May 28, 2017

Chicago Sun-Times, L.A. consequential: Kershaw next as Cubs try to avoid scoreless series http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/l-a-consequential-kershaw-next-as-cubs-try-to-avoid-scoreless-series/

Chicago Sun-Times, Boras: Jake Arrieta’s velocity issue a lot like $210 million Scherzer http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/boras-jake-arrietas-velocity-issue-a-lot-like-210-million-scherzer/

Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs hitters going through period of adjustment http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170527/chicago-cubs-hitters-going-through-period-of-adjustment

Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' Maddon remembers Bunning, Allman http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170527/chicago-cubs-maddon-remembers-bunning-allman

Daily Herald, Ostrowski: Schwarber platoon player for Chicago Cubs http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170527/ostrowski-schwarber-platoon-player-for-chicago-cubs

Cubs.com, Cubs desperately need to end SoCal slump http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/232804154/cubs-desperately-need-to-end-socal-slump/

Cubs.com, Cubs shut out in LA for second straight game http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/232799818/brandon-mccarthy-leads-dodgers-shutout-of-cubs/

Cubs.com, Lester-Kershaw duel set for finale http://m.cubs.mlb.com/chc/news/article/232799810/kershaw-lester-duel-set-as-la-seeks-sweep

Cubs.com, Happ gets first look at 2B with Zo hurting http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/232799820/ian-happ-at-second-base-with-ben-zobrist-hurt/

ESPNChicago.com, Things could get even worse for Cubs on offense http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/44378/things-could-get-even-worse-for-cubs-on-offense

ESPNChicago.com, Scott Boras says Jake Arrieta still elite despite fastball velocity drop http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19480695/scott-boras-says-jake-arrieta-elite-pitcher-even-velocity-dropped

ESPNChicago.com, Hollywood casts the Cubs: Anthony Rizzo is Chris Pratt in 'Guardians' http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/44361/hollywood-casts-the-cubs-anthony-rizzo-is-chris-pratt-in-guardians

CSNChicago.com, With Ben Zobrist Sidelined By Sore Wrist, Cubs Move Ian Happ To Second Base http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/ben-zobrist-sidelined-sore-wrist-cubs-move-ian-happ-second-base

CSNChicago.com, Dodgers Rock John Lackey And Now Cubs Have To Face Clayton Kershaw http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/dodgers-rock-john-lackey-and-now-cubs-have-face-clayton-kershaw

CSNChicago.com, Scott Boras Fires Back At Jake Arrieta’s Critics And Makes Another Max Scherzer Comparison http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/scott-boras-fires-back-jake-arrietas-critics-and-makes-another-max-scherzer-comparison

Chicago Tribune, Cubs blanked again as Dodgers get to starter John Lackey for 5-0 victory http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-dodgers-spt-0528-20170527-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Clayton Kershaw and Jon Lester 'different animals' in same cage Sunday http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-jon-lester-clayton-kershaw-spt-0528-20170527-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs rookie Ian Happ making adjustments at the plate and in the field http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-notes-cubs-ian-happ-adjustments-spt-0528-20170527-story.html

-- Chicago Sun-Times L.A. consequential: Kershaw next as Cubs try to avoid scoreless series By Gordon Wittenmyer LOS ANGELES — So much for all the happy talk, good baseball vibes and “Anchorman” humor as the Cubs headed west from a strong homestand. Two games after arriving in Hollywood, the Cubs again began to look like character actors in a larger National League picture — shut out twice by the top pitching staff in the majors. A two-pitch sequence in the fifth inning of a 5-0 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday underscored the kind of margin for error the Cubs are working with this series — Cubs starter John Lackey walking the pitcher leading off the inning, followed by a first-pitch homer to left by Chris Taylor to extend a one-run lead. “It’s tough,” said veteran Ben Zobrist, who was scratched from the lineup with a sore wrist. “We just haven’t strung together enough quality at-bats to score runs the last two games. It’s not just because of us. They’ve pitched well. Their pitchers are pretty hot. “The task doesn’t get any easier tomorrow with Kershaw.” That would be Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher of his generation, going for the sweep Sunday against the Cubs’ Jon Lester. Saturday marked the fourth time in the last six games at Dodger Stadium — including playoffs — the Cubs have been shut out. Kershaw started none of those games. “They’ve really pitched well against us,” manager Joe Maddon said. “They’ve had a nice game plan, and it’s up to us to make the adjustment. That’s it. We haven’t played badly. We just haven’t hit the ball. And they’ve got timely hits when they’ve needed it.” Maddon has talked many times this season about the “different path” the Cubs inevitably faced to the postseason after last year’s championship, offseason celebrations and high-profile spring training that created an emotional gauntlet. The Dodgers are only one of several good teams in the league that targeted the Cubs in their 2017 plans. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Friday said he thought the Cubs last year were the best team in baseball but “this year I feel we’re the better team.”

“It’s always tougher the second time,” said Zobrist, the World Series MVP, “because everybody’s gunning for you, and your expectations are even higher than they were before. “But this team is definitely equal to the task. … We’ll be fine as long as we just get back to executing.” This and that Zobrist hurt his left wrist swinging hard at a pitch in Friday’s first inning, played through it the rest of the game but woke up with enough discomfort that he was unavailable even off the bench Saturday. He’s expected to be a game-time decision Sunday. “I just hope that it goes away quickly,” said Zobrist, whose injury was not deemed severe enough to warrant an MRI exam. † With Zobrist out, rookie Ian Happ got his first start at second base since debuting two weeks ago. He had played a lot of second base in the minors since being drafted ninth overall in 2015. “I’ve been prepared for it since I got here,” said Happ, who also has started in all three outfield spots. † Lackey got in a strange-looking encounter with home-plate umpire Tripp Gibson after being called out on a ball clearly in the strike zone leading off the third. “He called a strike, and I was kind of like laughing,” Lackey said. “He was like, ‘You can laugh all you want.’ He started something with me. So I had a problem with that. I was walking off minding my own business.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Boras: Jake Arrieta’s velocity issue a lot like $210 million Scherzer By Gordon Wittenmyer LOS ANGELES — Jake Arrieta’s 2017 dip in velocity has stretched 10 starts into the season and caused everyone from stats bloggers to manager Joe Maddon to link it to his 4.92 ERA and spike in home runs allowed. If it persists, could it affect the 2015 Cy Young Award winner’s free-agent value next fall? Not so fast, said Scott Boras, -Arrieta’s agent. Clearly an advocate for a strong Arrieta market, Boras might have laid out part of the case he’ll make to teams in the fall when he downplayed the velocity question Saturday and offered comparisons to recent market leaders. Arrieta, whose two fastballs averaged 95 mph during his Cy Young season, has pitched at 92-93 most of this season — with two games, including Friday night’s 4-0 loss at Dodger Stadium, in which he threw at least one pitch at 95. “My point is they all drop in velocity,” said Boras, who added the widespread breakdowns and scrutiny over Arrieta’s velocity -reminded him of similar scrutiny of another client, Max Scherzer, -during his walk year in 2014. It’s not the first time Boras has drawn comparisons between the Cubs right-hander and Scherzer, who got a then-record, seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals after that season. “All the elite pitchers drop in velocity because when they come in the league they’re throwing 96, they’re throwing 95, and then they’re down,” he said. “But the key thing is what are they all doing? They’re all between the ranges of probably close to 92 and 93.5.” He pointed out that Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke have fastballs that average less than 93, similar to David Price last season and Scherzer in that walk year. “Jake is throwing at frankly better levels than what Scherzer did,” Boras said. “And the reality of it is that Jake has this history. He’s got a great history that goes on like Kershaw does, like Price, like Greinke does. These guys have not done this one year. [Arrieta] did it in ’14, ’15, ’16. Now he’s doing it in ’17.

