Cubs Starter Travis Wood Earns Praise For Development

The Cincinnati Reds are visiting Wrigley Field this week. The Reds are headed toward wrapping up their second division title in three years, partially due to the contributions of former Cub reliever Sean Marshall, who owns a 2.72 ERA in 56 1/3 innings. The players Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein received for Marshall this past offseason - pitcher Travis Wood, outfielder Dave Sappelt and minor league second baseman Ronald Torreyes - seem to be working out nicely for the North Siders, though:

"Woody has obviously made a lot of adjustments and done a nice job since he was called up and been back," manager Dale Sveum said. "But Sappelt is probably swinging the bat as good as anybody right now. He’s showing and doing the things we thought.

"We knew there was a bat there but we need him to be focused and base running and playing defense and all that as well because there is a bat there that can play in the big leagues and obviously we’re seeing that."

Wood, 25, is 6-12 this year with a 4.25 ERA over 139 2/3 innings with 106 strikeouts to 44 walks. He looks to be slotted in as the Cubs' third starter in 2013. Sappelt, 25, has a .772 OPS in 34 major league plate appearances this year.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. Baseball Nation is the place to go for news and analysis from around the league.

Pirates Vs. Cubs: Game Now Set To Begin At 10:40 P.M.

A heavy rainstorm hit Chicago Monday, delaying the start of the game between the Cubs and Pirates. With no more scheduled games between the two teams, they appear set on getting this game in and the first pitch is now scheduled for 10:40 p.m. CT.

#Cubs estimate first pitch to be 10:40 p.m.

— Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney) September 18, 2012

With a nearly four-hour rain delay, the game will go well into the early hours of Tuesday morning. A September weekday game between teams on the outside of the playoff picture was already unlikely to be a major draw, but the delay will likely result in an extremely small crowd.

The Wrigley view at 10:15 p.m. #Cubs twitter.com/BruceMiles2112…

— Bruce Miles (@BruceMiles2112) September 18, 2012

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. Additional coverage on the Pirates can be found at Bucs Dugout, while Baseball Nation is the place to go for news and analysis from around the league.

Pirates Vs. Cubs: First Pitch Delayed Due To Rain

The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates were scheduled to play the final game of their four-game series Monday, but the game has yet to get underway due to rain. First pitch was scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET, but the tarp is on the field as the rain continues to fall.

The #Pirates and #Cubs are officially in a delay as the tarp is now on the field at Wrigley.Stay tuned for updates.

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 17, 2012

While no start time has been given, the Cubs do expect to get the game in, according to the Chicago Tribune. This is the final scheduled meeting between the two teams this season, making it difficult to schedule a makeup game.

If the game does begin, Travis Wood will start for the Cubs with Kevin Correia slated to pitch for Pittsburgh.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. Additional coverage on the Pirates can be found at Bucs Dugout, while Baseball Nation is the place to go for news and analysis from around the league.

Pirates Vs. Cubs Lineups: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Looking To Continue Offensive Momentum

The Chicago Cubs will try to build on their huge offensive performance in Sunday's game as they go for the series victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night at Wrigley Field. Anthony Rizzo, who hit his first career grand slam on Sunday, will be back in the No. 3 spot in the finale.

Rizzo and Alfonso Soriano packed quite a middle-of-the-order punch in the Cubs' 13-9 win on Sunday, as the duo combined for six hits and eight runs batted in. The Cubs have hit well all weekend, as they have put up a combined 26 runs in the first three games of the series.

Here are the full lineups:

Pirates

1. Starling Marte LF
2. Jose Tabata RF
3. Andrew McCutchen CF
4. Gaby Sanchez 1B
5. Pedro Alvarez 3B
6. Michael McKenry C
7. Clint Barmes SS
8. Brock Holt 2B
9. Kevin Correia P

Cubs

1. David DeJesus RF
2. Luis Valbuena 3B
3. Anthony Rizzo 1B
4. Alfonso Soriano LF
5. Starlin Castro SS
6. Welington Castillo C
7. Brett Jackson CF
8. Darwin Barney 2B
9. Travis Wood P

The Cubs will send Travis Wood (6-11, 4.23 ERA) to the hill, and he'll be opposite Kevin Correia (10-9, 4.29 ERA), who will attempt to get the Pirates a much-needed series split.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. Additional coverage on the Pirates can be found at Bucs Dugout, while Baseball Nation is the place to go for news and analysis from around the league.

