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Well, here we are: the week from baseball heaven and hell.

On the one hand, I am legitimately stoked to watch so much Cubs baseball over the next three days. How often do you get to watch this much Cubs baseball in such a short period of time? On the other hand, the Cubs are coming off a three-game losing streak to the Brewers, are heading into the gauntlet without Tyler Chatwood or Jose Quintana, and are about to face some weird 7.0-inning contests that will definitely be very unusual and probably be very frustrating.

I know thiscan be a very good week for the Cubs if things break their way before the off-day on Thursday, but it could also be all the way stressful. I guess thats the nature of the beast. Into the abyss we go!

The Chicago Cubs (13-6)are still seven games over .500, but that sure was one bad weekend. The Cubs spoiled a chance to really knock the Brewers down, and now have a very tough week ahead of them against another division rival. Theyre riding a three-game losing streak, while missing two of their starting pitchers. None of this is ideal.

The St. Louis Cardinals (4-4)kicked their season back into gear with two wins on Saturday (thanks for nothing, White Sox), before losing the series finale on Sunday. With just eight games under their belt its tough to say where exactly they are in the standings, but a bunch of losses against the Cubs this week sure wouldnt help.

Monday, August 17th at 4:15 CT on MARQ, 670 The Score Monday, August 17th at TBD on MARQ, 670 The Score Tuesday, August 18th at 7:15 CT on MARQ, FS1, 670 The Score Wednesday, August 19th at 1:20 on MARQ, 670 The Score Wednesday, August 19th at TBD on MARQ, 670 The Score

Game 1 (Monday): Kyle Hendricks (R) v. Kwang Hyun Kim (L)Game 2 (Monday): TBD v. TBDGame 3 (Tuesday): Yu Darvish (R) v. Daniel Ponce De Leon (R)Game 4 (Wednesday): Alec Mills (R) v. Jack Flaherty (R)Game 5 (Wednesday): TBD v. TBD

Cubs TBD Options: Adbert Alzolay, Tyson Miller, Justin Steele, Colin Rea? (Neither Jose Quintana nor Tyler Chatwood are going to be available).

C Willson Contreras 1B Anthony Rizzo 2B Jason Kipnis/Nico Hoerner 3B Kris Bryant SS Javy Baez LF Kyle Schwarber CF Ian Happ RF Jason Heyward? DH Victor Caratini

Unavailable:Jose Quintana, Brad Wieck, James Norwood, Daniel Descalso, Tyler Chatwood,

C Matt Wieters 1B Paul Goldschmidt 2B Kolten Wong 3B Matt Carpenter SS Tommy Edman LF Tyler ONeil CF Harrison Bader RF Dexter Fowler DH Not clear with only 8 games and about 300 people missing.

Unavailable: Austin Dean, Lane Thomas, Ryan Helsley, Junior Fernadez, Rangel Ravelo, Yadier Molina, Edmundo Sosa, Paul DeJong, Kodi Whitley, Miles Mikolas

Keep An Eye Out For

Cubs Pitcher: Kyle Hendrickscan do the Cubs a HUGE favor by going all seven innings in todays opener, sparing the bullpen from throwing a single pitch. Hes gone at least that much in 2 of his 4 starts this season and is average about 6 and half innings for the year. The good news is that Hendricks is much better at Wrigley Field and has kept the Cardinals to a .248/.295/.395 slash line overall for his career (2.93 ERA). Again, with any luck, hell be the only pitcher we see in Game 1 today.

Cubs Player: Kris Bryanthas been riding the struggle bus, man. Overall, hes slashing .182/.286/.345 with a 9.5% walk rate (career low) and 28.6% strikeout rate (by FAR the highest since his rookie season). In yesterdays game, he went 0-4 with 2Ks and two weak infield pop outs. And since the postponed Cardinals series, hes gone 3-13 with three strikeouts. Statcast has his average exit velocity down, his barrel rate down, and his hard hit rate down. I really hope he snaps out of it soon, because, unfortunately, hes not the only Cubs star struggling offensively.

Cardinals Pitcher: The Cubs were not lucky enough to miss Jack Flaherty,whose only start this season (back before their hiatus) was a pretty darn good one: 7.0 IP, 6H, 2ER, 0BB, 6Ks. Flaherty has also been pretty split neutral for his career and has generally been pretty good against the Cubs. With that said, I did notice this fairly extreme oddity:

Small samples? Shrug. In any case, Flaherty hasnt pitched competitively since July 24th. You have to imagine the Cubs hitters should have the advantage right?

