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Chicago Tribune
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
3 City Series takeaways for the Chicago Cubs — including Nico Hoerner's baseball IQ — as they head to Milwaukee
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell went into Sunday's series finale at Rate Field hoping to get four innings from Ben Brown. The right-hander, looking to move past a bad outing Monday, produced one of his best starts of the year in the Cubs' 5-4 win over the White Sox. Daniel Palencia recorded his first four-out save, taking over after Andrew Benintendi's three-run home run in the eighth. Pete Crow-Armstrong's two-run double in the first gave the Cubs a lead that for most of the day wasn't threatened. 'He gave us exactly what we needed, and he came up big time, for sure,' Counsell said of Brown. Brown allowed one run in five innings without walking a batter, limited the Sox to three hits and struck out four on 57 pitches. Benintendi's home run in the first inning was the only blemish. 'The curveball has just really been taking a step up,' Brown said. 'It's encouraging to see swings-and-misses, especially first and second, no outs. Those are some of the at-bats I've struggled with this year. I haven't done a good job minimizing damage or stopping the rally and being able to get the strikeout is something that I need as part of my game.' With the series victory, there are three takeaways from the Cubs' performance in the City Series. Nico Hoerner's baseball instincts and IQ are among his best attributes as one of the Cubs' best all-around players. That was on display against the Sox, especially during Sunday's series finale. Hoerner found multiple ways to positively impact the game for the Cubs: offensively, defensively and with heads-up play. Hoerner suckered Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa into attempting to advance by deliberately letting a popup fall to the ground in the third after the umpire signaled for an infield fly with runners on first and second. When Sosa took off for third, Hoerner easily picked up the ball and threw him out for an inning-ending double play. 'You're kind of always running through plays in your head and things that might happen and things that really only happen maybe once a season or less,' Hoerner said. 'But it's fun when that stuff lines up and we've got a group that likes talking the game. And so it's really satisfying to get extra outs like that.' The double play gave Brown a big lift. 'I'm just super grateful that Nico's a teammate and the baseball IQ out of him is, I mean, it's Nico, it's just the way he is,' Brown said. 'It's through his veins, through his blood, like baseball, and no surprise, what he did there.' Hoerner later turned a mistake into a positive for the Cubs when he was caught off first base on a back pick play. He forced a rundown causing Happ, on second, to go to third during the sequence. As Happ started to head home, the Sox abandoned Hoerner to try to get Happ. But as Happ retreated to third, he trucked into Colson Montgomery, who was in the basepath and called for obstruction to bring Happ home for what proved to be the decisive run. Hoerner also forced Sox pitchers to work Sunday. His second-inning single off Sox right-hander Sean Burke capped a 14-pitch at-bat, and then he fought back from a 1-2 count in the eighth against reliever Mike Vasil for a nine-pitch walk. The Cubs have given Matt Shaw plenty of opportunities to prove he should be their everyday third baseman the rest of the season. After regrouping during the All-Star break and tweaking his stance, Shaw has taken off. Whether it will be enough to prevent the Cubs from acquiring an external, more proven offensive upgrade won't be known until the trade deadline passes at 5 p.m. Thursday. But Shaw is certainly making a case, beyond his stellar defensive work at third. Shaw's RBI double in the sixth Sunday extended his hit streak to nine games, all after the All-Star break. In that stretch, Shaw is 12-for-27 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and just one strikeout. The rookie credits the mental reset and an adjustment to his batting stance — standing slightly more open — which he experimented with off a tee before the second half resumed, for helping him get on track. 'Mentally just kind of letting things happen and not pressing and putting a lot of pressure on myself, and just kind of playing with a little more freedom,' Shaw explained of his recent production. '(The coaching staff) has done a good job of continuing to believe in me, and so it allows me to go out there and play. 'I think I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I just realized that I'm motivated, and I love this game. I like playing the game. I don't need to add pressure.' The Cubs' offense becomes deeper again with how well Shaw has been hitting in the nine-spot, especially with Happ and Kyle Tucker scuffling lately. Left-hander Matthew Boyd's spot in the rotation was pushed back one day to align him to get the ball in a big series this week in Milwaukee. The Cubs enter the three-game set that starts Monday night at American Family Field tied with the Brewers at the top of the division for the best record in the National League. They have done a good job not looking too far ahead, but there is no mistaking the importance of the next three days. The Cubs have put themselves in a great position, particularly with reinforcements expected to arrive soon with the trade deadline on Thursday. The Cubs will start Boyd, right-hander Colin Rea and left-hander Shota Imanaga against the Brewers, who will send right-handers Jacob Misiorowski, Quinn Priester and Freddy Peralta to the mound. 'It's two teams that are playing really well, that have postseason aspirations and it feels like we're gonna be battling for the division,' Counsell said. 'It's still July, but these are big games. … We're going to go face a good baseball team and on the road, it's a big challenge and a fun challenge.'