Pirates Vs. Cubs Preview: Chicago Goes For Series Win On Monday

The Chicago Cubs wrap up a four-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday with a chance to go for the series win. The Cubs will send Travis Wood to the mound to face off against Kevin Correia of the Pirates.

Wood is 6-11 with a 4.23 ERA on the season. The lefty was strong in his last outing, going 7.2 innings and allowing just one run on four hits in a win over the Houston Astros. Wood faced the Pirates just ten days ago, giving up one hit in six shutout innings.

The right-handed Correia has went 10-9 with a 4.29 ERA in 28 appearances this season, 24 of which have been starts. Correia's last outing was a loss to the Cincinnati Reds, where he gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings. He beat the Cubs on July 25, tossing six innings while allowing two runs.

The Cubs are playing spoiler to the Pirates' diminishing playoff hopes. After a fast start, Pittsburgh has faded down the stretch and finds itself three games back in the Wild Card race.

First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. at Wrigley Field.

Be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue for more Cubs news, and check out Bucs Dugout for more on the Pirates. Also head over to Baseball Nation for even more news and analysis from around the league.

Cubs Vs. Pirates Final Score: Anthony Rizzo Belts 2 HRs In 13-9 Chicago Victory

Led by a monster offensive performance from first baseman Anthony Rizzo, the Chicago Cubs took down Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon in a wildly entertaining game, 13-9.

The 23-year-old Rizzo, who sat out one game earlier in the week after a scary collision tweaked his neck, came up big with his 13th and 14th home runs of the season in the victory. The highlight of his 3-for-5 performance, without question, came in the sixth inning, as the youngster smashed a 3-1 fastball from Pittsburgh reliever Jared Hughes into the bleachers for his first career grand slam.

Also getting in on the action was outfielder Alfonso Soriano with a 3-for-5 day from the plate. Soriano opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single to score Rizzo, and then padded the lead in the eighth with an RBI double that plated infielder Darwin Barney.

With an eye on taking three of four, the Cubs will send Travis Wood (6-11, 4.23 ERA) to the hill on Monday to wrap up the series against Pittsburgh right-hander Kevin Correia (10-9, 4.29 ERA).

Be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue for more Cubs news, and check out Bucs Dugout for more on the Pirates. Also head over to Baseball Nation for even more news and analysis from around the league.

Cubs Vs. Pirates Lineups: Pittsburgh Tries To Win Second Straight

The Chicago Cubs play the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:20 p.m. CT Sunday. The lineups for the games have been announced.

The teams have split the first two games of their four-game series. Chris Volstad (3-10, 5.99 ERA) starts for the Cubs against Jeff Locke (0-1, 4.11 ERA).

Cubs:

1. CF Joe Mather (R)

2. 2B Darwin Barney (R)

3. 1B Anthony Rizzo (L)

4. LF Alfonso Soriano (R)

5. SS Starlin Castro (R)

6. C Wellington Castillo (R)

7. RF Dave Sappelt (R)

8. 3B Luis Valbuena (L)

9. P Chris Volstad (R)

Pirates:

1. LF Starling Marte (R)

2. 2B Neil Walker (S)

3. CF Andrew McCutchen (R)

4. RF Garrett Jones (L)

5. 1B Gabby Sanchez (R)

6. 3B Pedro Alvarez (L)

7. SS Clint Barmes (R)

8. C Rod Barajas (R)

9. P Jeff Locke (L)

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout. Check out Baseball Nation for news and analysis from around MLB.

Cubs Vs. Pirates Preview: Chicago Hopes To Bounce Back From Loss

The Chicago Cubs came back from a 5-run deficit Saturday to nearly hand the Pittsburgh Pirates their eighth straight loss, but Pittsburgh held on for a 7-6 win. Chris Volstad (3-10, 5.99 ERA) starts for the Cubs at 1:20 p.m. CT as the team tries to win their second in three days against the suddenly-struggling Pirates.

Volstad has won 3 of his last 4 starts after opening the season with losses in 9 straight decisions. He has not faced the Pirates this season, but he's 2-2 with a 7.45 ERA against them for his career.

Jeff Locke (0-1, 4.11 ERA) starts for the Pirates. Locke has pitched in four games this season, but only started two of those games. He had a no-decision in a 4-2 loss to the Cubs on Sept. 9. Locke gave up 2 runs and struck out 6 batters in 6 innings in that game.

