GLENDALE, Arizona -- Gerardo "Tata" Martino has guided Mexico through to the Gold Cup semifinal against Haiti with a squad lacking star names, but only one of those absent from the tournament won't be welcomed back into the fold: LAFC's Carlos Vela.

Martino was asked on the eve of the semifinal whether the group of experienced veterans not in national team camp this summer -- such as Javier Hernandez, Hector Herrera, Jesus "Tecatito" Corona and Miguel Layun -- could return in the future to bolster the squad.

"Like I've said, aside from the case of Carlos, who made a public statement, there is no other player that the doors are closed for," responded Martino.

- CONCACAF Gold Cup: All you need to know
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

Vela is on course to win the MLS MVP award this season -- he leads the league with 16 goals -- but wasn't included by Martino for the March friendlies and was then omitted for the Gold Cup squad, with the Argentine suggesting it was the player's decision.

"I spoke with Carlos Vela over the phone last week and he assured me that at this time his club and his family are his priority, that's why he stepped aside," said Martino in a news conference in May.

Vela than confirmed that it was time to step aside, without definitively stating his national team career was over.

"I've had my opportunities, I've played a lot of games with the national team and nothing extraordinary has happened with Carlos Vela playing," Vela told reporters in Los Angeles.

Martino didn't accept that he would be changing the rules and regulations for specific players within the squad so that they would be more likely to come to national team duty.

"No player is obligated to come to the national team and those that do should have to follow the rules that the coach lays down," said Martino. "There's no motive for a coach to have to negotiate with a player coming in. But sometimes there are different situations that stop them coming."

Martino's statements potentially left the door open for Porto winger Corona, who was slammed by the Argentine for not answering the call-up in March.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Gods of Football gifted us two bona fide rivalries in the Copa America semifinals.

Headlining is Brazil vs. Argentina (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+), the "SuperClasico de las Americas" and, in terms of pedigree, one of the few international matchups that lives up to the hype, usually in terms of quality and almost always in terms of incident.

But the "Pacific derby" -- Chile vs. Peru (Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+) -- is an intriguing understudy, rich in a rivalry that often transcends football and not just over the paternity of the "Pisco Sour."

Indeed, one of the twists is that no matter what happens, Chile and Peru are playing with house money, whereas Brazil and Argentina are pretty much assured inquests, pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth if they stumble at this hurdle.

Let's start with the big one. Brazil and Argentina have faced off for more than 100 years and reached 12 World Cup finals between them, winning seven. They have produced three unquestioned GOAT candidates -- Pele, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi -- spawned oodles of sociological treaties about the importance of futbol/futebol to their national psyches and generally have been the yin to each other's yang.

In 105 previous meetings, there have been 41 wins for Brazil, with 38 for Argentina and 26 draws. If you discount friendlies, then Argentina are ahead, 18 to 17.

Not that too many encounters have been very friendly; from pitch invasions (1925), to Brazil walking off (1937), to Argentina walking off and Brazil scoring the winning penalty into an empty goal (1939), to police invading the pitch to stop the teams fighting (1946), to the "Battle of Rosario" (1978), to Maradona's horror tackle and red card at the World Cup (1982), to Maradona's genius right-footed pass for Claudio Caniggia and subsequent "holy water" controversy (1990), to five players getting sent off in the Copa America (1991) to Tulio's "hand of the devil" goal (1995), this rivalry has had plenty of controversy.

The last time they squared off in the Copa America was back in the 2007 final. Twelve years later, two of the protagonists are still around: Dani Alves, who came on and scored in a 3-0 Brazil win, and Messi, who had just turned 20 at the time.

Some reckon Tuesday's clash will be different, since many players are teammates in their day jobs. Messi is at Barcelona with Philippe Coutinho and Arthur. Gabriel Jesus lines up with Nicolas Otamendi and Sergio Aguero at Manchester City. Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria share a dressing room with Marquinhos; and Thiago Silva and Dani Alves at Paris Saint-Germain. Paulo Dybala and Alex Sandro break bread at Juventus.

Yeah, right. And the Easter Bunny loves hiding those eggs ...

The fact is, globalization, commercialization and, yeah, cold hard cash might have turned these guys into colleagues and maybe even friends, but this is different. This is international football. This is playing for your country.

