May 14, 2015 Cubs.com Cubs wait out Harvey, then walk off with win By Anthony DiComo and Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Chris Coghlan drew a walk-off walk with the bases loaded with one out in the ninth inning Wednesday night to lift the Cubs to a 2-1 victory over the Mets for their sixth win in the last at-bat. "They're starting to believe they can win games late on a consistent basis," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of his young team. "It's really important to feel that way. You're going to have to beat good pitching by pitching better. You have to come up with the timely hit." With the game tied at 1 in the Chicago ninth, Anthony Rizzo singled to lead off against Carlos Torres. Rizzo was lifted for pinch-runner Matt Szczur, who scampered to third on Starlin Castro's single to left. Miguel Montero was intentionally walked to load the bases and chase Torres. The Mets switched to a five-man infield, moving left fielder Michael Cuddyer in. Jeurys Familia struck out Jorge Soler, but walked Coghlan to force in the game-winning run. "It's a tough situation," Familia said. "I was just trying to go out there and keep my ball down, looking for a ground ball, a double play. I threw a couple balls down in the zone. They didn't swing. It's my fault." Coghlan said the key was being able to control his emotions in that situation. "You want to be the guy," Coghlan said. "Everybody wants to be the guy to drive in the winning run. I just think that's the biggest deal, being able to control your emotions. He didn't give me anything to hit, so I took my walk." New York starter Matt Harvey was in line for his sixth win, striking out nine over seven innings, but did not get a decision as the Cubs rallied against Torres. With one out in the Chicago eighth, Addison Russell singled and moved up on a wild pitch before scoring on Dexter Fowler's single to right. Fowler was tagged out trying to stretch his hit. With a game-time temperature of 43 degrees and an 11 mph northwest wind, it was a perfect setting for a pitchers' duel. The Mets finally broke through in the sixth against Cubs starter Jason Hammel when Curtis Granderson singled, reached third on Daniel Murphy's double, and scored on Cuddyer's groundout. That seemed to be all Harvey needed. "They're a good offensive team," Harvey said. "Obviously the last couple of games have been really tough pitching-wise. My job is to go out there and limit the damage." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Harvey dominant: After losing two in a row to the Cubs to open this series, manager Terry Collins said the Mets needed Harvey to show up in vintage form Wednesday. The right-hander complied, striking out five of the first

nine batters he faced. Harvey whiffed nine batters in total over seven shutout innings, leaving with a 1-0 lead but settling for a no-decision. "He's as advertised," Coghlan said. "He commands all four pitches. He didn't throw that many fastballs. It's all slider, cutter, curveball, a couple changeups, and then he'll throw the heater in late. Not many guys who throw 95, 98 [mph] will do that. That's why he's so effective." Hammel settles in: The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the first, but Hammel escaped when he got Wilmer Flores to fly out and then struck out Kevin Plawecki. The Cubs' right-hander needed 21 pitches to get through the first, but settled down, facing the minimum over the next four innings. It helped that he threw just seven pitches each in the third and fourth innings. "Tonight, facing Harvey, quality arm, it was going to be the first guy to blink, and I was actually the first guy to blink," said Hammel, who gave up one run over eight innings. Double or nothing: The Mets' Dilson Herrera was at first with one out in the seventh when Harvey popped up on a bunt attempt. Cubs first baseman Rizzo deked the runner as he faked a catch and instead let the ball drop in front of him on the infield. Rizzo then picked it up to start a 3-6-4 double play and end the inning. "That's a baseball play right there -- that's good instincts," Hammel said. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Montero drew a walk in the seventh, the ninth straight game he's gotten a free pass. The last Cubs player to walk in nine straight games was Gary Matthews Jr. in 2001. WHAT'S NEXT Mets: Jon Niese, who leads all Mets starting pitchers in ERA, will try to win Thursday's series finale at Wrigley at 2:20 p.m. ET. Niese has allowed a total of one earned run over his last two starts, striking out 11 and walking two. Cubs: Lefty Travis Wood makes his seventh start of the season on Thursday in the series finale against the Mets. Wood is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA at Wrigley compared to an 0-2 record and 7.71 ERA on the road. In six career starts against the Mets, the lefty is 2-1 with a 3.34 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT at Wrigley Field. -- Cubs.com Cubs' belief growing after third walk-off win By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- What did it take for the Cubs to rally against the Mets and take a 2-1 win Wednesday night at Wrigley Field? "Confidence," pitcher Jason Hammel said. "Everybody exudes confidence right now. Somebody will get it done, and I think that's what everybody believes." They didn't believe last year. The Cubs were 0-79 when trailing in the ninth last season. But this is a new year, with new players and a new attitude. "We're a totally different team from last year," Chris Coghlan said. The Cubs had tied Wednesday's game at 1 in the eighth on an RBI single by Dexter Fowler, driving in rookie Addison Russell, who singled with one out. In the ninth, Anthony Rizzo singled and was lifted for pinch-runner Matt Szczur, who reached third on Starlin Castro's base hit.

