Chicago Cubs gain some breathing room over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.Murphy Mark McGwire Jersey , who was acquired from the Nationals on Aug. 21, had three hits, including a home run, as the Cubs beat the Brewers 6-4 to snap a two-game losing streak and increase their lead in the National League Central to four games.Chicago is 11-5 in a stretch of 23 games in 23 days and manager Joe Maddon said he’s proud of the way his team is handling it.Article continues below ...“I don’t sense fatigue, the energy is good, pregame is good, talk in the dugout good,” Maddon told mlb.com. “Normally at this time of the year, you feel more of that (fatigue). I think our ability to manipulate lineups and keep guys fresh helps. I think they know how to react.”Ironically, the other player Washington traded Aug. 21 — Matt Adams — homered twice Wednesday night to lead the Cardinals to a 7-6 win over the Nationals in the rubber game of that series. The Cardinals remain 4 1/2 games behind Chicago in the Central and are second in the wild-card race, two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the final spot.The Nationals continued the selloff they began Aug. 21 when they traded pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Ryan Madson last week. Meanwhile, the Braves and Phillies are slumping. Both have played sub-.500 baseball since Aug. 15, but so have the Nationals (9-10) http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey , failing to gain much ground.Washington (69-71) dropped the final two games against St. Louis as late rallies fell short.“We gotta finish some comebacks, we really do,” Martinez said. They jump out to a 5-0 lead. Our guys don’t quit. it’s tough.”Martinez was speaking hours after general manager Mike Rizzo was asked during a session with reporters if his rookie manager — formerly the Cubs bench coach — would be back next season.“I haven’t considered any other scenario,” Rizzo responded, later praising his manager’s handling of the team.Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (11-10, 3.37 ERA) opposes right-hander Stephen Strasburg (7-7, 4.09) on Thursday night.Hendricks got a win last time out when he held the Phillies to a run on six hits in six innings Sept. 1. He was 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in August and got a no-decision against Washington on Aug. 10, when he allowed two runs in six innings.In his career, Hendricks is 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in six starts versus Washington.The Nationals have won all three of Strasburg’s starts since he returned from a cervical nerve impingement. Last time out, he picked up the win against Milwaukee when he allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, with seven strikeouts and two walks. It was his best outing since his return.“His velo’s back plus the first few innings he was lights out,” Martinez told mlb.com after the game. “That’s the Strasburg that we’ve seen in the past. So hopefully he’s got it now and he’s good, and in five days we see that same Stras.”Strasburg is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five regular-season starts versus the Cubs. In last year’s divisional playoff series http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey , he was 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA after allowing two unearned runs over 14 innings. He threw seven shutout innings to win Game 4 in Chicago.Strasburg will try to stop the recent home run barrage against Washington pitchers, who have surrendered eight in the past two games.“The home runs have really killed us,” Martinez said. “I look back, and we’re giving up way too many homers. We have to figure that out. We really do.” The Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers still have their championship aspirations intact, but the other 26 Major League teams are all looking ahead to the 2019 season.That includes the New York Yankees, who were beaten by the Red Sox in the American League Division Series. General manager Brian Cashman saw his team finish eight games behind the Red Sox during the regular season in addition to dropping the postseason series, and he knows his team has to make some moves to close the gap on the Old Towne Team.One of those moves is likely to involve pitcher Sonny Gray, who was acquired by the Yankees in the 2017 season. Gray was quite sharp earlier in his career with the Oakland A's, but he has largely struggled since donning the pinstripes.Gray was 11-9 with a 4.90 earned-run average in 2018, and he had a 1.496 WHIP. In addition to the numbers, Gray seemed to have a difficult time throwing with confidence in key games for the Yankees.Cashman believes that Gray is talented Paul DeJong Jersey , but pitching under the microscope in New York City has not helped him. The general manager willtry to move Gray in the offseason, according to David Lennon of Newsday.The 28-year-old Gray is arbitration eligible in the upcoming season and could be a free agent in 2020. He made the All-Star team in 2015 and has finished as high as third in Cy Young voting, so the Yankees should be able to get a decent-to-good asset for him.The Philadelphia Phillies were in contention for the National League East title throughout much of the summer before they struggled in the final weeks and gave way to the Atlanta Braves.The Phillies are expected to be heavily involved in free agency during the offseason, and they could be among the suitors for superstars Manny Machado of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals.It seems unlikely that they could sign both of those players, but Jon Heyman of FanCred Sports says that possibility should not be ruled out.The Phillies have been interested in Machado since it became known that the Baltimore Orioles were willing to move him, but signing Harper could have a more significant impact because he could help their lineup and also weaken the division rival Washington Nationals.Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs did not have the kind of season that he was hoping for in 2018 as injuries took their toll.However, the 2016 National League Most Valuable Player still has great confidence in his own ability, even though he was held to 13 home runs and 52 runs batted in while playing 102 games.Bryant has reportedly turned down a $200 million contract extension from the Cubs, according toESPN Radio's David Kaplan and alsoSports Illustrated'sScooby Axson.Instead of signing a long-term extension, the belief is that Bryant will receive annual salary increases until he becomes eligible for free agency in 2022 when he turns 30.
