Chicago Cubs news — Ramirez, Bregman, PCA

Today’s ReflectionsWell. That was slap in the face Friday. And the Cubs know how the Padres felt on Wednesday.

I had mentioned in the last Cub Tracks that part of the reason that this is an unforgettable season is the big swings in winning and losing streaks. Over the 48 hours between the thrashing of the Padres and the humility of the big loss to the Cardinals saw the epitome of the Cubs’ fluctuational season.I had the reminder Wednesday night at a ballgame and every time the Cubs’ 23-3 score popped up on the scoreboard, I would hear some other small group of people murmuring about it.

In the meantime, I was watching the Milwaukee score, where they eventually won 4-2. The reminder was that whether you win by two or by 20, it is a win just the same. Conversely, a 16-run loss is no different than a one-run loss in the standings.

Shake it off and move on.*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall.

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Assorted Stories:Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong named an All-Star for the 2nd consecutive season. “Pete Crow-Armstrong is an All-Star again. The Chicago Cubs center fielder was named to the National League All-Star team Saturday as a reserve, earning the honor to play in the Midsummer Classic in back-to-back seasons.”

Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): 10 years after World Series, Cubs dealing with championship-destroying pitching luck. “The 2016 Chicago Cubs benefitted greatly from elite pitching and even better health.”Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Up-and-down Cubs’ playoff odds trending sharply in the right direction again.

“Too bad a 9-1 stretch saw them barely gain any ground in the NL Central race.”Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): Pete Crow-Armstrong had a June that compares with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. “Cubs boss Jed Hoyer says PCA’s o