"You could trust Starlin to move the baseball," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He's going to put the ball on the ground often. You don't want it to be a double play. I didn't want to bunt there, because they're not going to pitch to [Miguel] Montero anyway, which they chose not to, which was also an option. You're trying to not take the bat out of Montero's hands with the runner on second base and one out." The Mets did intentionally walk Montero to load the bases. Jeurys Familia did strike out rookie Jorge Soler, but Coghlan drew the walk-off RBI walk. The victory was the Cubs' third walk-off win, and marked the sixth time they've won in their last at-bat. "In those situations, you have to really control your emotions, because you want to be the guy," Coghlan said. "Everybody wants to be the guy to drive in the winning run. He didn't give me anything to hit, so I took my walk." It's tough to get players to be patient. "Some guys just want to get hits, and they don't understand the importance of accepting your walks," Maddon said. "It's probably easier for me to teach a guy to not strike out than it is to accept a walk." -- Cubs.com Hammel continues trend of strong Cubs starts By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- At the start of the Cubs' four-game series against the Mets, most of the talk was focused on New York's starting pitching, but in the first three games of this series, the Chicago starters have stolen the spotlight. Jason Hammel didn't get a decision in the Cubs' come-from-behind 2-1 win Wednesday night over the Mets, but he definitely held his own against New York's heralded Matt Harvey. Hammel gave up one run over a season-high eight innings for his fourth straight quality start, striking out six. "You have to pitch better than good pitching, and we did," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Hammer has been on a nice roll. Once he got by that moment [in the first], he really settled in." The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the first but did not score. Hammel, who said he had a tough time adjusting to the mound for some reason, needed 21 pitches to get through the inning. The right-hander's next challenge came in the sixth, when the Mets did tally, but Hammel was able to escape after giving up one run. That was huge, Maddon said. "Tonight, facing Harvey, quality arm, it was going to be the first guy to blink, and I was actually the first guy to blink," Hammel said. "We battled back. That's what I'm going to do, pitch to the strike zone, pitch to contact, and do my best to minimize pitches and get as deep as I can." Hammel got an assist from first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The Mets had a runner at first and one out in the seventh when Harvey popped up on a bunt. It looked like Rizzo was going to catch the ball, but he let it drop and then retrieved it for a 3-6-4 double play. "That's a baseball play right there -- that's good instincts," Hammel said. "Anthony has come a long way, and not just hitting but fielding. He's rounded into a very nice ballplayer." The Cubs' starting pitchers have done their job, too. Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Hammel have combined to hold the Mets to five runs over 22 innings. Arrieta also gave up one run over eight innings on Tuesday. It's the first time the Cubs have had back-to-back games with a starter going at least eight and giving up one earned run or fewer since July 23-24, 2012, when Jeff Samardzija and Paul Maholm did so against the Pirates. "We have to set the tone, we have to be the guys who are leaned on, so guys know, 'Hey, if we get one or two runs tonight, we've got a chance to win,'" Hammel said.

-- Cubs.com Cubs' Russell putting in extra work at second By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Cubs rookie Addison Russell is learning to make the physical transition from shortstop to second base. He's still working on changing how he mentally approaches the position. Russell, 21, did early work Wednesday with infield coach Gary Jones for the second straight day. The two likely will continue their early sessions most of the season. "I told Jonesy in Spring training that I like to stick to early work," Russell said. "You can make sure you get some of the small things done around second base, and get more understanding of second base. "I like where we're at right now, I like the progression we have going right now," he said. "The communication between me and Jonesy is really, really good. We're just going to try to keep doing that in the future." Russell, the Cubs' No. 2 prospect and the game's No. 3 shortstop prospect (both according to MLB.com), has only started at second since his promotion, and had to learn the position at the big league level, which is tough. Russell also never played at second with shortstop Starlin Castro until the big leagues. But is he still thinking like a shortstop? "Oh, yeah," Russell said. "Whenever Starlin has to cover the bag, I think I have to cover the bag sometimes. And that's vice versa with both of us. We figure it out. We'll get the job done." -- Cubs.com Wood, Niese set for battle of southpaws at Wrigley By Anthony DiComo Quick, guess which Mets starting pitcher has the lowest ERA through six-plus turns of the rotation. No, it's not Matt Harvey, though another strong performance Wednesday certainly put him in the conversation. It's not reigning National League Rookie of the Year Award winner Jacob deGrom, either. Instead, it's Jon Niese, something of a forgotten man despite being the rotation's longest-tenured member. Niese will put his 1.95 ERA on the line in Thursday's series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, opposite fellow left-hander Travis Wood. Despite plenty of experience against the Cubs in his career, Niese has yet to face several of the franchise's current hitters, including Kris Bryant and Addison Russell. While Bryant has dominated many of the recent headlines around Wrigley, Russell has quietly reached base safely in each of his last 16 games. Things to know about this game • Though Niese has had mixed success in eight career starts against the Cubs, he has held first baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Chris Coghlan to a combined three hits in 24 at-bats. • Bleachers or no bleachers, Wood is almost certainly glad to be starting at Wrigley. He is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA at home this season, versus 0-2 with a 7.71 mark on the road. It's an exaggerated version of Wood's 2014 season, in which he posted a 4.63 ERA at Wrigley, 5.47 everywhere else.

