Game One Hundred Forty-Three – Cubs 4, Cardinals 1
WP – Kyle Hendricks (15-7) LP – Mike Leake (9-10) Save – Aroldis Chapman (34)
Kyle Hendricks faced one over the minimum through eight innings Monday night in St. Louis. Hendricks baffled the Cardinals for eight innings and took a no-no into the ninth inning. Hendricks needed only 93 pitches to complete eight magnificent innings.
Hendricks jumped ahead of Jeremy Hazelbaker 0-2 before making his only mistake of the night. Hazelbaker pulled Hendricks’ third pitch of the ninth inning into the stands in right field. Hendricks lost the no-hitter and shutout with one swing of the bat. After fireworks between Joe Maddon and homeplate umpire Joe West that resulted in the Cubs’ skipper being ejected from the game, Aroldis Chapman closed out Hendricks’ gem as the Cubs beat the Cardinals in the opener of the three-game series.
Kyle Hendricks dominated the Cardinals on Monday night. Hendricks found a rhythm and was on the same page with Miguel Montero all night. Hendricks did not appear to shake off Montero one time in the eight-plus innings. Hendricks made quick work of the Cardinals. He got the ball and executed the pitch.
Hendricks issued a one-out, four-pitch walk to Yadier Molina in the second inning. Hendricks erased Molina on a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Jedd Gyorko. Hendricks faced the minimum through seven innings. Gyorko walked on four pitches with two outs in the eighth, the only other baserunner Hendricks allowed through eight innings.
The Cubs defense stepped up behind Hendricks in the sixth and seventh innings. Addison Russell made a sensational play on a ball in the hole and threw out Jhonny Peralta for the first out in the sixth. Jason Heyward leaned into the stands and caught a foul ball off the bat of Hazelbaker for the second out in the sixth. And Kris Bryant made a diving stop to his left on and threw out Stephen Piscotty at first base for the second out in the seventh.
Kyle Hendricks was not left in to complete the game after giving up the homer to Hazelbaker. Joe Maddon had Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant go to the mound to talk to Hendricks after he gave up the hit. The mound visit was to buy time for Aroldis Chapman to get loose in the pen. Joe West took exception to the mound visit and would not allow Miguel Montero to go out. Maddon got upset and was ejected from the game in what was another total ump show.
Hendricks turned the game over to Chapman with a 4-1 lead. Hendricks allowed one run on one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts. Hendricks made 96 pitches, 64 for strikes, in eight-plus innings.
Kyle Hendricks beat the Cardinals for the first time in his career Monday night in St. Louis.
Ben Zobrist (2-for-4 with a double and a home run) gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a solo homer to right center. The Cubs added on in the third on a two-out single from Anthony Rizzo (1-for-4 with a RBI) that plated Javier Baez (1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored).
Dexter Fowler (2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) launched a two-run homer off Mike Leake with Baez on board in the fifth inning that capped the scoring for the Cubs.
The offense scored four runs on seven hits with three walks and finished the game 2-for-7 with RISP while leaving five men on base.
With Monday’s win, the Cubs improved to 92-51 on the season.
Jason Hammel takes on Jaime Garcia on Tuesday night (7:15pm CDT) in game two of round five with the Cardinals.