Cardinals Player:I like to check in on our old friend Dexter Fowlerevery now and then, and as of his small 6 game sample, so far so good: .318/.348/.455 (123 wRC+). Its really too early to look into any of these hitters. Lets just hope theyre even more behind than the pitchers.

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The Week from Baseball Heaven and Hell: Cardinals at Cubs (Five Games), August 17-19, 2020 - bleachernation.com

As far as important series goes, the one that starts later today is among the biggest in this short season. The Cardinals will face off for five games against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, including two today and two on Wednesday. Obviously, this will seriously test the Cardinals pitching depth, but it is worth pointing out it will test the Cubs pitching depth as well. So this will be a pretty interesting series.

If youre wondering, like I am, who will be pitching in this Cubs series, the Cubs fans are currently wondering the same thing. For the early game, the Cubs will be pitching Kyle Hendricks, who Im sure they are hoping he pitches a complete game. For game two, well Im sure it will depend on what happens with Hendricks. Because the original plan was Tyler Chatwood, who was scratched from Saturdays start and thought to be ready for Monday, but was officially put on the IL on Sunday, so hes not an option for any of the three games.

The prevailing thought is that it may be a start that goes to the recently called up Adbert Alzolay. Or it may be a bullpen start. It could be a bullpen game with a start by Alzolay. Think the Woodford start on Saturday, where even if he pitches well, he will only go a few innings.

Against Hendricks will be the first MLB start of Kwang-Hyun Kim, and hell certainly have a tough opponent to start his MLB starting pitching career. The Cubs have a very clear advantage in Game 1, even aside from Hendricks being a better pitcher than Kim (which is nothing against Kim, but Hendricks has been unbelievably good). Hendricks can throw 100 pitches. Kim probably wont come near that. So hopefully, Kim is very efficient.

Against either Alzolay or somebody in the bullpen, the Cards will probably counter with the first MLB start by Ricardo Sanchez if I had to guess. Why do I say that? Well, hes literally the only pitcher who hasnt pitched and he, theoretically, has some potential to start in the future. Any concerns about him would probably also apply to Woodford, so its clear the Cards are simply in survival mode and throwing anybody who can pitch. Austin Gomber might possibly be ready for Monday nights start though thats in doubt.

As for who should be available in the bullpen, the Cardinals will have a fresh Giovanny Gallegos (12 pitches), John Gant (16 pitches), Genesis Cabrera (22 pitches), Alex Reyes (18 pitches), Tyler Webb (16 pitches), and Andrew Miller (18 pitches). They all pitched on Saturday and should easily be available for Monday. Thats only six pitchers, which means that one of those guys is probably pitching more than one inning. Though with three more games in two days, theres a very fine line with how much you should be willing to pitch them. You need them available in two more days too.

Sundays pitchers may not help much. Roel Ramirez threw 30 pitches and well, we saw what happened. Even aside from him getting crushed, you probably dont want him to pitch the day after coming off 30 pitches anyway. And Seth Elledge only threw 25 pitches, but pitched 2.1 IP, which almost certainly knocks him out for Monday as well. Rob Kaminsky, at just eight pitches, should be available in case there are no other options, but he does have a long injury history that may make one not included to pitch him back-to-back days either. If Kim can throw 5 innings and Sanchez can throw 3, then you only need one inning from everyone else. God help us if we go into extra innings.

So Monday nights start is either going to Gomber or Sanchez. If it goes to Gomber, Sanchez will pitch in one of the two games and Woodford starts again on Wednesday. If it goes to Sanchez and Gomber is set for Wednesday, I expect Woodford to eat innings in the bullpen on Tuesday. Ponce is pitching Tuesday in a 9 inning game and hell have a pitch count around 60-70 pitches as well, which basically means he could pitch as little as 2 innings, and I wouldnt expect even 4 full innings from him. If Gomber starts on Monday, youll likely have four relievers to fill in the remaining innings, but if he starts Wednesday, youll have the Sunday crew (Ramirez, Kaminsky, Elledge) so in some ways, it might more sense to hold him off until Wednesday. Of course, that depends partially on Sanchez being able to throw 3 innings himself on Monday, which on a pitch count and being his first MLB start, seems like a leap of faith.