• Mets center fielder Juan Lagares sat out a second straight game Wednesday as he continued to nurse a sore muscle underneath his right armpit. Though Lagares could return as soon as Thursday, the Mets want to make sure he is completely healthy before inserting him back in the starting lineup. In Lagares' absence, Kirk Nieuwenhuis has been manning center. -- Cubs.com Maddon likes Bryant's right-center ability By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant, who hit his first big league triple Tuesday night to right field, expects more opposite-field hits. So does Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "That's who he is," Maddon said Wednesday of the Cubs' top prospect. "His left-field foul line should be left-center and then move it over from there. If he's hooking the ball a lot, he's not going to be happy. "I was really happy to see the ball go that way," Maddon said of the triple to right. "You'll see a lot of home runs to right-center. He's one of those rare dudes who can hit the ball out to the opposite gap in any ballpark, and you'll see that this summer." Bryant's ability to use the whole field also shows how advanced he is as a hitter. "When a young hitter hits opposite-field gap well, that really excites me," Maddon said. "As a hitting instructor, the easiest thing to teach a hitter to do is to pull the ball. The more difficult one is the [opposite] gap hard. When a guy comes equipped with those bells and whistles, that's really exciting, and he has that." Bryant, who made his big league debut April 17, entered Wednesday's game ranked among the top 16 in the National League with 19 RBIs. • After a Chicago Bulls NBA game, Derrick Rose met the media with his son, who was wearing a Jon Lester Cubs jersey. Lester was flattered. "I've never had another [athlete's] son wear my jersey," Lester said Wednesday. "If his son wants to wear mine, that's kind of cool." Lester offered to sign the jersey if Rose wanted. Speaking of stars, Maddon missed a chance to meet Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch on Tuesday night at Wrigley. "Just like they want to be athletes, we all wanted to be rock musicians," Maddon said. • Tommy La Stella, on the disabled list with right rib cage inflammation, was playing in extended spring games in Mesa, Ariz. There was no timetable for the infielder's return. -- ESPNChicago.com Struggles continue for Cubs Jorge Soler By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Hopefully for the Chicago Cubs, right fielder Jorge Soler will get back to being himself once the cold weather finally leaves for good. Right now, cold weather or not, he just doesn't look comfortable at the plate. And this has been going on for a while.

"You have to go beyond the cold weather," manager Joe Maddon said after his team's 2-1 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday. "You have to organize your strike zone." Soler leads the league with 49 strikeouts after adding two more to his total on Wednesday. He had a chance to be the hero in the ninth inning with no outs and the bases loaded in a 1-1 game, instead, he struck out on five pitches. Overall, he went 0-for-4 leaving five men on-base, one day after leaving seven on. But Maddon isn't worried for one reason: Soler has a history of showing good plate discipline. "There's an old scout saying, if a guy has done that, he's going to do it again," Maddon has said repeatedly. He's probably right. Soler has too much raw talent to just lose everything that made him who he is. And it's not like his overall numbers, .271/.329, are incredibly awful -- he had two hits in Tuesday's game. More than anything, he's being anxious, swinging at pitches outside the zone and not being patient in "clutch" situations. With men in scoring position and two outs Soler is 0-for-13 this season with nine strikeouts. With a man on third and less than two outs he also doesn't have a hit, though he has two sacrifice flies. It's in him, but it's not in there now. "Prodigious talent," Maddon said. "He's going to come back to it. He's a monster player in the making. He's just going through a rough patch right now." -- ESPNChicago.com The cliche works: Pitching and timely hitting (or walking) have Cubs on verge of a sweep By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Outfielder Chris Coghlan said it best, after earning a game-winning walk with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of the Chicago Cubs' dramatic 2-1 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday night. "We're a totally different team than last year," he stated. "This team is just different. I know you guys like to compare but you can't compare to last year or the years before because we have so much more talent, we have different chemistry, we have different options. It's exciting to be part of that." The different options might be the best thing about the Cubs' offense right now -- and the biggest change from the past. And the fact that it can produce late in games, that's a big change from a year ago as well. Wednesday was already the Cubs' third walk-off win of the season and they've won several others in their final road at-bats. "There's a great vibe in the dugout and the clubhouse," manager Joe Maddon said. Starter Jason Hammel added: "Someone will get it done. That's what everyone believes." Sometimes baseball can feel like the most individual of sports, but a lineup that just keeps things moving can feed off itself. The Cubs are truly handing the baton to the next guy. If he doesn't come through, someone else will. Coghlan picked up Jorge Soler, who had struck out right before the winning walk. "You have to control your emotions," Coghlan said. "You want to be the guy. That's the biggest deal." As much as Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo have been those guys, the Cubs were able to spread it around a little on Wednesday. Starlin Castro had a big hit in the final rally and Miguel Montero was on-base three times. Then there was Dexter Fowler. He looked awful at the plate until his final at-bat, a game=tying single in the eighth inning. "If you just stay focused on your grind, you'll be fine," Coghlan said. Pitching

Though the drama on Wednesday surrounded single runs scored in the eighth and ninth innings to win, the story of the week so far is the Cubs' pitching staff. Up against one of the best young rotations in the game, veterans Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel reminded everyone they can throw the ball a little bit as well. "If you can't have starting pitching and you wear down your bullpen early in the season they're not going to be ready late in the year when the games really count," Hammel said. As of just a few days ago that's exactly what the Cubs' starting staff was doing: Wearing down its bullpen. But maybe knowing the hottest rotation and pitching staff in the league was coming to town raised their game. Or maybe it was just time. "Gosh, he's been really, really good," Maddon said of Hammel. "You have to pitch better than good pitching. And we did." They've done it every night this week and that includes the bullpen. A win Thursday and the Cubs will have earned a signature series sweep. Their first of the season of more than two games. "This whole series was well pitched," Hammel said. "The whole way through." Hammel has been great this season, especially his control. He lamented a long first inning in which he issued his lone free pass of the night, to the game's second hitter, but he didn't give up a run despite a bases-loaded situation. And then he started to roll through the Mets. He faced the minimum amount of batters over the next four innings and completed eight for the second time this season. He gave up five hits and struck out six. "Our guy was fabulous," Maddon said. And that came one night after Arrieta threw about the same in going eight innings, and two nights after Lester won his third in a row. The Cubs are playing with house money after taking the first three games of the series against a first-place team who featured three highly touted young pitchers. "I was actually the first guy to blink, but we battled back," Hammel said. No, this is nothing like last year's team. Or any in recent memory. -- ESPNChicago.com Rapid Reaction: Cubs 2, Mets 1 By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets on Wednesday night, 2-1. Here’s a quick look at the game. How it happened: Chris Coghlan drove home pinch-runner Matt Szczur on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth. The Cubs scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings to win the game. Dexter Fowler brought home the tying run with a single to right to score Addison Russell in the eighth. It came as soon as Mets starter Matt Harvey left the game after seven very good innings on the mound. Like Tuesday, the game was scoreless until the sixth, when a Michael Cuddyer ground out scored Curtis Granderson, who had walked to lead off the inning. The big play was a Daniel Murphy double to get Granderson to third. It’s all that Cubs starter Jason Hammel gave up on a cold night, but Harvey was even better when he was in. The Cubs' big threat before the eighth came in the sixth, when Russell led off with a double but Fowler failed to get down a bunt attempt, striking out. Kris Bryant also struck out while Starlin Castro grounded to second base. Harvey struck out nine, Hammel six. The Cubs managed just three hits off the Mets' starter but beat the Mets' bullpen for the win. What it means: Just when it looked like all was lost, the Cubs' offense went to work, as Russell, Fowler, Anthony Rizzo and Chris Coghlan all came through. And for the third consecutive night the Cubs out-pitched a good staff.

