Hendricks needs 81 pitches for CG, Cubs beat Cards 4-0
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Hendricks needed just 81 pitches for a four-hitter, Anthony Rizzo homered for his third straight game and the Chicago Cubs beat the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 on Friday.
The second-place Cubs won their season-high fifth in a row while cutting St. Louis’ lead to 1½ games. The Cardinals have back-to-back losses after five consecutive victories.
Hendricks (2-4) pitched his third career shutout and fourth complete game, his first since he shut out Miami on Aug. 1, 2016. The right-hander struck out three and did not walk a batter, after getting pounded in a loss at Arizona last week. Hendricks improved to 6-2 in 15 starts against St. Louis.
Rizzo made it 3-0 with a three-run drive against Jack Flaherty (3-2) in the third and finished with three hits. Javier Baez added an RBI single in the seventh, and the Cubs opened a 10-game homestand with a win.
Flaherty allowed three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
MIAMI (AP) — Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann each homered to help Atlanta settle its score with Miami pitcher Jose Ureña.
Braves right-hander Kevin Gausman was ejected in the second inning for throwing a 97 mph fastball behind Ureña (1-5), who was at the center of a melee between the teams last season. Touki Toussaint (2-0), recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, replaced Gausman and allowed one run in four innings with six strikeouts.
Gausman’s first pitch to Ureña was knee-high behind the batter, and plate umpire Jeff Nelson immediately signaled the ejection.
The game was Ureña’s first against the Braves since he was suspended for six games for intentionally hitting Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. on the arm with a pitch last August, triggering a bench-clearing confrontation.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins hit a three-run homer, Jerad Eickhoff threw five crisp innings and Philadelphia beat Washington.
After Kurt Suzuki went deep off Seranthony Dominguez (3-0) to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead in the sixth, the Phillies rallied.
Jean Segura’s infield single with one out chased Jeremy Hellickson. Lefty Dan Jennings (0-1) entered to face Bryce Harper, who drew a walk. Nationals manager Dave Martinez had a right-hander warming up in the bullpen but kept Jennings in to pitch to Hoskins. The cleanup hitter blasted a 1-1 pitch out to left to give Philadelphia a 4-2 lead.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Pinch-hitter Tyler Naquin’s two-out single in the ninth inning drove in the winning run and Cleveland defeated Seattle.
Naquin, batting for Jordan Luplow, grounded the first pitch from Anthony Swarzak (2-1) through the right side to score Leonys Martin from second base. Naquin was mobbed by teammates down the right field line after Cleveland’s second walkoff win of the season.
The hit also provided some good news for the Indians, who placed pitcher Corey Kluber on the 10-day injured list before the game. Kluber broke his right arm after being hit by a line drive Wednesday and is out indefinitely. The Indians said Kluber does not need surgery for now and will be re-examined in three to four weeks.
Brad Hand (1-1) struck out two in the ninth to earn the win.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Tyler Glasnow pitched seven innings of three-hit ball to earn his major league-leading sixth win, and Tampa Bay got a slump-breaking homer from Mike Zunino in a rout of Baltimore.
Glasnow (6-0) struck out eight, walked none and lowered his AL-best ERA to 1.47. It’s been an impressive turnaround for the right-hander, who entered this season with a 4-16 lifetime record.
Zunino snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a three-run homer off Dan Straily (1-2) to make it 4-0 in the fourth inning.
DETROIT (AP) — Matthew Boyd struck out nine in another solid outing, and Detroit scored three runs in the first inning.
It was the sixth straight quality start for Boyd (3-2), who allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked one. Shane Greene allowed a solo homer to Jorge Soler in the ninth, but he was able to close the game out for his American League-leading 13th save in 13 chances.
Jorge Lopez (0-3) settled down nicely after a tough first inning. He allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings.
