Game Forty-Nine – Cubs 5, Marlins 1
WP – Jason Hammel (4-2) LP – Jose Urena (0-2) Save – None
Jason Hammel struck out a career-high 11 batters and the 25 and Under Club drove in all five runs as the Cubs started the nine-game road trip with a win on Monday night in Miami.
Jason Hammel put together another excellent outing and came within an out of completing his fifth straight start of at least seven innings. Hammel found a rhythm early, worked quickly with Miguel Montero and pounded the strike zone for all but one inning Monday night.
The Marlins only run scored on a throwing error by Miguel Montero in the fourth inning. Giancarlo Stanton singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Stanton took off for third when he noticed Hammel wasn’t paying attention to him. Montero’s throw was out of Bryant’s reach, ended up in left field and Stanton scampered home. Hammel labored a little bit in the fourth inning after Stanton scored. But he regrouped and retired the next seven batters he faced, five by strikeouts.
Jason Hammel turned the game over to James Russell with two on and two down in the seventh. Russell got out of the mini-jam by inducing a grounder to Addison Russell off the bat of Ichiro to end the inning. Hammel was charged with one run on five hits with no walks and 11 strikeouts. Hammel made 117 pitches, 80 for strikes, in 6 2/3 innings and struck out 11 of the 26 batters he faced.
James Russell, Pedro Strop and Travis Wood pitched the last 2 1/3 innings.
Anthony Rizzo (1-for-4 with a double, a walk and a RBI) doubled in Dexter Fowler (1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored) in the first inning. Kris Bryant (1-for-4 with a double, a walk, a RBI and a run scored) scored on a groundout by Jorge Soler (0-for-4 with a RBI) in the first inning and gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Addison Russell (1-for-3 with a RBI and a HBP) singled in Chris Coghlan (1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) with two outs in the fourth. And Bryant doubled in Fowler with two outs in the seventh. Three of the Cubs four free passes scored on Monday night.
Starlin Castro (1-for-4 with a home run) added the exclamation point in the eighth inning with a long homer to left. Three of the Cubs’ five runs scored on two-out hits.
The Cubs made the most of the eight hits and four walks on Monday and finished the night 2-for-8 with RISP and left seven men on base.
For the first time since May 20-21 in San Diego, the Cubs won back-to-back games.
With Monday’s win, the Cubs improved to 27-22 on the season.
Dexter Fowler led off the game with a single to center on the first pitch from Jose Urena. Kris Bryant fell behind 0-2, worked the count full and walked (from 0-2 to 4-2). Rizzo stepped in with runners on first and second with no outs.
Anthony Rizzo went with a 1-2 pitch and drove it out into the gap in left center. Fowler scored and Bryant held at third on a double from Rizzo. With the Cubs up 1-0 and runners on second and third with no outs, Jorge Soler bounced a 2-0 pitch back up the middle. Bryant scored as Dee Gordon threw out Soler at first … 2-0 Cubs. Rizzo advanced to third with one out. Miguel Montero dribbled a 2-2 pitch back to the mound. Rizzo broke on contact. Urena flipped to J.T. Realmuto and Rizzo was tagged out. Starlin Castro tapped back to the mound for the third out. The Cubs made Urena work, 21 pitches (12 strikes) in the first inning.
Jason Hammel pitched around a one-out double to right by Martin Prado. Hammel struck out Giancarlo Stanton and Justin Bour swinging to end the inning. Hammel made 14 pitches, nine for strikes, in the first inning.
After one complete, the Cubs led 2-0.
The score was still 2-0 Cubs when Chris Coghlan worked a one-out walk in the fourth inning. Jason Hammel followed with a swinging bunt down the third base line. Coghlan advanced to second as Prado threw out Hammel at first base.
Addison Russell beat the shift with a single to right center on a 2-0 pitch. Coghlan scored and made it 3-0 Cubs. Fowler was caught looking at a 3-2 pitch to end the inning. Jose Urena threw 81 pitches, 46 for strikes, in four innings.
The Cubs pitched to Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth and it cost them a run. After Prado lined out to left for the first out, Stanton singled to right. A wild pitch with Bour at the plate allowed Stanton to take second. Hammel did not pay any attention to Stanton and he took off for third on a 2-1 offering to Bour. Montero’s throw ended up in left field and Stanton trotted home … 3-1 Cubs. Hammel struck out Justin Bour swinging for the second out. Marcell Ozuna singled to center and Christian Yelich singled to left.
Chris Bosio made his way to the mound.
With runners on the corners and two out, Hammel struck out J.T. Realmuto swinging to end the inning … 71 pitches for Hammel after four innings, 45 for strikes.
The Cubs led 3-1 after four innings.
The Cubs took the 3-1 lead into the seventh inning. Vin Mazzaro replaced Jose Urena and retired Hammel on a grounder to second and Russell on a fly out to center.
Dexter Fowler worked a two-out walk. Fowler took off for second on a 2-1 pitch and Kris Bryant pulled the ball to left. Fowler scored when the ball one hopped the wall. Bryant ended up at second with a double and the Cubs went up by a score of 4-1. Rizzo lined out to short to end the inning.
Jason Hammel started the seventh and would have finished it if not for an error by Starlin Castro. Hammel retired Ozuna on a grounder to short and appeared to have Yelich on a routine grounder to Castro. But he booted the ball. Realmuto rolled a 1-2 pitch to second, Russell flipped to second and forced Yelich for the second out. With Realmuto running, Donovan Solano blooped a single into right center. Realmuto went to third and Maddon went to his bullpen as soon as Ichiro was announced as the pinch-hitter.
James Russell replaced Hammel and got Ichiro to ground out to Addison Russell to end the inning.
The Cubs led 4-1 after seven innings.
Starlin Castro launched a 1-1 pitch from Bryan Morris to deep left with two outs in the eighth … the ball sailed over the wall and the Cubs took a 5-1 lead.
Pedro Strop pitched a scoreless eighth and Travis Wood recorded the 27th out in the ninth.
Kyle Hendricks versus lefty Brad Hand on Tuesday night (6:10pm CDT) in Miami.