Once again Jorge Soler struggled in the cold weather -- he struck out right before Coghlan's at-bat -- but his teammates came through for him. This was a tough matchup considering Harvey's lack of walks and the brutal cold, as the game-time temperature was 43 degrees. But the Cubs hung in there. High-strikeout pitchers will give the Cubs fits until they cut down on the swings and misses. But that swinging also makes the offense dangerous, so you take the good with the bad. Fowler has been as streaky as anyone on the Cubs and didn’t look comfortable against Harvey, striking out twice and flying out to center. But he came through later. What’s next: The Cubs go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon when Travis Wood (2-2, 4.96) faces Jonathon Niese (3-2, 1.95). -- CSNChicago.com Cubs find a way to beat Mets on Matt Harvey Day By Patrick Mooney Joe Maddon sat down at the table inside Wrigley Field’s interview room/dungeon and a reporter asked if the Cubs manager could lead Wednesday night’s postgame news conference with Matt Harvey. “Let’s start with Jason Hammel,” Maddon said, getting a few laughs after a 2-1 walk-off win over the New York Mets. All the talk about this four-game litmus-test series has revolved around the first-place Mets and their young power arms and how the Cubs will measure up with their stable of power hitters. The Cubs will now go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon after Hammel allowed only one run across eight innings and that young lineup finally broke through against New York’s bullpen. The Cubs outlasted The Dark Knight of Gotham. “It was going to be the first guy to blink,” Hammel said. “And I was actually the first guy to blink. But we battled back.” The ninth-inning rally began with Anthony Rizzo’s leadoff single against Mets reliever Carlos Torres. Pinch-runner Matt Szczur went first-to-third on Starlin Castro’s hit-and-run single to left field. An intentional walk to Miguel Montero loaded the bases in a tie game. After Jorge Soler struck out – and with five infielders in – Chris Coghlan worked a five-pitch walk against Mets closer Jeurys Familia. That sparked a mosh pit along the first-base line. “This team’s just different,” Coghlan said. “I know that you guys (in the media) have to compare. But you just really can’t compare, at least last year to this year or the years before. Because we have so much more talent. We have different chemistry. We have different options.” Harvey has done late-night comedy for Jimmy Fallon, posed naked for ESPN the Magazine’s “Body Issue” and gained 136,000 followers on his personal Twitter account. Not that Hammel (3.11 ERA) and rest of this Cubs rotation necessarily feels overshadowed or underrated. “That’s the New York media,” said Hammel, who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and notched his fourth straight quality start. “They’re going to get talked about all the time. Not to say that Chicago is any lighter. “Obviously, they had a great start to the season (an 11-game winning streak in April). We’ve lost a couple real close ones where we could be ‘hyped.’

“But we don’t really care. We’re playing quality ball right now. As long as we keep coming out and grinding out at-bats, playing our 27 outs, we should be fine.” Harvey, the 2013 All-Star Game starter who missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, dominated for seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and two walks against nine strikeouts. “Every advertisement he gets, he earns,” Coghlan said. “It’s tough to admit that, but he throws and commands all four pitches. He didn’t really throw many fastballs. It was all slider, cutter, curveball, a couple changeups, and then he’ll throw the heater in there late. Not many guys that can throw 95-98 (mph) are going to do that. That’s why he’s so effective.” The Cubs are now 18-15, winning six games in their last at-bat and feeling like they can play with anyone, anytime, anywhere. “There’s a great vibe in our dugout,” Maddon said. “We’re developing into this group. We’re starting to really believe. When you’re able to win games late on a consistent basis that becomes part of the fabric. It’s really important to feel that way. You’re going to have to win games like that. You have to beat good pitching by pitching better than good pitching.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs: Is Kris Bryant the long-term answer at third base? By Patrick Mooney Kris Bryant’s raw power got him drafted No. 2 overall in 2013 and put him on the fast track toward Wrigley Field. But the rookie third baseman doesn’t want to be viewed as a one-dimensional slugger. The Cubs can always shift Bryant to the outfield, depending on their long-term needs and which players step forward. He got time in the outfield at the University of San Diego and has already played 12 innings combined in center and left for a Cubs team that is trying to stress versatility. There are legitimate questions about whether Bryant’s 6-foot-5-inch frame will eventually push him away from the hot corner. But he’s shown enough potential within his first month in the big leagues that it’s not an open-and-shut case. “As he gets more comfortable over there, you’re going to see him do some really good things at third base,” manager Joe Maddon said before Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the New York Mets. “He’s quick. He’s got good range. He’s long. He can lean out there and just pick up some stuff other guys can’t get to.” Even while acknowledging the metrics can be flawed and/or misleading – and the Cubs are sacrificing defense and experience for offense – Bryant has committed four errors. His .934 fielding percentage ranked 10th among the 12 qualified third basemen in the National League. He hasn’t scored well so far in terms of defensive WAR (-0.3) and Ultimate Zone Rating (-1.0). “He’s also learning positioning, depths,” Maddon said. “When he goes to throw the baseball, I think you’re going to see him get even cleaner with that. Meaning he still wants to pat the ball a little bit in his glove, which causes that extra step.” Think of the way shortstop Starlin Castro mimicked Bryant during that bizarre synchronized throwing program last week against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. How do you break that habit?

