Hamels pitches 7 innings, Cubs complete sweep with 6-0 win

MIAMI (AP) — Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings and the Chicago Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins with a 6-0 win Wednesday night.

Hamels (3-0) allowed three hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out eight while throwing 65 of his 97 pitches for strikes.

Daniel Descalso had two hits and three RBIs, Javier Baez homered and knocked in two, and Jason Heyward also drove in a run for the Cubs, who have won five of six.

Baez went 8 for 13 with one double, two home runs, six runs scored, and four RBIs in the series.

Hamels retired 15 consecutive batters after allowing a lead-off single to Jorge Alfaro in the second.

Martin Prado broke the string with a one-out single in the seventh, which could have ended on a potential double-play. However, third baseman Kris Bryant bobbled the ground ball hit by Brian Anderson and was unable to make a throw. Alfaro singled to left to load the bases.

Hamels got into a 3-0 hole against Starlin Castro, but worked himself out of it with a strike out and got Miguel Rojas to fly out to end the inning unscathed.

Descalso started the scoring for the Cubs with a base hit in the second off Sandy Alcantara (1-2).

The Cubs scored four runs in the third sparked by a two-run double by Descalso. Baez and Heyward also had RBI singles in the inning to take a 5-0 lead.

It was Baez’s 500th career hit. Baez added a solo home run, his sixth of the season, to right field in the eighth.

Alcantara allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-3, 5.40 ERA) looks for his first win of the season when he takes the mound on Friday to begin a three-game home series against Arizona.

Marlins: LHP Caleb Smith (1-0, 2.65) opens a three-game series against Washington on Friday.