July 6, 2015 Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon downplays hype for rivalry with Cardinals By Fred Mitchell Never let them see you sweat. That appears to be the Cubs' mantra as they welcome the NL Central-leading Cardinals to Wrigley Field for a four-game series beginning Monday night. The Cardinals have had the Cubs' number thus far, winning seven of nine. But Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't placing too much significance on this series, at least publicly. "What means a lot is Monday's game," Maddon said. "I will only concede you that. Honestly, I don't look at it in clumps. I won't get into that. I try to stay with the daily approach. I know you are supposed to be more concerned about winning within the division. ... But I want our guys to just really approach the day. That's it." The Cubs took two out of three from the Marlins over the weekend, including Sunday's 2-0 victory behind starter Kyle Hendricks. That puts the Cubs eight games over .500 at 44-36. But the Cardinals (53-28) recently swept the Cubs in St. Louis. "We won today's game and I kept (saying) in the dugout: food's going to taste better ... enjoy the night, be a human being and come back and play the game," Maddon said. With the exception of Saturday night's seven-run production thanks to Kris Bryant's six-RBI performance, the Cubs have been winning with exceptional pitching lately. Hendricks went 71/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits while striking out six. "Every team goes through periods like this when the offense dries up a little bit," outfielder Chris Denorfia said. "Our young guys have been so good. They are learning on the fly and they are dealing with ups and downs." The Cubs are 9-0 when Hendricks goes seven innings in his 29 career starts. "In the past I just wasn't making enough good pitches; today I did," said Hendricks, who has not allowed a run in his last 151/3 innings, dating to June 24 against the Dodgers. "When I was out there, even in jams, I kept telling myself to make good pitches," Hendricks said. "That means down in the zone. Not a perfect pitch, just a good pitch. (catcher Miguel Montero) has been doing a good job of keeping me in that mindset, keeping me in my lane."

Maddon says he understands the history of the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, although the Cardinals have been dominant for quite some time. Maddon joked about efforts to manufacture a rivalry between the Rays and the Marlins when he managed in Tampa Bay. "It was an attempt to make it that," he said. Asked if there was a trophy involved, he laughed and said: "A bushel of oranges, I think. There was always that, and I always talked about it this way. It was a contrived attempt at a rivalry. It either is or it's not. You can't contrive a rivalry." The Cubs managed just three hits Sunday, scoring their first run when Chris Coghlan scored from third on a wild pitch by tough-luck loser Mat Latos. Coghlan drove in the second run in the eighth with a base hit after pinch hitter Denorfia doubled. "When our offense has been down our pitching has stepped up a lot," Denorfia said. "I can't remember this string of games when we have had no runs, two runs given up. They have just been kind of carrying us for the last couple of weeks. Hopefully it's our turn to step up and start putting up some runs for them." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs reliever Jason Motte: 'They are not my Cardinals' By Fred MItchell Cubs reliever Jason Motte says he has set aside memories as a member of the Cardinals, after spending six seasons in St. Louis. “They are not my Cardinals; I’m a Cub,” said Motte, who is 6-1 with four saves this season. The Cubs and first-place Cardinals open a four-game series Monday night at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals have won seven of the first nine games between the two teams, including a recent three-game sweep in St. Louis. Meanwhile, the Cubs have won five of their last six, including a 2-0 win over the Marlins Sunday, in which Motte earned the save. “I’m just trying to go out there and get some guys out,” Motte said. “Whenever they call down there (to the bullpen) and tell me to get going, I try to get the guy at the plate out.” Motte, 33, was 18-13 with 54 saves and a 3.03 earned run average during his time with the Cardinals. He signed as a free agent with the Cubs last December. Whether he is deployed as a set-up man or a closer, Motte said he uses the same basic approach. “Your job is to get the guy at the plate out. If you try to make things bigger than they are, that’s when you get in trouble. If you go out there and (say), ‘I need to do this' or 'I need to do that ...’ “Same thing at the plate. Guys say, ‘I need to drive this guy in…’ You don’t need to do anything, to be honest. You just out there just like you have done before. Your bullpen (session), everything you’ve done before. Just go out there and relax and try to make your pitches.” The Cubs enter this series in third place, 8 ½ games behind the Cardinals. The Pirates are second, 6 games back. The Cardinals have won two in a row and six of their last 10. “They play good baseball and we have got a good ballclub, as well. So it will be a good four games,” Motte said. --

Chicago Tribune Sunday's recap: Cubs 2, Marlins 0 By Fred Mitchell The summary The Cubs took two out of three from the Marlins as Kyle Hendricks earned the 2-0 victory Sunday at Wrigley Field and Jason Motte picked up his fourth save. The Cubs improved to 44-36 despite a team hitting slump. On the mound Hendricks pitched 71/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and one walk. He fanned six while throwing 91 pitches. At the plate Chris Coghlan scored one run after a wild pitch in the first inning and drove in the other with a base hit in the eighth. Chris Denorfia had a pinch-hit double in the eighth and is 7-for-13 as a pinch hitter this season. In the field Hendricks picked off speedy Dee Gordon at first base in the sixth to thwart a rally. Key number 1.08: Earned-run average for Cubs starting pitchers over the last six games, during which the Cubs have gone 5-1. The quote "I have just tried to simplify things. Have that one singular thought, and that's to make good pitches." — Hendricks on his last two outings, during which he has not allowed a run in 151/3 innings. -- Chicago Tribune Battered Anthony Rizzo gets 1st day off of season By Fred Mitchell Durable first baseman Anthony Rizzo had an unusual view of Sunday's game — from the dugout — as Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave him his first day off of the season. Rizzo, in a 3-for-28 slump, was hit by a pitch for the 17th time Saturday night. That leads the league and is tied for the franchise record with more than half a season to go. "That's part of today's day off, the ball-peening that has occurred," Maddon said. "It's incredible. I know he's on the plate; I know they want to pitch him inside. I know all that. It's part of who he is as a hitter. ... I think he is a little bit beat up. This is a good day to do it with. There's a doubleheader on Tuesday. Everyone else has pretty much had their moments or time off. He has not. So it just seemed like the right thing to do." Mike Baxter started at first base Sunday and went 0-for-2. Look out! Rookie second baseman Addison Russell has had a few frightening moments at the plate already, including having his bat slip out of his hands and hit a fan. And then Saturday night, the quiet, unassuming Russell watched his screaming line drive hit third-base coach Gary Jones on the arm and knock him to the ground. "I hit the ball pretty well," Russell recalled Sunday. "The ball was hooking the way he was moving. I mean, there was no way of escaping it. And he just took it like a champ.