“What I like to do there is you hit him groundballs and he has a ball in his bare hand,” Maddon said. “That forces you to catch the ball one-handed. And then if you move your feet properly, you’ll just throw it. I just like the one-handed drill.” As an amateur player, Bryant used to throw 90-plus mph as an occasional pitcher, so you know he has a strong right arm to go along with a strong work ethic. One American League scout who called Bryant “the real deal” did spot a hitch in that throwing motion, a kind of floppiness to his arm action. He’s typically been more comfortable going to his backhand instead of making plays on his forehand side. “I like really when an infielder does not take the ball back into his glove,” Maddon said. “Watch – a lot of them do it. I like it cleanly picked up, and then you just throw it with your right footwork. “His feet are getting better. His stroke’s getting better. His understanding of the whole thing’s getting better. It’s a one-handed game. He’s catching the ball one-handed, which I like. I’m constantly seeing improvement.” It won’t happen overnight, but Bryant is a baseball gym rat who will do whatever it takes to stick at third base. “I’m going to try to be a complete player,” Bryant said. “I think I’ve improved a lot defensively just working on that every day. I’m pleased with the all-around game now. And I think I can get even better.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs-Mets: Curtis Granderson explains how to survive in a big market By Patrick Mooney The Chicago media, the New York tabloids and the national TV networks have tried hard to sell this as coming attractions, a sneak preview for October, the Cubs and Mets as two National League teams on the rise. But before we anoint them as playoff contenders for years to come, just listen to Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, the kind of veteran leader the Cubs probably would have tried to sign after the 2013 season if their timelines had matched up better. “The big thing is: 1.) You got to hope everybody stays healthy,” Granderson said before New York’s 2-1 loss on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field. “That’s one thing that we can never control and never can see. And 2.) Hopefully, everybody continues not to be content. It’s one thing getting there and getting excited that I’ve made it. But then some people stop working at that point. “Hopefully, everybody continues to keep wanting to get better and will look and say: This is one point of where I want to be over the course of my career. And, hopefully, I’m a little further at this point next year, and the year after that. But (that’s) a lot easier said than done.” Granderson, a three-time All-Star, stood in front of his locker inside the cramped visiting clubhouse, explaining how to survive in a big market and keep your reputation intact. Granderson knows this city after graduating from Thornton Fractional South High School and the University of Illinois at Chicago and staying involved here with his charitable foundation. Granderson knows what it’s like for a talented young core to come together after making a surprise run to the 2006 World Series with the Detroit Tigers. Granderson knows New York and win-or-else expectations after going to the playoffs with the Yankees in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

“You just got to understand that you’re going to get asked questions in the best times, and also the worst times,” Granderson said. “Be ready to step up and answer those (questions). Definitely don’t hide from it, because it’s always going to be there. “A big thing (I learned) from Derek Jeter early on (was) not reading what’s being written. I think I was doing that even in the minor leagues when you had such publications as Baseball America and the different almanacs and references that were putting guys here, there and everywhere. “But those guys aren’t the ones making the decision. You guys have a story to do, and we respect that and understand that. But at the same time, if I go out there and play, and know what I can do, and talk to my coaching staff and my organization on how I need to get better, then ultimately I can get to where I want.” For years, Cubs prospects have been told how great everything’s going to be in Chicago, a city that caters to athletes and has so many distractions. Kris Bryant got his own adidas billboard on Addison Street before his big-league debut, and filmed a Red Bull commercial during his time with Triple-A Iowa. Addison Russell is the third-youngest player in the majors at 21 years and 111 days and learning a new position (second base) on the fly. Who knows when Javier Baez will hit his way out of Des Moines and if he can make the adjustments at this level? Jorge Soler hasn’t made it look quite as easy this season, striking out 49 times through 143 plate appearances. Starlin Castro earned three All-Star selections before his 25th birthday and some people still think it would make sense to trade him to New York. (The Mets aren’t a fit.) “One day, you can be the best person in the paper,” Granderson said. “The next day, you can be the worst person in the paper. So I leave that to family and friends to read that and get the highlights. “Just come ready to play and just continue to have fun. You have fun – it doesn’t matter where you’re playing at.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs are 'starting to believe' after late rally to beat Mets By Mark Gonzales The mission against the Mets and other pitching-rich teams is simple for Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "You have to pitch better than good pitching, and we did," Maddon said Wednesday night after the Cubs rallied for a 2-1 victory that put them one win from a four-game sweep against the National League's second-best pitching staff. After being held scoreless for seven innings by Matt Harvey, the Cubs broke through with the tying and winning runs in the eighth and ninth, capped by a bases-loaded walk with one out by Chris Coghlan. "In those situations, you have to control your emotions," Coghlan said after drawing his walk against Jeurys Familia. "Everyone wants to be the guy to drive in the winning run. He didn't give me anything to hit, so I took my walk." Coghlan's walk ignited an unusually wild celebration for an 18-15 team. The Cubs' confidence didn't waver despite facing Harvey, who was 3-0 in starts after Mets losses this season. "They're really starting to believe," Maddon said. "When you win games late on a consistent basis, it becomes part of the fabric, and it's really important to feel that way.

