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Today’s Reflections
The duo performance of Matthew Boyd and Shōta Imanaga was a huge development for the Cubs’ rotation, especially when coupled with Colin Rea’s quality start Friday. Imanaga depended on his defense for double plays and avoided the home-run ball Sunday to keep the outing smooth. Between the three starters, they combined for an ERA of 2.54 and a 0.895 WHIP. What runners they had on base, they made sure they were stranded.
Boyd now appears to be returning to top form since he has returned from the IL. He has been alternating good/bad starts, so here’s hoping he starts to string good ones together. Jameson Taillon will return Monday night, so if successful, that will limit the expectations some on Javier Assad and David Peterson. One will become a long reliever, which will definitely help the bullpen. Speaking of, the bullpen gave up three runs over eight innings with 13 baserunners and struck out seven over the weekend. Definitely a case of bending but not breaking. So the phone need to continue to be busy by the deadline to support the pitching staff.
Offensively, the Cubs were led by Nico Hoerner, who went 8-for-13 against the Twins over the weekend with a triple and 5 RBI. In a true sign that the results may finally be arriving for Hoerner, his BABIP for the series was .727. Seiya Suzuki was 4-for-9 with four walks, four runs scored and two doubles. Michael Busch was 5-for-13 with a walk, four runs, a home run and three RBI. Alex Bregman was hitless the first two games of the series, but went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and a two-RBI HR. In two games, Pedro Ramirez was 4-for-7 with a walk, two doubles and three RBI. And in his only appearance, Miguel Amaya had a two-run double.
En masse, it was a stunning weekend for the Cubs. But some of the same warning areas are still there, namely the lack of consistency on offense, which was shown when Rea’s performance Friday was wasted, and the high-wire act of the bullpen. But there is a lot to build from this series win.
Sunday’s Game Stories:
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): How Imanaga is shaping up to help Chicago’s late-season push. “After Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong chased down a drive from Royce Lewis deep into the gap to his right — sending ivy leaves flying off the vines clinging to the Wrigley Field’s famous wall — ***** Imanaga stood on the mound with his hands on his hips.”
- Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): ***** Imanaga looks like his dominant self again in Cubs’ rout of Twins. ”Imanaga is moving further away from a brutal four-game stretch in which he had a 10.80 ERA, raising his season number from 2.32 to 4.74. His performance Sunday lowered it to 3.91.“
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs take the series win with ***** Imanaga on a hot streak — plus Theo Epstein’s advice to Jed Hoyer. “As the Chicago Cubs search for more pitching at the trade deadline, the top of the rotation is starting to get healthier and more consistent.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Bregman’s torrid HR stretch rolls on to power Cubs’ offensive outburst. “One series into the second half, the North Siders look to have picked up where they left off.”
Saturday’s Game Stories:
- Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times): Matthew Boyd, Nico Hoerner strut their stuff in Cubs’ win over Twins. “For different reasons, starting pitcher Matthew Boyd and second baseman Nico Hoerner did not have the first halves of the season they or the Cubs envisioned.”
- Andy Martinez (Chicago Tribune {$}): Long time coming: Matthew Boyd celebrates 10-year milestone with a win — and Chicago Cubs fete 2016 champions. “Matthew Boyd reached 10 years of service time Saturday in the Chicago Cubs’ 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.”
Trade Talk:
- Derek Antoine (The Big Lead): Blue Jays likely to trade Kevin Gausman, & 3 teams make the most sense. “Where will Kevin Gausman get traded? These three teams make the most sense.”
- Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Matt Shaw knows he’s in trade rumors; he just doesn’t want to hear about it. “While the utility player recovers from a sprained left hand, his name is all over the place as possible trade bait for the pitching-hungry Cubs.”
- Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs trade idea swaps two young outfielders in ‘overpay’ to land 3.77 ERA Royals All-Star. “This Cubs trade idea was called an overpay by the ex-MLB GM who proposed it.” (Guess who the ex-GM was)
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): With the trade deadline looming, here are the Cubs prospects to know. “Some names to know as the MLB trade deadline approaches.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): 1 buy-low, 1 realistic, and 1 dream Cubs 2026 trade deadline target for ailing starting rotation. “The Cubs clearly need starting pitching, but how aggressive they search is the question.”
