‘You can’t take it for granted’: Chicago Cubs try to avoid all those trade rumors as they open the 2nd half with a 5-1 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks

The Chicago Cubs are trying to put on blinders and keep their focus on what they can control over the next two weeks leading up to the trade deadline.

They kicked off a favorable schedule to start the second half by taking advantage of the worst team in baseball, securing a 5-1 win Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks behind a quality start from right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

But after Thursday’s trade that jettisoned outfielder Joc Pederson to the Atlanta Braves, the scrutiny will only intensify as July 30 draws closer.

“All the reports and rumors flying from now until then, you probably could put a full scrapbook together and see the rollercoaster that it’s going to take everyone on,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “My position is just staying one day at a time and not really worrying about what’s going to happen. What’s going to happen is going to happen. None of us have any control of it.”

The uncertainty of who will remain on the roster casts a shadow that will be hard to escape for the Cubs and the veterans who are attractive trade pieces. This isn’t the first time the Cubs’ core players have dealt with trade speculation, especially an offseason that saw them move on and trade formerly key contributors.

“Every time towards the trade deadline, you get caught up too when you’re buying, ‘Who we getting? Who we getting? Who we getting?’ and lose focus,” Rizzo said. “Obviously there’s going to be a lot of names thrown around here and there, but with Joc going, it just heats up and intensifies everything.

“Just win today and have fun and enjoy it because being a seller before years ago, when you lose your friends it sucks. And that’s why I play this game and try to enjoy every single day because you can’t take it for granted.”

As the Cubs look to retool, Hendricks remains an important piece moving forward. Since his rough April, Hendricks has a 2.65 ERA in his last 14 starts, which includes holding the Diamondbacks to one run in six innings Friday. He has gone at least six innings in all but one of those starts.

Hendricks, who improved to 12-4, battled command at times, especially in the fourth when the Diamondbacks loaded the bases with one out behind a double and two walks. He struggled to spot his changeup but battled and got a fly out and strikeout looking to end the inning to maintain the Cubs’ one-run lead.

Hendricks wanted to set the tone coming out of the break. He felt he could have been more aggressive to avoid long counts and the three walks he issued. Hendricks made good pitches when he needed to, however, and was overall pleased with the outing. Like his teammates, Hendricks is trying not to worry about what moves could affect the Cubs roster in the next two weeks.

“It’s definitely all mental, you just have to keep reminding yourself we’re going to be playing baseball no matter what,” Hendricks said. “And that happens all the time — guys come and go. It’s unfortunate. It’s part of the game. You get close with guys and they leave, but everyone that enters this clubhouse is a part of the family, whoever we have at the moment. So that’s what we focus on.”

A sacrifice fly off Jake Marisnick’s bat put the the Cubs ahead 1-0 in the first. The long ball powered the Cubs the rest of the way.

Rizzo’s solo home run in the fourth tied him with Aramis Ramírez for sixth in franchise history with 239 homers. It also moved him past Phil Cavarretta for the 10th-most extra-base hits (533) by a Cub.

“The first thing I think of is just staying healthy and being on the field and playing a lot of games every single year and putting myself in position to be able to play,” Rizzo said of the milestones. “This is a historic franchise, it’s Wrigley Field, it’s the Chicago Cubs — when you hear that it’s just really special.”

In the seventh, Patrick Wisdom’s 13th home run moved him into a third-place tie for the team lead with Willson Contreras despite not playing in his first game until May 25. Jason Heyward added a two-run pinch-hit homer, his second since coming off the injured list in early June.

“That stretch was tough and we’ve really needed that reset at the All-Star break,” Rizzo said. “Coming out today, just the message is go 1-0. It’s so cliché, it’s so easy to say but it’s hard to do. If we can just embrace just winning today and win the day and enjoy it.”

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