"You have to win games like that. You have to beat good pitching by pitching better than good pitching, and you have to come up with a timely hit." Starting pitching has set the tone in this series, particularly with Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel combining to allow two runs in 16 innings and give a break to a bullpen that had an 8.72 ERA during last week's 2-5 trip. "You don't get deep in the playoffs without starting pitching," Hammel said. "To talk about playoffs, we've got four months to go. If you can't have (good) starting pitching, you're going to wear down your bullpen during the season, and they're not going to be ready late in the year when games really count. "We have to set the tone. We have to be the guys that are leaned on and be the consistent ones so guys know if we get one or two runs, we might be able to win." Rookie Addison Russell led off the sixth with a double off Harvey but was stranded. Russell and the Cubs were more fortunate in the eighth, when he poked a single to right off Carlos Torres, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Dexter Fowler's hit. Despite not playing second base until five weeks ago at Triple-A Iowa, Russell, 21, said he would be content if he stayed there after spending most of his career at shortstop. He has looked more comfortable in the past week, thanks in part to work with coach Gary Jones as early as five hours before games. "Still getting there," said Russell, who pivoted and avoided contact to complete an inning-ending double play in the third. "Even if I've been playing there for years and years, I'd still want to learn about the position. I've got a long way to go, but I'm getting more comfortable." Jones believes the reps Russell is receiving before games will make him more comfortable and allow him to react naturally. "There are still some things that will come up in a game, plays that he hasn't had on that side of the diamond," Jones said. "We'll just cover some of those little nuance plays that might come up that probably haven't come up yet." Maddon remains firmly in Russell's corner. "I have a lot of confidence in him as a person," Maddon said. "He's definitely ready to play every day. He sets high standards for himself." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs ride roller coaster with Jorge Soler By Mark Gonzales In a six-game span, Chicago Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler is batting .278 with one double and one home run. But he's also struck out nine times during that stretch, and he grounded into two double plays Wednesday night. After an impressive 2 1/2-week start, Soler has been very inconsistent at the plate, and his 49 strikeouts lead the National League. Although Soler went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in 43-degree weather, "it goes beyond the cold weather," manager Joe Maddon said. "You got to organize the strike zone. And he’s a young guy. We talked a lot about it."

Soler's strike zone issues appeared cured early, when Maddon compared his right fielder to "Vladimir Guerrero with more patience at the plate." Soler was batting .327 on April 21, only to dip to .247 at the end of April and is currently batting .271. He also has struck out at least once in 11 of his past 13 games. "There’s an old scouting axiom," Maddon said. "If a guy has done that before, he’s going to do it again. I believe he’s going to do it again. He’s off a little bit. We got to keep preaching patience. He's a prodigious talent. He’s going to come back. "You have to be patient, pick your spots, do a lot of talking, but show confidence because this guy is a monster player in the making. He’s just going through a rough patch right now." -- Chicago Tribune Wednesday's recap: Cubs 2, Mets 1 By Mark Gonzales The summary With a game-time temperature of 43 degrees and 11-mph winds blowing from the north Wednesday night, the Cubs pulled out a 2-1 win over the Mets on a bases-loaded walk by Chris Coghlan with one out in the ninth. Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro started the rally with singles off Carlos Torres, and Miguel Montero was intentionally walked. At the plate The Cubs managed only three hits in seven innings off Matt Harvey, who struck out nine. Montero drew a walk for the ninth consecutive game — equaling the longest Cubs streak since Gary Matthews Jr. in 2001. On the mound Jason Hammel posted his fourth consecutive quality start with eight innings of one-run ball and was supported by two double plays. In the field Manager Joe Maddon said he can't remember center fielder Dexter Fowler misjudging a ball, and Fowler backed up Maddon's claim by making a running catch in the alley in right center to rob rookie Kevin Plawecki of a hit to end the fourth. Key number 0.63 — Harvey's ERA in four starts after a Mets loss. The quote "Somebody will get it done. That's what everyone believes." — Hammel Up next Vs. Mets, 1:20 p.m. Thursday, CSN. --

Chicago Tribune Cubs' computer contains walking chip By Mark Gonzales The Chicago Cubs have racked up their share of strikeouts, but that's been offset recently by their patience at the plate. They've drawn 17 walks in the first three games of their four-game series against a New York Mets pitching staff that has allowed only 75 walks - the fewest in the National League. The Cubs scored their winning run Wednesday night on a bases-loaded walk by Chris Coghlan, who admitted it was a struggle to maintain his patience. "Guys come with that chip," manager Joe Maddon said. "Some guys don’t come with that chip in the computer, the hard drive. The RAM isn’t necessarily large enough. Some guys just want to get hits, and they don’t understand the importance of accepting your walks. Either you got to buy patience or develop it. "It's easier for me to teach a guy to strike out than it is to teach him to walk. It's not easily taught." -- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon wants Kris Bryant to tap out of fielding routine By Mark Gonzales Despite his impressive all-around start, there is one facet of Kris Bryant's game that manager Joe Maddon would like his rookie slugger to polish. That would be eliminating the tapping of the glove after fielding a grounder and before throwing to first base. The delay hasn't cost Bryant an error yet, but Maddon has instituted a drill for Bryant that he works daily with infield coach Gary Jones. "You you hit him ground balls and he holds a ball in his bare hand," Maddon said. "That forces you to catch the ball one-handed. And then you if you move your feet properly, you’ll just throw it. I like the one-handed drill." Maddon fully understands that fielding with two hands goes against what some players are taught, adding that his late father stressed using two hands. "But using two hands, a lot of times, creates stiffness and jabbing," said Maddon, adding that using two hands to catch a ball should be used exclusively when catching a ball in the outfield and throwing it. "You don’t want to see a first baseman catching a ball two-handed. You never want to see an outfielder on the run catching a ball two-handed. When an infielder is going to his right or left, you never want to see him catch the ball - even right at him. The other hand is there to protect a bad hop. Otherwise you receive the ball and gather it one-handed. Catchers catch the ball one-handed." Maddon said that he won't get upset if Bryant doesn't immediately adjust quickly. "Those are the kind of things if a guy isn’t doing them right, it doesn’t bum me out," Maddon said. "Those things are really correctable things. "It’s like anything else. It doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll have that epiphany. 'that’s what he meant.' And that can happen two or three years from the first time he heard something." --