- Matt Snyder (CBSSports.com): MLB rumors: Teams lining up for Mets pitchers; Red Sox talk ‘complicated’ plans; Angels ready to flip starters. “Here are the latest MLB rumors with the trade deadline just a few weeks away.”
- Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs need trade deadline to fix pitching issues they can’t solve from within. “At this point, the Cubs can’t make any assumptions about their 12 pitchers currently on the injured list, and they won’t rule out adding to both the bullpen and the rotation for the stretch run.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs spring for familiar face with trade to acquire Civale from A’s, “Given the need for pitching depth at the moment, Chicago has once again brought the veteran righty back into the fold to help.”
Draft Analysis and Minors Talk:
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs loaded up on pitchers in the MLB draft. Here are the arms they’re excited about. “With the combination of data and high-speed video, the pitching infrastructure feels very confident about what it can do with a pitcher even before it has selected him.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs’ top pick Townsend has mentor in fellow Ole Miss pitcher Rolison. “Cubs lefty Ryan Rolison first met Cade Townsend when the pitching prospect was just getting his Ole Miss journey started as a freshman two offseasons ago.”
- Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Brooks Caple’s Breakout Has Given Cubs More Leeway with Top Pitching Prospects at Trade Deadline. “An unsung 2024 draft pick, Brooks Caple has become a legitimate top pitching prospect within the Cubs farm system in 2026.”
Assorted Stories:
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs may finally be getting old Nico Hoerner back after miserable slump. “Nico being Nico.”
- Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Is Pedro Ramírez the Real Deal? “Pedro Ramírez’s first taste of the majors has been everything the Cubs could’ve hoped for. With impressive contact skills, encouraging underlying metrics, and a mature approach at the plate, the 22-year-old is making a strong case that he’s here to stay.”
- Vanessa Serrao (Yardbarker): ***** Imanaga is driving Cubs’ momentum in NL wild-card race. “Despite a 2026 roller coaster ride season for the Chicago Cubs, they remain first in the NL wild-card race, and starting pitcher ***** Imanaga’s stability in the rotation has helped them make a push.”
- Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Tweak Starting Rotation Ahead of Tigers Series as Jameson Taillon Returns. “The Chicago Cubs will add Jameson Taillon back to the rotation this week, but will he look any better?”
- Casey Drottar (MLB.com): Boyd, in moment he never thought possible, hits 10-year mark in MLB. “Matthew Boyd remembers what it was like celebrating Justin Verlander reaching 10 years of service time when both were teammates with the Tigers in 2015.”
- Cole Bair (Bleacher Nation): A Great Day, Better Days Ahead? Hoerner Heat Up, Trade Chips, and Other Cubs Bullets. “Perhaps I’m just a sucker for the feel-good story and the vibes, but I do wonder if (Saturday’s) events provide any sort of bump mentally for the 2026 Cubs.”
2016 Reunion:
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: A sweet hangover from the 2016 Chicago Cubs reunion. “The 2016 Chicago Cubs reunion is over, but the hangover was worth it.”
- Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$): Theo Epstein has no interest in running another major-league team — for now. “Amid a wave of nostalgia for the Chicago Cubs team that ended a 108-year championship drought, former club president Theo Epstein reaffirmed his desire to avoid the day-to-day grind of running another major-league franchise. At least for now.”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Celebrating the 2016 Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field never gets old, even as the players do. “If the Cubs ever win the World Series, they’ll build statues of the players and none of them will ever have to pay for a drink in Chicago again. We heard that maxim for years. Ten years later, there are still no statues. But the Cubs owners did erect a Champions Gate dedicated to the World Series winning teams of 1907, 1908 and 2016 and invited the ’16 gang back this weekend for a dedication ceremony amid a 10-year-reunion.”
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Food For Thought:
When Code Blue debuted in the early 1990s, the band’s high caliber musicianship and unique mix of soul and blues, covers and originals, quickly caught on, attracting a local following that established them as a trailblazing State College band. In 1993, Code Blue kicked it up a notch when their album Stages/Then and Now opened the door to regional touring. By 2000, Code Blue had dissolved as members went different directions. Fast forward to the present. Core members of Code Blue have reunited to continue their tradition of delivering blues, soul, and R&B at an exceptional and exciting level of musicianship.
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