Chicago Cubs: North Side fans still flying high, thanks to David Bote

On a very enjoyable off-day Monday, the Chicago Cubs faced the tall task of refocusing on an upcoming two-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Maybe an extra cup of coffee wasn’t quite as necessary yesterday once you got to work. Why? Because you were still jacked out of your mind over rookie David Bote blasting an improbable two-strike, two-out pinch-hit walk-off grand slam on Sunday night.

That blast lifted the Cubs to a season-high 19 games over .500 – a mark which they’ve seen multiple times lately. But, more importantly, it gave them tremendous momentum heading into a two-game stint against the rival Milwaukee Brewers.

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• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
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• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

The Brewers enter Tuesday’s matchup with the Cubs three games out in the division and tied with the Phillies for the two wild card spots in the NL. Milwaukee hands the ball to Jhoulys Chacin (11-4, 3.91) looking to pick up some ground on Chicago.

Joe Maddon‘s Cubs counter with left-hander Jose Quintana (10-8, 4.28) – who continues to search for stability and consistency in the middle of the Cubs rotation.

Speaking of dependability in the pitching staff, right-hander Pedro Strop continues to lock down the ninth in Brandon Morrow‘s absence, already doubling his total career saves in the matter of weeks.

We’re not too far from September (somehow) – which means rosters expand and we see a whole bunch of young talent on the big league roster. We took a look at some of the likely suspects in a piece on the off-day that’s definitely worth a quick read.

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All aboard the Bote Express, everybody – Cubbies Crib

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Examining likely September call-up candidates – Cubbies Crib

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Did Theo do enough ahead of the deadline? – Cubbies Crib

What’s Next

The Chicago Cubs welcome in the Milwaukee Brewers for two games at the Friendly Confines tonight. On Thursday, the club heads to Pittsburgh for a four-game weekend series at PNC Park.