“Jake has had three premium years. He’s in the Cy Young voting three years in a row. That puts him in a class of all these people.” The 10 home runs in 10 starts — including the first of the year Friday for Adrian Gonzalez — and an ERA pushing 5.00 doesn’t put him in that class so far this year. Even after Scherzer in 2014 gave up seven, five, four, four and 10 earned runs in five of six starts through mid-June — a comparison point Boras emphasized — Scherzer was 8-3 with a 3.84 ERA. Clearly, Arrieta (5-4) is making adjustments this year, as he admits, including increasing use of an effective curveball. And he said he expects to fine tune and pitch closer to expectations. Boras said his point is more about his durability and track record over a three- and four-year window being a better indicator of whether he is an elite pitcher. And, presumably, whether he’ll get paid like it. “A pitcher doesn’t have to be like Jake Arrieta in ’15. That’s my point,” Boras said. “Scherzer had a Cy Young year, too [in 2013]. He didn’t pitch like that in the following year. He pitched at 92 and did well.” By extension, he might also be saying what already has been the widely held assumption: that the price tag figures to remain, until further notice, high enough (in years as much as dollars) to keep the Cubs looking at other options. “I’m just talking about what the elite do,” Boras said. “We’re going to sit here and evaluate a player on a 60-day moment, or a 10-start moment, when he has three years of history? Don’t do it; that’s not fair. “All these guys are still doing well; all their velocities dropped. The key thing is they were able to do what they did three years running. And what does Jake do better than anyone? He wins big games.” Kershaw and Price, in particular, have had well-documented struggles in the postseason. “Let’s let this year expand,” -Boras said. “Let’s not let velocity in any way be a tag.” -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs hitters going through period of adjustment By Bruce Miles LOS ANGELES -- The young hitters on the Chicago Cubs are finding that the need for adjustments can strike at any time. "I think with all the information that's disseminated these days, the league adjusts to you quickly, and it's your job to adjust back," said rookie Ian Happ, one of those young players. Happ has cooled considerably since coming up from the minor leagues two weeks ago. Cubs hitters, both young and veteran, have come up empty so far this weekend at Dodger Stadium. After getting shut out 4-0 on 2 hits Friday night by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cubs went quietly again Saturday, falling 5-0 while picking up 3 hits against Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy and reliever Ross Stripling. Cubs starting pitcher John Lackey gave up a run in the fourth inning and 4 in the fifth. Happ has limited major-league time, and he's in the first stages of making adjustments at the plate.

Left fielder Kyle Schwarber, who opened the season as the leadoff hitter, is 10-for-70 in May. He was 0-for-3 Saturday, but manager Joe Maddon said Schwarber's at-bats were better. Shortstop Addison Russell, who has been in the league since 2015, is 10-for-67 this month. Other hitters have endured their ups and downs as well. "The thing is, when you struggle in the major leagues, that's the more difficult struggle to overcome," Maddon said. "But it's necessary. And it's a part of their development. What we need to do as a staff when they struggle is support. "You talk to them and try to recognize or identify. What is the struggle? What is the problem right here? It's right here (mentally). It's not adjust my stance. No, no, no. What are you thinking right now? Hitters are normally swinging at balls and taking strikes, and they're normally fouling off their pitch when they're not going well." After winning three straight against the San Francisco Giants, the Cubs have fallen back to 25-23. They're finding that being the defending world champions has its challenges. "It's always tougher the second time because everybody is gunning for you, and your expectations are even higher than before," said veteran Ben Zobrist, who is day to day with a wrist injury. "But this team is definitely equal to the task. "That's not the problem as much as we have to get back to the fundamentals and the execution of the little details of the game, and everything else kind of takes care of itself." What has caused the Cubs not to execute? "I think you just get in rhythms," Zobrist said. "Occasionally the rhythm gets off, and you just don't execute as well as you'd like to. It's a game of adjustments. Whatever that isn't there, which it hasn't been the last two days for our offense, you just make adjustments. We will. I have no doubt about that." Lackey, coming off a 5-inning, 5-run performance in last Monday's loss to the Giants, worked 5 and gave up 5 against the Dodgers and saw his ERA rise from 4.82 to 5.18. Rather than blame his own team, Maddon was inclined to credit the Dodgers. "They've really made very few mistakes against us, and we have not taken advantage of anything," he said. "We've hit some balls well, but they've been foul balls. Otherwise, our contact has been rather weak for the last two days. Under these circumstances, my perspective is they pitched well. "It's not always our fault sometimes. It's what they've done well. They've pitched well." -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Maddon remembers Bunning, Allman By Bruce Miles LOS ANGELES -- As a baseball lifer and someone with eclectic tastes in life, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Saturday he was saddened by the deaths this weekend of Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning and Southern rock star Gregg Allman. Bunning, also a former U.S. Senator, pitched for manager Gene Mauch in Philadelphia. Mauch was one of Maddon's mentors when Maddon was with the Angels organization.

