers duel. Nice quick game. It was a quick game for like seven innings and then scoring innings take a little longer. It was just a great game on both sides." Maddon coined a new word for this time of year: "It's already 'Jaugust,'" he said, combining July and August. "There's no waiting around right now. Everybody feels the same way. We took advantage of the (all-star) break, I believe. We've come back with renewed energy. Yeah, you don't want to give up anything right now." -- Daily Herald With Hendricks returning, Cubs' rotation likely set By Bruce Miles The Cubs' starting rotation will get a boost and begin taking a more permanent shape this week. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to come off the disabled list and pitch Monday afternoon against the White Sox at Wrigley Field. John Lackey will start Tuesday. When the series shifts to the South Side, it will be Jake Arrieta going against the Sox Wednesday night and Jon Lester Thursday. Hendricks has been on the DL since June 5 with tendinitis in his pitching hand. Jose Quintana will start Friday's series opener at Milwaukee, and these five starters should carry the load the rest of the way. Lester earned the win in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. He is 7-6 with a 3.95 ERA. Since the all-star break, Cubs starting pitchers are 6-0 with a 2.16 ERA. The upshot of Hendricks' return is that lefty Mike Montgomery has moved back to the bullpen, where he opened the season. It's possible the Cubs could use Montgomery as a sixth starter, but there are no immediate plans to do that. "Once Kyle gets back in there, you feel much more comfortable, and if you want to just keep Montgomery stretched out, then you just pop him back out there while he is stretched out," said manager Joe Maddon. "We haven't had that discussion. After the all-star break it seems like they all came back pretty good. It's still a possibility. But we haven't discussed it yet." Montgomery has stated his preference to start, but Maddon said the pitcher has a good attitude. "He's processed things really well," the manager said. "He's going to be a major-league starter. He is a major-league starter. He's going to do that on a more consistent basis in his future. But right now he understands how valuable he is to us doing this particular role. I think acceptance and understanding matters a lot. I just talked to him. He's doing great. He gets it. He's very valuable to us." All over the place: The Cubs have had three different starting times this weekend: 1:20 p.m. Friday, 3:05 p.m. Saturday and 7:05 p.m. Sunday. They'll turn right around Monday and play a 1:20 game against the White Sox. Joe Maddon has never been a fan of the different starting times. He lobbied successfully through the media two years ago to get rid of as many Friday and Saturday 3:05 p.m. starts as possible.

"I got to go to my coffee shop this morning," he said Saturday. "I believe it should be homogenized throughout baseball. I think start times should always be the same in each city. There should be like two times. I know sometimes national TV could interfere with that, but I like homogenized start times, day and night. That would be awesome. I think it would really help players." Pena up to bolster bullpen: In part because of Friday's bullpen meltdown, the Cubs recalled Felix Pena from Class AAA Iowa and optioned infielder Tommy La Stella to Iowa. This is Pena's fourth stint with the big club this season. La Stella has been up and down, as well. He played in 37 games with the Cubs, with a line of .298/.414/.509 with homers and 5 RBI. -- Daily Herald Ostrowski: Orioles' Britton to Cubs? Risky, but possible By Joe Ostrowski Winning seven out of eight games is the sort of run that everyone has been waiting for. It's also motivation for Theo Epstein to make another trade more focused on this season before the July 31 deadline. In the last week, reports have surfaced linking the Cubs to starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Yu Darvish, catchers Jonathan Lucroy and Alex Avila, and relief pitcher A.J. Ramos. However, the rumors involving Orioles closer Zach Britton coming to the north side could be the most appealing. Shortening the game with bullpen arms isn't a trend anymore. It's a way to have a decided advantage late in games and ask less of your starting rotation near the end of a long season. The Yankees went this direction after making a trade with the White Sox. Manager Joe Girardi can now mix and match with a myriad of options in Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle. All four relievers have a strikeout rate between 33 and 43-percent, putting them in the top 25 of Major League Baseball. In 2014 and 2015, the Royals made the World Series in back-to-back seasons using three relief pitching in the final 3 innings. Cubs all-star Wade Davis was the 8th inning guy in 2014 and the closer in 2015. Adding lefty Britton could create a Batman and Robin situation for Joe Maddon. It would be similar to the 2016 Indians trading for Andrew Miller when they already had their closer in Cody Allen. Miller was crucial to Cleveland getting to Game 7 of the World Series. Davis is a free agent at the end of 2017 and Britton is under control for 2018, which would probably make him the closer next season. However, a trade for Britton would be a dicey move. He's gone on the disabled list multiple times this year with a forearm strain and been forced to miss two and a half months. The Orioles haven't used Britton out of the bullpen in consecutive days since April. It isn't a huge sample size, but Britton's opponents are hitting .338 compared to .161 in 2016. The line drive rate has doubled from 11.3 to 22.6 percent and his strikeout rate has been nearly cut in half from 29.1 to 15.3 percent. This isn't the guy that collected 47 saves, most in the American League, and had a 0.54 ERA last year. Britton was also 4th in AL Cy Young voting, earning five 1st place votes. MLB Pipeline says the only Cubs prospect in the Top 100 is 1B/3B Jeimer Candelario at number 81. Baseball America doesn't believe they have a Top 100 guy in the minors.

