Matt Carpenter doesn’t fit the traditional profile of a 30-30 hitter in baseball because the latter number refers to stolen bases. He has only one of those this year.

Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

CARBONDALE — With 25 contact days allowed football teams by the Illinois High School Association prior to Monday, the first official day of practice isn’t quite as big a deal to some as it used to be.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

At least Rick Renteria didn’t get ahead of himself.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

After the Cardinals reeled off seven wins in 10 games, winning all three series against contending clubs Chicago, Colorado and Pittsburgh, the most optimistic followers of their wild-card crusade looked ahead, thirstily, to a week’s worth of games against bottom dwellers Miami and Kansas City.

Here’s a link to the story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Joe Maddon lost his former MVP. In fact, he has lost Kris Bryant twice, and the Cubs manager will be without the most potent bat on the roster for a while.

Here’s a link to the column at the Chicago Tribune.

Pedro Strop earned two saves Monday night. Strop pitched a perfect ninth inning to preserve the Cubs’ 3-1 win over the Royals, and he also gave Javier Baez a pep talk during a 22-minute rain delay after the slugger was upset about his two early strikeouts.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

At the first mention of his late mother, Lavoyda, Brian Urlacher interrupted his Hall of Fame induction speech and thwarted the emotion threatening to overwhelm him like he once stopped so many fullbacks.

Here’s a link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.

Jon Lester struggled from the outset Sunday and a late Cubs rally was wasted in a 10-6 loss to the Padres at Wrigley Field.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

Mike Shildt calls himself socially challenged.

Here’s a link to the column at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Cardinals rookie Jack Flaherty, lamenting that he hadn’t been more efficient in his recent starts, threw exactly two-thirds of his modest total of 84 pitches for strikes Sunday and four relievers held off the Pittsburgh Pirates for a 2-1 Cardinals triumph.

Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.