Maddon won’t return as Cubs manager

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon will not be back with the team next season after it failed to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Maddon and Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein announced the move before the team’s season finale at St. Louis. Maddon’s contract expires after Sunday’s game.

The change in the dugout begins what could be an active offseason for the Cubs, and Maddon once again becomes one of baseball’s top free agents.

While Maddon is out after five seasons, he is tied to Chicago forever after managing the Cubs to the 2016 World Series title for the franchise’s first championship in 108 years.

Chicago also made it to the NL Championship Series in 2015 and 2017, but it faltered in September each of the last two seasons. The Cubs finished third in the NL Central this year.

Pirates fire Hurdle

The Pirates fired manager Clint Hurdle before Sunday’s regular season finale against Cincinnati following a stunning second-half collapse that dropped Pittsburgh to the bottom of the National League Central and included a series of offthe-field issues.

Pittsburgh entered Sunday 69-92, including a 25-47 since the All-Star break.

Hurdle went 735-720 in nine seasons with Pittsburgh, helping the franchise emerge from 20 years of losing to reach the playoffs three straight years from 2013-15. The Pirates never advanced past the Division Series and are assured of a third losing season in their last four years. Hurdle had two years left on an extension he signed in 2017.

Cardinals win Central

The St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL Central on the final day of the regular season, using Jack Flaherty’s arm and Matt Carpenter’s bat to win their first division title since 2015 with a 9-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs lost on Maddon’s day as their manager. It was announced before the game that he won’t return next year.

Flaherty tossed seven impressive innings and Carpenter led a threehomer attack with a three-run drive to help St. Louis advanced to the NL Division Series, starting Thursday at Atlanta.

Manager Mike Shildt and the Cardinals began the day with a one-game lead over Milwaukee. The second-place Brewers will play at Washington in the NL wild-card game Tuesday night, with the winner going on to play Los Angeles in the NLDS.