"Jim Bunning I met," Maddon said. "A gentleman, man. I remember when he pitched the perfect game on Father's Day '64. Really a wonderful man. I know he played for Gene. When I hear his name, I think of a gentleman. "Allman I saw down at UCLA a couple of years ago. I didn't see the Allman Brothers Band, which was one of my all-time favorites. I never got to see them in person but played them all the time at Lafayette -- 'Eat a Peach' and all that stuff was the best, the absolute best. "That's a tough one." Happ gets chance at second: Ian Happ started and saw his first game action at second base Saturday against the Dodgers. He came up from Class AAA Iowa on May 13. Happ had played the outfield for the Cubs, but veteran Ben Zobrist has a sore left wrist, and Joe Maddon decided on Happ at second. At Iowa this season Happ started 16 games at second base. "I've been taking groundballs," Happ said before the game. "I've been prepping for it since I got here. I've been ready for any position. I think that's part of it, just always mentally to be ready any scenario." Happ got into the action right away, fielding Chris Taylor's chopper on the short hop and throwing him out to start the bottom of the first inning. Must-see TV: The marquee matchup of the series comes in Sunday's finale, with Cubs ace lefty Jon Lester taking on Dodgers left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw. Now retired Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully might have urged viewers to "pull up a chair and spend part of your Sunday with us." Joe Maddon echoed those sentiments. "Come on out," he said. "It should be rather interesting. You always anticipate low scoring with that. The Dodgers are pitching really, really well right now. The guy last night (Alex Wood) was good, too, but Kershaw's a different animal. So is Jonny. It should be interesting." Lester is 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA and a WHIP of 1.26. He has struck out 64 in 62 innings. Kershaw is 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA and an 0.82 WHIP. He has 72 strikeouts in 71⅔ innings pitched. -- Daily Herald Ostrowski: Schwarber platoon player for Chicago Cubs By Joe Ostrowski It's official: Kyle Schwarber is a part-time player. Joe Maddon confirmed this in Los Angeles. Schwarber actually has been a platoon player for a while. It just has been more noticeable lately since the Cubs have faced a left-handed pitcher every other day since Monday and he has been benched every time. The burly left fielder has been out of the lineup eight times this season. In seven of those games, the Cubs were opposed by a southpaw. This wasn't always the case. Schwarber started 26 of the first 27 games of the year, the defending champs' everyday left fielder. He even faced six different lefty starters in April, but zero in May.

When Clayton Kershaw pitches Sunday, it will be the fifth time the Cubs have faced a lefty in 10 games. If Schwarber were hitting, he'd be out there. It's impossible to justify sticking Schwarber in left field every day when he has been hitting below .200 the entire month and his on-base percentage continues to nose dive. The team is so versatile that there are six players on the roster Maddon can play there. Making Schwarber a platoon player makes sense right now. The slugger is closing in on 500 regular-season plate appearances. When he faces a lefty, his batting average is down about 100 points, slugging percent south more than 200, and on-base plus slugging down better than 300 points. He also strikes out 40 percent of the time. The lefty-righty splits aren't as extreme this season because he isn't hitting right handed pitching either. The strikeouts and bad defense were expected. You can deal with those negatives when a player homers in three straight playoff games, like Schwarber did in 2015. Maddon thinks they don't win the 2016 World Series without Schwarber, even though he was only available as a designated hitter in road games or as a pinch hitter. The metric Defensive Runs Saved suggests that Schwarber's defense is twice as bad as when he was a rookie. This year he has -6 DRS; in nearly the same amount of innings, it was -3 in 2015. In a perfect world, the Cubs play Schwarber against lefties and he figures it out like Anthony Rizzo did. The first baseman hit .208 in 2012, .189 in 2013, and .300 in 2014. But those Cubs didn't have options and weren't fighting for a spot in the playoffs. At the start of the Cubs' homestand on May 16, Theo Epstein said: "If anyone wants to sell their Kyle Schwarber stock, we're buying. If they want to sell low, we'll buy low." It doesn't look like it. The rotation of players at three positions has become four. -- Cubs.com Cubs desperately need to end SoCal slump By Carrie Muskat LOS ANGELES -- The Cubs are 0-for-California after getting shut out on Saturday for the second straight game, and they face Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Sunday in the series finale. "He's good," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the lefty. "Our guy [Jon Lester] is good. It should be an interesting game." The Cubs need to find some offense to back Lester. They totaled two hits Friday in a 4-0 loss, and managed three on Saturday in a 5-0 loss. Each of the Dodgers last six wins against the Cubs have been shutouts, and that includes the postseason. "What it means to me," Maddon said of the back-to-back shutouts, "is we have no chance to win the last two games." The sputtering offense is puzzling because the Cubs are coming off a 7-2 homestand in which they hit 20 homers. "It's not a start and stop, it's just a continuation of a season when you're playing good teams," Chicago's Jason Heyward said, trying the explain the ups and downs. "It is what it is."

Maddon saw encouraging signs from Kyle Schwarber, who was back in the lineup after sitting on Friday. Heyward had another potential home run go foul. The Dodgers' pitchers have been really good. "As a group, they're an elevated-fastball group, and we have to make an adjustment to that," Maddon said. "They do a really good job and they've carried out their game plan perfectly. That's what's going on. "It's just important to try to get good at-bats and be process-oriented." Neither Cubs starter John Lackey nor the Dodgers' Brandon McCarthy gave up a hit over the first three innings. The big blow off Lackey came in the fifth when Chris Taylor belted his sixth homer of the season to open a 3-0 lead. "Those are the big plays -- that home run [Friday by Adrian Gonzalez] and the home run today really separated it," Maddon said. "And they're pitching so well, once you give them a little room like that, they take advantage of it. "We haven't played badly. We just haven't hit the ball, and they got timely hits when they needed it. They pitched well, they beat us. That's it." Lackey admitted he didn't like a two-strike pitch to Kiké Hernandez in the fourth that resulted in a double. Hernandez eventually scored the Dodgers' first run. Lackey walked McCarthy to set up Taylor's homer, and that hurt as well. "The pitch to Taylor was not where he wanted it to be, but give the guy credit, he hit it," Maddon said. "We've made a couple mistakes and they've taken advantage of it. They've really made very few, if any, mistakes, and we haven't taken advantage of anything. "Under these circumstances, my perspective is they pitched well. It's not always your fault sometimes. Sometimes it's what they've done well." And they've got Kershaw on Sunday. -- Cubs.com Cubs shut out in LA for second straight game By Carrie Muskat and Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- A dominant pitching performance by Brandon McCarthy and four-run fifth inning by the offense led the Dodgers to their second straight shutout of the Cubs on Saturday, this one a 5-0 win that clinched the series. The Dodgers have won eight of their last 10 games and their last six wins over the Cubs, including the postseason, have been shutouts. "We haven't played badly," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We just haven't hit the ball, and they got timely hits when they needed it. They pitched well, they beat us. That's it." Cubs righty John Lackey took a no-hitter into the fourth inning and got the first two outs on four pitches, but that's when the Dodgers came alive. After a double and a walk, Chase Utley gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with a single. Then Lackey walked McCarthy to lead off the fifth and Chris Taylor followed with a two-run homer. Utley added a two-out, two-run single, and the Dodgers had a 5-0 lead. That was key, Maddon said. "Those are the big plays -- that home run [by Adrian Gonzalez on Friday] and the home run today really separated it," Maddon said. "And they're pitching so well, once you give them a little room like that, they take advantage of it."