Fox Sports
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner shows off all-around game against the White Sox
Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner delivered for the Chicago Cubs on Sunday — at the plate and in the field. Hoerner hit an RBI single and scored from first on Matt Shaw's double in the sixth inning of the Cubs' series finale against the Chicago White Sox. He also reached on an infield single in the second on the 14th pitch of his at-bat against Sean Burke. But Hoerner's best moment of the afternoon was a heady defensive play in the third at Rate Field. The White Sox had runners on first and second with one out when Chase Meidroth popped up to Hoerner at second base. Meidroth was called out via the infield fly rule, and Hoerner let the ball drop to see if any of the baserunners would try to advance. When Lenyn Sosa broke for third, Hoerner — a Gold Glove winner in 2023 — threw him out for the inning-ending double play. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 3
Winnipeg Free Press
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner shows off all-around game against the White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner delivered for the Chicago Cubs on Sunday — at the plate and in the field. Hoerner hit an RBI single and scored from first on Matt Shaw's double in the sixth inning of the Cubs' series finale against the Chicago White Sox. He also reached on an infield single in the second on the 14th pitch of his at-bat against Sean Burke. But Hoerner's best moment of the afternoon was a heady defensive play in the third at Rate Field. The White Sox had runners on first and second with one out when Chase Meidroth popped up to Hoerner at second base. Meidroth was called out via the infield fly rule, and Hoerner let the ball drop to see if any of the baserunners would try to advance. When Lenyn Sosa broke for third, Hoerner — a Gold Glove winner in 2023 — threw him out for the inning-ending double play. ___ AP MLB:
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
26 games in 27 days: 3 takeaways at the midpoint of Chicago Cubs' jam-packed June schedule
Monday was the Chicago Cubs' first day off since June 2. In that time, they played 13 games in four cities. There were seven wins, six losses, two Craig Counsell ejections, three Matthew Boyd pickoffs and seven games decided by one or two runs. The starting pitching was good and the relief pitching was outstanding, but the hitting was so-so, as was the team's record. The most important part of the 13-game stretch, however, is that the Cubs began the June 2 day off with a four-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central. And after the baker's dozen, the Cubs (44-28) entered Monday's day of leisure with a 5½-game advantage over the Milwaukee Brewers (39-34) for the division lead, while the Cardinals (37-35) and Cincinnati Reds (37-35) were tied for third at seven games out. That's progress. After this day off? How about another 13 straight games? Barring weather or other issues, the Cubs are scheduled to host the Brewers for three games beginning Tuesday, host the Seattle Mariners for three more this weekend, then visit St. Louis for four games and the Houston Astros for three before a day off June 30. So with 13 games in 13 days coming up, here are three takeaways at the midway point of this stretch. Through 72 games, Pete Crow-Armstrong is on pace for 41 home runs. Seiya Suzuki is on pace for 38, Dansby Swanson and Kyle Tucker 29 each and Michael Busch 25. Second baseman Nico Hoerner is on pace for zero. Asked if being homerless bugs him, Hoerner told the Tribune, 'Yeah, of course' — but he won't obsess about it. 'It's not going to change my day-to-day work,' he said. 'But you want to contribute to runs in any way possible. Hitting for power is a part of that.' His main approach is hard contact. 'Generally, I want to hit hard line drives,' Hoerner said. 'Everything kind of works with that. There are certain game situations that do require you to change your approach, but the best is to hit hard line drives up the middle.' For now, the Cubs are fine without him putting the ball over the fence. Hoerner leads the team with a .288 average. He singled, stole second and scored a vital tying run in the third inning of Saturday's 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. His 10th-inning diving catch saved a run in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Pirates. So he is more than pulling his weight. Homers haven't been a big part of Hoerner's game in his career; he has 29 in 2,281 at-bats. And Counsell isn't dissatisfied with Hoerner's body of work in 2025. 'He has an elite skill,' Counsell said. 