And the usual pressure and stakes are ratcheted up further by circumstances. Brazil are still scarred by the aftereffects of the Mineirazo, the 7-1 World Cup semifinal defeat against Germany in 2014 that induced a one-way ticket to "The Twilight Zone." (Yes, they return to the scene of the crime for this game.)

It will take time to expiate, and another major trophy might accelerate the process, but the 2015 Copa America went off the rails when Neymar was banned and ended with a penalty shootout exit against Paraguay in the quarterfinals. A year later, Brazil failed to get out of their Copa America Centenario group.

Hopes were high for a fresh start at World Cup in Russia and plenty jumped on the Tite bandwagon, only for it to be derailed by Roberto Martinez and Belgium in the last eight. It is 12 years and counting since the Selecao's last major tournament win, not including a pair of Confederations Cup triumphs in 2009 and 2013.

There is still plenty of faith in Tite, and the major mitigating factor of Neymar's absence this time around weighs heavily in a rational assessment of the tournament. But this is Brazil and this is home soil, which means reason will quickly go through the power shredder should things go awry against the old enemy.

For Argentina, the pressure is myriad. First, there is the Messi issue. His detractors never miss the opportunity to point out his lack of trophies in an Albiceleste shirt, just as his supporters point to his four finals -- three in the Copa America, one in the World Cup -- and the fact that his side were twice beaten on penalties and once in extra time.

Knocking this eternal -- and, frankly, puerile -- debate on the head once and for all would be nice, particularly because, having turned 32 last week, Messi is not getting any younger. The idea that Argentina have failed to grab any silverware in nine attempts with one of the greatest players in history is an indictment of one of the game's traditional powers.

More broadly, there are other stains to wipe away, starting with the memory of Russia. It was not just the shambles at the tournament itself, where Argentina scraped through the group stage only to be beaten by France, but the embarrassingly chaotic qualifying campaign, which featured three managers and last-ditch turnarounds.

Moreover, there are the continuing difficulties of the Argentine FA (which, lest we forget, led Messi to announce his international retirement in 2016) and the fact that manager Lionel Scaloni has an interim contract that expires the moment Argentina are eliminated from this tournament.

Scaloni was charged with limiting "Messi dependency" and putting together a rational framework. After fits and starts in the group stage -- marked by copious changes in system and personnel -- he seems to have found some sort of balance in a 4-3-1-2 with Rodrigo De Paul in midfield, Messi in the hole and Lautaro Martinez alongside Aguero up front. It did the job against Venezuela, but it feels fragile enough that it could be blown away should old insecurities crawl back in.

- Vickery: Brazil vs. Argentina can make up for dull quarterfinals
- Copa America coverage index | Full fixtures schedule

Meanwhile, Chile and Peru have effectively already won their respective Copa Americas. Chile are two-time defending champions dreaming of a three-peat, but the landscape is different and not just because they are in Brazil's house (they hosted in 2015 and the Centenario was on "neutral" territory in the United States).

Eight of the starting XI that knocked out Colombia in the quarterfinal are in their thirties, and another, Edu Vargas, turns 30 in November. The high-energy, flat-out, run-and-gun style that helped deliver those two titles is no longer an option, not for 90 minutes anyway.

As such, Chile must pick their spots. And with Alexis Sanchez coming off a nightmare campaign at club level -- he has scored as many goals (two) in four games at this tournament as he did in 27 appearances for Manchester United last season -- few expected them to get this far.

But Reinaldo Rueda's crew will start as favourites on Wednesday, mainly because Peru were not just unfancied before a ball was kicked, but due to the fact they have been lackluster in reaching the semifinals. Their only win was a comeback victory over Bolivia; they were hammered 5-0 by Brazil, and in the previous round, they survived three disallowed goals and failed to get a shot on target before ousting Uruguay on penalties.

"From a mental perspective, we're in good shape," Peru coach Ricardo Gareca said after that win. "Of course, when it comes to the footballing side, there's room for improvement."

Maybe so, but when margins are slim, every inch is contested and penalty kicks and intestinal fortitude often come into play; that "mental strength" to which he alluded could be key. It applies whether you are playing nearly pressure-free, such as Chile and Peru, or have the weight of the world on your shoulders, like Brazil and Argentina.