Chicago Sun-Times Three-step drop: Cubs' Kris Bryant works to eliminate bad habit By Gordon Wittenmyer Alfonso Soriano had his fly-ball hop. Kris Bryant has his three-step crow hop on throws to first. For now, at least. Soriano, a converted infielder who committed two errors on the hop in his first two years with the Cubs, never quite got past the quirky habit, despite occasional vows to stop doing it and one temporary, late-career stretch during which he actually did. Bryant, the slugging rookie third baseman whose fielding often gets overshadowed by the other considerable parts of his game, says he strives to be a complete player. That’s going to eventually have to include getting rid of the ball quicker and smoother on routine plays if he plans to stay at third base. Manager Joe Maddon said as much before Wednesday’s game, even as he lauded Bryant’s performance at third, which team officials say has exceeded their expectations. “When he goes to throw the baseball, I think you’re going to see him get even cleaner with that,” Maddon said, “meaning he still wants to pat the ball a little bit in his glove, which causes an extra step.” Or three or four. “I like when an infielder does not take the ball back into his glove. A lot of them do,” Maddon said. “I like it cleanly picked up, and then you just pick the ball lup and you throw it with your right footwork.” It’s something Bryant works on every day before games. And so far it hasn’t cost the Cubs. He has committed four errors, but none on throws. One evaluator during Bryant’s first week in the big leagues referred to his “floppy” arm on routine plays, but his throws have generally been strong and accurate. “His feet are getting better, his stroke’s getting better, his understanding of the whole thing’s getting better,” Maddon said. “It’s a one-handed game, and he’s catching the ball one-handed, which I like. I’m constantly seeing improvement with the whole thing. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” Maddon added. “He’s quick. He’s got good range. He’s long. He can lean out there and just pick up some stuff other guys can’t get to. “As he gets more comfortable over there, you’re going to see him do some really good things at third base.” Meanwhile, Bryant has continued to show exceptional performance levels in every other aspect of his game. Despite being sentenced to the minors for the Cubs’ first eight games, he entered Wednesday with a team-leading 20 walks, was one off the team lead in RBIs (19) and had an .877 OPS just 24 games into his big-league career. In fact, in Wednesday’s fourth inning, he beat out an infield single for the third time in six games – second in as many nights — this one not quite as routine as the other two, with third-baseman Daniel Murphy forced to reach to his backhand for the ball. “He’s a baseball player, man,” Maddon said. “That’s what you want. A guy that plays the whole game, understands the concepts of offense and defense, and offense includes base running.”

-- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs win, but no Grandy-ose prediction from Curtis on young Cubs or Mets By Gordon Wittenmyer Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson hasn’t seen enough of this new version of the Cubs to say with any conviction whether they’re for real, no matter how many times they beat his first-place team this week. “The potential’s definitely there,” he said. The Chicago-area native knows better than most in the game the history and scrutiny that follows each new incarnation of Cub teams with every year that passes in this second century without a championship. As a three-time All-Star who played on a World Series team in Detroit and three playoff teams for the Yankees, Granderson also knows better than most the pitfalls, uncertainty, hype, hope and hard luck that are constant companions of even the best young teams and the most well-paid, star-studded ones. Case in point Wednesday night: The best of the Mets’ stable of young, hard-throwing pitchers, Matt Harvey, stifled the Cubs on three hits for seven scoreless innings at Wrigley Field. And the Cubs won 2-1 anyway, on the strength of eight impressive innings by overshadowed veteran Jason Hammel and a pair of late-inning runs against the Mets bullpen – the final run scoring on Chris Coghlan’s bases-loaded walk with one out in the ninth. “There’s a great vibe in our dugout,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the Cubs’ fifth victory this season when trailing after seven (they won three of those all last year). “They’re starting to believe.” It gave the Cubs and their touted core of 25-and-under hitters victories in the first three games of a four-game series that concludes Thursday – despite the Mets starting three of their top 26-and-under pitching prodigies on those games. “It’s just something we all dream about as a little kid,” said 21-year-old Cubs second baseman Addison Russell, who on his 23rd day in the majors doubled off Harvey in the sixth, then singled and scored the tying run against reliever Carlos Torres in the eighth. “Finally being able to face a guy like Harvey. I feel bless and thankful for that.” Hammel looked like he was going to make it moot when a walk, single and hit batter loaded the bases in the first with one out. He pitched out of it, retiring 13 of the next 14. “Obviously facing Harvey, it was going to be the first guy to blink,” said Hammel, whose leadoff single allowed to Granderson in the sixth turned into the Mets’ run on a Daniel Murphy double followed by a ground out. “I was actually the first guy to blink. But we battled back.” The Cubs might be a year or more away from making a serious October run even if the projections and promise of Theo Epstein’s regime play out as planned. Granderson’s been around too long to make predictions on that kind of thing, whether it involves one of his hometown teams, his current team or anyone else’s. “The big thing is, one, you’ve got to hope everybody stays healthy,” he said. “That’s one thing that we can never control.