Lackey (4-5) was done after five innings having allowed five runs on six hits. He struck out five. McCarthy (5-1) held the Cubs to two hits over six innings but was relieved to start the seventh after only 79 pitches because of what the club called right knee tendinitis. He left for an MRI exam postgame and wasn't available for comment. Ross Stripling worked the last three innings for his first-career save, just two days after Hyun-Jin Ryu recorded a four-inning save in his first big league relief appearance. "We put together this roster where you can see Strip can give you multiple innings," Roberts said. "I think that to be able to rest guys like Petey [Pedro Baez], [Josh] Fields … for those guys to eat up innings and lighten up the workload overall is kind of what we envisioned." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Going yard: Taylor's sixth home run of the season stretched the Dodgers' 1-0 lead to 3-0 in the fifth and jump-started a four-run rally. According to Statcast™, the two-run shot was projected to travel 354 feet and had an exit velocity of 97 mph. Coming up clutch: Five batters after Taylor's homer, Utley faced a two-out, full-count situation and singled into right field, giving the Dodgers a 5-0 advantage. "The guy's a pro," Lackey said. "He's been doing this well for a long time." QUOTABLE "It's great. I've been on the other side of that, playing the Dodgers and getting shut out and having Kershaw looming. Our guys aren't getting too high, and we know we're good. It's definitely nice to know you have your ace going tomorrow." -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, on Clayton Kershaw taking the mound with the Dodgers seeking a sweep on Sunday UPON FURTHER REVIEW Cubs rookie Ian Happ hit a line drive into center field and legged out a double in the fourth inning for the Cubs' first hit of the game, but it ended up being a single. Roberts challenged the safe call at second, and a review determined that Happ came off the bag momentarily on his popup slide while shortstop Corey Seager was still tagging his leg. "The way McCarthy was throwing, you want to help him, and that was a big play and a heads up by Seager to keep the tag on him," Taylor said. SAY WHAT? When Lackey was called out on strikes in the third inning, he started for the dugout, then came back to talk to home-plate umpire Tripp Gibson. What was that about? "He said something to me," Lackey said. "I was walking off, minding my own business. He called strike three, and I was laughing. He said, 'You can laugh all you want.' He started something with me. I had a problem with that. I was just walking off, minding my own business." WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Jon Lester gets the start in Sunday's finale, coming off his first complete game of the season in a win over the Giants. He gave up one run on four hits, and needed 99 pitches to go the distance. The lefty is 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA

in three career regular-season starts at Dodger Stadium, where he won Game 5 of the National League Championship Series last October. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CT. Dodgers: The Dodgers give the ball to Kershaw for the series finale at 1:10 p.m. PT. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner is 7-2 with 2.01 ERA this season. In eight career starts against Chicago, the southpaw has a 2.18 ERA. -- Cubs.com Lester-Kershaw duel set for finale By Joshua Thornton The sting of losing to the Cubs in the 2016 National League Championship Series still serves as motivation for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "Our guys are good at looking forward," Roberts said. "I do hope our guys have a sting in our butt, because we didn't accomplish our ultimate goal. I can't speak for every player in that clubhouse, but I know, for me, it still hurts." The Dodgers have shut the Cubs out on consecutive nights and will try to complete the sweep in Sunday's season-series finale at Dodger Stadium, which will feature two high-profile lefty aces in Clayton Kershaw and Jon Lester. Kershaw (7-2) brings his 2.01 ERA against the Cubs, who he hasn't faced in the regular season since 2015, when he gave up three hits and one run in a 4-1 win. Lester (3-2) is fresh off a 99-pitch complete-game win against the Giants in which he struck out a season-high 10 batters. "It should be rather interesting," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You always anticipate low scoring with that. The Dodgers are pitching really, really well. Kershaw is a different animal, and so is Jon. It should be interesting." The Cubs need to find some offense to back Lester. They totaled two hits Friday in a 4-0 loss, and managed three on Saturday in a 5-0 loss. Things to know about this game • The Dodgers' last six wins over the Cubs, including postseason, have all come via shutouts. • Left-handed hitters are batting .182 vs. Lester, but righties have posted a .267 average. • Kershaw has a 2.18 ERA vs. the Cubs and has limited Chicago batters to a .218 batting average. -- Cubs.com Happ gets first look at 2B with Zo hurting By Carrie Muskat LOS ANGELES -- Ian Happ had only started in the outfield since he was promoted to the Cubs two weeks ago, but on Saturday the rookie was back at his more natural position of second base, filling in for Ben Zobrist, who has a sore left wrist and was not available. Cubs manager Joe Maddon expected to be able to use Zobrist off the bench on Saturday but was told prior to the game that the veteran infielder wasn't available. Zobrist's status for Sunday's series finale was uncertain. Maddon did want another lefty in the lineup on Saturday against Dodgers righty Brandon McCarthy, which is why he went with Happ at second over Javier Baez.

Happ went 1-for-3, with his single the Cubs' first hit and one of only three they had in a 5-0 loss. It looked like he had a double, but the Dodgers challenged the safe call and a review determined that Happ momentarily came off the bag on his popup slide as shortstop Corey Seager's tag remained on his leg. "Ian Happ is more of a second baseman than an outfielder with [the organization] to this point," Maddon said. "I'm pretty certain Zo is available today, but I didn't want to start him and then have to take him out." Happ found out when he got the text message with the lineup. "I've been taking ground balls, so I've been prepped for it since I got here," he said. "It's pretty natural to just go back in there and enjoy it." Happ made 107 starts at second base in the Minor Leagues. "I've been ready for any position," he said. "I think that's part of it, to be ready for any scenario." In Spring Training, Happ talked to Zobrist about the prep work needed to play multiple positions. The rookie also has been spending time with hitting coach John Mallee. In his first six games with the Cubs, Happ batted .333 with two home runs, two doubles and four RBIs. In his last six games, Happ was batting .200 with two doubles, one triple and one RBI. "With all the information that's disseminated these days, the league adjusts to you quickly and it's your job to adjust back," Happ said. "It's my job now to make adjustments. That's baseball, that's the game, that's the fun part." Worth noting • Maddon and several of the players were wearing his "Embrace the Suck" Army green-colored T-shirts on Saturday to honor Memorial Day. Half of the proceeds from sales of the tees will go to the Armed Forces, and the other half to Maddon's Respect 90 Foundation. • Cubs lefty Jon Lester, who will start against the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw on Sunday in the series finale, has a reputation for not being able to throw to first base. But Maddon said Lester actually throws better than his critics say. "Honestly, there's so many more guys who it's so much easier to run against and he gets all the publicity on this," Maddon said. "It's something that drives me nuts." Maddon said the plan is to emphasize what Lester does well, which is pitch. "I think sometimes when you're trying to fix a problem, you take away from their strengths," Maddon said. "The one thing Jonny does really well is he throws the ball to home plate well." • On Saturday, Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning died at the age of 85. "He's a gentleman," Maddon said of Bunning, who pitched for 17 seasons, mostly with the Tigers and Phillies. "When I hear his his name, I think of a gentleman." Maddon also was saddened at the news that Gregg Allman died on Saturday. He was 69. Maddon saw Allman perform in Los Angeles a few years ago and said he often played the Allman Brothers Band "Eat a Peach" record while in college. --