Australia opener Joe Burns is set to be available for Ashes selection, having been cleared to play again after recovering from post-viral fatigue disorder.

Burns had been forced to go home from his stint with English county side Lancashire in May after he was was diagnosed with post-viral fatigue, stemming from a virus he suffered in October 2018.

Post-viral fatigue is an umbrella term for serious fatigue symptoms that can afflict individuals following a viral infection. A number of cricketers and athletes have suffered from it, and it notably ended the career of former Australia under 19 captain and Western Australia batsman Rob Baker.

Burns' issues were not found to be as severe and after a prescribed rest period, Burns began training again on June 17. He took to Twitter on Monday to announce he has been cleared to play again.

Great news today that after clearances and a few solid weeks training with @qldcricket that I'm ready to get back on the park and play. Thank you to everyone for all the kind messages of support over this period. Can't wait to get out there and get stuck in.

— Joe Burns (@joeburns441) July 1, 2019

The major issue for Burns is whether he will be able to play anywhere in the lead up to the Ashes. Despite scoring a career-best 180 in Australia's last Test match against Sri Lanka back in February, Burns was not selected in the Australia A squad that is currently touring England.

National chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns did explicitly state that players not selected in the Australia A squad, including - Burns, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Bancroft - were all still firmly in Ashes contention as county form would be heavily considered. However, Burns was replaced as Lancashire's overseas player by South Australia's Jake Lehmann.

Australia's other incumbent Test opener, Marcus Harris, has traveled to England to join the Australia A four-day squad for the first of two four-day games against Sussex and the England Lions. He is the only specialist opener in the squad for those two games, the first of which starts on Sunday. There is a third four-day game between Australia and Australia A in Hampshire on July 23 that will feature Ashes contenders who are currently in the World Cup squad.

There will need to be at least 22 players, possibly 24, to play in that game and the teams have not been named. The Ashes squad will be selected at the end of that game on July 27 with the first Test starting at Edgbaston just five days later.

David Warner is set to return to the top of the order in the Test team following his productive return at the World Cup. Steve Smith is also a guaranteed starter barring injury, meaning at least two of the top six who played in Australia's last Test are set to be squeezed out.

Cricket chiefs have implored the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) Trust not to abandon the ground's natural wicket block and replace it with "unproven" drop-in pitches under pressure from the AFL. They believe such a move would run the risk of imposing "boring cricket" on spectators.

This comes at a time when the MCG is undergoing extensive work to updates its 20-year-old drop-in pitch system that has been subject to heavy criticism for the standards of recent Test match pitches in particular. However, more contemporary drop in surfaces at Adelaide Oval (installed in 2013) and Perth Stadium (2018) have raised fresh discussion about whether the SCG should change over.

Lee Germon, the NSW chief executive, stated that the SCG's history of providing an array of different conditions, especially those aiding spin bowlers, would be at risk should the square be dug up and replaced. Such a move would also require extensive remodelling work to provide an access point for portable pitches.

"I would argue those advancements are yet to be proven," Germon told ESPNcricinfo. "It's a pretty fair assumption that they have improved with time, but in Adelaide we've seen largely day-night Test matches and the nature of the pitch change as a result of the drop-ins.

"It's become more swing and seam friendly, [Perth] the jury's still out on that. But irrespective of that, there is no substitute for a natural pitch and the natural deterioration that will occur with a natural wicket.

"Broadly looking at drop-in pitches, the deterioration has been more based around the fact that it suits swing bowling and seam bowling, not spin bowling, and drop-in pitches have certainly not been seen to deteriorate for that kind of bowling."

ALSO READ: 100 Tests at the SCG: Why they go feet first in Sydney

Apart from a brief statement, the SCG Trust declined to comment, not revealing the names of pitch committee members nor the timing of the AFL's request and the committee's formation. The league was understood to be angered by CA scheduling a pair of ODIs between Australia and New Zealand at the SCG in mid-March next year, a decision unveiled in May. The Trust is chaired by Tony Shepherd, also the chairman of the Greater Western Sydney AFL club.

"At the request of the AFL, the SCG has formed a committee to consider advances in drop-in wicket technology," the Trust said in a statement. "The committee is made up of Trustees and independent experts and will consider the needs of all sports partners and other stakeholders."