"Of course, I feel bad. He was like, 'Don't worry about it.'" Maddon made light of the incident. "If I was him I would be a little bit disappointed," Maddon joked. "I mean, (Jones) takes his best bolt to the elbow and gets up, toothpick was still in his mouth. ... I would be really disappointed if I was Addison." Russell said he tries not to lose his focus at the plate after such incidents. "It happens rarely," Russell said. "I just try get back to the at-bat and try to settle myself down." Welcome back: The Cubs welcomed back rookie outfielder Jorge Soler from the 15-day disabled list Sunday. He hit the ball hard twice but came up hitless in three at-bats. The Cubs sent outfielder Matt Szczur to Triple-A Iowa to make room. Extra innings: Rehabbing left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada is scheduled to start for Double-A Tennessee on Monday night in Birmingham. ... Kris Bryant extended his hitting streak to six games. -- Chicago Sun-Times Jon Lester preparing for start without David Ross By Brian Sandalow With David Ross on the seven-day concussion disabled list, Miguel Montero will likely catch Jon Lester on Monday against St. Louis. That will be a change for Lester, who’s only thrown one inning to Montero this season. What it isn’t is something that concerns Lester. “Miguel’s been doing this a long time, I’ve been doing it a long time,” Lester said. “We’ll have a scouting report going into it and everything will be fine.” It could be, but it will be different. Over the course of his career, Lester has thrown 290 1/3 innings over 45 appearances to Ross. “I’m sure there’s going to be some (adjustment), but I know that Jon and Miggy have talked a lot,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It might be a little bit different in the beginning but game in progress it should be pretty familiar for him.” Monday is also a chance for Lester to start stringing together some solid starts. Last Wednesday against the New York Mets, Lester threw seven scoreless innings. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT When Addison Russell hit third-base coach Gary Jones with a line drive Saturday it was the latest accident involving the rookie infielder. Maddon said he didn’t talk to Russell about what happened. “If I was him I’d be a little bit disappointed that Jonesy’s OK to play today,” Maddon said. “I mean, he takes his best bolt in an elbow and gets up. Toothpick was still in his mouth, continued in the game and he’s able to play today. I’d be a little bit disappointed if I was Addison.” But was there any worry Russell would be shaken up?

“It’s part of the game, man. Now if he hit him in the head that’s a different story. You’d definitely be shaken up if your bat lands in the stands or something lands in the stands and somebody gets hurt, then it’s definitely a different feel or vibe” Maddon said. “You hit a guy in a body part, you have casts and things like that. It’s all right.” Meanwhile, Russell’s tough July continued with an 0 for 3 day that dropped his batting average to .229. So far this month, Russell is 1 for 14 but Maddon said he really likes his swing. “There’s the disconnect. I think he looks good at the plate,” Maddon said. “He’s been able to take some pitches that are borderline balls and he has still swung maybe two strikes on occasion but from a technical perspective watching from the side, he looks fine to me.” Maddon stressed that point by saying he thinks Russell will be “fabulous in a very short period of time.” “He’s going to get a couple knocks, the confidence is going to soar, he’s going to take off because he’s learning on the fly right now,” Maddon said. “I like a lot of the things that he’s doing otherwise.” RIVALRY WATCH, PART 1 Monday’s game means a lot for Maddon, but not because it’s against the Cardinals who swept the Cubs last month. It means a lot to him because, well, it’s the next game. “I don’t look in clumps. I try to stay with a daily approach,” Maddon said. “I know you’re supposed to be more concerned about winning within your division. I’m just concerned about winning every night. I know I get disagreed with on that a lot but I want our guys just to really approach the day. That’s it.” Monday starts a four-game series with the Cardinals, the teams’ first encounter since St. Louis beat the Cubs three straight June 26-28 and outscored them 15-4. And like his manager, Chris Denorfia downplayed the significance of the series. “It’s the same any team we play. Obviously if they’re in-division we want to come out and be extra prepared just to play our best ball,” Denorfia said. “Always our goal is every series just to win it.” RIVALRY WATCH, PART 2 Maddon said he isn’t thinking about the upcoming series with the White Sox, his first crosstown clash. But it isn’t his first rivalry series, as he noted he was a part of the Los Angeles Angels-Los Angeles Dodgers showdowns. Um, what about Tampa Bay Rays-Miami Marlins? Wasn’t that a rivalry? “There was an attempt to make it that,” Maddon said. There was a bushel of oranges I think, or some grapefruits or something like that. There was always that, and I always talked about it this way, I mean it was like there was a contrived attempt at making it a rivalry. It either is or it is not. You can’t contrive a rivalry. You cannot.” ROTATIONAL RAMBLINGS Jake Arrieta will pitch one of Tuesday’s games against St. Louis, but which one hasn’t been decided. The Cubs also haven’t announced who will start the game Arrieta doesn’t. Tsuyoshi Wada (left shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Monday for Double-A Tennessee. --

Chicago Sun-Times Clayton Richard relishes special night with Cubs By Brian Sandalow When Clayton Richard walked off the field Saturday night, Cubs fans gave the 31-year-old lefty a standing ovation. It was a moment that at one point felt improbable at best. “It was awesome. It was really cool,” Richard said. “It’s probably the first time I’ve had something like that, so I really enjoyed it.” In his Cubs debut, Richard went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs. It was the completion of a long and winding road for Richard, who was an eighth-round pick of the White Sox in 2005. Traded to San Diego in 2009 as part of a package for Jake Peavy, Richard started 107 games for the Padres. His final big-league appearance with San Diego (or anywhere prior to Saturday) was June 21, 2013 before undergoing shoulder surgery on July 15. In February 2014, Richard underwent Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery and was signed that July by the Arizona Diamondbacks to a minor-league deal. That December Richard joined the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he had an upward mobility clause in his contract that effectively said if he wasn’t in the majors by June 30 he would be available for other teams. “I was very thankful for the opportunity I got (with Pittsburgh) and the path that they put me on,” Richard said. “I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity here.” The Cubs acquired him Friday for cash considerations, giving him a chance to throw on a big-league mound for the first time in two years and after a process that included some doubt. “Give him credit, man. He was really under control emotionally,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He was good.” The night was better than that for Richard, who was able to share the night with family from nearby Lafayette, Indiana. “It was the best. It was,” Richard said. “The whole game I looked up for my family. Didn’t see them until the very end when I was walking off, so it was a real special moment.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Joe Maddon insists Cubs offense will come around By Brian Sandalow Manager Joe Maddon once again stressed that he believes in magic. He also stressed that he believes the Cubs’ offense will come around. For some reason, those thoughts seemed intertwined after the Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Sunday despite their struggles at the plate. “We did well,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘I am not concerned about the offense. I know it’s going to show up. Like I said, as long as you can pull some of this stuff out, this magical stuff out, while you’re waiting for the offense to come, I’ll take it.” Whether the Cubs are winning with magic is up for debate. Kyle Hendricks threw 7„ scoreless innings and allowed only five hits, continuing a strong six-game run (1.08 ERA) for Cubs starters. They also got their second 2-0 win in a week, to go along with a 1-0 victory.