'Contact is an elite skill. Generally with that skill, if you make contact, you can hit the ball all over the field and you can manipulate the barrel to make contact. 'He's dependent on the ball being in play. You see him getting rewarded more for soft contact. That's a function of the ball being in play. Those are all things that he does well and it's a part of who he is as a player.' Crow-Armstrong is getting the loudest ovations at Wrigley Field when he steps to the plate. His hitting, base stealing and center-field defense are all entertaining. Even routine groundouts are close because of his speed. Before Saturday's game, the left-handed Crow-Armstrong took grounders at third base. Don Mattingly in 1986 was the last left-handed thrower to start a major-league game at third. Could PCA be the next? 'You never know,' Counsell said. 'You never say no.' It was hard to tell if Counsell was joking, but the way Crow-Armstrong is playing is no joke. He has sharpened his hitting and is batting .268 with a team-high 18 homers and 23 stolen bases and is second to Suzuki with 57 RBIs. Column: Why Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong is content with just being himselfEarlier this month he became the first Cub since 1901 to record at least 15 homers, 50 RBIs and 20 steals through the team's first 64 games. His hitting needed work last year and he's making big strides in 2025. 'Last year we talked about establishing consistent routines,' Counsell said. 'The biggest difference you see is that in the box he is more spread out and there is less of a leg kick. He has more rhythm and that's created his ability to be on time more. 'Frankly, I think that's a function of his daily routine of getting to a good place. He's been trying little things throughout that process.' Last season was Counsell's first with the Cubs after leaving Milwaukee, where he won 707 games from 2015-23. Counsell facing the Brewers was a big story last year. This year it's not as big. He wasn't interested in engaging in any talk about it Sunday. 'Let's enjoy Father's Day and have a day off,' he said when quizzed on the Brewers. 'That's where I'm at right now.' Now that the Cubs are leading the division and the Brewers are in second, this series should be fun. In his first year of facing his old team, Counsell and the Cubs went 5-8 overall against the Brewers and 3-3 at Wrigley. The last time the teams met was a July 22-24 series at Wrigley in which the Cubs won the opener 3-1 and lost the next two 1-0 and 3-2.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cubs' Nico Hoerner Reveals 6-Word Message to Umpire After Ejection
Cubs' Nico Hoerner Reveals 6-Word Message to Umpire After Ejection originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Cubs (40-25) are in first place in the NL Central and are the NL's second seed, but their offense disappeared for part of their series vs. the Detroit Tigers (43-24). They lost 3-1 on Friday, won 6-1 on Saturday, and lost 4-0 on Sunday. Advertisement The squad totaled just four hits in the latter contest, and second baseman Nico Hoerner got ejected by home plate umpire Derek Thomas for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the fifth inning. Shortstop Dansby Swanson hit a leadoff double with the Cubs down 2-0 to start the frame before Hoerner came up. The 28-year-old worked a 2-2 count before taking a pitch low and inside, which Thomas incorrectly called a third strike. Hoerner revealed what he said to Thomas before getting tossed, via Marquee Sports Network. Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2).Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images "I said, 'You're having a really bad day,'" the 5-foot-11-inch, 200-pounder said. He finished the game 0-for-2 and was replaced by backup Vijal Brujan, who went 0-for-1. Advertisement Hoerner is now slashing .286/.331/.357 with 28 RBI over 61 games. Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty tossed a six-inning shutout with two hits and nine strikeouts against three walks in 94 pitches. The right-hander bested Cubs hurler Caleb Horton, who coughed up four runs on seven hits in five innings while adding six strikeouts and two walks. Chicago will continue its road trip against the Philadelphia Phillies (37-28) on Monday before hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates (26-40), Milwaukee Brewers (35-31), and the Seattle Mariners (32-31). Southpaw pitcher Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs on Monday. Advertisement Related: Cubs Receive Major Blow After Second Straight Win Related: Cubs React to MLB's Major Seiya Suzuki Announcement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
