NEW YORK – Cubs vice president of player development Jared Banner had plenty of sit downs with prospects this spring. But his meeting with right-hander Matt Swarmer stood out.

“It might have been my longest sit down in the spring,” Banner told the Sun-Times. “We went over everything. He came over to my side of the desk. We looked at his profile and some of his charts and things of that nature. And that just tells me he was really inquisitive about what he needed to do to get better to get to the big leagues.”

Swarmer made it to the big-leagues a little over a week ago. And on Saturday, he hit the first bump in the road of his major-league career, in a 8-0 loss to the Yankees. Swarmer allowed six solo home runs in five innings, becoming the first Cubs starter to give up that many homers in a game in the modern era.

The last Cubs pitcher to give up six home runs was Tom Lee, in 1884, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

“I’ve just got to do a better job executing,” Swarmer said after the game, “and hopefully better things happen next start.”

It was Swarmer’s third major-league start, and his first two were quality starts. In each, he limited his opponent to one earned run through six innings.

“I’ve definitely seen him better,” Ross said Saturday. “Solo shots, I guess that’s better than walks. Those guys have got some powerful swings, and some big strong guys. They have the potential to put up some numbers with one swing of the bat, and they did that today.”

Swarmer, however, has perspective from his minor-league trials as he works past his first road outing in the big leagues. Yankee Stadium, against the best team in baseball (43-16), isn’t an easy place to gain that first experience.

Swarmer set another franchise record in 2019 with the Iowa Cubs, allowing 36 home runs in his 27 outings that year.

He worked on his slider grip and approach – understanding that each pitch sets up the next one. And he played in a men’s league when the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, “facing men with no hair.”

“He’s been a guy we’ve been paying a lot of attention to,” Banner said. “He’s made some major improvements over the last year or so, especially with his slider. It’s a real weapon. It’s, a big-league weapon.”

Swarmer had so much success with that slider in his first two starts because of his ability to manipulate it, to the point that it almost behaves like multiple pitches, and how similar his fastball and slider look coming out of his hand.

“His slider is the pitch that guys don’t see and swing like a fastball,” Ross said before Saturday’s game, “and you try to slow down to recognize the slider, and it lets the fastball play.”

One game doesn’t wipe out that progress. And Swarmer won’t face Aaron Judge (2 home runs), Giancarlo Stanton (1), Gleyber Torres (1), and Jose Trevino (1) and Anthony Rizzo (1) every start.

“Definitely a good lineup, the best I’ve ever faced,” Swarmer said. “But I’ve still got to make my pitches.”

While the Cubs’ rotation has been decimated by injuries, the club is relying on pitchers like Swarmer, with the talent but not the experience, to step in.

“Just going to try to limit the damage next time when things start hitting the fan,” Swarmer said. “Just try to make them feel uncomfortable up there. They just seemed like they saw the ball really well.”

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High school hitters ripped the ball all over Duly Health and Care Field during the Illinois High School Association state finals this weekend in Joliet.

There were lasers down the line and huge blasts to center field. But there was just one home run during the eight games and it came in Edwardsville’s thrilling 4-3 win against Mundelein in the Class 4A championship game.

Tiger senior Adam Powell, a 6-0, 200-pound lefty, hit a long fly ball to the opposite field in the fifth inning. The game was scoreless and there was one runner on base.

“Off the bat it felt good,” Powell said. “I didn’t think it was anywhere close to going out. Maybe as a foul ball. But it just kept going until I got to second base and I really didn’t even know it was gone. I just couldn’t see it anymore.”

Powell’s home run certainly wasn’t the best hit ball of the weekend, but it was a monumental blow, giving Edwardsville a 2-0 lead and what seemed like a clear path to the title.

“I was not expecting that to go out,” Edwardsville starting pitcher Gannon Burns said. “You don’t think a lefty is going to hit it 350 feet like that. It lit a fire under us and got us going.”

But Mundelein rose from the dead. The Mustangs rallied for three runs and took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. It looked like they had finally rattled Burns.

Neither team scored in the sixth as Mundelein clung to a 3-2 lead.

