The Rundown: Cubs Pound Angels, Hoyer’s Lackluster Deadline Paying Huge Dividends, BBWAA Announces New Award

“The sun came out the other day through those dusty clouds. And in my mind I was a child and it felt good!” – Ain’t Life Grand by Widespread Panic

The Cubs beat the Angels 12-1 last night, and you no longer need to squint to see some of Jed Hoyer’s better moves. The president of baseball operations could write a book called “The Art of Doing Nothing” and it would be an instant bestseller. He resisted the urge to trade any or all of Matt Shaw, Cade Horton, and Owen Caissie for veteran help, and he looks like a genius in doing so.

• Caissie’s swing data is among the best in baseball. You see it every time he hits the ball and your eyes are not deceiving you.
• Horton leads the league in most scoreless starts with seven. That’s better than Paul Skenes, Matthew Boyd, and Freddy Peralta. The rookie hurler struck out Mike Trout three times on Saturday night, and should contend with Milwaukee’s Isaac Collins and Caleb Durbin for the Rookie of the Year award.
• Shaw is slashing .302/.344/1.065 (188 wRC+) in his last 29 games with 9 HR, a 19% strikeout rate, and an 80% contact rate. He has more extra base hits against lefties (5) than strikeouts (4) in that span. He deserves some attention in the ROY race, too.

I think we can allay any fears that those young men won’t be able to perform once the Cubs reach the playoffs. A top-three rotation of Shōta Imanaga, Boyd, and Horton looks pretty formidable no matter the opponent. If Chicago’s offense is clicking, those three give the Cubs a chance to win every time they take the mound. Shaw has been magnificent defensively and his stick has been an added bonus. It was supposed to be the other way around, so that bodes well for the young man’s future.

Speaking of offense, Kyle Tucker looks like he’s broken his slump. I mentioned last week that time away from Wrigley Field in the Pacific time zone might relieve some pressure, and that seems to be the case. He had two dingers last night, giving him three in two games in Anaheim. Like last year, Wrigley has been cruel to left-handed sluggers, let alone one struggling with a fractured right hand. King Tuck now has a whopping 27 homers in 81 games against the Angels.

The strawberries you see in your Sunday morning Frosted Flakes represent the Giants’ 7-1 win over the Brewers. Three of those runs were unearned, and the final four came against mop-up reliever Carlos Rodríguez. Shortstop Andruw Monasterio, who is subbing for the injured Joey Ortíz, had one key error. Anthony Seigler, a catcher playing third base, had the other, reinforcing that our division rivals rarely win unless they play mistake-free baseball.

The Cubs will face Kyle Hendricks today trailing the Brewers by six games. San Francisco is sending tough left-hander Robbie Ray to the mound, while the Brew Crew will counter with a bullpen game. Chicago has an excellent chance to put another one-game dent in that Milwaukee lead today.

Cubs News & Notes

• The 2025 Cubs compare favorably with the 2023 Texas Rangers, who won the World Series that year.
• Horton has allowed just two earned runs over his last seven starts. That’s the fewest in a seven-start span for a Cubs pitcher since 1901.
• The rookie righthander started on an absolute heater: Through three innings, 22 of the 23 pitches he threw were strikes.
• Last night’s multi-homer game was Tucker’s first as a Cub.
• Hendricks is still a Cubs fan at heart, though he’d like nothing more than to win today.
• The Cubs will counter with Jameson Taillon in this afternoon’s contest.
• Javier Assad was optioned before yesterday’s game in exchange for Jordan Wicks.

Ball Four

Aaron Judge and Seiya Suzuki should form a Facebook group for players suffering from chronic umpire disrespect. It’s worse for Suzuki, who rarely bites on anything egregiously outside the zone.

Three called strikes in a row to Aaron Judge in his first inning strikeout.

Home plate umpire Lance Barrett had all three of these as strikes. pic.twitter.com/zvzpZc2hgj

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) August 22, 2025

Central Intelligence

• Milwaukee (81-49): Ortíz has a mild hamstring issue but will still miss 10 games. On the bright side, Jackson Chourio is expected to return this week. Both players were injured in games against the Cubs.
• Cincinnati (67-63): Kyle Schwarber would be a “dream addition” for the Reds in 2026, but Cincinnati’s front office might be averse to the type of contract the ex-Cub will command.
• St. Louis (64-66): The Cardinals are on pace for their lowest attendance in three decades.
• Pittsburgh (56-74): Rockies bench coach Clint Hurdle returned to Pittsburgh this weekend, reflecting on his nine-year tenure with the Pirates.

Wild Pitch

• Los Angeles (73-57): The Padres two-hit the Dodgers on Saturday to wrest first place from their division rival.
• New York (69-60): Pete Alonso is expected to reject his $24 million option with the Mets after the season in favor of a bigger free agent contract.
• Arizona (64-66): The Diamondbacks set a new MLB record when Jake Woodford became their 15th pitcher to earn a save this season.

How About That!

It’s not the Rolaid’s Relief Fireman of the Year trophy (a wicked cool firefighter helmet), but starting in 2026, MLB will honor the best reliever from each league. The Relief Pitcher of the Year Award becomes the fifth honor voted on by the BBWAA each year.

MLB and the players union are expected to extend the mandatory leave of absence for Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortíz. Both were suspended with pay while the league investigates suspicious gambling activity.

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler needs career-threatening Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery.

On Saturday, the Blue Jays became the only Major League team in the modern era to blow a lead in the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings and still win the game.

Rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery of the White Sox hit a grand slam yesterday, giving him 12 round-trippers in 31 games since the All-Star break.

Apropos of Nothing

Ben Brown earned a three-inning save last night even though he took over for Horton with a 10-run lead. That’s the first save of Brown’s career, by the way.

Sunday Six-Pack

Some obscure but outstanding albums for your listening pleasure. Let me know your favorite song from each.

1. Who You Are by Cary Brothers (2007)
2. Woman by Rhye (2013)
3. Loud Planes Fly Low by The Rosebuds (2011)
4. On the Water by Future Islands (2011)
5. Victory & Ruins by Massy Ferguson (2013)
6. The Slideshow Effect by Memoryhouse (2012)

Extra Innings

I love “The Breakdown” web series presented by the Cubs’ Media Group. This episode featuring an inside-the-park home run by Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of the best.

They Said It

• “This is the nature of the game. We don’t want slumps. We also hate slumps. They’re mentally kind of exhausting to go through, but they happen. Kyle will be better moving forward because of this. He’s a great player who works hard to figure it out and get back on track. We need him to do it. And he’s done so.” – Craig Counsell
• “I like talking about the young guys, you know, and guys taking advantage of their opportunities. So seeing (Crow-Armstrong), seeing Cade, the way he’s been throwing the ball, just all that really makes the team really come together. I’m just really excited to see what they can do going into October.” – Hendricks

Sunday Walk-Up Song

Enjoy your Sunday, friends and fam.