If Theo can figure out a way to pry Britton from Baltimore without trading from the major league roster, it can pay dividends for two playoff runs. Since the Cubs didn't want to move a current player to get a top starting pitcher, it wouldn't make sense to do it for anyone else. -- Cubs.com Cubs sink Cards' 'pen after Waino-Lester duelv By Carrie Muskat and Jenifer Langosch CHICAGO -- On Friday, the Cardinals scored nine runs in the eighth inning to post a win over the Cubs. On Saturday, the Cubs got some payback, thanks to Jon Lester and the return of Kris Bryant. A surprise starter after missing a game because of a finger injury, Bryant hit a game-tying RBI single and scored on Anthony Rizzo's double, both with two outs in the eighth inning, to lift the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. "K.B. being able to play was the difference in today's game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The combination of the hit and his speed -- I don't think anybody else scores on that. ... You can't underestimate the importance of one person in the lineup, and there it was." For the first seven innings, the focus was on starters Adam Wainwright and Lester to see who would blink first. Wainwright limited Chicago to four hits over 7 2/3 innings, and he was in line for his 15th career win against the Cubs after Paul DeJong and Randal Grichuk homered off Lester in the eighth. But in the bottom of the frame, Jon Jay singled with one out, and one out later, he scored on Ben Zobrist's double. Wainwright then exited, and Matt Bowman served up an RBI single to Bryant to tie the game at 2. Rizzo doubled off lefty Brett Cecil to score Bryant. "Full count, I got a head-start, so that was huge," Bryant said. "Riz hit it. You've got to give him a ton of credit. He worked a great at-bat." The Cubs won for the seventh time in eight games since the All-Star break, while the Cardinals took their fourth loss in the eighth inning or later in their last nine games. "Those kinds of things always stick with you a little bit," Wainwright said of the Cardinals' recent late-inning losses. "This one hurt a little bit. Right now when we need wins. We're getting ourselves in that situation where we just need that one hit or that one pitch or that one play made, and the other team is making those plays or making those swings." Lester was perfect for 5 2/3 innings before Wainwright singled with two outs in the sixth on the first pitch he saw. Lester struck out 10, matching his season high, over eight innings, and the Cubs' rally helped him earn the win. The effort was quite a turnaround from Lester's last start at Wrigley on July 9 before the All-Star break, when the left-hander gave up 10 runs over two-thirds of an inning against the Pirates in the shortest outing of his career. It was an emotional day for Lester, whose uncle passed away on Friday. He wrote "PLACT" on his cap to honor the man, who went to Notre Dame. The acronym is well known to Fighting Irish fans. It stands for "Play Like a Champion Today." "I wanted to let him know I was thinking of him," Lester said, fighting back tears. In the eighth, Lester plunked Yadier Molina on the left shoulder with a pitch to open the inning, but he got Luke Voit to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. DeJong launched a 1-2 pitch to left for his 11th homer, and Grichuk hit a 1-0 pitch into the bushes in the center-field backdrop for a 2-0 lead.

"He was hitting spots all game, in and out," DeJong said of Lester. "He didn't give me much to hit. He finally hung a breaking ball there in my third at-bat, and I happened to get it out at Wrigley. I just kind of flicked it." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Glovework: Bryant, back in the Cubs' lineup after he missed Friday's game because of a left pinkie finger he sprained Wednesday, singled with one out in the first. One out later, Willson Contreras hit a ball that forced DeJong to run far to his right at short. DeJong grabbed the ball and was able to pivot and throw across his body in time to Voit at first for the inning-ending putout. DeJong tied a career high with seven assists. "I just tried to get it and get rid of it as quickly as possible," DeJong said of his play to retire Contreras. "You just have to have a good arm and a quick release. Going into it, Waino has good downward movement on his pitches. We just expect to get ground balls. I just happened to be getting a lot." Close but no cigar: The Cardinals threatened in the ninth. Wade Davis got the first two outs of the inning, but then walked both Dexter Fowler and Jedd Gyorko. Molina fouled the first pitch off, took a ball, then fouled the next two before he struck out swinging. Davis picked up his 19th save in as many chances. The 19 straight saves converted is tied for fifth longest streak in Cubs history. QUOTABLE "When both pitchers are that good, they both deserve a win. But when we get a lead for [Wainwright] like that, we should put it away. Almost every one of these games [since the All-Star break], they were right there for us. And for one thing or another, they got away from us." -- Cardinals manager Mike Matheny "There's no waiting around right now. Everybody feels the same way. We took advantage of the break. We've come back with renewed energy. You don't want to give up anything now. [The Cardinals] are lamenting the same situation we went through [Friday]. That's how this thing is going to play." -- Maddon, on the close National League Central race WHAT'S NEXT Cardinals: The Cardinals will close out their 10-game road trip with a 7:05 p.m. CT game at Wrigley Field on Sunday. Michael Wacha will be returning to the mound for the first time since completing a 119-pitch shutout against the Mets. Wacha is 4-0 with a 1.01 ERA in his last four starts. Cubs: Jose Quintana makes his Cubs debut at Wrigley Field on Sunday in the series finale. One week ago, Quintana struck out 12 over seven scoreless innings in his first start since he was acquired from the White Sox. -- Cubs.com Lester's emotional day ends with wild win By Scott Chasen CHICAGO -- Jon Lester's Saturday start came with a range of emotions. As he took the mound for the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Cardinals at Wrigley Field, Lester sported a cap with the letters "PLACT" etched on the front. He did so in remembrance of his uncle, who had passed away the previous day. "I'm sorry," Lester said, beginning to choke up. "I was letting him know that I was thinking of him." Those letters, signifying the Notre Dame motto of "Play Like a Champion Today," were Lester's reminder of his uncle, who previously attended the university. And it was with his uncle on his mind that Lester turned in one of the strongest performances of his season.