“The pitching staff, we’ve been doing our job,” Hendricks said. “We’ve been keeping the runs off the board as of late, and the offense has been providing enough, and the defense has been there. Just playing good baseball.” But the Cubs’ offense will have to show up as Maddon promised, especially for the four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals that begins Monday at Wrigley Field. Playing without the resting Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs only had three hits on the heels of scoring seven runs Saturday, but none after the second inning. So is this how the Cubs will have to win? “We’ll take it,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘That’s how this game ebbs and flows, and that’s what my point is. You’ve got to pitch. I mean, the game could have been called ‘pitching’ as opposed to baseball, I really believe that. So when you do that and you catch the ball and you do good things on the basepaths and play the entire game of baseball, then you have a chance to win under these circumstances.” At least the Cubs should be getting some help from within. Jorge Soler was activated from the disabled list and went 0-for-3, but he could add an extra dimension to the lineup if he begins to produce. Maddon said it makes the lineup “thicker.” “It lengthens out the lineup,” Maddon said of Soler’s return. “Of course, you don’t have [Rizzo] in there today, but everybody’s out there now, and you get all the guys cooking a little bit better. It makes a difference.” Mat Latos held the Cubs to one hit and one run in a tight, tense game that could’ve flipped on one error. But Chris Denorfia, who scored after hitting a pinch double in the eighth — the Cubs’ first hit since the first inning — said that could be a positive going forward. “I’d look at it as more fun,’’ Denorfia said. ‘‘To be prepared for the postseason, you’re going to need pressure games like this. The more experience we get with these, the more comfortable you are in these situations when that one at-bat or that one pitch means so much.” Denorfia might have something there, but the offense will need to re-emerge for October baseball to come to Wrigley. And Maddon had no doubt things would pick up. “It’s going to get better,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘We’re going to hit. We’re definitely going to hit. ‘‘We’ve got to go through these stretches. It’s always, obviously, good when you go through this stretch that you’re able to win in spite of it.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Kyle Hendricks, Cubs beat Marlins to win series By Brian Sandalow A day after the Cubs’ seven-run outburst, manager Joe Maddon seemed to lament that nights like those have been relatively rare. “It was nice,” Maddon said. “We have not been able to do that in a while.” Nor were they able to repeat that Sunday. But thanks to Kyle Hendricks, it didn’t matter. Hendricks threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings and the Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 2-0 to take the final game of the three-game series. The 25-year-old righty struck out six and allowed only five hits, winning his second straight

decision while helping the Cubs take the series. He also continued a strong run for the Cubs’ rotation, which has had starters hold opponents to two or fewer runs in 11 of the last 15 games. Pedro Strop replaced Hendricks in the eighth and got two outs before Jason Motte threw a scoreless ninth for the save. Hendricks’ performance was needed because of how Mat Latos held down the Cubs. A subject of trade rumors, Latos threw seven innings and allowed one run and one hit to continue the struggles of the Cubs offense. Sunday was the 10th time in 12 games that the Cubs have scored two runs or fewer. Still, the Cubs were able to beat Latos because of an early score. The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first when Chris Coghlan scored on a Latos wild pitch. Coghlan walked with one out and advanced to third on a Kris Bryant single before getting home when a Latos pitch wasn’t handled by Miami’s Jeff Mathis and ended up in the seats between the Cubs dugout and screen. After that, there wasn’t much offense to speak of for either team. Hendricks at one point retired 11 straight until Latos singled with one out in the sixth. That inning ended when Hendricks picked off Dee Gordon at first. Hendricks worked out of trouble in the seventh, when he started the inning by walking Christian Yelich and allowing an Adeiny Hechavarria single. He kept the Marlins scoreless with two flyouts and by getting Derek Dietrich to ground back to the mound. Following Bryant’s single, the Cubs didn’t get another hit until pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia doubled to lead off the eighth. Denorfia then scored on a sharp Coghlan single to right off Carter Capps. Back in the lineup after being activated from the disabled list, Jorge Soler was 0 for 3. Mike Baxter, playing in place of Anthony Rizzo, was 0 for 2 and was hit by a pitch. -- Chicago Sun-Times Anthony Rizzo sits, Jorge Soler returns to Cubs By Brian Sandalow One key piece of the Cubs lineup was back. Another got a much-needed day off. Before Sunday’s 2-0 win over Miami, the Cubs activated Jorge Soler from the 15-day disabled list and optioned Matt Szczur to Iowa. Hitting sixth and playing right field, Soler had been on the DL since suffering a sprained left ankle June 1. “It lengthens out the lineup,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Of course, you don’t have (Anthony Rizzo) in there today but everybody’s out there now and you get all the guys cooking a little bit better. It makes a difference. “I always, whenever the lineup is sent over, you look at it, you look at where you perceive to be the holes or the soft spots maybe you can do something there planning-wise,” he added. “But when you get Soler back it really makes the whole thing thicker.” As Maddon mentioned, Rizzo is not starting, with Mike Baxter playing first base and hitting seventh. Two days ago, Maddon seemed to dismiss the possibility of Rizzo getting a breather like Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Starlin Castro have recently. One factor for the change of heart was how often Rizzo’s been hit by pitches, a total that got to 17 on Saturday night. With that and Tuesday’s doubleheader approaching, Maddon said it felt like the right thing to do Sunday.

“That’s part of today’s day off, is the ball-peening that’s occurred during the course of the first half. It’s incredible,” Maddon said. “I know he’s on the plate and I know they want to pitch him inside and I know all that. It’s part of who he is as a hitter also and the fact he doesn’t wear any armor. “I think he’s a little beat-up.” Rizzo had played in all 79 games. Soler was 0 for 3. -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs get just enough offense to beat Marlins By Bruce Miles Chicago Cubs bats have been sleepy lately. But they were awake just enough Sunday for a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. The Cubs scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, getting one hit in the inning. They then went until the eighth before getting another hit but still managed the victory, managing 3 hits foe the game. Kyle Hendricks started for the Cubs and pitched 7⅓ innings of scoreless ball, giving up 5 hits while walking one and striking out six. It was the Cubs' sixth straight quality start. The Cubs opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Chris Coghlan walked with one out and went to third on Kris Bryant's single. Bryant stole second base with Miguel Montero up. Montero struck out, and Coghlan scored on Mat Latos' wild pitch with Starlin Castro at the plate. In the eighth, pinch hitter Chris Denorfia led off with a double to the gap in right-center. After Addison Russell popped out and Dexter Fowler struck out, Chris Coghlan singled Denorfia home. First baseman Anthony Rizzo got the day off for the Cubs. In Saturday night's 7-2 victory over the Marlins, the Cubs got 4 hits, but 2 were home runs by Bryant, including a grand slam. -- Daily Herald Miles: Cubs slumping at the plate By Bruce Miles Addison Russell certainly is not the only Cubs player struggling at the plate, but the 21-year-old second baseman is in a bona fide slump. Russell went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 2-0 victory over the Marlins at Wrigley Field. He has begun July 1-for-14, and over his last 10 games, he is 2-for-31. Manager Joe Maddon professes not to be worried. "I really like his swing right now," Maddon said. "There's the disconnect. I think he looks good at the plate. He's been able to take some pitches that are borderline balls.

"From a technical perspective, watching from the side, he looks fine. I'm all about him. I think he's going to be fabulous in a very short period of time. He's going to get a couple of knocks. The confidence is going to soar and he's going to take off because he's learning on the fly right now, and I like a lot of the things he's doing otherwise." Along with Russell, leadoff man Dexter Fowler is in a funk. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Sunday. His batting average has sunk to .228, and his on-base percentage is .305. Rizzo takes a seat: Sunday was a rare day off for first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Mike Baxter started at first and played the whole game. One of the reasons for the day off is that Rizzo has been hit by 17 pitches. That leads the National League and has Rizzo tied for the franchise record in the modern era. Marlon Byrd was hit 17 times in 2010, and Frank Chance was hit by 17 pitches in 1905. "That's part of today's day off, the ball-peening that's occurred during the course of the first half," Joe Maddon said. "It's incredible. I know he's on the plate. I know they want to pitch him inside. I know all that. It's part of who he is as a hitter and also, he doesn't wear any armor. I think he's a little bit beat up. I thought this was a good day to do it, doubleheader on Tuesday." Here and there: The Cubs activated right fielder Jorge Soler off the disabled list and optioned outfielder Matt Szczur to Class AAA Iowa. Soler, who was out since going on the DL June 3 with a left ankle sprain, went 0-for-3 Sunday. The Cubs said left-handed pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada will make a minor-league rehab start Monday night for Class AA Tennessee. Wada has been on the DL since June 23 with a left deltoid strain. Lefty Clayton Richard will go to the bullpen in the days leading up to the all-star break. Richard started and got the victory Saturday in his first major-league appearance since 2013. The Cubs will call up a pitcher from the minor leagues to start one of the doubleheader games Tuesday against the Cardinals. -- Daily Herald 'Efficient' Chicago Cubs making every hit count By Bruce Miles Crazy, crazy baseball. Cubs manager Joe Maddon called Sunday's 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins a "nondescript" game. But it would have been hard to top Saturday night's firecracker of a Fourth of July, when Kris Bryant hit a couple of homers and the fans got to enjoy a real fireworks show afterward. And Maddon wasn't about to throw away Sunday's prize, even though the Cubs managed just 3 hits and squeaked past the flailing Fish. "The magic's in the victory," Maddon said. "Efficient, I guess. You have to pitch better than good pitching. Their guy was really good. Our guy was really good." Here's how efficient the Cubs were Saturday and Sunday: • They scored 7 runs on 4 hits in their 7-2 victory Saturday. It helped that Bryant hit a 2-run homer and a grand slam.