Edwardsville (34-4) scored two in the top of the seventh to take the lead back and Burns trotted out to the mound to try and secure the state championship with a complete game.

“He’s a dude,” Powell said. “He’s one of those guys where there were a couple spots where he looked a little shaky but I had full confidence he was going to get the job done for us.”

Burns did it. He struck out Mundelein’s leadoff hitter. Connor Weik drew a walk for the Mustangs but Burns got two ground outs to give Edwardsville its fourth state title.

Burns threw all seven innings, allowing one earned run on five hits. He walked three and struck out five.

The Tigers also won the state title in 2019, 1998, and 1990. They are one of the state’s premier programs, with 16 appearances in the state finals.

“It’s the coaches and the preparation that we put in,” Burns said. “It gives us depth that most other schools don’t have.”

Caden Morton, Mundelein’s starting pitcher, had spent the season as a reliever and was thrown into emergency duty in the state title game.

He lived up to the moment, holding Edwardsville’s explosive offense to just three hits and two runs in his five innings. It was just his second start of the season and his longest outing.

“Caden has worked his butt off to get where he is,” Mustangs coach Randy Lerner said. “Stepping in to start like that was phenomenal.”

Tommy Stricklin had two hits for Mundelein (29-6) and Danny Connelly’s two-run double in the fifth inning put the Mustangs ahead late and had their energetic fans nearly tasting a state title.

“I’m so proud of the fight we’ve had all year,” Lerner said. “This was an unbelievable high school baseball game. Both teams didn’t have their top pitchers and guys battled. That’s the way a championship game should be.”

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NEW YORK — Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matt Swarmer tied a record on Saturday night, giving up six solo home runs to the New York Yankees before being pulled after five innings.

Swarmer, 28, is the second pitcher in MLB history – and first since 1932 – to allow six solo home runs in a single game. He’s the 10th pitcher ever to give up six home runs of any kind in a game and first Cub since 1884.

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit two home runs off Swarmer, including one to lead-off the game. Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, Jose Trevino and Anthony Rizzo hit the other four off Swarmer, who gave up seven hits in his outing, with six leaving the yard.

It’s the seventh time this season both Judge and Stanton have homered in the same game, most by two teammates this season.

Stanton’s fourth inning blast is tied (with himself) for the hardest hit (119.8 mph) ball this season.

Swarmer was making his third major league start after a successful debut and follow up outing. His ERA entering the night was 1.50. It’s now 4.24.

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Watching their defending American League Central champions blow a 5-0 lead before striking out 11 times in the final four innings of regulation Saturday was enough for a convincing contingent of White Sox fans.

Chants of “Fire Tony” resonated for 20 seconds after the Rangers’ Brad Miller drew a walk in the top of the 10th inning following a tie-breaking single by Ezequiel Duran and passed ball by Reese McGuire.

The chants turned to boos shortly after Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa pulled reliever Matt Foster and before Marcus Semien hit a two-run single for the clinching blow in an 11-9 loss that dropped the Sox six games behind the division-leading Twins.

The loss was the third in the last four games for the Sox, whose fans have become more restless with their sub-.500 performance and with La Russa, who is aware of the discontent.

“Well, I hear it with one ear, and I see it with one eye,” La Russa said. “I appreciate they want us to win, and when we don’t win they’re unhappy. I’m pleased that they are, you know?

“We have the team we have to win, and we’re losing games. Nobody in that clubhouse, including the manager and coaches, is happy. I like it when (the fans) care enough to be upset.”

La Russa, whose decision Thursday to intentionally walk Trea Turner with a 1-2 count was foiled when Max Muncy hit a three-run homer in an 11-9 loss to the Dodgers, accepted being the target of the fans’ ire.

“I’ve said before, I learned you’re accountable for everything, right?” La Russa said. “Anything that is happening with this team, in the end, I’m responsible for, so… and you figure that out.

“If you don’t like the record (27-30), it’s my responsibility. If you don’t like the moves? Whatever is it. I’ve never have dodged accountability, and I won’t start now.”

Two days after Dylan Cease blew a 4-0 lead, Lucas Giolito accepted blame for his fifth-inning meltdown in which Adolis Garcia hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run rally.