The left-hander retired the first 17 Cardinals batters before opposing pitcher Adam Wainwright broke up the potential perfect game in the sixth. Lester locked back in, retiring the next four batters and getting through the seventh inning with only one hit allowed. "He was outstanding," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "It was pretty entertaining to watch, I'm sure." You could tell early in the day that Lester was in a zone. Hours before anyone would begin mentioning the word "perfect," the left-hander sat in front of his locker, his eyes forward and expression indiscernible. His hood was pulled up and he was sporting a pair of earbuds, drowning out the country music blaring over the speakers in the clubhouse. "He won't ever show you any emotion. And to hear that [about his uncle], it's terrible," said Kris Bryant. "He's probably one of the best teammates I've been able to play with in my short time. You know what you're going to get with him every day on the mound. He's going to be the same guy, same competitor, and I love that about him." That intensity never faded, though the perfect game would come and go. Lester left the outing after eight innings, having struck out a season-high-tying 10. He allowed two runs -- on back-to-back homers in the eighth -- but he got the win as Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo all came through with RBIs in the bottom of the frame. And in true Lester form, that was where he put the focus after the game. "Today was good. The comeback there at the end was big for us," Lester said. "Especially coming out of the break and playing so well and obviously yesterday getting away from us a little bit. So, that was a big win for us." -- Cubs.com Returning from DL, Hendricks to start Monday By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks, who has been on the disabled list since June 5, will return to the Cubs' rotation on Monday and open a home-and-home Interleague series against the crosstown White Sox. Hendricks, sidelined with inflammation in his right hand, will open the four-game series at Wrigley Field and be followed by John Lackey on Tuesday. When the series shifts to Guaranteed Rate Field, Jake Arrieta will start on Wednesday and Jon Lester on Thursday. Hendricks, who led the Major Leagues with a 2.13 ERA last year, has not pitched since June 4, when he went four innings against the Cardinals. With Hendricks' return, left-hander Mike Montgomery now goes to the bullpen. Cubs manager Joe Maddon talked to Montgomery on Saturday and said the lefty accepted the switch. "He gets it, and he's very valuable to us," Maddon said of the hurler, who was 2-3 with a 5.13 ERA in eight starts and compiled a 2.50 ERA in 19 relief appearances. • The Cubs added another reliever to the mix, recalling right-hander Felix Pena from Triple-A Iowa and optioning infielder Tommy La Stella to the Minor League team. Maddon said Chicago wanted another arm after Friday's game in which Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Justin Grimm were all needed in the Cardinals' nine-run eighth inning. "We just felt we needed one more arm out there," Maddon said. Pena has appeared in 10 games with the Cubs this season.

• Fans may be frustrated with Javier Baez's strikeout rate, but Maddon said he sees the infielder making progress at the plate. "In spite of the [golfer] John Daly hack on occasion, you look at his two-strike numbers, and his two-strike numbers are outstanding," Maddon said of Baez, who entered Saturday batting .227 with two strikes. "I think two years from now -- next year, you'll see an improvement, and the next year [2019], you'll see a really nice finished product," Maddon said. • The National League Central is one of the tightest divisions this season, with four teams -- the Brewers, Cubs, Pirates and Cardinals -- within 3 1/2 games of each other. "I don't think it's going to part," Maddon said. "Pittsburgh is playing really well right now. Pittsburgh has been re-energized. They got [Starling] Marte back. If they pitch well, they'll stay in it. They have a really good team on the field. The Cardinals, we saw last night the fight they have. "Nobody's going away. I believe it will be an interesting battle the rest of the season. I like the challenge. I don't think anybody is going to run away with anything right now." -- Cubs.com Bryant shakes off pinkie, delivers in return By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant is not only a fast healer but a really good baserunner, and he provided a spark Saturday for the Cubs. The third baseman, who missed just one game with a sprained left pinkie finger, was back in the lineup at Wrigley Field and delivered a game-tying RBI single, then scored the game-winning run on Anthony Rizzo's double in the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Cardinals. "It's nice that he came back so quickly," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Bryant, who also missed time in late June with a sore ankle. "I talked to him on the bench [Friday], and we decided to wait until today to decide if he can play or not." Bryant, who sprained his finger sliding headfirst on Wednesday in Atlanta, tested his hand while hitting in the batting cages on Friday. After a lot of ice and treatment, Bryant took some more swings on Saturday and said he was ready to go. "It didn't feel too good [on Friday], but it was encouraging that I was able to actually swing," Bryant said. "I was very fortunate. I've watched the replay a lot, and it didn't look too good. When I was sliding, I thought it was a lot worse. I'm glad I was able to get on the field that quick." Bryant's hand was still wrapped after Saturday's game, and there's still some soreness. "There's a difference between pain and soreness," Maddon said. "If a guy's actually in pain, you don't want him to play. If he describes it as being sore, then go ahead and play." The reigning National League Most Valuable Player Award winner, Bryant singled in the first inning off the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright and grounded out in his next two at-bats before the Cubs' three-run eighth. Chicago trailed, 2-1, and Ben Zobrist was on second when Bryant faced Matt Bowman. "[Bowman], you know he's got a sinker and he likes to throw it inside," Bryant said. "Me, I was trying to go up the middle. That's where I've been struggling this year. With guys on base, I want to do too much. [I wanted to stay] through the middle, and the bat broke and flew."

