Dansby Swanson's game-tying RBI fielder's choice
Dive into the Chicago Cubs' electrifying 2025 season with ESPN's Jesse Rogers on Big League Buzz! From Kyle Tucker's superstar impact to Craig Counsell's game-changing strategies, we unpack why the Cubs are poised to dominate the NL Central. Will they go all-in at the trade deadline for Zach Gallen or Merrill Kelly? Can Pete Crow-Armstrong become a top-tier hitter? Plus, get the inside scoop on the Cubs' playoff potential and long-term plans. Don't miss this deep dive into Chicago's hottest MLB storylines! Subscribe, like, and comment—are you a believer in the Cubs' 2025 run?
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23 minutes ago
Cade Horton tosses 2-hit ball over 5 innings as Cubs beat Orioles 1-0
CHICAGO -- Rookie Cade Horton tossed two-hit ball over five innings, and the Chicago Cubs overcame a terrific start by Trevor Rogers to beat the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 on Friday. The Cubs showed a video tribute of Ryne Sandberg and held 23 seconds of silence prior to their first home game since the Hall of Famer died. Former teammates Shawon Dunston, Jody Davis and Rick Sutcliffe then honored their friend by carrying a base onto the field and placing it at second. A few hours earlier, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the 2027 All-Star Game will be held at Wrigley Field during a news conference at home plate with Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, Gov. JB Pritzker and mayor Brandon Johnson. Ian Happ hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning against Rogers, and the Cubs started the weekend series on a winning note after losing two of three at Milwaukee. They began the day trailing the NL Central-leading Brewers by one game. Horton (5-3) delivered his third straight scoreless outing. Caleb Thielbar, newcomer Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller each worked an inning. Daniel Palencia pitched around a two-out double by Adley Rutschman in the ninth, retiring Tyler O'Neill on a fly to deep left for his 15th save in 16 chances. Rogers (4-2) was a tough-luck loser for Baltimore. The left-hander matched a career high by going eight innings and allowed one run and four hits. He struck out eight and walked none. Carson Kelly singled leading off the second, took third on Pete Crow-Armstrong's double to deep center and scored on Happ's sacrifice fly. Horton has gone 17 2/3 innings without allowing a run.
Chicago Tribune
38 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Chicago Cubs boss Tom Ricketts can take a bow after a successful week of chairmaning
Tom Ricketts, you've just secured the 2027 All-Star Game for Wrigley Field, extended your president of baseball operations and retained all of your top prospects at the trade deadline. What are you going to do next? 'I'm going to Rickettsville!' We can only dream that Ricketts, the Cubs chairman, co-owner and khaki enthusiast, will soon get his own TV commercial to commemorate the big three accomplishments of the last week. It was chairmaning at its finest. An eight-year journey to grab the All-Star Game ended Friday when MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the news everyone knew was coming. That came four days after the announcement of President Jed Hoyer's contract extension that everyone knew was inevitable. And Hoyer's extension came three days before a trade-deadline strategy that protected the precious prospects while making marginal improvements to the bullpen and bench. As Joe Maddon would've said, it was a 'win-win-win' situation. Ricketts pulled off a certified Cubs hat trick, accompanied Friday morning by plenty of pomp and circumstance — and a mayor and governor who deified the Cubs owners while subtly dissing the White Sox. The ceremony was hosted by president of business operations Crane Kenney, who named himself emcee for the All-Star festivities because of course he did. So take a bow, Tom. Congrats to you, Jed. And, oh, Crane, please take a seat, thank you. The biggest news Friday, other than the Cubs' super-fast 1-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles, was the All-Star Game coming to Wrigley in two years, barring a work stoppage that Manfred refused to address. But the most important news this week was extending Hoyer, who went into the season as a lame duck and then watched the majority of his moves pay off, from Pete Crow-Armstrong's ascension to the Kyle Tucker acquisition to the overlooked signing of Matthew Boyd. It was as good a 'walk year' as you'd see from any free-agent player, and other organizations likely would've pursued Hoyer had he played out the contract, as Cubs manager Craig Counsell did with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023. 'Going into the season we watched Jed do some great work over the years.' Ricketts said. 'Everyone knows when he came in in '21, we were a little thin. We didn't really have a core, we didn't really have a system and we knew it was going to take a while to get back to that. The way he's methodically gone about developing the right players and bringing them up, looking for the right guys to add and being thoughtful about who he signs and when he signs them, all those things added up. 