Basically, I almost think you can use your depth better by starting Gomber Wedneday. Unless you really believe in Woodford and want him to start Wednesday and I really do not believe in him, so him or Ricardo Sanchez starting makes zero difference to me. By starting him Wednesday, you can use an extra pitcher over the next two days, and bring him down when you activate Gomber. I think the Cardinals would need someone like Woodford to throw multiple innings on Tuesday. Woodford threw just 34 pitches on Saturday and should be as fresh as can be by Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the Cubs throw... Yu Darvish. Hendricks Monday, Darvish Tuesday, possible MLB debut from Cards also on Monday. This series could go very badly. Wednesday is a lot more favorable. A lot. A LOT. Against Flaherty is Alec Mills, whos not particularly good (2.84 ERA in 3 starts notwithstanding). And then if it were up to me, its Gomber against what is probably going to be Colin Rea on short rest, although he only threw 49 pitches on Saturday. Im not sure they have any other choice. Its baseball so anything can happen, but if they can get to Wednesday with just one win, Wednesday could really turn the tides. Or they can make things easier and just win all the games.

So buckle up. Seasons never going to be harder than this. Later in the season, when we have doubleheaders, the starters can pitch close to 100 pitches. The Cards not only have to contend with five games in three days, but five games where none of their starters are fully up to speed yet. So it will a hell of a test. If they come out of it with a series win, it will feel like the Cards can handle anything that comes their way. Get ready and lets play a lot of ball.

More here:
The challenges of the pitching staff in the Cubs series - Viva El Birdos

HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY

Callie Walsh, of Weymouth, was named to the deans list for the spring 2020 semester at Hofstra University in Nassau County, New York. To qualify, students must achieve a GPA of at least 3.5.

LASELL UNIVERSITY

Meghan OLoughlin and Olivia Sodec, of Weymouth, recently completed their first year of studies at Lasell University in Newton.

UMASS AMHERST

The following students from Weymouth were named to the deans list for the spring 2020 semester at UMass Amherst: Shay Elizabeth Atkinson, Julia Blackwood, Victoria Chan, Aaron Cheng, Matthew Joseph Comoletti, Anna Dao, Neha Deepak, Samuel Wright Edge, Emily Maze Fleming, Ian Goodine, Victoria M. Gurney, Thomas Hunter, Christopher Richard Kropas, Annchristie Montero-Ventura, Brian James Moriarty, Paige C. Murphy, Anthony Tran Nguy, My Pham, Ryan V. Pham, Andrew Vincent Reynolds, Shannon M. Riley, Patrick David Sullivan, Sean Thomas Sullivan, Samantha Lauren Wallace, Sarah Salam Zaidan and Junshan Zeng. In order to qualify, an undergraduate student must receive a 3.5 GPA or better on a four-point scale.

The following students from East Weymouth were named to the deans list for the spring 2020 semester at UMass Amherst: Parker Bowden, Molly Bridgette Finn, Maggie Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Thomas Michael Gable, Christopher David Gomez, Justin Patrick Hailey, Thomas Haley, Michael Joseph Havey, Robert M. Huard, Yadwinder Kaur, Sean Keenan, Paige Kimlen Miller Norve, Freda Omoregie-Edewi, Adrian Maverick Palmesano, Agam Singh Sandhu, Ian Arthur Stearns and Jennifer Ann Webb.

The following students from North Weymouth were named to the deans list for the spring 2020 semester at UMass Amherst: Julia V. Brown, Shuo Chen, Patrick Joseph Deery II, Kevin Antony Manco, Craig William Murphy, Isabella Notarangelo and Nina Walat.

The following students from South Weymouth were named to the deans list for the spring 2020 semester at UMass Amherst: Caroline Joyce Barrett, Carolyn Ann Byrne, Shannon Rita Craig, Colin Campbell Denizkurt, Elizabeth Dewsnap, Mark A. Dewsnap, Lena Duong, Haley Katelyn Dwyer, Michael Joseph Flaherty, Skyla Yuki Forgeron, Brea Elizabeth Hardy, Stephen Dewey Hardy, Derek James Jensen, Jacqueline Mary OConnor, Matthew ONeill, Daniel Paulin, Nicholas Alan Phillips, William Peter Poulin, Ryan James Rogers and Grace Vo.