Brett Cecil replaced Bowman, and Rizzo hit a ball into the gap in left-center for a double. Bryant scored despite a throw home from center fielder Dexter Fowler. "I don't know if Dexter or [left fielder] Tommy Pham got a good read, but right when [Rizzo] hit it, I didn't see them anywhere close to it, so I thought there was a pretty good chance I could score," Bryant said. It was a full count to Rizzo when he connected, which helped Bryant get a little bit of a head-start. "It's something I take pride in, is my baserunning and surprising people, and hopefully I did that today," Bryant said. The win was just what the Cubs needed after Friday's game in which they gave up nine runs in the eighth inning to lose, 11-4. Bryant was on the bench then. "One guy makes that kind of difference in your lineup, and one guy gives an entirely different feel to the other team," Maddon said. "You always want to write his name down. Always." The key question is whether Bryant will slide headfirst again. "I'll still slide headfirst," Bryant said. "It's instincts. I know that when I'm playing third base, and someone slides headfirst, I have a tough time. Especially with replay now, you really have to tag them. Me with my big feet and big legs, I'm pretty easy to tag. It's tough to break a habit like that." -- Cubs.com Quintana faces Cards in Wrigley home debut By Scott Chasen Jose Quintana's new drive to the office took a little longer than the ones he'd made over the last 5 1/2 years. "It was my first [time] with different directions," said the Cubs' lefty of his trip down Lake Shore Drive. "It was fun watching the water. ... A couple more minutes, but I enjoyed it." Upon arriving at Wrigley Field on Friday -- which sits about 10 miles north of Guaranteed Rate Field -- the former Chicago White Sox hurler was quickly welcomed and shown around his new digs. There were some of the tribulations of learning a new space -- Quintana initially walked past his locker in the clubhouse before it was pointed out to him by a reporter -- but moments later, he was focused on the future, specifically his first home start as the Cubs take on the Cardinals in Sunday night's series finale. "I'm really excited to be part of this team and throw Sunday against the Cardinals," Quintana said. "I'm excited, man, I'm excited. I don't know what the fans will say to me, but I'll try to do the best." If Quintana (1-0, 0.00 ERA with Cubs) does hear any boos, it might be because of a large St. Louis contingent that made itself known during the first and second games of this series. And those who make the trip for Sunday's game should be in for a treat, as right-hander Michael Wacha (7-3, 3.71 ERA) gets the start for the Cards opposite Quintana. Wacha has had his struggles against the Cubs -- he's 4-4 with a 6.35 ERA in 13 appearances (11 starts) against them -- but with the run he's on, it may not matter. Wacha has allowed no more than two earned runs in his last five outings, while his ERA over his last four is 1.01. Things to know about this game

• Kris Bryant, who returned to the Cubs' lineup on Saturday, and Anthony Rizzo have had plenty of past success against Wacha, combining to hit over .400 against him. Bryant is 6-for-19 (.316) against the righty, with one home run and five RBIs, while Rizzo is a blistering 15-for-31 (.484) against him, with three home runs and six RBIs. • Kolten Wong is expected back at second base for the Cardinals. That will push Matt Carpenter over to first, where Luke Voit started on Saturday because of the matchup against lefty Jon Lester. • Wacha pulled off his first career complete game and shutout Tuesday against the Mets at Citi Field, throwing 119 pitches. Yet Wacha did not fade late in the contest. He threw 12 four-seam and two-seam fastballs in the final frame, and he averaged better than 95 mph. That included a 98.5-mph pitch to Yoenis Cespedes that was his fastest of the season, and then a 98.0-mph pitch to whiff Jay Bruce for the 27th out. Wacha's teammate, Carlos Martinez, is the only starting pitcher to throw harder in the ninth inning of a game this season. -- ESPNChicago.com Is Willson Contreras becoming the most valuable Cub? By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Ask Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras if he likes hitting cleanup and watch his face light up. "Oh yeah," he said recently. "I'm in the middle of things right there. I like that." Contreras has been in a middle of a lot lately, as the Cubs have begun their climb toward first place in the National League Central. Catching more and batting fourth seems to suit him just fine, considering he's being leaned on heavily now that veteran Miguel Montero has moved on. And Contreras is responding. The sometimes hyper 25-year-old is having his best month as a major leaguer, hitting .345 with a 1.079 OPS in July while throwing out opponents on stolen-base attempts at a 30 percent clip for the season. And he’s hitting .305 batting fourth this season. He's found a home in the middle of the Cubs order. "Typically a lot of energy," manager Joe Maddon said when asked about what Contreras brings. "He has the energy about him during the course of the game. I don't want to tone him down, but you have to be aware of burning him out. But this guy might be different. He might just be that guy that always has that fire that's obvious." That energy can be seen after a big hit when Contreras lets out a huge roar or when he fires a ball to first base, sending Anthony Rizzo a fastball that might rival one of the Cubs' pitchers. If you can believe it, Contreras could become a part of the core of the Cubs as much as Rizzo and Kris Bryant already are. He might not be their caliber of player, but for the position he plays, he's every bit as valuable -- he's second in WAR among MLB catchers and has hit a career-high 14 home runs already. