Ian Happ cracked a smile recently when asked about the pickoff move that Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd has used to nab unsuspecting runners at first base. “His pickoff move, it’s gross,” Happ said. “It looks exactly like a slide step.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes is no stranger to impressive accomplishments. On Friday, he made the wrong kind of history with his start against the Chicago Cubs ( box score ).

Adding that swing above the zone to his proven power below the zone, Crow-Armstrong became the first player to homer on one pitch at least 3.9 feet off the ground and another less than .9 feet off the ground in the same season in the Statcast era (since 2015), according to mlb.com.

The Chicago Cubs’ need to upgrade a position has been deemed the most urgent in MLB, according to Eno Sarris of The Athletic.

The Chicago Cubs have experienced some issues at third base this season, but it looks like those issues might be solved both now and in the future. After earning the job to begin the season, rookie sensation Matt Shaw was eventually sent back down for about a month with struggles at the plate to begin his big league career.

For casual bettors, now is a good time to start getting your feet wet before diving in when there are far fewer sports to play this coming summer. We've got you covered here with some Friday Night (baseball) lines.

Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week.

The Chicago Cubs are on top of the NL Central with a depleted rotation. The quiet consistency of Matthew Boyd is a major reason for their success.