Game Eighty-Five – Cubs 0, White Sox 1
WP – Jake Petricka (3-2) LP – Hector Rondon (3-2) Save – David Robertson (19)
The Cubs walked seven times but managed only three singles while the White Sox defense turned five double plays. And the only run in the game scored without a hit as the Cubs dropped the first game of round one to the Sox on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Kyle Hendricks was outstanding and pitched seven scoreless innings. Hendricks found a rhythm early and pounded the strike zone. The Sox did not make any hard contact off Hendricks. The Cubs defense, especially Addison Russell and Starlin Castro, made the plays behind him. Hendricks did not allow a runner to reach third base while he was on the hill.
Kyle Hendricks turned the game over to the bullpen in the eighth inning. Hendricks surrendered five hits with no walks and he struck out four batters in seven shutout innings. Hendricks made 90 pitches, 64 for strikes.
Kyle Hendricks has not allowed a run over his last three starts and ran his scoreless innings streak to 22 1/3 innings.
Hector Rondon took the loss despite not giving up a hit. Rondon hit pinch-hitter Emilio Bonifacio to start the eighth. Bonifacio swiped his first base of the season, moved to third on a sac bunt from Adam Eaton and scored on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly from J.B. Shuck.
Justin Grimm was excellent in the ninth, 1-2-3 on nine pitches.
The Cubs offense was non-existent as the White Sox had their best game of the season in the field. The Sox turned in one sensational play after the other to the point where the team’s leadership should really question why the team has not played like they did all year.
The Cubs put runners on base in each of the first four innings. And each inning ended with a double play. The White Sox turned two conventional double plays in the first (4-6-3) and second (6-4-3) but the third was of the 9-2-6 variety and the fourth, a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out to end the inning.
Jorge Soler (1-for-4), Chris Coghlan (1-for-2) and Kyle Hendricks (1-for-2) collected the Cubs’ hits while Addison Russell (no official at bat, three walks), Anthony Rizzo (0-for-2 with two walks), Kris Bryant (0-for-3 with a walk) and Chris Denorfia (0-for-1 with a walk) worked the free passes.
With Friday’s loss, the Cubs slipped to 46-39 on the season.
Hector Rondon replaced Kyle Hendricks for the eighth inning of a scoreless game. Emilio Bonifacio hit for Jake Petricka and Rondon hit him on the back foot on a 1-1 pitch as he moved up in the box to bunt the ball. Bonifacio swiped second on the first pitch to Eaton, his first stolen base of the year.
Adam Eaton bunted a 1-0 pitch down the third baseline. Kris Bryant made an excellent barehand pick and throw to first. Bonifacio moved up to third as Bryant was throwing out Eaton. J.B. Shuck hit for Tyler Saladino. And Shuck lifted a 2-2 pitch to left. Chris Coghlan caught the ball and made a strong throw to the plate. Bonifacio scored, 1-0 White Sox. Jose Abreu grounded out to first base to end the inning.
Jonathan Herrera hit for Rondon to start the eighth. Herrera struck out swinging. Addison Russell walked. Dexter Fowler did not get the call for the third time on the afternoon and was called out on strikes for the second out. Anthony Rizzo stuck out swinging at a ball 18 inches out of the strike zone to end the inning.
After eight innings, the Cubs trailed 1-0.
Justin Grimm pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning. But the Cubs went down in order to end the game.
Jon Lester faces Chris Sale on Saturday afternoon (3:05pm CDT) in game two of round one of the Crosstown Cup Series.