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2018 Chicago Cubs season

The 2018 Chicago Cubs season was the 147th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 143rd in the National League and the Cubs' 103rd season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon, in his fourth year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central.

2018 Chicago Cubs

National League

Central

Wrigley Field

Chicago

95–68 (.583)

2nd

Tom Ricketts

Theo Epstein

Jed Hoyer

Joe Maddon

WGN-TV
NBC Sports Chicago
NBC Sports Chicago Plus
WLS-TV
(Len Kasper, Jim Deshaies)

WSCR (AM)
Chicago Cubs Radio Network
(Pat Hughes, Ron Coomer, Zach Zaidman)

ESPN.com
BB-reference

The Cubs began the season March 29 at the Miami Marlins and finished the season on September 30 against the St. Louis Cardinals. On September 26, the Cubs clinched a trip to the postseason for the fourth year in a row, marking the longest streak in franchise history. The Cubs finished the 162-game schedule 95–67, earning a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers for the division. They lost to the Brewers in a 163rd game to determine the Central Division champions, failing in their quest to win the division for a third consecutive year. Instead, they hosted the NLWC Game against the Colorado Rockies, but the Cubs lost 2–1 in 13 innings.

Previous season[edit]

The Cubs finished the 2017 season 92–70 in first place in the Central Division, winning the division title for the second consecutive year. The Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series three games to two to advance to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the League Championship Series in a rematch of the previous year's series. In the best of seven NLCS, the Cubs lost to the Dodgers four games to one.

Television broadcasts[edit]

The 2018 season was the second of the last for team broadcasts on long time FTA broadcaster WGN-TV, the 2018-19 offseason was when it was announced that effective Opening Day 2020, the Cubs will be moving to a brand new regional cable TV channel, making them the 4th team overall to have their own cable station, officially ending a 7-decade long presence there. WLS-TV, the team's secondary over the air broadcaster, will soon take over the free to air broadcasts of Cubs games from that year on.

Offseason[edit]

Wrigley Field renovations[edit]

The fourth phase of the 1060 Project off-season improvements began after the end of the 2017 season. Construction was started under the seats behind home plate on the first of four premier luxury clubs to be located around the park. The players dugouts have been relocated further down the left and right field foul lines to accommodate two of the four new clubs.[1] The final club, located in the upper level, is planned for the 2019 season.[2] The Hotel Zachary, just across Clark Street, celebrated its opening along with the Cubs' home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 9, 2018.[3]

February 27 – Cubs announced will be the opening day starter on March 29 against the Miami Marlins.[25]

Jon Lester

Kris Bryant hit his 100th career home run on May 9 which also marked the three-year anniversary of his first home run.[259] The home run also made Bryant the fastest Cub ever to hit 100 home runs, doing so in 487 games.[260] Ernie Banks had been the fastest before Bryant, hitting his 100th homer in his 500th game.[260]

[258]

Also on May 9, Willson Contreras tripled twice, becoming the first Cub catcher to triple twice in the same game since in 1977.[261]

Steve Swisher

Willson Contreras hit two home runs (one a grand slam), doubled twice, and drove in seven runs in a May 10 game against the White Sox. Contreras became the first Cub with seven extra-base hits over two games since at least 1913.[263]

[262]

On June 7, Anthony Rizzo hit his 175th home run as a Cub, moving him past into 13th place all time in franchise history.[264]

Andre Dawson

On July 1, the Cubs scored 11 runs in their win over the Minnesota Twins, marking the first time since that the Cubs had scored at least 10 runs in a game in four straight games.[265]

1930

On July 2, Jon Lester was named NL Pitcher of the month for June. Lester went 5–0 with a 1.13 ERA in the month.

[266]

Also on July 2, Javier Báez was named NL Player of the week. Báez batted .483 with eight extra-base hits, 10 runs, and 11 RBI during the week.

[267]

On July 8, Javier Báez and Willson Contreras were named starters to the , marking their first selection to an All-Star game. Jon Lester was named to the All-Star game as well.[268]

All-Star game

On July 11, it was announced that Javier Báez and Kyle Schwarber would participate in the All-Star game home run derby.

[269]

Kyle Schwarber finished second in the home run derby to the Washington Nationals' on July 16.[270]

Bryce Harper

Willson Contreras homered on the first pitch he saw in the All-Star game on July 17. Javier Báez, batting leadoff for the National League, singled on the first pitch he saw in the game.[271]

[271]

Anthony Rizzo hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth on July 26 in his 1,000th career game.

[272]

Anthony Rizzo singled in the third inning of a game against the Nationals on August 11 to earn his 1,000th career hit.

[273]

Cole Hamels was named NL Pitcher of the month for August. He went 4–0 in the month with a 0.69 ERA.

[274]

On September 30, Anthony Rizzo drove in his 100th RBI on the season becoming the first left-handed hitter to drive in 100 runs in four seasons as a Cub.

2018 Chicago Cubs season at Baseball Reference