After Bryant's second-inning slam, the Cubs did not get a hit the rest of the game. • Bryant singled and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning Sunday to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. After that, the Cubs did not record a hit until pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia led off the eighth with a double. The Cubs nearly squandered that chance, but Chris Coghlan rescued them with a two-out RBI single after Addison Russell popped out and Dexter Fowler struck out. "I'm really, really pleased with what we did today," said Maddon, whose team is 44-36 with four games against the Cardinals and three against the White Sox coming up. "I'm really impressed with our guys in general because this has been one of our tough stretches -- New York, back to here, day-day, night-day. It's a little bit warm. We continue to play. We continue to grind it out. Good pitching always makes moments like this occur." That good pitching came from Kyle Hendricks, who turned in the team's sixth straight quality start as he outdueled Marlins starter Mat Latos. In his 7⅓ shutout innings, Hendricks (4-4, 3.82 ERA) gave up 5 hits while walking one and striking out six. "We're just trying to play good baseball," Hendricks said. "We've been playing good lately. We're just trying to keep it rolling. "The pitching staff, we've been doing our job of late, keeping the runs off the board as of late. Our offense has been putting out enough. And the defense has been there. We're just playing good baseball. We're excited about it." The Cubs just got done with a Marlins team that is 35-48. The North Siders are 2-7 against the Cardinals, so it will be important to find the offense sooner rather than later and not put so much pressure on the starting rotation and the bullpen, both of which have been good. "It's going to get better; we're going to hit," Maddon said. "We're definitely going to hit. You got to go through these stretches. It's obviously very good when you go through these stretches and you're able to win in spite of it. My point is we've got to pitch. The game could have been called 'pitching' as opposed to 'baseball.' I really believe that. "So when you do that and you catch the ball and you do good things on the basepaths and play the entire game of baseball, then you have a chance to win under these circumstances." -- Cubs.com Hendricks does heavy lifting in shutout of Marlins By Joe Frisaro and Greg Garno CHICAGO -- The Cubs' offense tallied just three hits on Sunday, but it proved to be enough for starter Kyle Hendricks in a 2-0 victory over the Marlins at Wrigley Field. Chicago took two of three games from Miami to improve to 4-1 in July. Hendricks pitched 7 1/3 brilliant innings, allowing five hits while striking out six to pick up his fourth win of the season, and second in a row. It was just his fifth quality start in 16 outings, but the Cubs have now won 11 games at Wrigley when he starts. "I was just making a lot of good pitches," Hendricks said. "In the past, I wasn't making enough good pitches. ... I wasn't perfect, but in the end, I made enough good pitches." Not to be outdone, Miami starter Mat Latos held the Cubs to one run and one hit, striking out seven in seven innings. Latos gave up his only hit in the first inning, during which he allowed a run to score on a wild pitch, then retired all but two batters after that frame.

Jason Motte tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his fourth save. The Cubs' bullpen has a 1.52 ERA since May 23 -- the best mark in the Majors. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Coghlan cruises: The Cubs grabbed an early lead thanks to aggressive baserunning from left fielder Chris Coghlan. Starting from first base, Coghlan didn't hesitate to head for third on Kris Bryant's base knock to left field. The move paid off, as Coghlan darted home on a wild pitch from Latos two batters later. Coghlan then added a single in the eighth to plate an insurance run. More wild pitches than hits: Based on his line, Latos deserved a better fate. The Marlins right-hander gave up one run on one hit over seven innings, while striking out seven. The key was two wild pitches, one more than his hits allowed. "I just spiked [a fastball]," Latos said of his first-inning wild pitch that plated Coghlan. "It was a bad pitch. It cost the team a ballgame. Who knows? Maybe it is 0-0 right now and we're in 11, 12 innings." Otherwise, Latos gave his team a chance, keeping it a one-run game until the eighth. "I didn't pitch good enough to win," he said. "I gave up a run in the first inning, and ultimately it cost us, any way you look at it. The first inning, the ball was up in the zone. I was a little lucky today." Threats stalled: Through six innings, Hendricks had worked efficiently and quickly, facing one more than the minimum. In the seventh, the Marlins had a chance to break through. Christian Yelich walked and Adeiny Hechavarria singled, but with two on and no outs in a one-run game, Hendricks got out of it. Justin Bour, first-pitch swinging, lifted a lazy fly to left, Cole Gillespie was retired on a fly to center, and Derek Dietrich grounded back to Hendricks for the third out. Dee Gordon was also picked off first base to end the sixth and ended the eighth with a forceout on a nice play by shortstop Starlin Castro. "We had some chances," Miami manager Dan Jennings said. "We had some looks at the game. Mat kept us in a great position to give ourselves an opportunity to tie it up and push a run across. We didn't get it done." Buck Strop-s here: Cubs reliever Pedro Strop continued his string of dominance, throwing two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run or hit to escape the eighth, which included a strikeout of Michael Morse. Strop has now surrendered one run in 14 2/3 innings in his last 16 appearances, posting an ERA of 0.63 in that span. "It was kind of a non-descript game, but we did pitch extremely well, we played well, and you gotta do that," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "I'm not concerned about the offense, as long as you can pull some of this magical stuff out while you wait for the offense, I'll take it." QUOTABLE "You've got to pitch. The game could have been called pitching instead of baseball." -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon, on his starters' combined five earned runs allowed in the last six games "Very frustrating, frustrating loss for all of us. Latos pitched a great ballgame. He had a one-hitter through seven innings. He threw the ball outstanding -- putting us in prime position. We've had a total of 15 hits the last two days, with six walks, and we scored two runs. It's frustrating right now." -- Jennings, on an offense that was 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the series SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With his single in the first inning, Bryant has now reached base safely in 23 of his last 24 home contests. He has hit safely in 21 of those games, posting an average of .378 in that span. WHAT'S NEXT Marlins: Off on Monday, the Marlins open a two-game Interleague set against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday. Dan Haren (6-5, 3.45 ERA) gets the nod for the 7:10 p.m. ET start, while Boston counters with lefty Wade Miley (8-7, 4.53). Cubs: Jon Lester takes the mound without catcher David Ross on Monday, when the Cubs host the Cardinals. Lester (4-6, 3.74 ERA) looks for his first win since May 16, while Ross, who has caught every game for the left-hander this season, remains on the disabled list with a concussion. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT. -- Cubs.com Rizzo among Cubs hoping for ASG selection By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Will Anthony Rizzo get a second trip to the All-Star Game? Can Kris Bryant add another honor to his already impressive rookie resume? Could Starlin Castro be a four-time All-Star? Will Jake Arrieta be recognized for his solid first half? The Cubs will find out tonight which players make the National League All-Star team, when the reserves and pitchers are announced. The starters were announced on Sunday night. In the latest voting, released one week ago, Bryant was third among NL third basemen, while Castro was fourth, and Rizzo and catcher Miguel Montero both fifth at their respective positions. Cubs manager Joe Maddon has lobbied for Rizzo, who ranks among the NL leaders in several offensive categories, including extra-base hits (41), doubles (24), and on-base percentage (.405). "He's definitely that anchor in the middle of the lineup who you want to build around," Maddon said of Rizzo, who was batting .292 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs. "To envision a lineup without him out there would be very difficult," Maddon said. "He hits righties, hits lefties, plays a really good first base, has been a really good baserunner. He's played a really complete game." Rizzo, 25, who made the All-Star team last year, winning MLB.com's Final Vote, is hoping to get a spot in a deep class of first basemen, which includes the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt -- who was named a starter Sunday -- the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez and the Reds' Joey Votto. He, and other Cub hopefuls, will find out along with fans at 6 CT tonight, when the All-Star reserves, pitchers and Final Vote candidates will be announced on the Esurance All-Star Selection Show on ESPN. Immediately following the show, fans can return to MLB.com to begin voting to select the final player for each League's 34-man roster via the 2015 Esurance All-Star Game Final Vote. Fans can cast their votes from a list of five players from each league until 3 p.m. CT on Friday, July 10. And the voting doesn't end there. During the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, July 14 -- played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati -- fans can once again visit MLB.com to submit their choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award. Voting exclusively at MLB.com, online and via their mobile devices in the 2015 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, the fans' collective voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy. Bryant, 23, who leads the team with 49 RBIs, is vying to be the first Cubs rookie to be named to the All-Star team since Geovany Soto in 2008. Bryant already has made a mark in the Cubs' record books. He's the first Cubs rookie