ESPNChicago.com Things could get even worse for Cubs on offense By Jesse Rogers LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers have surrendered a mere five hits in two games -- all singles -- and not one pitch has been thrown by Los Angeles star Clayton Kershaw. Not yet, at least. That comes Sunday as the Dodgers aim to complete a sweep of the defending world champion Chicago Cubs, who have taken a step back on the road following a 7-2 homestand. "We haven't strung together enough quality at-bats the last two games," Ben Zobrist said after Saturday's 5-0 loss. "It's not just us. They've pitched well. The task doesn't get any easier [Sunday]." We'll get to Kershaw in a moment, but the off-kilter start to the season has continued to plague the Cubs at a time when many thought they could begin to finally separate themselves within the division. But the past two days have seen a sluggish offense taken to task by Alex Wood and Brandon McCarthy, respectively. "As a group, they are an elevated fastball group," manager Joe Maddon said of Dodgers pitching. "It's up to us to make an adjustment." Infielder Addison Russell concurred. He has been swinging at a lot of pitches he shouldn't be, as he and fellow youngster Kyle Schwarber continue season-long slumps. Maddon saw positive signs in the latter player's swings Saturday, but that's little consolation with his batting average having dropped to an unsightly .178. And there is no magic wand to wave here. Instead of going macro, the Cubs are going micro, focusing on the process. "It comes down to execution," Zobrist said. "And maybe minimizing the game to one at-bat as opposed to the whole game. ... At the end of the day, wins are a compilation of a lot of little wins throughout the game." The competition has something to do with that, as well. The Dodgers improved after losing to the Cubs in the NLCS. In fact, it seems as if all the competing divisional opponents around the Cubs improved in an attempt to catch last season's best team in the league. So far, the champions haven't pushed back enough. They're in the mix, but they aren't dominating by any stretch of the imagination. At least not yet. Jason Heyward was asked about the start-and-stop to the season, with every step forward seemingly followed by one back. "It's not a start-and-stop," he said. "It's just a continuation of a season when you're playing good teams. I don't think many teams got worse coming into the season." Some thought the Cubs also got better due to the return of a healthy Schwarber, but in reality, how many World Series winners actually get better? Whatever they gain in experience, they can easily lose in other areas, such as fatigue or even desire. So what's the answer? Stay the course, the Cubs say. It's not as if they're trailing in the division by double digits. "It's just the process," Russell said. "Things aren't going as well as we want them to, but we need to keep our heads up." Perhaps Zobrist said it best -- though it won't satisfy frustrated fans. Sometimes you just get out of "rhythm" but can't put your finger on why. That's a fitting description of the Cubs this year, especially on offense. After the past two days, they've fallen to 12th in batting average and next face a pitcher who gives up hits less than 20 percent of the time. Perhaps the Cubs haven't hit bottom this weekend yet; that could come Sunday.

"It's important to get good at-bats and be process-oriented and avoid results," Maddon said. "Should be an interesting game." That is if the Cubs can make it so. -- ESPNChicago.com Scott Boras says Jake Arrieta still elite despite fastball velocity drop By Jesse Rogers LOS ANGELES -- Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta's agent, Scott Boras, pushed back on the notion Arrieta isn't an elite pitcher just because his fastball velocity has dropped this year, while also insisting it's way too small of a sample size to judge the free agent to be. "The question becomes what's [Clayton] Kershaw averaging?" Boras said Saturday at Dodger Stadium. "He's throwing 92.5 mph. [Zack] Greinke is throwing 91.8 mph. [Max] Scherzer, when he was a free agent, was throwing 92 mph. "We're going to sit here and evaluate a player on a 60-day moment or a 10-start moment when he has three years of history. Don't do it. That's not fair. That's not an evaluation." According to ESPN Stats & Information, Kershaw's fastball velocity has dropped 0.6 mph since 2015, and Greinke has lost 1.4 mph since then. Arrieta was averaging 94.6 mph on his fastball in 2015, when he won the Cy Young award but has seen it drop 2.5 mph. Scherzer's fastball velocity has actually increased over the past couple of years, though it went down the year before he became a free agent. Even Cubs manager Joe Maddon admitted the dip in velocity could be the reason for the 10 home runs Arrieta has given up this year -- including two in a loss Friday night -- as well as his 4.92 ERA. Boras said it's not that unusual at this point in the season. "I wanted to bring this up because when you guys (reporters) talk about what an elite pitcher is, I want you to know Scherzer [in 2014] gave up seven runs, five runs, four runs, four runs and 10 runs, all before June struck," Boras said. "My point is he's an elite pitcher. He did all that in his platform year. Jake is throwing at better levels than what Scherzer did." Scherzer actually bottomed out on June 17, 2014 when he gave up those 10 runs but went on a nice run from there to the end of the season producing an ERA of 2.58, including giving up only 102 hits in 122 innings pitched. It led to a mammoth 7-year, $210 million deal with the Washington Nationals. "The reality of it is Jake has this history," Boras said. "He has a great history. These guys (elite pitchers) have not done it in one year. He did in '14, '15, '16 and now he's doing it in '17." One thing Arrieta is doing, Boras pointed out, is making all his starts, and even though his numbers are down right now, Boras insists teams will look at the bigger picture, no matter the velocity on his fastball. "All these guys are still doing well and all their velocities dropped," Boras said. "The key thing is they were able to do what they did three years running. "What does Jake have an advantage over all of them? He wins big games." Boras pointed out the success Arrieta had in the postseason in 2015 and then again in 2016 when he won Game 6 of the World Series. He didn't deny he'll need to have better success no matter what the velocity numbers are, but now is not the time to judge him, Boras said.