'So he's had a good first four years, and of course going into this season, when we got off to a great start, that spoke to his decision-making and his judgment. We were confident a few weeks ago that an extension was the right thing to do.' Well, not to quibble, but actually they had a core when Hoyer was promoted from general manager to replace Theo Epstein after the 2020 season. Hoyer non-tendered Kyle Schwarber and traded Yu Darvish before the 2021 season to shed salary and avoid what Ricketts claimed were 'biblical losses.' He then traded stars Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez at the deadline, which turned out to be the right moves despite all the wailing by Cubs fans. But I had to pull out my Ricketts-to-English translation guide for the real meaning of 'being thoughtful about who he signs.' It actually means not going over the luxury tax by signing expensive free agents to long-term deals. Ricketts wouldn't reveal the length of Hoyer's new deal. It presumably aligns with Counsell's contract, which lasts through 2028. 'Nothing that complicated,' Ricketts said. Hoyer will have at least 17 years in the organization, making him the Yosh Kawano of Cubs executives. The timing of the extension was curious, coming right before a trade deadline that could make or break the season. Ricketts said getting it done before the deadline wasn't 'the main thing … but it made some sense.' He said he was OK with Hoyer failing to get a frontline starting pitcher. 'If something would've fit he would've done it,' he said. 'But nothing really fit for us.' Cubs fans have voiced their disappointment over Hoyer's deadline moves, which consisted of acquiring three 'out-getters' and a utilityman while designating reliever Ryan Pressly for assignment. After all the hype about adding a starter, which Hoyer had openly discussed since June, it was deflating to see Michael Soroka as the only potential starter added. Counsell said Soroka will start Monday against the Cincinnati Reds but wouldn't go any further. Jameson Taillon starts Sunday for Triple-A Iowa and could be back next week in St. Louis. When asked if Soroka eventually could land in the bullpen, Counsell said Soroka's only job is getting outs. In case you haven't been listening, Counsell is not only a broken record, he's a broken record player. But that's his mantra and it's not about to change, as we saw Friday when he removed Cade Horton after five shutout innings and only 71 pitches against the Orioles, then watched four relievers execute the game plan to perfection. None of the prominent starters rumored to be available at the trade deadline were moved, as Hoyer pointed out, suggesting the sellers were overpricing their assets. That leaves him off the hook and puts the focus on the new bullpen out-getters, Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers. The Cubs have a dependable trio in Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar and closer Daniel Palencia and should be improved for the stretch run. Keeping outfield prospect Owen Caissie was a no-brainer with Tucker possibly leaving as a free agent. It seems unlikely Ricketts will give Tucker what he wants, preferring something more 'thoughtful.' The sad truth for fans is the Cubs don't need Tucker to fill the ballpark, and Caissie appears ready. Tucker also hit .218 in July with one home run and a .675 OPS, and he needs to pick it up in the stretch run — and postseason — to justify a deal with the Cubs that potentially would make him one of the game's highest-paid players. But there's a long way to go, and Tucker figures to get hot again at some point. With or without him, the future looks bright for the Cubs, and the party was on in Rickettsville after Friday's win. A moment of silence for Ryne Sandberg with former teammates Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston, Jody Davis and Rick Sutcliffe in the house was a nice start to the weekend. Saturday's game will include a special tribute to Sandberg, with every Cubs player wearing No. 23. A city toasts a legend as a perfect summer continues at Wrigley Field.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field to Host 2027 MLB All-Star Game
Get ready for another edition of the Midsummer Classic at the friendly confines in 2027. The Chicago Cubs and MLB announced Friday that the 2027 All-Star Game will take place at Wrigley Field. The game will be played July 13, 2027, as the culmination of All-Star Week festivities. The 97th edition of the All-Star Game will be the fourth hosted at Wrigley Field. The American League won the previous meetings at iconic stadium in 1947, 1962 and 1990. "I applaud the Ricketts family, the entire Cubs organization, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Sports Commission for presenting an impressive vision for 2027 All-Star Week," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said. "The hard work put in to transform all of Wrigleyville into an outstanding destination deserves to be celebrated and shared on a national stage. The 2026 contest will take place at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. The Phillies' former home, Veterans Stadium, hosted the All-Star Game in 1976 to honor the nation's bicentennial. "We look forward to bringing the Midsummer Classic back to historic Wrigley Field and working alongside the Cubs, city and state officials, and the local organizing group to bring an extraordinary experience to the baseball fans of Chicago," Manfred added. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