to hit two grand slams in a single season since Hall of Famer Billy Williams did so in 1961. Bryant also won NL Rookie of the Month honors in May, when he batted .265, hit seven home runs and drove in 22 runs in 28 games. A three-time All-Star, Castro, 25, trailed the Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta -- who was named a starter -- the Giants' Brandon Crawford and the Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki in the fan balloting. Castro was batting .257 with five home runs and 36 RBIs. Montero, who turns 32 on Thursday, was named to the NL All-Star team in 2011 and last year as a member of the D-backs. The Cubs' catcher was batting .235 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Arrieta, 29, who will start Tuesday against the Cardinals, is 8-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 16 starts, and ranks among the NL leaders in wins, innings pitched, ERA, and strikeouts (110). MLB.TV Premium subscribers will be able to live stream the All-Star Game via MLB.TV through FOX's participating video providers. Access will be available across more than 400 supported MLB.TV platforms, including the award-winning MLB.com At Bat app. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities, including the 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head & Shoulders, part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 13. The Derby will feature a new format with brackets and timed rounds and will be broadcast live by ESPN and MLB.com beginning at 7 p.m. CT. The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports (6 p.m. CT air time, 7:15 p.m. CT first pitch), in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com. Last year, the Cubs had three representatives at the game as Castro, Rizzo and Jeff Samardzija were all named to the NL team. -- Cubs.com Richard gratified after long road back to bigs By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Clayton Richard isn't sure what his next assignment will be for the Cubs, but after everything the left-hander has been through, he can handle it. Richard picked up the win Saturday night in his first big league start since June 2013, giving up two runs over 6 1/3 innings in a 7-2 victory over the Marlins. The Cubs had acquired him Friday from the Pirates, taking advantage of a unique "upward mobility" clause in his contract. The deal required the Pirates to decide by June 30 whether they would put Richard on their 25-man roster, or he could sign with another team as long as it added the lefty to its big league roster. "I was very thankful for the opportunity I got there," he said of the Pirates. Richard, 31, is coming back from two shoulder surgeries, the most recent coming July 2013 for thoracic outlet syndrome. He won 14 games in both 2010 and 2012 for the Padres. Did he ever think he wouldn't pitch again? "I questioned it at times coming back, because before I threw, I didn't know how I would react," Richard said Sunday. "The first time I played catch [after the surgery] it was worrisome. As I got going, it started to loosen up. It was really a day-to-day process. Initially and before that, there were those worries, but once I started throwing, they subsided." The Cubs have an off-day Thursday and have yet to announce what's next for Richard, who gives the team much-needed starting pitching depth.

"When you worry too much about what you can't control in the future, you're not helping yourself," Richard said. "I try to take it day by day and do whatever I can to get better that day, and it's been working so far for me." Richard relished the ovation he received from the 37,898 at Wrigley Field on Saturday night as he came off the field in the seventh. "It was awesome," Richard said. "It's probably the first time I've had something like that. I really enjoyed it." -- Cubs.com This time, Bryant obtains grand slam baseball By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant wasn't able to get the ball from his first grand slam on June 17, which came off Indians outfielder-turned-pitcher David Murphy in the ninth inning of the Cubs' 17-0 win. The fan who retrieved that ball apparently wanted too much in exchange. But Bryant had the grand slam ball in a case from Saturday night's game. This one was hit off the Marlins' Jarred Cosart in the second inning, and was his second homer of the game. No disrespect to Murphy, but is the second slam more legit since it came off a big league pitcher? "It was a little more meaningful," Bryant said of Saturday's blast, which helped the Cubs beat the Marlins, 7-2. "That other game, what was it, 17-0? We didn't need the runs there. Any hit counts to me, I don't care who you hit it off of." Said Cubs manager Joe Maddon: "At the end of his career, they all count." Extra bases • Jorge Soler, sidelined since June 3 with a sprained left ankle, was activated from the disabled list on Sunday and outfielder Matt Szczur was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Soler, who was 2-for-13 in four rehab games with Iowa, was batting .288 in 28 games in May before he was injured. Maddon inserted Soler into the lineup Sunday in right field. "[His presence] really lengthens out the lineup," Maddon said Sunday. "You get all the guys cooking, it makes a difference." • Plunked 17 times this season, Anthony Rizzo leads the Major Leagues in getting hit by a pitch. The first baseman got Sunday off to nurse his bruises and take care of the "ball-peening" he's had, Maddon said, referring to a ball-peen hammer. "It's incredible -- I know he's [standing] on the plate, and I know they want to pitch him inside -- it's part of who he is as a hitter and the fact that he doesn't wear any armor," Maddon said. "I think he's a little beat up, and I thought this was a good day to do it." • Tsuyoshi Wada, on the disabled list since June 23 with inflammation in his left deltoid, will make a rehab start on Monday for Double-A Tennessee. Wada had to come out of his last start June 22 after two innings because of cramping in his left shoulder. --