The Cubs need wins in 6 of their final 17 games to avoid ending the season with 100 losses.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout. Check out Baseball Nation for news and analysis from around MLB.

Cubs Prospect Jorge Soler Impresses In Wrigley Batting Practice Session

Chicago Cubs fans are understandably excited about 20-year-old Cuban prospect Jorge Soler, who the Cubs spent $30 million to sign. Soler has had a strong performance since being promoted to Class-A Peoria and, via Alex Ruppenthal of Comcast Sports Net, he put on an entertaining hitting display in batting practice at Wrigley Field Saturday:

With President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and the entire Cubs’ brass standing behind the batting cage, Soler took about 30 swings and hit five home runs, two that left the park and sailed to Waveland Avenue. Most of his other swings produced hard line drives to left field.

Soler was trying to whip his bat around so hard that it hit the batting cage net several times on his follow-through. The baseball cliché "the ball jumps off his bat" definitely seems to apply to Soler.

Soler also noted that he's learning English and he will be roommates with Cubs 2012 first-round pick Albert Almora in the Arizona Fall League.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. Don't forget to check out Baseball Nation for news and analysis from around MLB.

Cubs Want Starlin Castro To Be 'Complete, Full Hitter'

The Chicago Cubs might have a gem on their hands with 22-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro. He's had 508 hits since making his MLB debut on May 7, 2010, which is more hits than any player in the National League in that stretch of time.

That being said, the Cubs want even more out of him. According to Sahadev Sharma of ESPN Chicago, manager Dale Sveum is looking for Castro to become a "full, prolific-type hitter."

"We don't want to be hit-chasers," Sveum said. "We want him to be a complete, full, prolific-type hitter. Those kind of three-run homers happen more often because of the timing issues. Not just being worried about hits, the OPS and all that comes into play with adjusting to situations."

It's not that Castro is dissatisfying to the higher-ups, it's just that his potential is through the roof and the organization has a lot invested in him. At the end of the day, they don't want to take a look at the stat sheet and see that 508 hits is all he's accounted for. They want to see him pull through in specific situations, and they want to see him take advantage of every opportunity he gets.

Sveum followed it up by saying he hopes Castro can get to "another level," which is basically saying he wants Castro to be a star. If Castro manages to hit more three-run homers like he did in Friday's 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, he'll likely be considered at that level, too.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. Don't forget to check out Baseball Nation for news and analysis from around MLB.

Cubs Vs. Pirates Final Score: Chicago Comeback Falls Short In 7-6 Loss

The Chicago Cubs failed to make it three straight wins on Saturday, unable to complete a late comeback and falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-6.

Chicago allowed the Pirates to snap a colossal seven-game losing skid after providing that seventh loss, besting them, 7-4, on Friday

Andrew McCutchen had a home run on the day, and managed to reach base a total of four times. He also had a single and two walks on the day, while Starling Marte and Clint Barnes both had a pair of hits on the day. Chicago had four different players notch two-hit days, yet couldn't seal the deal late and bring their runners home.

Pittsburgh had a 6-1 lead entering the fifth inning thanks to strong play from Wandy Rodriguez, but he allowed a pair of runs in the fifth, with one earned run on the day. He left the game in the after going six innings, leaving the seventh for Tony Watson and Jared Hughes. Jason Grilli handled the eighth and gave up a run, but it got really sketchy in the ninth, when Joel Hanrahan gave up two runs but still managed to pull off his 35th save of the season.

Jason Berken was given the loss for the Cubs, as he lasted just four innings on the day. He gave up eight hits for six runs, though only two of them were classified as earned. One of those was a home run, and he only managed to strikeout two batters before it was all over. Alfonso Soriano was the one to single in the ninth, scoring Joe Mather to start the comeback. Luis Valbuena drew a walk that scored Darwin Barney, but Dave Sappelt struck out swinging to end the game.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.

Pirates Vs. Cubs: Jason Berken Gets First Start For Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have won six of their last seven games, and they'll try to make it seven of eight Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cubs will start right-handed pitcher Jason Berken in his first appearance since joining the Cubs and his first major-league start since his rookie season in 2009. Berken was claimed off waivers on Sept. 7 after the Baltimore Orioles designated him for assignment.