"The teams go by the history and what you do in the postseason," Boras said. "What elite have done to get to where elite is. First thing is durability. His fastball is well in the range of what the elite are in the group. If you're talking about [losing] 4-5 mph, maybe. He's throwing at the same level after 10 starts he did last year." -- ESPNChicago.com Hollywood casts the Cubs: Anthony Rizzo is Chris Pratt in 'Guardians' By Jesse Rogers LOS ANGELES -- If any team deserves a movie or television deal, it’s the Chicago Cubs. After breaking their 108-year championship drought last season, the Cubs hit the talk show circuit in a big way, and Hollywood took notice. As the team begins a series in Los Angeles, ESPN employed two die-hard Cubs fans from Chicago who work in Hollywood to help make sense of where the Cubs fit in on the silver screen. We asked a producer to give his take on the Cubs for a potential movie, and a casting director to “cast the Cubs.” Movie buff and Cubs reliever Brian Duensing added his two cents as well. Producer Nathan Ross' credits include "Dallas Buyers Club," "Big Little Lies" and the upcoming "Sharp Objects" (HBO). “From a producer’s standpoint, it would be amazing to get some of the guys into some narrative," Ross said. "It's just a question of, 'What's the story?' The current Cubs have a magnetic appeal not just to Chicagoans or Cubs fans, but seemingly to America as a whole -- though maybe not Cardinals or Indians fans -- and their youth, looseness and fun appeal can likely translate to another medium. "Plus, Hollywood historically always loves the 'underdog factor.' They're also a rare franchise that has that 'rock star' quality and has touched the zeitgeist ('Saturday Night Live,' 'Dancing with the Stars,' etc.) not unlike the '85 'Super Bowl Shuffle' Bears or the 72-10 Bulls with [Michael Jordan], [Scottie] Pippen and [Dennis] Rodman. "In fantasy casting, you can totally see [Kris] Bryant and [Anthony] Rizzo as your leads -- the all-American guys next door -- and the cool flashiness of [Javy] Baez and [Addison Russell] up the middle. Jake [Arrieta] as an action star or [Kyle] Schwarber as a general badass possessing superhuman strength à la The Hulk. "Since last fall -- when their profile increase was peaking -- until now, I've had conversations with some writers and producers who have written Cub-related scripts or project ideas, and they could definitely sell in Hollywood. There are a lot of Chicago transplants in L.A., and consequently Cubs fans. They’re everywhere. Anyway, in the end, an ensemble movie is the way to go. Something which shows how teammates need to rely on each other to win out. Think of a 'Dirty Dozen' or 'Ocean’s Eleven'-type of movie. After seeing 'Wizard of Lies,' I would cast Robert De Niro as Joe Maddon.” Casting director Rachel Tenner's credits include "Fargo," the TV series for which she won an Emmy, and many Coen brothers projects, including "A Serious Man" and "No Country for Old Men." Tenner has some ideas for roles that fit with certain players' games and/or identities: Kris Bryant: "His contemporary is Chris Pine as Jason Bateman in 'Identity Thief': an everyman trying to make things right in his life. Has the strength to tackle any obstacle, but does it without fanfare. "For an older role, he also seems to have a very 'It's a Wonderful Life' quality, a Jimmy Stewart persona going as well." Brian Duensing’s take: "I could see him being Oz in 'American Pie.' Like the sentimental, good-guy character. He’s got the eyes for it." Anthony Rizzo: "He’s Chris Pratt. 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'" Enough said.

Duensing’s take: "I was going to say Chris Pratt as well. Even like in 'Jurassic World' or whatever. Any adventure role like that." Javier Baez: "My first thought was that I wanted to see Javy in 'Hamilton.' But with his flair and charm, I thought he reminded me of a young Antonio Banderas. So I choose Javy Baez as Antonio Banderas in 'Zorro.' Flair, charm and heads into danger without a blink of an eye. And he gets to wear a cape and use a sword, which it seems like Javy might enjoy." Jason Heyward: "Easy. Denzel Washington. 'Remember the Titans.' Quiet and passionate. Had to honor the seventh-game rally during the rain delay." Duensing’s take: "Trying to think of a good one thinking about that flap he wears on his helmet. Maybe 'Robocop'? He’s big and tough. Or Denzel in, like, 'The Pelican Brief.'" Jake Arrieta: "He looks like he walked right out of an episode of 'Game of Thrones.' Not sure which house he belongs in just yet." Duensing’s take: "I see him as one of those badass military guys, you know with a big beard. Like in '13 Hours.' He would be perfect for that." Ben Zobrist: "Ryan Gosling in 'The Notebook.' I think that Ben invokes Ryan's looks and passion in 'The Notebook' and highlights the deep love between he and his wife." Kyle Hendricks: "Dustin Hoffman in 'The Graduate.' Embodies the quiet cerebral determination that Dustin's character had in the movie. And I can't deny that I project him to have a hidden mischievous side." -- CSNChicago.com With Ben Zobrist Sidelined By Sore Wrist, Cubs Move Ian Happ To Second Base By Patrick Mooney LOS ANGELES – The Cubs drafted and developed Ian Happ with the idea of turning him into a Ben Zobrist-type player who would move quickly through the farm system and surface as a versatile big-league contributor and/or legitimate trade chip. With Zobrist sidelined because of a sore left wrist, the Cubs got their first look at Happ playing second base in The Show during Saturday’s 5-0 loss at Dodger Stadium. That kind of depth – plugging in a 2015 first-round pick while a World Series MVP rests – should ultimately propel the Cubs over the course of a 162-game season. Even as the Cubs stutter-step through a 25-23 start, there are enough choices for the best defensive second baseman on the team and a National League Championship Series co-MVP (Javier Baez) to sit on the bench. “We know that the talent’s there,” Zobrist said. “It’s not like having any one or two guys out of the lineup is a big drop-off for us because of the talent that’s there. And we know that just because we have a lot of young players doesn’t mean that they’re not extremely capable of doing the job as well.” Zobrist – who’s reached base in 23 straight games and emerged as a new leadoff option with Kyle Schwarber struggling – felt something on an awkward swing in the first inning of Friday’s 4-0 loss to the Dodgers. Zobrist played through it that night and called it a “day-to-day thing” that didn’t require an MRI. Facing Clayton Kershaw on Sunday after back-to-back shutouts will be a game-time decision.