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Contreras has been responsible for about 10 percent of the Cubs' extra-base hits this season, the third-best rate among all catchers. He's becoming the complete package. "He's come a long way," pitcher Jake Arrieta said. "He's so talented. He can do so much." Arrieta should know, as he's benefited from having Contreras behind the plate this season as much as anyone. With Montero catching him, Arrieta produced a 6.56 ERA and had all sorts of problems with runners stealing bases. Not all of it was Montero's fault, as he so eloquently pointed out before being traded, but it put pressure on Arrieta to make even better pitches with guys in scoring position. But after Friday's game against the Cardinals, Arrieta's ERA with Contreras catching is 2.99 this season. The catcher has gotten better in most aspects of the game. "Willy has been through it," Maddon explained. "Willy has caught in the World Series. He had no issues there whatsoever. But he's still learning. Don't get me wrong ... he's very emotional. He's going to get upset once in a

while, but he's really good at discarding it quickly, too. Eventually, he's going to mellow out a little bit, but hopefully not too much. I don't want him to mellow out too much." That line a player walks between using his emotions to his advantage and them working against him is a fine one. Contreras has to be especially careful, as he plays a position that affects so much of the game -- including the guys who stand behind him. "He is always upbeat and in a good mood," one veteran umpire said of Contreras. "He does have some youthful exuberance, and I do have to remind him sometimes that he doesn't want to piss us [umpires] off. Overall, I think he is a good kid and a hell of a ballplayer." More than one person in baseball has said similar things about Contreras. If he can control those emotions a little bit more -- and refine some skills behind the plate -- there could be a changing of the guard at that position in the NL. Buster Posey and Yadier Molina might have some company among the league's elite backstops. "His biggest thing would be continually understanding calling the game, and receiving, and it's getting better right now," Maddon said. "You see him block the ball, you see him throw the ball; it's hard to imagine him getting better at either one of those two things." His blocking and throwing might be good, but Maddon isn't wrong about "catching the edges," as Contreras is 60th among 66 qualified catchers with a minus-59.9 Catcher Strikes Looking Above Average. In other words, he could have up to 60 more strikes called for his pitchers this season. So there's room for improvement, but his big plays have more than made up for some finer points of the game that he's still working on. Maddon credited Contreras with performing "one of two key plays" on a recent road trip that enabled the Cubs to remain undefeated during the trip. With the bases loaded and closer Wade Davis on the ropes against the Atlanta Braves, Contreras blocked a ball in the dirt, preventing the tying run from scoring from third base. "I knew I couldn't let that run score," Contreras said afterward. "We have to keep being aggressive in every aspect of the game." And that's the part of his game Maddon doesn't want to tone down. What gets him in a little trouble once in a while is also what makes him great. A converted infielder, he burst onto the scene for the Cubs just a couple of seasons ago. Now he's a mainstay -- and he knows it. "I feel like I'm in the heart of the team," Contreras said. "I want to play with that energy, whether I hit or not. We need that energy for the second half. It's going to be there." -- CSNChicago.com After Losing Uncle, Emotional Jon Lester Pays Tribute With Notre Dame Rallying Cry By Tony Andracki Jon Lester wore PLACT on his hat Saturday and he made good on the Notre Dame rallying cry — Play Like a Champion Today — against the Cardinals. Lester didn't attend college and doesn't cheer for Notre Dame, but in his postgame session, he fought through tears to tell reporters why he decided to put the Notre Dame nod on his hat: "My family — I lost my uncle yesterday," Lester said. "For the Notre Dame fans, he went to Notre Dame, so it's Play Like a Champion Today. Just to let him know that I was thinking of him." Lester worked through the grief and carried a perfect game into the sixth inning, retiring the first 17 Cardinals hitters in the game.