The committee has been formed at a time when the SCG surface is subject to unprecedented extra traffic due to the rebuilding of the Sydney Football Stadium next door. Germon argued that the discussion should not be happening at any time, let alone when the ground is under an unusual level of strain. The SCG's ground manager, ex-Adelaide Oval groundsman Justin Groves, resigned earlier this year amid the fixturing glut.

"I don't think this discussion should be taking place anyway, irrespective of the timing," Germon said. "I think it's exacerbated by the extra workload that's on the SCG at the moment. Rectangular sports don't want to play at the SCG - they've made that clear and in three years time they're going to have a bright, shiny new stadium right next door that will be their home. The timing is not right, but from my perspective and cricket's perspective the sanctity of the SCG is paramount and this discussion in my view is a moot discussion and the timing is never right.

"We're certainly trying to get more effective use [of the SCG], we certainly play more cricket at the SCG than AFL, we certainly bring in ore crowds, we're the major tenant at the SCG, we want to play as much cricket as we possibly can there. My argument would be that rather than provide a venue that can hold concerts, have a venue that can provide more cricket. That's what the ground was made for, the quintessential nature of the SCG, and we just want more and more cricket there."

Cricket NSW argues SCG's unique characteristics in submission

The NSW submission to the SCG Trust stressed the ground's history of offering distinctive conditions and also argued that Adelaide Oval's move to a drop-in pitch had fundamentally changed the character of the surface and the cricket played on it.

"The SCG is the only ground in the country where spinners are the two leading wicket takers across the history of the venue - Shane Warne (64 wickets) and Stuart MacGill (53 wickets). Drop-in pitches simply do not deteriorate over the four days of a Sheffield Shield match or five days of a Test. In multiple venues, with some of the world's finest curators in control, they continue to have a sameness about them which fail to express the unique characteristics that exist in Sydney with the natural pitch.

"One of the main reasons for this uniformity is that the technology used for drop in wickets is largely unproven. There are only four venues in world cricket that use drop ins for long-form cricket, each with varying degrees of success. We've seen the impact of getting it wrong in Melbourne over the past two years, where the Boxing Day Test match has been overshadowed by the MCG becoming the only Test pitch in Australia to receive a poor rating from the ICC in recent years, in addition to both MCG and Optus (drop in venues) receiving average ratings last season.

"The top seven wicket takers in Sheffield Shield history at the Adelaide Oval are all spinners [If you count George Giffen from the 19th century, who was a medium pace off-spinner]. However, four of the top five wicket takers since the drop-in pitch six years ago are seam and swing bowlers. Deterioration is key to a spinning pitch, therefore there is a real risk that moving to drop ins will nullify the unique characteristic that the SCG is famous for, and risk it becoming just like any other ground around Australia."

CA has been contacted for comment.

Kevon Looney is returning to the Golden State Warriors on a three-year, $15 million deal, agent Todd Ramasar told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Looney proved vital for the Warriors in the playoffs, as he filled an important role in Golden State's rotation after starting center DeMarcus Cousins went down with an injury in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Looney suffered an injury of his own in Game 2 of the NBA Finals but returned in Game 4 and played through visible discomfort the rest of the series.

The 23-year-old's return to the Bay Area is good news for the Warriors, who lost center Jordan Bell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in free agency, a league source confirmed to ESPN.

Looney was taken with the 30th overall pick out of UCLA by the Warriors in the 2015 NBA draft.

He averaged 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game last season.

Free-agent point guard Isaiah Thomas has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Wizards, league sources told ESPN on Monday.

The Wizards lost point guard Tomas Satoransky to the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $30 million contract on Monday, opening an opportunity for Thomas to be a backup point guard for the franchise. The 30-year-old met with Wizards interim general manager Tommy Sheppard on Monday.

Thomas is optimistic that the surgically repaired hip that impaired his past two summers will allow him a full offseason of training so he can make a more impactful return to the league this season.

The Denver Nuggets signed Thomas to a one-year deal last summer and were patient with him, allowing him to fully rehab before returning to the court prior to the All-Star Break in February. Denver had one of the NBA's best records and a deep roster of guards, and ultimately it was difficult for Thomas to crack the rotation. He played 12 regular-season games for the Nuggets, averaging eight points. There had been hope he'd have a bigger role, but it never materialized.

