Morning Marquee: Chicago Cubs win 3-2 behind Wada’s nine K’s

Wada K’s nine, Cubs top Padres 3-2

In his first start since last season,

was effective for the Chicago Cubs, although he didn’t qualify for the win in the 3-2 victory. Wada struck out nine Padres in his 4 2/3 innings, but with two on and two out,

elected to lift Wada for the hard-throwing

. The “new” bullpen still has a lot of the same faces, but they posted solid results as Grimm, Zac Rosscup,

and closer

held the Padres scoreless to hold on for the victory.

As July grows closer and the rumor mill heats up, teams become tied to potential trades that might not seem very logical. One that has recently come to light is the Cubs trading for Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. While the Cubs could use bullpen help, how he fits in would be the question. Rondon has been effective, and there seems to be no reason to remove him from his role. Could he simply be insurance, in case Rondon falters. It’s anybody’s guess at this point.

The Cubs went out and signed what many considered the ace of the staff in Jon Lester. But the Cubs seem to be building them now from within. Jason Hammel has joined Lester and Jake Arrieta as part of the very effective top portion of the rotation. After having great success with pitching coach Chris Bosio and the Cubs last season before being traded, he knew he wanted to return to Chicago. So far, that’s paying off for both sides.

These stories and more that you may have missed:

‘Wada’s nine K’s help secure Cubs’ 3-2 win’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Nats Harper, Williams ejected in befuddling scene’ – MLB.com

‘Could Cubs’ Epstein reunite with Papelbon?’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Cardinals crush Mets with homer power’ – Redbird Rants

‘Jason Hammel has been nothing short of dominant this year’ – Cubbies Crib

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