Lester wound up surrendering two homers in the eighth inning, but the Cubs offense rallied behind him with three runs in the bottom of the inning, giving their ace his seventh win of the season. But Lester's teammates didn't even know the struggle he was going through. "I didn't even know that, man," said Kris Bryant, who scored the winning run. "That's tough. Jonny, he won't ever show you any emotion. Something like that, to hear that, obviously it's terrible, but he's probably one of the best teammates I've ever been able to play with in my short time. "You know what you're going to get with him every day. You know he's gonna be the same guy, the same competitor and I love that about him." -- CSNChicago.com Kris Bryant Ignites World Series Nostalgia With Cubs' Epic Eighth-Inning Comeback By Vinnie Duber “Reminded me a lot of a play in the World Series.” Kris Bryant wasn’t the only one with World Series nostalgia Saturday afternoon at the Friendly Confines. The tens of thousands of Cubs fans losing their minds over the North Siders’ eighth-inning comeback made that very clear. Bryant, though, was the one who provided it, first driving in the game-tying run mere moments after the visiting St. Louis Cardinals smashed open a pitchers duel with back-to-back homers off Jon Lester in the top of the eighth. Bryant then got a head starts and came around all the way from first, scoring the game-winning run on a ball Anthony Rizzo dumped into the left-center field gap so perfectly he couldn’t have thrown it there any better. Bryant slid in — feet first — beating the throw home from ex-teammate Dexter Fowler. Cue the hysteria at Clark and Addison. “Me, honestly, I was just trying to go up the middle. I think that’s kind of where I’ve been struggling this year is with guys on base I want to do too much. Just seeing through the middle. Bat broke and flew, I don’t know where it went, but it flew somewhere. That was huge,” Bryant explained after the game. “And then obviously with Rizz having a good at-bat off a tough lefty. I don't know if Dexter or Tommy Pham got a good read or if they were way back at the track, but right when he hit it I didn’t see them anywhere close to it so I thought there was a pretty good chance that I could score.” Bryant’s very presence in the Cubs’ starting lineup was the headline before the game, the “freak of nature” returning from a jammed finger after missing only one game. So of course it was the reigning National League MVP who played the biggest role, flipping the script from his sick day by being right in the middle of the Cubs’ eighth-inning explosion. It was the eighth inning where the Cardinals staged their game-defining rally Friday. Manager Joe Maddon went as far as saying that perhaps only Bryant could have made the play he did, scoring from first base on what went down as a Rizzo double. “KB being able to play was the difference in today’s game,” Maddon said. “A combination of the hit and his speed. I don’t think anybody else scores on that. Maybe Jason (Heyward), possibly. (Ian) Happ, possibly. But KB is such a good base runner. He had it in his head the moment the ball was hit, and all (third base coach Gary) Jones had to do was wave his arm. You can’t underestimate the importance of one person in the lineup. “He’s a very bright base runner. He’s shown that from the beginning. … He demonstrated that early on, and for me when a young player demonstrates awareness on the bases, man, that’s a good baseball player.”

All that talent made Bryant last season’s Most Valuable Player and one of the most important figures in the curse-breaking World Series championship. Bryant mentioned he thought Saturday’s game-winning trip from first to home conjured memories of a similar play in Game 7 of last fall’s World Series, when Bryant went first to home on Rizzo’s base hit off Andrew Miller in the fifth inning. “Reminded me a lot of a play in the World Series off of Andrew Miller. It was a full count there, started early,” Bryant said. “Rizz hit it, you’ve got to give him a ton of credit, worked a great at-bat. But the head start really does help. It's something that I take pride in is my base running, surprising people. Hopefully I did that today.” With Bryant back in the lineup Saturday, Kyle Hendricks’ return to the rotation coming Monday, a now 7-1 record since the All-Star break and a bunched-up NL Central that had four teams within three and a half games of each other entering Saturday’s action, it’s no wonder the World Series feeling is making its way back to the North Side. All season long, fans and observers have been waiting for that switch to flip, and maybe it finally has. The bats were thunderous on that six-game road trip out of the All-Star break, with 16 home runs helping the Cubs to back-to-back sweeps of the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves. Friday’s loss to the Cardinals provided plenty of evidence that the rest of the season might feature a knock-down, drag-out slugfest between the four NL Central contenders. All that was missing was a game that got Wrigleyville rocking. “Probably one of our better wins of the year,” Bryant said. That’s all without even mentioning the efforts of Lester, who was perfect until Adam Wainwright’s single in the top of the sixth. It was another stellar effort from a Cubs starting pitcher, and what was the team’s biggest problem during that sub-.500 first half — inconsistent starting pitching — certainly seems to be ironed out. While the standings say it’s still going to be a brawl to the end with the Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cubs could be in a first-place tie by the end of Saturday night. In other words, the race is on. And Bryant and the Cubs are clicking at the right time. “It’s already Jaugust,” Maddon joked, inventing a new month out of thin air. “There’s no waiting around right now. Everybody feels the same way. We took advantage of the break, I believe. We came back with renewed energy. You don’t want to give up anything right now.” -- CSNChicago.com With Kyle Hendricks Back In The Mix, Cubs Set Rotation For Crosstown Series With White Sox By Vinnie Duber Kyle Hendricks is finally making his return to the Cubs' starting rotation. Hendricks, last year's ERA champ who's been on the disabled list since June 5 with tendinitis in his right hand, will start Monday's series-opener with the White Sox at Wrigley Field, the first game of this season's Crosstown series. Hendricks' return should provide a big boost to a rotation that struggled to find consistency during the Cubs' sub-.500 first half. Combined with the acquisition of Jose Quintana and the better-of-late pitching of Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, Hendricks' return should make for a formidable starting five as the Cubs enter what could be a knock-down, drag-out, months-long race for the National League Central crown. Hendricks' 2017 hasn't looked much like his 2016 — something that could be said for many Cubs players during this slow-to-get-going quest for a World Series repeat — with the righty boasting a 4.09 ERA in his first 11 starts. After finishing third in NL Cy Young voting last season, he surely won't come close to that this time around, but the