Berken's only appearance in the majors this season came on May 7 for the Orioles. He pitched one inning in relief and gave up six hits and seven runs, only two of which were earned. Berken is starting in place of Jeff Samardzija, who was shut down after his last start upon reaching his innings limit for the season.

Here are the lineups:

For the Cubs:

CF Joe Mather (R)

2B Darwin Barney (R)

1B Anthony Rizzo (L)

LF Alfonso Soriano (R)

SS Starlin Castro (R)

C Wellington Castillo (R)

3B Josh Vitters (R)

RF Dave Sappelt (R)

P Jason Berken (R)

For the Pirates:

LF Starling Marte (R)

RF Travis Snider (L)

CF Andrew McCutchen (R)

1B Garrett Jones (L)

2B Neil Walker (S)

3B Pedro Alvarez (L)

SS Clint Barmes (R)

C Rod Barajas (R)

P Wandy Rodriguez (S)

The game will start at 12:05 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on CSN.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.

Pirates Vs. Cubs Preview: Chicago Looks For Fifth Straight Victory Over Pittsburgh

If the Pittsburgh Pirates miss the playoffs -- or, even worse, lose their hold on a winning record -- they may look back ruefully on how they played vs. the Chicago Cubs in September. With Friday's victory, the Cubs recorded their fourth straight victory over the Pirates, and they'll be going for No. 5 on Saturday afternoon.

Getting the start for the Cubs will be Baltimore Orioles castoff Jason Berken, who will be making his first appearance in a Cubs uniform. Berken was claimed off waivers by the Cubs on Sept. 7 after being released by Baltimore. Berken has 24 career starts, all of which came in 2009. Since then he's appeared in relief 82 times, throwing 110.1 innings. For his career, he has a 5.40 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. In his lone appearance in 2012, he gave up two earned runs in an inning pitched vs. the Texas Rangers.

The Pirates will counter with Wandy Rodriguez, a pitcher with whom the Cubs are very familiar. In his career vs. the Cubs, Rodriguez has a 3.84 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, though he's been a full run worse at Wrigley Field. In his two starts against the Cubs in 2012, Rodriguez has allowed four earned runs in 14 innings.

The game will start at 12:05 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on CSN.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.

Cubs Top Prospect Albert Almora Takes Batting Practice At Wrigley

Prior to the Chicago Cubs' series-opening 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, the organization's first-round pick, Albert Almora, got to experience batting practice at Wrigley Field, according to an article by Sarah Trotto of CSNChicago.com.

Almora, the sixth overall selection in June's draft, fresh off seasons playing for both the Cubs' rookie team in Arizona and then with short-season Boise, got to soak in Wrigley's atmosphere from center field and take some swings during Chicago's pre-game preparations as general manager Theo Epstein and other team executives looked on.

From the article, Almora was happy to be there:

Amazing. I was in center field. I don't know how much history has been on this field. I'm very blessed and very thankful.

The 18-year-old from Hialeah, Florida, hit .347 in 18 games in the Arizona league and .292 for Boise in 15 games after inking a contract with the Cubs, complete with a $3.9 million bonus, in July.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Cubs Vs. Pirates Final Score: Chicago Wins, Extends Pittsburgh's Losing Skid To Seven

The Chicago Cubs built an early lead and Starlin Castro clubbed a late three-run insurance homer, earning a 7-4 victory to send the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates further down the National League Wild Card standings on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Cubs starting pitcher Chris Rusin earned his first victory of the season, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out six in five innings of work.

Chicago got to Pirates starter James McDonald early, as he was pulled from the game before he could complete the fourth inning. Castro tacked on the first run with a RBI single in the third, and the Cubs would add three more runs in the fourth.

The Pirates rallied in the fifth and sixth innings with RBIs from Gaby Sanchez and Pedro Alvarez, closing the lead to 4-3, but Castro's three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth gave the Cubs all the cushion they would need. A solo shot from Andrew McCutchen in the seventh ended the scoring for the day, as Chicago took the first of a four-game weekend series.

With the loss, Pittsburgh dropped its seventh straight game, falling 3.5 games behind in the NL Wild Card hunt.

For more on the Cubs, be sure to visit Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.

Cubs Vs. Pirates: Chicago Can Play Role Of Spoiler

The Chicago Cubs will have a chance to play spoiler when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates for a four-game series at Wrigley Field this weekend.