"Nobody knew what to expect with me coming off hip surgery last year and two summers of rehab," Thomas told ESPN recently. "Now I can go back to being a gym rat this summer, work on my game again and build my body back up -- my muscle mass, my leg strength -- all like I had going into the 2017 season."

For Denver, the No. 2 seed in the West this postseason and a trip to Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals was constructed around a young, dynamic group of guards, including Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Monte Morris and Malik Beasley.

"Isaiah was fantastic this season," Denver's president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, told ESPN. "His voice in the locker room was invaluable. I'm sure it was frustrating for him not playing as much as he hoped, but he never allowed that frustration to negatively impact his approach. We wouldn't have had the success we had this year without him."

In parts of his eight NBA seasons with Sacramento, Phoenix, Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Denver, Thomas has averaged nearly 15 points per game. He averaged 28.9 points per game for the Boston Celtics in 2016-17, a second-team All-NBA season that appeared to put Thomas on his way to a long-term contract. Instead, a right hip injury that prematurely ended his playoff run in 2017 (and cost him eight months of rehab) and a trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers later in 2017 upended his hopes for a long-term deal.

Thomas joined the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a trade-deadline deal with Cleveland, with which he played only 15 games in 2017-18. He signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Denver the following season.

"Denver allowed me to take really as much time as I needed to get back to 100 percent health," Thomas told ESPN. "Obviously, I wanted to play, and I thought I could've contributed in the regular season and playoffs, but I understood [coach Mike Malone's] decision, and I think I contributed in other ways as a leader, as someone who was there to answer the questions of the younger guys. I stayed ready and prepared to play.

"When I look at it from the outside, I understood it. I missed 50 games, the team was having a helluva season, and it wasn't easy to just squeeze me in there when so many guys were playing so well. They didn't want to mess up what they had going. I understood it."

Thomas plans to split his time between the Seattle area and Los Angeles this summer and fully expects a full summer of work to result in his being prepared to make an impact next season.

"I'm going to get back to a level that I was playing at," Thomas told ESPN. "I'm excited to show what I can do again."

PITTSBURGH -- Josh Bell certainly looks ready for the Home Run Derby.

Pittsburgh's All-Star first baseman hit three home runs to boost his season total to 25, leading the Pirates to an 18-5 rout over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

Bell, who will be part of the eight-man derby field in Cleveland next week, hit a three-run shot off rookie Adbert Alzolay (1-1) in the first, a two-run drive off Alzolay in the second and finished off a four-hit, seven-RBI night by taking new Chicago closer Craig Kimbrel deep in the eighth as Pittsburgh began a pivotal seven-game homestand by pounding out a season-high 23 hits.

Adam Frazier finished 5 for 6 and tied a major league record with four doubles. Colin Moran had a career-high five hits for the Pirates.

Jung Ho Kang hit his seventh home run of the season off Chicago infielder Daniel Descalso, who made a cameo on the mound in the seventh with the game well out of hand. Jose Osuna hit a solo home run off Kimbrel, who came on to get some work after making his debut with the Cubs last week.

Bell became the 20th Pirates player to hit three home runs in a game and the first left-handed batter to do it since Hall of Famer Willie Stargell in 1971. Frazier's four doubles matched a mark shared by many players -- Matt Carpenter of St. Louis was the last to do it on Aug. 26, 2018.

Javier Baez hit his 21st home run for Chicago. Kris Bryant and David Bote had two hits each, but the Cubs couldn't keep pace while dropping their third straight.

Alzolay had dazzled in his first two appearances for Chicago, including a nine-strikeout effort in a no-decision against Atlanta last week in his first start. Cubs manager Joe Maddon hoped he could get six innings and 100 pitches out of the 24-year-old Alzolay in his first major league outing away from Wrigley Field.

It didn't quite go that way.

Alzolay let his first four batters reach base, punctuated by Bell's screaming shot to the seats above the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field. Bell did it again with two outs in the second inning, lining another Alzolay offering just a bit to the right of his first homer.

Alzolay finally exited after giving up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings with a walk and three strikeouts as his ERA zoomed from 2.08 to 7.15.