Cubs.com Lester hopes to top division-rival Cardinals at home By David Cobb The injury-battered and offensively-starved Cardinals, still nursing the best record in the Majors, begin an eight-game road trip against division rivals Chicago and Pittsburgh by facing Cubs lefty Jon Lester at Wrigley Field on Monday. It's act four of a 10-game home stand for the Cubs, who are seeking revenge for a June 26-28 sweep at the hands of St. Louis that dropped the Cubs to 2-7 against the Cardinals. Chicago will get its third look at Cardinals starter John Lackey, who is 1-0 against the Cubs this year in two starts. Lester will also make his third start against the division rival. The southpaw is 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA against St. Louis this season. Lester will be without his personal catcher, David Ross, who is on the 7-day disabled list with a mild concussion, sustained last Wednesday. Things to know about this game • Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is expected to be in the lineup Monday after getting Sunday's game against the Marlins off. • The Cardinals are 3-5 on Mondays this year. It's the only day on which the club has a losing record. The Cubs are 6-2 on Mondays. • Lackey should watch out for Cubs outfielder Chris Coghlan, who is 8-for-14 against him over the last two seasons. Similarly, Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward is 8-for-15 against Lester in his career with four doubles. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs heading into potential make-or-break week By Jon Greenberg CHICAGO -- Rick Ross’ hustling anthem “B.M.F.” was blaring in the Chicago Cubs' clubhouse Sunday as injured catcher David Ross walked by and declared “another shutout for the catching department.” The Cubs had just blanked the Miami Marlins 2-0, despite collecting only three hits and scoring their only run of the first seven innings on a wild pitch. That’s Chicago's third shutout win in a week, despite just five runs scored in the process. What the rapper Ross calls hustling the Cubs call grinding. “It’s a nod to how tough we are,” Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel said before the game. “We have all these tough games. We’re in the grinding part of our season right now.” Call Wrigley Field "The Grindhouse" this week because the Cubs are going to be need all the grindiness they can muster. The first-place St. Louis Cardinals come to town Monday for a four-game series, which includes a Tuesday doubleheader, followed by the Chicago White Sox for what should be a fun crosstown series. All this comes before the All-Star break.

Rivalry Week sponsored by, well, ... The Cubs haven't even sponsored that yet. But they should. This is going to be an interesting seven games. There hasn't been a week such as this on the North Side in years. For ticket scalpers and beer vendors, this is like Christmas in July. For the Cubs, simply shaving a few games off their division deficit would be huge. Although the Sox series means little in the grand scheme of things, the Cubs absolutely need to make up ground against St. Louis, after they lost six of seven at Busch Stadium earlier this season. It's not about bragging rights -- it's about the division. One game before the halfway point of the season, the Cubs are 44-36, good enough right now for the second wild-card spot but 8½ games behind St. Louis in the National League Central. The Cubs were outscored 15-4 in their three-game sweep at St. Louis at the end of June. That was the end of a season-worst five-game losing streak that started against the Dodgers in Chicago. Since then, the Cubs rebounded by outscoring the Mets and Marlins 19-5 and winning five of six games in their past two series. The most recent time the Cardinals came to Wrigley Field, the bleachers were a hard-hat zone, the bathroom lines were labyrinthine torture exercises and Kris Bryant was cooling his spikes in Triple-A. The teams split those two games, and the Cubs have been manhandled by their rivals ever since. Given that it’s the beginning of July, this could well be a season-altering series. If the Cubs are in striking distance of the division, it would give team president Theo Epstein more of an impetus to push for a trade for top-line pitching or another bat in the trade market. If the Cubs are in wild-card-or-bust mode, he could be more conservative in deals at the end of this month. The season is past the halfway point. These games really matter. But still, few players in the clubhouse want to talk about the added importance of the Cardinals series. “It’s the same as any team we play,” Denorfia said. “If they’re in our division, we want to come out and be extra prepared to play our best ball, but always, our goal every series is to win.” No kidding. Hammel told me it’s “definitely” a big week coming up. “On our turf, with the Cardinals, we got to defend home turf,” he said. He also predicted it will be “seven hard-fought games” and “two good series, for sure.” Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who could wax poetic about the Hornitos Hacienda in left field, was firm before and after the game about not looking ahead to the week or giving the Cardinals any extra favor. “What means a lot is Monday’s game,” Maddon said. “I’ll only concede to that. I don’t look in clumps. I look in and try to stay with the daily approach. I know you’re supposed to be more concerned with winning in your division, but I’m more concerned about winning every night. I know I get disagreed with that a lot, but I really want our guys to approach the day like that.” The Cubs were certainly happy to grab a win against the Marlins on a blah post-holiday afternoon. The players were fired up filing into their clubhouse. Though he believes in magic, Maddon is not one for blathering about momentum heading into a series he won’t hype in the first place.

Does winning a game such as Sunday's mean anything against John Lackey on Monday? “It’s back to ground zero,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any wonderful advantage, quite frankly.” The Cubs are just happy to be in this position heading into the All-Star break. Last year at this time, Jason Hammel had just been traded to Oakland. Now we’re talking about a big series at Wrigley with playoff implications. “Right now, all you want to do is stay relevant,” Hammel said. “As long as you keep your head above water the first four months of the season, everything kicks in late. Obviously, I think we’re doing a very good job for not having done that in a while. It’s nice to go out and win some of these ballgames we’ve been playing.” Through the first 80 games of the season, the Cubs have exceeded outside expectations. But the Cubs have their own expectations. No matter what anyone says on the record, everyone knows this is a very important week for the direction of this team. What will we say about this week in October? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs make the most of their three hits to win By John Jackson CHICAGO -- During a 13-inning stretch this weekend, the Chicago Cubs managed just one hit. Still, they somehow held the lead following each of those innings and managed to record a pair of victories, including Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field -- a game in which they prevailed despite being held to three hits. “Efficient, I guess,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s what it is. You have to pitch better than good pitching.” Efficient, indeed. In the past week, the Cubs have won three games despite scoring two or fewer runs. The offense is currently in a bit of a funk, but the team still has managed to win five of six games. “All good teams do that,” outfielder Chris Denorfia said. “While our offense has been down, our pitching has stepped up. They’ve been carrying us the last couple of weeks. It’s our turn to step up and start putting some runs up.” Kyle Hendricks is the latest starter to pitch well. The right-hander tossed 7⅓ shutout innings to win his second straight start. Hendricks (4-4) hasn’t allowed a run in 15⅓ innings dating back to a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 24. “I was just making a lot of good pitches, like I’ve been talking about,” he said. “In the past, I just wasn’t making enough good pitches. Today I did. “I think it’s a mindset, like I’ve been talking about. Trying to simplify everything. Have that one singular thought: make good pitches.” The Marlins managed just one scoring threat against Hendricks, in the seventh inning. Christian Yelich led off with a walk and Adeiny Hechavarria followed with a single to put runners on first and second with none out. But Hendricks got Justin Bour and Cole Gillespie on a pair of routine fly balls and then retired Derek Dietrich on a comebacker to end the inning.