“It’s tough,” Zobrist said. “We just haven’t strung together enough quality at-bats to score runs the last two games. It’s not just because of us. They’ve pitched well. Their pitchers are pretty hot right now. They’ve spotted up. They’ve gotten early strikes where they needed to and then gone to work pretty well on us. “The task doesn’t get any easier tomorrow with Kershaw. We just got to keep trying to chip away.” -- CSNChicago.com Dodgers Rock John Lackey And Now Cubs Have To Face Clayton Kershaw By Patrick Mooney LOS ANGELES – The Cubs have scored zero runs in 18 innings at Dodger Stadium this weekend and still haven’t faced Clayton Kershaw yet. Neither game got close enough for Kenley Jansen and the sound system blasting “California Love” in the ninth inning. Of course, the Cubs survived a 21-inning scoreless streak last October and came roaring back to eliminate the Dodgers and win their first National League pennant in 71 years. But muscle memory and been-there, done-that confidence will only take the Cubs so far. The Cubs keep saying this is a new year, talking around the issues with their rotation, the learning curves for young hitters and what was supposed to be an airtight defense. But you could see the frustration bubbling up during Saturday’s 5-0 loss for a 25-23 team that’s probably best described as hanging around at the Memorial Day mile marker. “Obviously, we haven’t played great,” losing pitcher John Lackey said after his ERA skyrocketed to 5.18. “We’ve kind of been up and down, but we’re right in the mix. We got a long way to go.” Lackey walked off the field and down the dugout steps after the fifth inning and slammed his glove to the ground as a one-run game had escalated into a 5-0 blowout. Lackey walked Los Angeles pitcher Brandon McCarthy and watched Chris Taylor drill the first pitch he saw into the left-field seats. Lackey screamed into his glove after Chase Utley knocked a two-out, two-run single into right field and the crowd of 48,322 got louder and louder. Another Lackey Being Lackey moment: Jawing with home plate umpire Tripp Gibson after striking out looking at a 92-mph Brandon McCarthy fastball leading off the third inning. “He said something to me,” Lackey said. “I was walking off minding my own business. He called strike three and I was kind of laughing and he’s like: You can laugh all you want. He started something with me, so I had a problem with that. I was just walking off minding my own business.” The Dodgers meanwhile are young, rich, talented, deep, versatile and already 10 games over .500. Without Kershaw or Jansen throwing a single pitch, the Cubs have managed only five hits in 57 at-bats and struck out 18 times while drawing just four walks in back-to-back shutouts. “What it means to me is that we had no chance to win the last two games,” manager Joe Maddon said. “They pitched well. It’s not always your fault sometimes. Sometimes it’s what they’ve done well. “They’re like an elevated-fastball group. We just have to make an adjustment to that. They do a really good job with that – their bullpen and their starters – and they’ve carried out their game plan perfectly. “They pitched well. They beat us. That’s it.” Once again, the Cubs will rely on NLCS co-MVP Jon Lester to neutralize a Dodger lineup that has struggled against left-handed pitching and avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon against the great Kershaw.

“He’s as advertised,” outfielder Jason Heyward said. “It’s like any ace, if they got their stuff going, they got their stuff going. He has multiple pitches and he can throw all of them for strikes at times. And he can throw them all around the plate at times. You just got to go up there and have your best (at-bat) and take what he gives you. Just try to chip a few across and see what happens.” -- CSNChicago.com Scott Boras Fires Back At Jake Arrieta’s Critics And Makes Another Max Scherzer Comparison By Patrick Mooney LOS ANGELES – Scott Boras waved a Cubs beat writer over toward the VIP section behind home plate at Dodger Stadium. Holding a smartphone in hand, the super-agent started rattling off data points on Saturday afternoon, making the case for Jake Arrieta once he hits the free-agent market after this season. Boras pushed back on the idea that Arrieta is something less than an elite pitcher and compromised by diminished velocity, launching into a defense that lasted roughly 15 minutes and drew in two more Chicago reporters before a security guard told the media to clear the field because it was an hour before first pitch. Once again, Boras used 2014 Max Scherzer as a reference point, detailing five of six starts between May 21 and June 17 in which a Cy Young Award winner gave up seven runs, five runs, four runs, four runs and 10 runs. That didn’t stop Scherzer from making another All-Star team, going 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA, leading the Tigers to another division title and jumping to the Nationals for a seven-year, $210 million megadeal. “I just remember going through this,” Boras said, “because when Detroit came to town, I got the ‘Oh my God, the ship is sinking.'" The night before, Boras sat in a front-row seat with his entourage watching Arrieta during a 4-0 loss that saw aging Dodgers Chase Utley and Adrian Gonzalez crush fastballs over the center-field wall. One theory – floated by the media and essentially confirmed by manager Joe Maddon – is that Arrieta (4.92 ERA) will have to learn how to pitch in a new reality where he can’t automatically unleash a 95-mph fastball. “That is so far remote from the truth,” Boras said. “To create a voice to your fan base to suggest that Jake is not Jake – Jake is throwing at frankly better levels than what Scherzer did. And the reality of it is that Jake has this history. “He’s got a great history that goes on, like (Clayton) Kershaw does, like (David) Price does, like (Zack) Greinke does. These guys have not done this for one year. He did it ’14, ’15, ’16.” Here’s how Brooks Baseball’s online database has tracked Arrieta’s average velocities across the last three-plus seasons: 2014 Four-seam: 94.59 Sinker: 94.49 2015 Four-seam: 94.93 Sinker: 95.21 2016

Four-seam: 94.32 Sinker: 94.44 2017 Four-seam: 92.64 Sinker: 92.50 Here’s the Brooks Baseball analysis of Scherzer’s fastball from 2012 through last season’s Cy Young Award campaign: 94.97, 94.46, 93.88, 94.67, 95.23. Boras dismissed a question about Arrieta’s inconsistencies at the beginning of his career as he shuttled between the Orioles and their Triple-A affiliate and how that could impact the perception of a 30-something pitcher. “I’m looking at a three-year window coming into ’17,” Boras said. “When you’re elite, you have not done it once. You have not done it twice. You’ve done it three times. Jake has had three premium years. He’s in the Cy Young voting three years in a row. That puts him in a class of all these people. “(One) comment is: ‘Oh my God, he’s dropped in velocity.’ Fair observation. My point is they all drop in velocity. All the elite pitchers drop in velocity, because they come in the league, they’re throwing 96, they’re throwing 95, then they’re down. But what are they all doing? They’re all (within) the ranges, probably close to 92 and 93.5.” The Boras Corp. pitch to owners and executives this offseason will also revolve around durability, advanced stats and postseason experience. Arrieta has made 25, 33 and 31 starts across the last three seasons, ranking second in the majors in WHIP (0.97) and third in soft-contact percentage (22.6) and pitching in six playoffs rounds. Where Kershaw and Price have repeatedly had to answer questions about their big-game performances, Arrieta can cue up the highlights from the 2015 wild-card game in Pittsburgh and show off his 2016 World Series ring. Boras clearly has an agenda, but all this is worth remembering amid all the instant analysis and overreactions to how the defending champs are playing now. It might also reinforce why Theo Epstein’s front office could view this as a bad investment and keep rolling the dice with change-of-scenery guys and trading from their surplus of hitters. “We’re going to sit here and evaluate a player on a 60-day moment or a 10-start moment when he has three years of his history?” Boras said. “Don’t do it. That’s not fair. It’s not an evaluation, because all their velocities drop. “All these guys are all still doing well and all their velocities dropped. The key thing is they were able to do what they did three years running. What does Jake have an advantage over all of them at? What does Jake do better than anybody? He wins big games.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs blanked again as Dodgers get to starter John Lackey for 5-0 victory By Mark Gonzales After not allowing a hit through the first 3 2/3 innings, John Lackey slammed his glove after allowing four runs in the fifth inning against the Dodgers on Saturday. And that summed up the fickle state of the Cubs as their momentum from a 7-2 homestand has vanished quickly with two humbling losses.