Cubs are hoping simply for a return to normalcy, which would go a long way in stabilizing that starting staff, the inconsistency of which was likely the team's biggest problem through the season's first three months. That rotation lines up like this moving forward: After Hendricks pitches against the White Sox on Monday, it will be John Lackey in the second game on the North Side, with Arrieta and Lester pitching the two Crosstown games Wednesday and Thursday on the South Side. Quintana won't pitch against his former team, throwing Sunday's series finale against the Cardinals and then, presumably, the first of next weekend's three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers. With Hendricks returning to strengthen the rotation, the bullpen also gets a boost with Mike Montgomery returning to the relief corps. He'll be available out of the 'pen as soon as Saturday, manager Joe Maddon said before the Cubs' second game against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. The bullpen also received the addition of Felix Pena, called up from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, with infielder Tommy La Stella sent down. The bullpen could use an immediate influx of assistance after Friday's nightmarish eighth inning, in which Carl Edwards Jr., Hector Rondon and Justin Grimm combined to yield nine runs. Between Kris Bryant returning to the Cubs' lineup Saturday, Hendricks returning to the rotation Monday and the team's recent six-game winning streak that has them a game out of first place, things are starting to look a little more like they were expected to look for the defending champs. -- CSNChicago.com Freak Of Nature: Kris Bryant Wows Again With Insane Healing Ability By Tony Andracki For the second time in the last month, the reigning MVP has avoided serious injury and returned ahead of schedule. Kris Bryant continues to impress everybody with his magical healing abilities. He is in the lineup for Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals after injuring a finger on his left hand while diving into third base during the first inning of Wednesday's game in Atlanta. Bryant was immediately removed from that game, had the off-day Thursday, was held out Friday and expected to be sitting again for the second game of this Cubs-Cardinals series. But that's not the case. Bryant is once again hitting second and playing third base after missing only 17.5 innings with a finger issue that looked awfully scary when it initially occured. Bryant also rolled his ankle when he stepped awkwardly on third base in Washington at the end of last month, but returned ahead of schedule then, too. When discovering Bryant was returning to the lineup so soon, one Cubs staffer shook his head and described the superstar as a freak of nature. "Some good supplements right there, man," Joe Maddon said. "That's that good fish oil. Yeah, it's nice that he came back so quickly. It happened with the ankle, too. "I talked to him on the bench [Friday] and we just decided to wait 'til today to decide whether or not he can play or not. Texted [Cubs trainer PJ Mainville] this morning as I was doing the lineup. I sent a preliminary lineup [Friday night] possibly with him and then all of a sudden, he's fine. "He took some BP in the cage. Of course, it's still a little bit sore — it's not 100 percent — but he's ready to go, so we put him out there."

The Cubs need Bryant in the lineup as often as possible right now as they attempt to claw their back into first place following a subpar first half. The Cardinals have also righted the ship as of late and the Cubs need every win they can muster up against National League Central foes right now. But of course, the Cubs also want to be playing into November again this seasoon and absolutely need Bryant healthy and producing. So how do they manage the desire to play him now while also looking out for his well-being two or three months down the line? "There's a difference between pain and soreness," Maddon said. "If a guy's actually in pain, you don't want him to play. If he describes it as being sore, then it's OK to go ahead and play him. "So it's more of a soreness as opposed to a pain, so in those circumstances, it's up to the player himself. Of course, we want him out there and we would not put him at risk. At the end of the day, the conversation between him and the trainer and then what I can glean of it, you try to make your best decision. "But for me, the player has to understand the difference between pain and soreness. Soreness plays." -- CSNChicago.com Juan Pierre Felt 'A Little Bit A Part' Of Last Year's World Series Team By Staff Among the many making their first Wrigley Field pilgrimage on Saturday was Juan Pierre. The former MLB outfielder donned a Cubs jersey for 162 games in 2006, but he had never been to the Friendly Confines as a fan. "I had to ask my wife how you even get into the stadium. I didn't even know what entrance to take or any of that," Pierre joked with Kelly Crull during the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Cardinals. "But it's a great experience." Pierre was a fan favorite on the North Side, swiping 58 bases in his lone season with the club. He finished his career 18th on the all-time steals list, tallying 614 with six clubs. His 2006 Cubs squad was short on success, though. Despite having the seventh highest payroll in baseball, the team lost 96 games, ultimately leading to the firing of Dusty Baker. Even so, Pierre, like so many other former Cubs, felt connected to the 2016 team. "When they won it last year, I felt a little bit a part of it," Pierre said. "I didn't have much to do with it, but I always tell everybody, 'anybody who ever put that uniform on, they wanted to be the one who did it.'" Pierre was excited to see Anthony Rizzo, who has a home near the former outfielder in Parkland, Florida, and other members of the team that broke the curse in his return to Chicago. But Wrigleyville isn't the only side of town he's familiar with. Pierre played two seasons with the White Sox, giving him a unique perspective on the upcoming Crosstown series. "You throw the records out. You throw everything out," he said. "The fans really got into it. As players we're like, 'OK this is another game we gotta win,' but the fans were crazy. What I realized was the Cubs don't like the White Sox. The White Sox fans hate the Cubs fans." --