Hendricks had another big moment an inning earlier when he picked off speedster Dee Gordon (second in the National League with 29 stolen bases) to end the sixth. As for the Cubs’ offense, they took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Chris Coghlan scored on a wild pitch with two outs. They didn’t manage another hit until the eighth when Denorfia led off with a double and scored on a single by Coghlan with two outs. “There’s not a whole lot to talk about that game,” Maddon said. “It was a kind of a nondescript game, but we did pitch extremely well and we played well.” The irony of the recent stretch is pitching was supposed to be the team’s weak link and hitting its strength. “I am not concerned about the offense, I know it’s gonna show up,” Maddon said. “As long as you can pull some of this magical stuff out while you’re waiting for the offense to come, I’ll take it.” Now would be a good time for the bats to break out with the St. Louis Cardinals coming to town for a four-game series starting Monday. The Cardinals have an 8½-game lead over the third-place Cubs in the National League Central and swept the Cubs in St. Louis last weekend. Maddon, though, refused to label the series as “crucial” or “big.” “What means a lot is Monday’s game. I’ll only concede that,” he said. “I don’t look in clumps. I try to stay with the daily approach. I know you’re supposed to be more concerned with winning in your division. I’m just concerned about winning every night. “I want our guys to really approach the day, and that’s it.” -- ESPNChicago.com Rapid Reaction: Cubs 2, Marlins 0 By John Jackson CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs posted a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins Sunday in the rubber game of the three-game series at Wrigley Field. Here's a quick look at the game. How it happened: The Cubs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a lot of help from the Marlins. Chris Coghlan walked with one out and went to third on a hit-and-run single by Kris Bryant. The Cubs then failed to drive in Coghlan with an out as Miguel Montero struck out. But Miami bailed the Cubs out as Mat Latos (3-6) uncorked a wild pitch with Starlin Castro at the plate to score Coghlan. Actually, the pitch could have been ruled a passed ball because it appeared to hit off the foot of catcher Jeff Mathis before hitting the dirt. Either way, it was a gift the Cubs gladly accepted. Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (4-4) made the lead stand up during his time in the game. The right-hander tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving with a runner on first base and one out in the eighth inning. Pedro Strop came on to get the final two outs in the eighth. The Cubs added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Chris Denorfia led off with a pinch-hit double. Two outs later, Denorfia still was on second, but Coghlan came through with a solid single to right field off right-hander Carter Capps to make it 2-0. Jason Motte pitched the ninth to record his fourth save of the season. What it means: Aside from Bryant's two homers Saturday, the Cubs didn't do much hitting in winning the final two games of the series. In fact, the Cubs went 13 innings -- from the third inning Saturday through the seventh inning

Sunday -- with just one hit. That's a testament to the pitching the Cubs are getting of late. Hendricks has now pitched 13 1/3 scoreless innings over his last two starts. Up next: The homestand continues Monday as the Cubs host the rival St. Louis Cardinals for the first of four games. Left-hander Jon Lester (4-6, 3.74 ERA) will start for the Cubs and will be looking for his first win since May 16. Right-hander John Lackey (6-5, 3.30) will start for the Cardinals. -- ESPNChicago.com 'Special moment' for newest Cub Clayton Richard By Jon Greenberg CHICAGO -- Last Thursday, Clayton Richard was a minor leaguer in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. On Friday, he was a member of the Chicago Cubs, and a day later, he was starting at Wrigley Field. That's quite a few days for the 31-year-old left-hander, who hadn't pitched in a major league game since June 21, 2013. Clayton Richard allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings to earn the win for the Cubs on Saturday. Jon Durr/Getty Images Richard got the win in his return, giving up two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings in the Cubs' 7-2 win over the Miami Marlins. Richard got a standing ovation coming off the field in the seventh. Cubs manager Joe Maddon, an intuitive sort, had a good feeling about Richard before the game. "He was really under control emotionally," Maddon said Sunday. "Before the first pitch, it was taking us a while to get on the field because of the TV [pregame], and he was just standing here watching. Out there, they made him wait to throw his first pitch, he was OK. We had a nice exchange before his at-bats whether to bunt or not to bunt. I liked that part of it. I felt good about it because of how he was." He has done this before. It was Richard's 130th start over seven seasons since debuting for the Chicago White Sox in 2008. He threw 91 pitches -- 62 for strikes -- while giving up eight hits, walking one and striking out four. "Clayton did a great job of strike throwing, got out of a few jams," Maddon said. Former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry would've loved the addition of the 6-foot-5 Richard, a former Mr. Indiana in football and a quarterback at the University of Michigan. Hendry loved drafting college football players, like Jeff Samardzija and Matt Szczur, and often referred to them as being able to deal with "the second deck" in major league parks. Richard has that even-keel personality. Richard, who was drafted by the White Sox in 2005, started eight games for the Sox in 2008 and went to the San Diego Padres in the Jake Peavy trade in 2009. Richard had a 4.16 ERA in 108 games (107 starts) with the Padres, some good seasons (3.75 ERA in 2010) and some bad (he led the majors by giving up 228 hits and 31 homers in 2012, though he still had a 3.99 ERA). Richard had shoulder problems going back to 2011 and underwent shoulder surgery that didn't totally work. He was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, and according to a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, surgeons removed a rib and a muscle in his neck while releasing a muscle in his upper chest. He was able to pitch again, but it took time. "I questioned it at times, coming back," he told reporters before Sunday's game. "Because before I threw I didn't know how I'd react. The first time I played catch, it was worrisome, but as I got going, it started loosening up. It was a day-after-day process. Initially and before that, there were some worries, but as I got going, I got confident."

Richard started four games in the minor leagues for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 and signed with the Pirates for 2015, with an upward mobility clause that allowed him to sign with other teams if he wasn't out of the minors by a certain point. He had a 2.09 ERA in nine starts with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, giving up 13 runs in 56 innings. But the Pirates' rotation is solid, and the Cubs, needing a starter, made a savvy pick-up when that contractual clause was activated. Under pitching coach Ray Searage, the Pirates have had success with veteran pitchers on a comeback trail. Richard could be another rejuvenated starter. While Richard likely won't factor in the outcome, the Cubs and Pirates might be headed for a wild-card showdown in October. "I was very thankful for the opportunity I got there and the platform they put me on," he said. "I'm very fortunate to have this opportunity, too." Richard, who grew up about two hours from Chicago in Lafayette, Indiana, said it was probably the first time he received that kind of ovation walking off the field. And his family was there to see it. "It was the best," he said. "The whole game I looked up for my family, but I didn't see them until the very end when I walked off, so it was a really special moment." -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs activate Jorge Soler from DL, send Matt Szczur to Triple-A By John Jackson CHICAGO -- The Cubs activated outfielder Jorge Soler from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday. To make room on the active roster, outfielder Matt Szczur was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Soler, out since June 3 with a sprained left ankle, was in the lineup for the finale of the series with the Miami Marlins, playing right field and batting sixth. He finished 0-for-3 in the team's 2-0 victory. The 23-year-old was just 2-for-13 in four rehab games, but manager Joe Maddon said he isn't concerned with the numbers. "He's fine, he's well," Maddon said. "Offensively, just OK, but you never know when a guy shows up. The adrenaline starts flowing and he might start seeing the ball a little bit better, so we'll see." Soler was batting .265 with four home runs and 19 RBIs for the Cubs before getting injured. Maddon believes his presence will make the offense better. "Really, it lengthens out the lineup," the manager said. "When everybody's out there and you get all the guys cooking a little bit better, it makes a difference." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs keep building character as big series with Cardinals looms By Tony Andracki The Cubs only had three hits Sunday afternoon, but that's all they needed.

