NL CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs
More proof that the Cubs’ popularity has never been higher came last week when Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced the list of the best-selling jerseys since the team’s World Series victory.
Third baseman Kris Bryant was No. 1, supplanting retired Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. Bryant was the National League MVP last season after winning rookie of the year in 2015.
The Cubs held four of the top five spots. First baseman Anthony Rizzo was second, infielder
Javier Baez fourth and left fielder Kyle Schwarber fifth.
The only non-Cubs player to crack the top five was Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw at No. 3.
uRight- hander Jake Arrieta is known for his pitching feats, including winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2015. However, he continues to be a threat at the plate — he hit the fourth triple of his eight-year career April 22 against the Cincinnati Reds.
The last pitcher with more than four career triples was Dontrelle Willis, who had six in his nine seasons (2003 to 2011).
uCubs co-owner Todd Ricketts, who was President Trump’s choice for deputy commerce secretary, withdrew from consideration because he was unable to resolve conflict-of-interest issues with his businesses. Cincinnati Reds
After pitching flawlessly in four relief appearances this season, left-hander Cody Reed got the chance to make his first start April 22 against the Cubs. It was a disaster. Reed was rocked for seven runs in two innings in a 12-8 loss. He allowed four hits, including two home runs, and walked five.
That came after Reed pitched eight scoreless innings out of the bullpen without allowing a hit.
Reed, 24, broke into the major leagues last season and went 0-7 with a 7.36 ERA in 10 starts.
uRight- hander Rookie Davis was expected to be activated from the disabled list Wednesday and start against the Brewers in Milwaukee. He has been out since April 12 because of a bruised right forearm. The rookie did not factor in the decision in either of his first two major league starts while posting a 6.43 ERA. uOutfielder Phillip Ervin became the seventh Reds player to make his major league debut this season when he grounded out as a pinch-hitter April 22. He was called up from Class AAA Louisville a day earlier when left-hander Tony Cingrani was placed on the DL because of a strained muscle in his side. Milwaukee Brewers While first baseman Eric
Thames justifiably got attention for hitting 10 home runs in his first 19 games, another newcomer was making an impact in the lineup.
Third baseman Travis Shaw was hitting .243 with five home runs and a .869 on-base-plusslugging percentage through 19 games. One of the homers was a 458-foot shot April 20 off St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez that hit the facing of the third deck in right field at Miller Park.
“The first day Travis was here, he took BP and (I) saw some balls go to places I hadn’t seen in a while,” Brewers manager Craig
Counsell said. The Brewers, who acquired Shaw from the Boston Red Sox in an offseason trade, led the majors with 33 home runs in their first 19 games. uRight- hander Matt Garza made his first start of the season Monday after recovering from a strained right groin. He gave up four runs, only one earned, in four innings against the Reds and needed 93 pitches to get that far. uLeft- hander Tommy Milone was moved back to the bullpen when Garza was activated from the disabled list. Milone was 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in three starts. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates were left with a big hole in the lineup when center fielder Starling Marte was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball on April 18 for testing positive for the steroid nandrolone. Right fielder Andrew
McCutchen was moved back to center field, where he spent the first nine seasons of his career. He was shifted to right this year to make room for Marte, a two-time Gold Glove winner as a left fielder.
Manager Clint Hurdle has gone to a committee approach in right field. John Jaso and Jose
Osuna each started two games after Marte’s suspension, and
Adam Frazier made one start. Osuna was recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis to take Marte’s roster spot.
“It’s an unfortunate circumstance,” right-hander Gerrit
Cole said. “We have a lot of season left, and we have a lot of games that we have to win. We’re going to have to figure out how to get through it.”
uOsuna tripled off New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia on April 21 for his first career hit. Osuna, 24, spent seven-plus seasons in the minor leagues before getting called up.
uDefense has been a problem the first month of the season. The Pirates allowed a major leagueworst 17 unearned runs in their first 15 games. St. Louis Cardinals The awful start to Jhonny
Peralta’s season got worse April 20 when he was placed on the disabled list because of an upper-respiratory infection.
The veteran third baseman’s playing time had been diminishing before he fell ill. He is hitting .120/.185/.120 (batting average/ on-base percentage/slugging percentage) in eight games.
It came as a bit of a surprise when manager Mike Matheny chose Peralta as the regular third baseman to begin the season.
Jedd Gyorko looked like the favorite to man the hot corner after hitting 30 homers last year, and the Cardinals said during the offseason they planned to play
Kolten Wong at second base. Instead, Gyorko and Wong began the season in a platoon at second. But Gyorko is now the regular third baseman and Wong is the everyday second baseman.
uLeft- handed reliever Tyler Lyons, who had offseason surgery on his right knee, was activated from the DL to take Peralta’s roster spot. While Lyons gives the Cardinals a third lefty in the bullpen with Kevin Siegrist and Brett Cecil, he also provides insurance for the rotation after making 20 major league starts in four seasons.
uMatheny was concerned Siegrist might be having arm problems after allowing 10 walks and striking out four in 61⁄ in3 nings over his first seven games. Siegrist had a 9.95 ERA and a ratio of 2.37 walks/hits per innings pitched.
“We feel like we can score at any time. It’s like we say, ‘Here comes the comeback.’ ” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after his three-run homer tied the score in the ninth inning and Kris Bryant drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 11th in a 6-5 win vs. the host Reds on April 21