Community Picks: Chicago Cubs 0% vs Philadelphia Phillies 0%

Major League Baseball is encouraging its players to kick back and have some fun. The league and the Players Association came up with Players Weekend as a way to connect to the baseball players of tomorrow. Some are creative, some are funny and some are dull – we’re looking at you Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester (he just went with “Lester.”) Others aren’t as straightforward. Continue to Article

August 25, 2017 9:22:am EST

Here are five takeaways from the Cubs' 4-2 loss over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night at the Great American Ball Park. 1) Cubs' five-game winning streak snapped. It was the third time Joe Maddon's squad had a five-game winning streak this season. They were in fine position to pull out a win in the series finale, but a late rally by the Reds doomed the Cubs' chances. The Cubs are now 68-58 on the campaign and hold a three-game lead in the NL Central. 2) Pedro Strop's struggles continue. Strop allowed three more runs — all earned — in the eighth inning to give the Reds a 4-2 lead, and win. In his last seven appearances, the 32-year-old reliever has allowed eight earned runs on nine hits in Continue to Article

August 24, 2017 11:14:pm EST

Phillies (46-80) vs. Cubs (68-58) 7:05 p.m. on CSN; streaming live on CSNPhilly.com and the NBC Sports App After coughing up an 8-3 lead on Thursday, the Phillies enter Friday's series opener against the Cubs with the worst record in baseball. However, Rhys Hoskins stayed hot with a home run and three RBIs, tying records along the way. Tonight, Jerad Eickhoff tries to rebound from a subpar outing in San Francisco while the Phils face off against new Cubs ace Jose Quintana. Here are five things to know for Friday night's game: 1. Hulking Hoskins Major-league pitchers have been unable to contain Hoskins through 15 MLB games and are still hoping to contain him. He smashed his fifth homer in a six-game Continue to Article

August 24, 2017 10:41:pm EST

Here are five takeaways from the Cubs' 4-2 loss over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night at the Great American Ball Park. 1) Cubs' five-game winning streak snapped. It was the third time Joe Maddon's squad had a five-game winning streak this season. They were in fine position to pull out a win in the series finale, but a late rally by the Reds doomed the Cubs' chances. The Cubs are now 68-58 on the campaign and hold a three-game lead in the NL Central. 2) Pedro Strop's struggles continue. Strop allowed three more runs — all earned — in the eighth inning to give the Reds a 4-2 lead, and win. In his last seven appearances, the 32-year-old reliever has allowed eight earned runs on nine hits in Continue to Article

August 24, 2017 10:35:pm EST

It’s been a solid week-or-so for charmingly guileless displays by hockey figures at Chicago MLB games. First, there was Don Cherry flubbing (or editorializing, if he was going pro-Blue Jays?) “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at a Chicago Cubs game. To his credit, he handled the poor pitch with good humor, as NBC Chicago reports. Continue to Article

August 24, 2017 9:00:pm EST