The Cubs (44-36) continue to build their character and find ways to win with a slumping offense as they held on for a 2-0 win over the visiting Marlins (35-48) in front of 37,764 fans Sunday at Wrigley Field. "We did well today," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I am not concerned about the offense. I know it's gonna show up. As long as you can pull some of this magical stuff out while you're waiting for the offense to come, I'll take it." Following a stretch of offensive inefficiency (17 runs in 10 games), Kris Bryant and the Cubs exploded for seven runs in the first two innings Saturday. But after Bryant's grand slam with two outs in the second inning of that game, the Cubs have managed only three hits in the last 14-plus innings. In the first inning of the series finale Sunday, Chris Coghlan drew a one-out walk (his 13th free pass in the last 11 games) and Bryant singled, moving Coghlan to third. Coghlan then came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead that they held all game. The Cubs now have a pair of 2-0 victories to go with a 1-0 win over the last week. It helps that Cubs starting pitchers have given up just five earned runs in the last 41.2 innings (1.08 ERA). "It's gonna get better," Maddon said. "We're gonna hit. We're definitely gonna hit. You have to go through these stretches. It's obviously always good when you go through a stretch like this that you're able to win in spite of it. "We'll take it. That's how this game ebbs and flows. You gotta pitch. The game could have been called 'pitching' instead of 'baseball.' So when you do that, you catch the ball, you do good things on the basepaths and play the entire game of baseball, then you have a chance to win under these circumstances." Chris Denorfia led off the eighth with a pinch-hit double (just the Cubs' second hit in a stretch spanning more than 13 innings) and Coghlan drove him home with a two-out single to provide some insurance and account for the rest of the Cubs offense on the day. Denorfia doesn't believe the youth and inexperience of the Cubs' lineup is the main culprit of the offensive issues right now. "Every team goes through periods like this where the offense dries up a little bit," Denorfia said. "Our guys have been so good, all the young guys are learning on the fly and they're dealing with the ups and downs of any season. "I think the course of the season to have moments like this where you kinda build your character a little bit and rely on the pitching when we have to, which has been outstanding." Denorfia thinks all these close games are "fun," not taxing or exhausting. "To be prepared for the postseason, you're going to need pressure games like this," he said. "The more experience we get with these, the more comfortable you are in these situations when that one at-bat or that one pitch means so much." One run was all Kyle Hendricks needed as he tossed 7.1 shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 3.82 on the season. The 25-year-old righty kept the Marlins at bay, allowing just five hits and a walk while striking out six. Hendricks hasn't allowed a run in his last 15.1 innings and the Cubs are 9-0 all-time when he pitches at least seven innings. The Cubs starting rotation has picked a good time to be clicking on all cylinders - even if the offense hasn't been - with the St. Louis Cardinals coming into town for a big four-game series before the Cubs' Crosstown matchup with the White Sox to close out the first half before the All-Star Break.

"We're just trying to play good baseball," Hendricks said. "We've been playing good lately. We're just trying to keep it rolling. The pitching staff, we've been doing our job, keeping the runs off the board of late and the offense has been providing just enough. ... We're excited about [the week ahead]." The Cubs will enter play Monday in third place in the National League Central, 8.5 games behind the Cardinals, who have the best record in baseball at 53-28. A strong showing during this seven-game stretch at Wrigley Field could do wonders for the Cubs' confidence heading into the All-Star Break. Still, Maddon insists he isn't getting too carried away with looking at the big picture. "I don't look in clumps. I try to stay with the daily approach," Maddon said. "I know you're supposed to be more concerned about winning within your division. I'm just concerned about winning every night. I know I get disagreed with on that a lot. "But I want our guys to just really approach the day and that's it. Let's try to win. We won today's game ... So go ahead and enjoy the night, be a human being and then come back tomorrow and play again." -- CSNChicago.com Maddon: As Dexter Fowler goes, Cubs offense goes By Tony Andracki When Dexter Fowler gets on base, the Cubs are 27-12. That's a .692 winning percentage. That also means Fowler has scored in 27 of the Cubs' 43 wins during the 2015 season. It doesn't take rocket surgery to see the correlation. When the leadoff hitter reaches base and scores, that bodes awfully well for the team. But Fowler hasn't been getting on base consistently enough. He sports a career .361 on-base percentage, but was at just .308 entering play Sunday thanks in large part to a .232 average that is bringing the overall numbers down. "I am [confident Fowler will rebound]," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "His work's been great. He cares, he works and when he goes, we go. I've told him that - 'Hey, when you go, we go.' "It's incredible when he gets on base and scores a run what our record looks like. It's going to come back to him and us regarding the offense. "But the work's there. He's been playing really good defense, he's been playing a good game of baseball. He's just not been as effective as he can be from the left side." Maddon's right. Fowler entered play Sunday hitting just .211 with a .660 OPS from the left side. Compare that to the splits as a right-handed hitter (.340 AVG, .833 OPS). Fowler is a career .253 hitter from the left side with a .348 OBP and .757 OPS. He's always been a better right-handed hitter (.302 AVG, .824 OPS career), but Fowler clearly needs to get going against right-handed pitching for the Cubs offense to fire on all cylinders. After a hot first month of the season (.299/.372/.442 slash line in April), Fowler has hit just .208/.286/.357 since May 1 with 39 runs in 58 games.

But even during that time, Maddon's point still stands: As Fowler goes, the Cubs go. Since May 1, the Cubs are 20-10 when Fowler starts and scores a run, compared to 9-16 when he doesn't. -- CSNChicago.com Jorge Soler's return makes Cubs lineup 'thicker' By Tony Andracki Jorge Soler's return comes at a perfect time for the Cubs. Joe Maddon's squad can use just about any offensive help they can get right now. After scoring 17 runs in a 10-game stretch, the Cubs broke out for seven runs Saturday evening, but six of those came on two swings of the bat from Kris Bryant. And after Bryant's second-inning grand slam, Marlins pitchers set down 19 of 20 Cubs hitters to close out the game, with the only baserunner being Anthony Rizzo on a hit-by-pitch. Soler returned to the lineup Sunday, hitting sixth and playing right field. He has not played since June 1st after being sidelined with an ankle injury. Even with Rizzo getting a day off Sunday, Soler's presence gives the Cubs lineup a different look. "It really lengthens out the lineup," Maddon said before Sunday's game. "Of course, you don't have Rizzo there today, but when everybody's out there now and you get all the guys looking a little bit better, it makes a difference. "When you get Soler back, it really makes the whole thing thicker." Soler went just 2-for-13 on his four-game rehab stint with Triple-A Iowa, but Maddon isn't worried about any rust for the 23-year-old slugger. "He's well, he's healthy," Maddon said. "Offensively, just OK [on his rehab stint in Triple-A], but then again, you never know when a guy shows up, adrenaline starts going, he might see the ball a little bit better. So we'll see." Maddon said Rizzo's day off Sunday is related to the number of hit-by-pitches the Cubs first baseman has received this season. After another plunking Saturday, Rizzo has been hit 17 times this season, tying a Cubs modern-day, single-season record. "It's incredible," Maddon said. "I know he's on the plate and I know they want to pitch him inside and I know all that. It's part of who he is as a hitter and the fact that he doesn't wear any armor. I think he's a little bit beat up. "I thought this was a good day to do it with a doubleheader on Tuesday leading into the break. Everybody else has pretty much had their time off and he has not. It just seemed like the right thing to do today." Rizzo has also been slumping at the plate, with just 3 hits in his last 28 at-bats (.107 AVG) that has lowered his season average from .312 to .292. The day off also allows Rizzo to clear his head for a vital four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals beginning Monday night at Wrigley Field. --