“And, two, hopefully everybody continues not to be content. There’s one thing of getting there and getting excited that I’ve made it. But then some people stop working at that point. “Hopefully everybody continues to keep wanting to get better and say, `This is one point [on the path] of where I want to be over the course of my career, and hopefully I’m a little further [than] this point next year, and the year after that.’ “ Granderson should know. After his Tigers lost to the Cardinals in the 2006 World Series, his 2010 Yankees team won just one playoff series, and his ’11 and ’12 Yankee playoff teams were bounced in the division series. This upstart Mets team with all the pitching, and the first-place standing in the N.L. East even after the losses, might be his last best shot. “It’s a lot easier said than done,” he said. -- Daily Herald Cubs' Maddon says one-handed catches just fine By Bruce Miles No doubt old-time Little League coaches and catch-playing dads will cringe at what Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday about the proper way of fielding a baseball. "It's a one-handed game," Maddon said before the game against the New York Mets. The topic came up as Maddon was talking about how well he believes rookie third baseman Kris Bryant is fielding. "Everybody, and my dad was the same way and God bless him, 'Two hands,' " Maddon said. "There are times when two hands are necessary in fielding a ball. Most of the time it's one-handed. Two hands a lot of times creates stiffness and jabbing receiving a baseball. "Two hands, where you should be utilizing it, is catching a flyball and you have to throw it. That's what two hands are really for. But you don't want to see a first baseman ever catch a ball two-handed. You don't ever want to see an outfielder on the run catching a ball two-handed. "When an infielder is going right or left, you never want to see him catch a ball with two hands. Even right at him, the other hand is just there to protect (from) a bad hop. Otherwise you receive the ball one-handed. Catchers catch the ball one-handed." Maddon added that there is a way to teach infielders to field the ball with one hand. "What I like to do there is you have an infielder, you hit him groundballs, and he has a ball in his bare hand," he said. "That forces you to catch the ball one-handed. That way you can move your feet properly and just throw it." Opposites attract: Kris Bryant hooked a couple of foul balls against Mets ace Matt Harvey in Wednesday's first inning. Joe Maddon was happy to talk about Bryant's triple to the opposite field in right during Tuesday's game. "His left-field foul line should be pretty much be left-center, and then he moves everything over from there," Maddon said. "If he's hooking the ball too much, he's probably not going to be happy. "He's one of those weird dudes who can hit the ball out to the opposite gap in any ballpark. I think you're going to see that this summer.

"When a young hitter hits opposite-field gap well, that really excites me. As a hitting instructor, the easier thing to teach a hitter to do is to pull the ball. The more difficult one would be to hit the oppo-gap hard. "When a guy comes equipped with those bells and whistles, that's really exciting. And he has it." This and that: Catcher Miguel Montero entered Wednesday with a walk in each of his eight previous games. He was the first Cub with a walk in eight consecutive games played since Sammy Sosa in 2002 … Kris Bryant had 20 walks in 24 games, seventh best in the National League. All six players ahead of Bryant had played in at least 30 games. -- Daily Herald Cubs walk-off wonders in 2-1 win over Mets By Bruce Miles Just call them the Incredible Walking Cubs. And who'd have thought that? Not known much for their willingness to take walks or ability to get on base in recent years, the Cubs are finding themselves near the top in those categories this year. Wednesday night at cold and windy Wrigley Field, Chris Coghlan drew a bases-loaded walk against Jeurys Familia in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Cubs walked away with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the New York Mets. Getting the Cubs as an organization to have their hitters be more patient at the plate has been something akin to trying to turning an ocean liner around, but they appear to be heading in a different direction. They entered the game ranked second in the National League in walks and fifth in on-base percentage. "To accept your walks, man," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team has beaten the Mets three in a row to improve to 18-15. "Gosh, guys come with that chip. Some guys don't come with that chip, in the computer, the hard drive. The RAM's not necessarily large enough. "Guys just sometimes want to get hits. They don't understand the importance of accepting your walks. You have to buy it. You have to buy patience or develop it." For Coghlan, all he was thinking about was trying not to get too excited in his one-out plate appearance after Jorge Soler struck out. "In those situation, you have to really control your emotions, because you want to be the guy," Coghlan said. "You want to be the guy. Everybody wants to be the guy to drive in the winning run. I think that's the biggest deal, to be able to control your emotions. He really didn't give me anything to hit, so I took my walk." Coghlan was here last year, when the Cubs were 10th in walks and 13th in OBP. "Are you comparing last year to this year?" he asked. "I think we're a totally different team last year compared to this year. We're different players here. No disrespect, I don't think that's probably a good comparison to do that. We're young, so there are guys who are still trying to learn. But we're a totally different team offensively." The other fun subplot Wednesday was the pitching battle between the Cubs' Jason Hammel and Mets ace Matt Harvey. The Mets got a run in the sixth off Hammel, but he was able to outlast Harvey, pitching 8 innings to Harvey's 7.

The Cubs tied the game in the eighth as Addison Russel singled with one out, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Dexter Fowler's single. Anthony Rizzo led off the ninth with a single. Matt Szczur pinch ran and went to third on Starlin Castro's single to left. An intentional walk to Miguel Montero set up the winner. "Tonight, facing Harvey, it was going to be the first guy to blink," Hammel said. "And I was actually the first guy to blink. We battled back. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to pitch in the strike zone, pitch to contact and do my minimize my pitches and get as deep as I can." --