UMASS LOWELL

The following Weymouth students graduated from UMass Lowell on May 29: Ian Francis Sliwinski, Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering; Stephanie Sabino, Bachelor of Arts in political science; Michael Joseph Corkren, Bachelor of Science in information technology; Meredith Diana Herlet, Bachelor of Arts in political science; Robert William Terravecchia III, Bachelor of Science in computer science; Kevin Tryon, Master of Arts in criminal justice; Briana Marie Maykis, Bachelor of Liberal Arts; Nick Jay Patel, Bachelor of Science in business administration; Meagan Patricia Deane, Master of Arts in criminal justice; Sabrina Alise Varrasso, Master of Business Administration; Zachary G. Surett, Bachelor of Science in criminal justice; Nicholas Jalbert, Bachelor of Science in business administration; and Clare G. Furlong, Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

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Education achievers - News - Weymouth News - Wicked Local Weymouth

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Upon being named Opening Day starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Joe Musgroves mind couldnt help but drift to the man who shared his love of baseball and pushed him to chase his dream of playing in the majors.

I just think about how proud my dad probably is right now, Musgrove said of Mark Musgrove, a former San Diego police officer who was paralyzed for two years by the autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, before recovering. It was like a holiday for us every year. Sit down, watching Opening Day together. My dad just had undying belief in me and my ability to make it to this level.

Musgrove will be on the mound when the Pirates open the season July 24 at the St. Louis Cardinals, who have named right-hander Jack Flaherty their starter. It also will mark Derek Sheltons debut as Pirates manager, and this is his first announcement on the starting lineup.

Musgroves ascension to the top of the rotation came after the Pirates lost starters Jameson Taillon (Tommy John) and Chris Archer (neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome) to season-ending surgeries. Taillon was the Opening Day starter and Archer the starter for the home opener last season, but neither will pitch this summer.

That made Musgrove the natural choice perhaps the only choice for the Pirates, and he made it clear that being the Opening Day starter was atop his goals. Musgrove went 11-12 with a 4.44 ERA and 1.23 WHIP last season, leading the team in wins, games started (31), innings pitched (170) and strikeouts (157). He also will start their exhibition opener against Cleveland at 7 p.m. Saturday at PNC Park.

The centerpiece of the return package from the Houston Astros in the Gerrit Cole trade, along with third baseman Colin Moran, relief pitcher Michael Feliz and outfielder Jason Martin, Musgrove arrived with a World Series ring after getting the victory in relief in Game 5.

Musgrove has a 28-33 career record with a 4.37 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in three-plus seasons in the majors. If theres a drawback to Musgroves moment, its that Opening Day at Busch Stadium will come without fans and his family members in attendance.

You always hope that youre going to be one of those 30 guys on Opening Day, Musgrove said. Its really exciting for me to get it. Its gonna suck that its going to be a pretty dull, boring Opening Day, but it is Opening Day, nonetheless. Im really honored to get it, and Im proud of myself. Ive put in a lot of work to get to this point. Find me on other teams, I might not be the Opening Day guy, but Im here right now. Thats the reality of it, and Im ready to take the role.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Musgrove earned the starting nod through his clubhouse leadership and performance in training camp, where his six-pitch repertoire has looked sharp.

Shelton has yet to manage his first major-league game, so he wasnt quite sure how to handle naming his Opening Day starter. When Musgrove was called into a meeting with Shelton and pitching coach Oscar Marin, it became what Shelton called fairly emotional.

Id never done it before, Shelton said. I told him, I dont know how this goes. I dont know what Im supposed to say, other than Im really excited for you and really happy for you. He deserved it. It was a cool moment for all of us. It was a very relaxed moment. It was definitely a fairly emotional moment for Joe, being named the Opening Day starter.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories:Pirates/MLB | Sports

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For Pirates, right-hander Joe Musgrove the natural choice to earn Opening Day start - TribLIVE

Cincinnati Reds pitchers Matt Bowman and Jesse Biddle explain why theyre speaking out on social justice issues. Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Matt Bowman doesnt have a large social media platform. He has a little more than 2,000 followers on Twitter, with most of his tweets from four or five years ago.

With people protesting around the country for racial equality, Bowman felt it was a moment when he needed to speak out. He was inspired by social media posts from outspoken Black players around the league and wanted to publicly show support for them.

He reached out to teammate Jesse Biddle, who had nearly 9,000 followers on Instagram, and a few other players about matching donations to social justice charities, like the NAACP, Equal Justice Initiative and the Southern Poverty Law Center, along with a clean-up fund in Minneapolis.