Chicago Tribune Cubs offense comes through for Jon Lester with 3-run rally to beat Cardinals By Chris Kuc It never occurred to Kris Bryant that he has some pretty impressive recuperative powers. The third baseman made a triumphant return to the lineup Saturday to lead the Cubs to a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Playing just three days after suffering a left pinky finger injury that was expected to sideline him for a longer period, Bryant delivered with his bat when he knocked in the tying run and then with his legs when he raced home from first base with the winning score during the Cubs' three-run eighth-inning rally. "Thankfully, I haven't been hurt too much — knock on wood," Bryant said after going 2-for-4, including a single to drive in Ben Zobrist. "Our trainers were unbelievable. I can't give them enough credit." It marked the second time in a month that Bryant returned quickly from an injury after doing so following an ankle injury in late June. "Maybe I am a fast healer," Bryant said with a grin. "I like that." The Cubs and the crowd of 41,969 sure liked it. As did Jon Lester, who was brilliant in his first start at Wrigley Field since being shelled for 10 runs in two-thirds of an inning July 9. On Saturday, the veteran left-hander retired the first 17 Cardinals he faced and later was on cruise control before allowing back-to-back home runs to Paul DeJong and Randal Grichuk with two outs in the eighth. His Cubs teammates then bailed Lester out. "(Saturday) was good," Lester said. "To come back there at the end was big for us." The comeback started when Jon Jay singled to center with one out and later Ben Zobrist lined a two-out double to right-center to score him. After Matt Bowman replaced Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, who had out-dueled Lester to that point, Bryant singled to score Zobrist. That brought up Anthony Rizzo and, with a three-and-two count, the veteran blooped a double into left-center off reliever Brett Cecil to send Bryant off to the races. He scored just ahead of the throw from former Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler and Wrigley was suddenly bedlam. "'Rizz' hit it and you have you give him a ton of credit — he worked a great at-bat," Bryant said. "But the head-start really does help. Something that I take pride in is my baserunning and surprising people and hopefully I did that. "It was probably one of the better wins of the year (with) Lester pitching great (and) Wainwright pitching unbelievable too. That was just a great game." The victory helped erase the sour taste left from the Cardinals' 11-4 victory Friday when they scored nine runs in the eighth inning to snap the Cubs' six-game winning streak. The Cubs turned the tables with an eighth-inning rally of their own Saturday. "Another great game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "'KB' being able to play was the difference in (Saturday's) game (with) a combination of the hit and the speed. He had it in his head the moment (Rizzo's) ball was hit. You can't underestimate the importance of one person in the lineup." It was fitting that Lester got the victory. He allowed the two runs on three hits while walking none and matching his season-high with 10 strikeouts. Wainwright drew a tough-luck no decision after allowing two runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts in 72/3 innings.

After the game, Lester revealed he was playing with a heavy heart because of the death of his uncle Thursday. On his blue Cubs cap Lester had the letters "PLACT" to honor him. "He went to Notre Dame so it was 'Play Like a Champion Today,' " Lester said before breaking down into tears. "(It was to) let him know I was thinking of him." -- Chicago Tribune Jose Quintana eager for his first at-bat with Cubs: 'I want a hit' By Chris Kuc Jose Quintana picked up his first career RBI in his final at bat with the White Sox before being traded to the Cubs. Now, the left-handed starter is eyeing another career first when he faces the Cardinals in his home debut with the Cubs on Sunday night at Wrigley Field. "I want a hit," Quintana said with a smile before the Cubs rallied to defeat the Cardinals 3-2 Saturday. "I know I'm not a good hitter but I try to do my best. In this league it's really important with sacrifice bunts and trying to make contact." After the stunning July 13 trade that brought him to the North Side and the National League, Quintana will find himself at the plate a whole lot more than the combined 27 official at bats he got while playing his first five-plus seasons with the Sox in the American League. During an interleague game against the Rockies on July 8, Quintana knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly before leaving the game. He's still looking for his first big-league hit. Quintana played first base and center field as a kid, but said he was only an average hitter and it was clear his future was pitching. "Now, hitting counts and I want to do a good job," he said. Full strength: Kyle Hendricks, who has not pitched for the Cubs since June 4 because of tendinitis in his right hand, will come off the disabled list to start against the White Sox on Monday at Wrigley. With Hendricks returning to the rotation, Mike Montgomery was sent back to the bullpen, but manager Joe Maddon didn't dismiss the notion the Cubs would have him start again. "We'll look and see what's happening over the course of August," Maddon said. "We've gotten guys in and out (with) some guys missing time based on injury, so there's that six-man almost automatically. But once Kyle gets back in you feel much more comfortable. If you want to keep Montgomery stretched out and then you pop him back out there ... it's still a possibility." Up and down: Before Saturday's game, right-hander Felix Pena was recalled from Triple-A Iowa and infielder Tommy La Stella was optioned to Iowa. --