Their latest struggle occurred in a 5-0 loss at Dodger Stadium, where Brandon McCarthy and reliever Ross Stripling shut them out for the second straight game. "It's not a start and stop," Jason Heyward said after the Cubs (25-23) were blanked for the fifth time this season and shut out in consecutive games for the first time since May 27-28, 2014, against the Giants. "It's just a continuation of a season when you're playing good teams." The Cubs' task becomes more formidable in the series finale Sunday when Jon Lester faces three-time National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. "The task doesn't get any easier (against) Kershaw," said Ben Zobrist, whose sore left wrist had him out Saturday and makes his status for Sunday questionable. "We have to keep trying to chip away and string a few hits, maybe shorten up and get a few singles out there." Zobrist acknowledged the Cubs raised the bar high with their goal of a second consecutive World Series title. "It's always tough the second time because everyone is gunning for you, and your expectations are even higher than they were the year before," he said. "But this team is definitely up to the task. We just have to get back to the fundamentals and the little details of the game, and everything else takes care of itself." Manager Joe Maddon said Dodgers pitchers are taking advantage of his hitters' aggressiveness. They have just five hits and have made feeble contact the last two games. "They're an elevated fastball group, and we have to adjust," Maddon said. "They have carried out their game plan perfectly." Rookie Ian Happ started at second base for the first time and made two exceptional defensive plays. Happ also collected the Cubs' first hit with two outs in the fourth but was called out after a replay showed he came off the bag on a slide in attempt to stretch it into a double. Moments later, Lackey allowed his first hit — a double to Kike Hernandez — and Chase Utley followed with an RBI single to left. Lackey credited Utley for looking for a first pitch breaking ball after striking him out twice and inducing a grounder to second in their previous matchup on April 12. In the fifth, Utley capped a four-run rally with a two-run single. "The guy is a pro," Lackey said. "He has been doing this a long time." Lackey was perturbed after being called out on strikes in the third and exchanging words with home plate umpire Tripp Gibson. "(Gibson) called strike three," said Lackey, who said he shrugged and laughed, only to hear Gibson reply, "you can laugh all you want." "He started something with me," Lackey said. "So I had a problem with that one. I was just walking off, minding my own business." -- Chicago Tribune Clayton Kershaw and Jon Lester 'different animals' in same cage Sunday By Mark Gonzales

Cubs manager Joe Maddon described three-time National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw as "a different animal," a distinction he also placed on Cubs ace Jon Lester. The two top left-handers will oppose each other in Sunday's series finale at Dodger Stadium with the Cubs collectively wondering how to solve Kershaw, who has a 7-2 record and 2.01 ERA while limiting opponents to a .198 batting average in 10 starts. "If he has the curve working, turn the lights off and go home," catcher Miguel Montero said. "He's that good. It's not a comfortable at-bat, and he's tough on you. "Even if you sit on one pitch and he throws it, there's a good chance you're not going to hit it or hit it with authority. All his pitches are plus." Anthony Rizzo added, "For him, a bad start is six innings, two runs. A lot of guys in this league will take that." Kershaw is 5-3 with a 2.18 lifetime ERA against the Cubs in eight starts, but they beat him in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series to advance to the World Series last October. Furthermore, the Dodgers are more vulnerable against left-handers, and Lester has limited lefties to a .182 batting average this season. He’s 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA, but his ERA is distorted because of poor back-to-back stars in late April. Lester is 1-1 with a 0.86 ERA against the Dodgers in his last three regular-season starts, and he beat the Dodgers in Game 5 and allowed two earned runs in 13 innings of the NLCS overall. Moreover, Dodgers super utility player Kike Hernandez has noticed Lester is less vulnerable against baserunners now, in part because of his all-around improvement. "He eliminated the big leg kick and went straight to the slide step, and it's actually one of quickest slide steps in the game because it's around 1.11 (seconds to home plate)," Hernandez said. "Everyone knows he has a problem throwing to the bases, but he got a lot better at holding runners and holding the baseball for a long time to try to get runners and batters out of their rhythm. "He's going to hold, hold, hold, and then go quick. When you have a guy on the mound and a guy who can throw like (catcher) Willson Contreras, it makes it hard to steal." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs rookie Ian Happ making adjustments at the plate and in the field By Mark Gonzales Cubs rookie Ian Happ saw a lot of changeups and breaking pitches during his first week in the majors, then was challenged by opponents trying to entice him to chase high fastballs. "It's my job to make adjustments, and that's baseball," Happ said as he tried to snap out of a 1-for-13 rut with seven strikeouts. "That's the fun part." Happ was not surprised to learn he would start at second base Saturday for the first time since his promotion from Triple-A Iowa on May 13. "I've been taking ground balls there every day in batting practice," said Happ, who started at second while Ben Zobrist nursed a sore left wrist. "I've been preparing if I would (play second). "I've been ready for any position. That's part of it, to be ready for any scenario." Part of the smooth transition started in spring training, when Happ spoke with Zobrist about preparing to play multiple positions.

Happ started 16 games at second base, his natural position, for Iowa. With Jason Heyward coping with a sore finger, Happ started in right field before moving to the other outfield positions. Happ said third base was discussed in Iowa as a potential position, but he was promoted to the majors before he could start working there. "It's definitely exciting to be on the dirt," Happ said. "Anything I can do to help the team where they need me." Balancing act: Kyle Schwarber's struggles against left-handed pitchers have overshadowed Heyward's improvement since his return from the 15-day disabled list last weekend. Heyward came into Saturday's game with three hits in his last 10 at-bats against left-handers. He started the season 3-for-22 against them and batted .207 against them in 2016. "Just be on time," Heyward said of the reason for his improvement. "It's not always going to go as you plan, but be on time, be early. It's got to be the same (against) both sides, for sure. You have that, you can react." --