It just seemed like I had been quiet for too long and it matters that I use those platforms for important causes like this, Bowman said. Its not really an excuse to sit there and be like, Well, I dont really use my Twitter or my Instagram. Itslikenow is the time.

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Matt Bowman (67) stands for a portrait, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the baseball team's spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

The group of six players raised about $7,000, matching $3,500 in donations. Its not an earth-shattering number, Biddle said, but they wanted to continue the conversation for the Black Lives Matter movement. They wanted to follow the lead set by Black players like Amir Garrett, Dexter Fowler, Jack Flaherty and Cole Tucker, supporting civil rights and speaking against police brutality.

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Bowman and Biddle both are white relief pitchers, but they wanted to be active allies to their Black teammates. Biddle has been outspoken in support of Black Lives Matter on Instagram. Bowman said that reading Biddles posts served as encouragement that you dont have to be a person of color in order to be supportive andjoin the conversation.

I think Ive always seen myself as an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement, but I definitely never felt as motivated to speak my mind on a social platform before, Biddle said. Ive always felt motivated in an interaction, one-on-one, but Ive definitely drawn the line on making it social, making it something that is outward-facing. Thats just not OK anymore.

Thats a privilege that I had that opportunity that I could just close my eyes and go to sleep and not think about that.

When Bowman started matching donations, which he did on his own before asking Biddle and others to join him, it was because he didnt want to sit on the sidelines. He was unable to protest, so raising money was a meaningful alternative.

Biddle attended a couple of protests in Los Angeles with his fiance. He admits there were some slight concerns about contracting the coronavirus, but the longer he was there, the more he realized its so much bigger than anything else thats going on."

At the end of the day, if youre going to call these players of color, your Black teammates, your brothers and youre going to hang out with them and go to dinner, all that stuff, why are you not there for him now? Biddle said. Why are you not trying to really understand their struggle? I dont know. I just really got kind of fed up with it and I think a lot of people are.

Cincinnati Reds non-roster invitee pitcher Jesse Biddle (80) stands for a portrait, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the baseball team's spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

Was there any fear of backlash for speaking out on social media?

Ive lost a couple hundred followers, Biddle said. Ive had some people in my direct messages telling me how Im perpetuating some leftist propaganda. But I dont need them, right? They can take a walk. Im standing up for what I believe in. Im speaking out on something that Im very passionate about and Im also just trying to spur a conversation.

Thats all this is about. Just shining the light on what is a racist America and what needs to change.

NBA players wore I Cant Breathe shirts during pre-game warm-ups in 2014 and have several stars, including LeBron James, speak out on racial inequality issues. The NFL saw Colin Kaepernick lead silent protests when hekneeled during the national anthem.

Major League Baseball, which featured just 7.7% African-American players on Opening Day rosters last year, has been much quieter on racial issues without many white players using their platforms to speak out.

Ive been asked a few times 'what makes you feel like this is the moment to start talking and start being more social about it?' Biddle said. I think that, in part, its because were in quarantine right now and we have the time and energy and there really is no excuse for you to not give that time and energy to this issue. But then you see the George Floyd video and if that doesnt hit you on a visceral level then Im not really sure what to tell you.

MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day each April, but there haven't been sustained conversations about race in the sport. Too often, the conversation doesn't extend beyond Black players.

There are a lot of role models like Amir, who will have this thrust upon them, no matter what, Bowman said. Just by virtue of being Black and being in the league, they are looked to as role models and have to have an opinion on these things and are asked a lot. It would seem like a shame to the both of us to sort of exercise that privilege of being able to excuse ourselves from an uncomfortable conversation.

So, I think we both really wanted to make sure that we join the conversation. Even if it felt somewhat uncomfortable at first, just because we know our teammates around the league, many of them do not have that choice to join or not join.

Biddle and Bowman expect more outspoken players on social justice issues once the season returns, following the lead of Black teammates. Conversations will continue in clubhouses. Its a time for players to listen and learn about things they havent experienced.

"Its more just I realized how little I knew," Biddle said."I didnt really even know much about Juneteenth and its such an important day in our history. Im so confused as to why thats not something that were talking about more."

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'Now is the time': Cincinnati Reds' Matt Bowman, Jesse Biddle speak out for Black Lives Matter - The Cincinnati Enquirer