“I’m disgusted in myself,” said Giolito, who retired eight consecutive batters before his debacle started. “That’s all I can really say. I go out and perform like I know I can, and we’re talking a lot differently right now.”

To compound matters, catcher Yasmani Grandal left in the bottom of the third due to left hamstring tightness. Grandal will re-examined Sunday, but Carlos Perez is the leading candidate to be promoted from Triple-A Charlotte to at least provide insurance.

Another reliever might be promoted in the wake of Giolito’s five-inning stint. Jimmy Lambert pitched 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief after Davis Martin and Kendall Graveman weren’t available after pitching Friday, and left-hander Aaron Bummer hasn’t pitched since Tuesday.

The loss overshadowed a 2-for-5 performance by Jake Burger, who hit a homer and is batting .346 over his last 14 games.

The Sox collected 12 hits in the first five innings off left-hander Martin Perez, who entered the game with a 1.56 ERA. But they couldn’t solve four Rangers relievers, led by left-hander Matt Moore, who struck out five in the eighth and ninth.

“(The fans) have a right to voice their opinion,” Burger said. “They are coming to the game, and they can say whatever they want. I know this clubhouse is a family and we are going to stick together no matter what.

“You can have outside opinions, but this clubhouse is tight and it’s a family.”

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NEW YORK – The Cubs continue to juggle injuries to their rotation, a challenge highlighted Saturday as they placed veteran lefty Wade Miley on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder strain.

It was the same injury that landed him on the IL less than two weeks ago, and they had just activated him to start Friday. But in the third inning, the shoulder issue cropped up again.

“It’s very frustrating,” Miley said Friday night, in a week with two off days after the Cubs had played 11 games in the nine days prior. ” … The bullpen was back set, and then three innings, and we’re right back in the same boat with 17 straight [games on the schedule.]”

In a corresponding move, the Cubs recalled reliever Michael Rucker from Triple-A.

The Cubs have three starting pitchers on the 15-day IL, with Miley joining Marcus Stroman (right shoulder inflammation) and Drew Smyly (right oblique strain). They also skipped Kyle Hendricks’ turn in the rotation to manage shoulder fatigue. The right-hander is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Padres, nearly two weeks after his last start.

The Cubs have, by necessity, turned to some less experienced arms to fill the holes in the rotation. Rookie Matt Swarmer made his third major-league start Saturday against the Yankees. Right-hander Keegan Thompson, who the Cubs moved from a multi-inning relief role to a starting job, is scheduled to start Sunday. Lefty Justin Steele is penciled in for Monday.

Cubs top pitching prospect Caleb Kilian is a logical option to call up for another start, if not for this turn in the rotation, likely in the next couple weeks.

Suzuki’s progress slow

Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki was scheduled to throw and hit again Saturday, but his sprained left ring finger has made little progress healing in recent days. He’s been sidelined since injuring his finger while siding over two weeks ago.

“He wants to be back in there bad,” Cubs manager David Ross said, “but the finger doesn’t look great. And it’s really stayed almost status quo. So, we’ll continue to look at a lot of options.”

According to Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, the Cubs have sought multiple opinions on Suzuki’s injury and sent him to the doctor in New York this week, while in town for the series. The doctors have not recommended surgery.

“Just nagging injuries,” Hoyer said. “The minute I saw him go down in Cincinnati, that was my biggest fear. … There’s also zero reason to come back if you’re either going to end up right back on the IL, or you’re going to swell up in game, or it’s going to be a constant nagging injury.”

Cubs break precedent

When it comes to salary arbitration, the Cubs are a “file and trial” team. But according to Hoyer, catcher Willson Contreras’ representation reached out to the club a few days before Contreras’ scheduled arbitration hearing.

“Once they did you, we definitely had a desire to reach a settlement,” Hoyer said. “We told them that at the time: this isn’t something we want, we don’t want to go to a hearing here. We’re willing to break precedent because of the nature of the season, and so it made a lot of sense.”

In a year with in-season hearings due to the lockout, the Cubs and Contreras agreed to a $9.625 million salary for 2022, the deal coming together the night before the hearing.

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