Game Five – Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 2
WP – Kyle Hendricks (1-0) LP – Zack Greinke (0-2) Save – Hector Rondon (2)
Kyle Hendricks outpitched Zack Greinke. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Miguel Montero and Ben Zobrist drove in runs as the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
Kyle Hendricks put together one of his best starts in the majors. Hendricks was handed a three-run lead before he took the mound and responded with a strong outing. Hendricks worked quickly, pitched ahead in the count and hit his spots. The Diamondbacks made weak contact, didn’t really square up a ball all night and Hendricks recorded 11 of 13 outs on the ground.
Kyle Hendricks gave the Diamondbacks a run with a wild pitch. And the second run scored on a double by Brandon Drury in the seventh, the last batter Hendricks faced.
Adam Warren made his Cubs debut and picked up the last out in the seventh to close the book on Hendricks.
Kyle Hendricks allowed two runs on four hit with a walk and five strikeouts. Hendricks made 99 pitches, 66 for strikes, in 6 2/3 innings.
Adam Warren completed a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Warren retired all four batters he faced on 15 pitches, eight for strikes.
Hector Rondon was electric in the ninth. Rondon picked up his first save after completing a clean inning on 10 pitches, seven for strikes.
The Cubs offense did just enough Saturday night to beat Zack Greinke. The Cubs scored three runs in the first inning and added a single run in the fourth. The Cubs left too many runners on base for the second night in a row (2-for-11 with RISP, 11 left on base) in a low scoring game.
Anthony Rizzo (1-for-3 with two walks, a run scored and a RBI) singled in Jason Heyward (1-for-4 with a HBP and a run scored) with the first run of the game. Kris Bryant (2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and a RBI) doubled in Ben Zobrist (3-for-4 with a double, a walk, a run scored and a RBI) and Miguel Montero (1-for-4 with a double, SF RBI) just missed a three-run homer off Greinke in the first inning and had to settle for a sac fly that allowed Rizzo to tag and score.
Ben Zobrist had a huge night and double in Dexter Fowler (1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored) in the fourth inning.
The Cubs scored four runs on 10 hits, four doubles, with only one walk.
With Saturday’s win, the Cubs guaranteed themselves a winning road trip and improved to 4-1 on the young season.
The Cubs jumped on Zack Greinke in the first inning and gave Kyle Hendricks a three-run lead before he threw a pitch.
Jason Heyward started the inning with a one-out single to left center. Ben Zobrist put together an excellent at bat. Zobrist went from 0-2 to 3-2 to a single to right. With Heyward running on the 3-2 pitch he made it easily to third base.
Anthony Rizzo smoked a 1-2 pitch back up the middle. Heyward scored and Zobrist went to third with one out. Kris Bryant pulled Greinke’s first pitch toward left center. Nick Ahmed dove and got a glove on the ball. All he did was slow it down. Zobrist scored, the Cubs took a 2-0 lead and Bryant ended up at second with a hustle double. Rizzo held at third with one out.
Miguel Montero drove a 2-1 pitch to deep left. Tomas caught the ball a couple of feet short of the wall. Montero just missed a three-run homer. Rizzo tagged and scored, 3-0 Cubs. Jorge Soler reached on an error by Brandon Drury at third. Soler hit the ball so hard it ate up the D-Backs’ third baseman. Soler should have received a hit. Addison Russell grounded out to third to end the inning.
Kyle Hendricks retired the side in order in the first … 1-2-3 on 12 pitches, eight for strikes. The Cubs led 3-0 after one complete.
The Cubs added on in the fourth. Dexter Fowler worked a one out walk. After Greinke struck out Heyward swinging, Ben Zobrist launched a 1-1 pitch to deep center. Fowler scored easily from first on Zobrist’s double, 4-0 Cubs. Rizzo walked. Bryant flied out to deep center for the second time to end the inning.
Kyle Hendricks and Miguel Montero gave the run right back in the home half.
Chris Owings led off the fourth with a single to left center. Owings swiped second on a 2-0 pitch to Goldschmidt. Addison Russell made a sensational, diving backhanded catch to take away a hit from Goldschmidt. Russell changed the inning with his defense. Peralta grounded out to second. Owings went to third. Hendricks wanted nothing to do with Welington Castillo and walked him on four pitches.
Hendricks uncorked a wild pitch on a 1-2 offering to Tomas. Owings scored and made it a 4-1 game. Hendricks caught Tomas looking at the next pitch to end the inning.
The Cubs did not tack on in the fifth, sixth or seventh innings. Hendricks took the hill in the seventh with a 4-1 lead. Peralta reached on a single to right past Zobrist to start the inning. Peralta stole second. Hendricks caught Castillo looking for the first out. Tomas bounced out to second. Peralta moved to third with two down. Brandon Drury doubled to the left field corner. Peralta scored easily and Maddon made the slow walk.
Adam Warren was called in from the pen to face pinch-hitter Philip Gosselin in his Cubs’ debut. Heyward caught Gosselin’s fly in right to end the inning … after seven complete, the Cubs led 4-2.
Adam Warren and Hector Rondon retired the last six batters in the eighth and ninth innings to end the game.
The Cubs wrap up the road trip and four-game series with the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon (3:10pm CDT). Jake Arrieta is scheduled to face Shelby Miller.