Trevor Williams (3-2) took advantage of the outburst to pick up his first victory since May 10. It wasn't exactly easy. Williams had trouble nursing an early 7-1 lead. The Cubs closed to 7-4 in the fourth before Williams worked out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Bryant to pop out.

The Pirates responded in the bottom of the inning, including an RBI single by Williams that helped pushed Pittsburgh's advantage to 10-4. Williams lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Pittsburgh is trying to hang around in the crowded NL Central, where all five teams entered July separated by 5 1/2 games. The club pointed to a seven-game homestand against the Cubs and Brewers heading into the All-Star break as a chance to build some momentum.

The outburst against Chicago gave Pittsburgh 10 wins in 16 games following an eight-game losing streak that threatened to derail the season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Cole Hamels underwent an MRI on his strained left oblique. There was no initial word on the results.

Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (right arm strain) did not throw over the weekend as planned. Taillon, who hasn't pitched since May 1, remains out indefinitely.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.36 ERA) returns Tuesday from a stint on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Hendricks is 4-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 13 starts against Pittsburgh.

Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (6-7, 4.27) is 2-2 with a 1.37 ERA in four starts against the Cubs.

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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

PITTSBURGH -- On Monday afternoon, Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer sat in the visitors' dugout and discussed his team's shopping list for this month's trade season -- offensive depth and lefty relievers would be nice additions. But after watching his team lose 18-5 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, it wouldn't be quite so shocking if Tuesday's conversation was about selling instead of purchasing.

The Cubs are playing that poorly.

"We have to do better," veteran Daniel Descalso said after the loss. "We have to play better, in all facets. I don't think the product we put out on the field recently is indicative of the team we have in here, the talent we have in here."

Descalso was called upon to pitch the seventh inning, on Monday, even though the Cubs have a 14-man pitching staff. It's just that their arms have been used a lot lately, leading to their first losing month since May, 2017. And after going 14-15 in June, they began July much in the same manner: Playing bad baseball, filled with mistakes. Their manager is trying everything.

"You talk, talk, talk and at some point they just have to start getting it done," Joe Maddon said. "Those (mistakes) have been very glaring."

Overthrows, bobbled balls and outs on the base paths have become the norm more than the exception lately. For once, their lack of hitting with runners in scoring position wasn't an issue simply because they got behind so early, as rookie Adbert Alzolay had his 'welcome to the big leagues' moment, in just his second career start. He gave up 10 hits in just 2 ⅔ innings. Hitting, pitching and defense have all suffered lately, which made Hoyer's pre-game determination about what they need even more telling.

"We haven't played well enough to rule a lot of things out," he stated. "We have to keep an open mind because of the way the last couple months have gone."

Though it didn't matter on Monday, their biggest need is at the plate, where an uneven offense has kept Cubs brass up at night. It's strange because they boast three All-Stars in Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant while Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward are having respectable years as well.

"A lot of guys are where they need to be from an individual standpoint," Hoyer said. "From a team perspective, that's where the real frustration lies. We haven't capitalized on a lot of opportunities. It's too often the storyline."

Of course, Hoyer is talking about hitting with runners in scoring position. The Cubs rank 14th in the National League, meaning those individual performances aren't exactly being strung together. Can a team actually trade for that quality?

"As a group I feel like we're a little less than the sum of our parts because of situational hitting," Hoyer said.

Perhaps it comes down to getting a legitimate lead-off man. In the past, that may have been a luxury for the Cubs, who boasted a deep lineup, but now it may be a necessity.

"We don't have that," Hoyer said. "We'll look for that. We've improvised a little bit with (Kyle) Schwarber there which provides some danger at the top of the lineup."

As usual with teams, most of the fixes are going to have to come from within, from a group which won a World Series three years ago. It seems like a long time ago right now as the Cubs are trending in the wrong direction. Like any scuffling team, perhaps the All-Star break can be the difference-maker -- and then what occurs before the July 31 trade deadline. After all, the Cubs were the only team in the NL to play 29 games in June. Now, they have a handful left before a respite. A few wins wouldn't hurt.

"I'm sure everyone could use a break at this point," Descalso said. "(But) no one is going to sit there and feel sorry for us because we've been playing not so great.

"We can suck it up for five games, push to the break, relax for a few days and have our foot on the gas and come back for the second half."