CHICAGO (AP) — Todd Frazier wondered if going to church more would help the White Sox break out of their funk. Then the Chicago third baseman suggested a scuffle with teammate Adam Eaton.
"I'll put him on a hook here," Frazier said, smiling. "They'll say, 'What are you doing?' Well, Fraze is trying to shake things up."
A few hours later, the White Sox found a way to win with Eaton staying on the ground.
Melky Cabrera doubled twice and drove in two runs, Miguel Gonzalez pitched six strong innings after securing a rotation spot and the White Sox held off the Washington Nationals 3-1 on Thursday night to snap a five-game skid.
How much did the White Sox need this win?
"Big time. Bad," catcher Dioner Navarro said. "We've been scuffling. We are in a bad spot right now, but we know what it takes. Today, baby steps."
Gonzalez (1-1) won his first game with Chicago after losing seven straight decisions dating to last season with Baltimore. The right-hander retired the first 12 batters he faced, giving up three hits and a run.
The White Sox gave Gonzalez the No. 5 starting spot after designating Mat Latos for assignment before the game.
"They've given me the opportunity to start games and I'm happy," Gonzalez said.
Brett Lawrie added an RBI double in a three-run first off Gio Gonzalez (3-5), who struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings.
Daniel Murphy hit a solo homer in the fifth for the Nationals, whose three-game winning streak was snapped.
"It was a good road trip," Nats manager Dusty Baker said. "We wanted a great one. When you go 6-3 on the road, that's considered good."
Gio Gonzalez walked two straight in the first before allowing two-out doubles on consecutive pitches to Cabrera and Lawrie.
The Washington lefty then retired 11 straight. He gave up five hits in seven innings.
David Robertson worked around two hits in the ninth for his 14th save in 16 tries. Murphy hoped his game-ending liner to left would fall.
"Then when I saw Melky go after it, I wanted him to fall," Murphy said. "He made a really nice play."
Filling in for injured Carlos Rodon in the rotation, Miguel Gonzalez shined on a busy day.
Looking for answers to a 6-20 stretch that saw them go from six games up in the AL Central to fourth place, the White Sox cut the struggling Latos and signed veteran lefty hitter Justin Morneau. The former AL MVP won't be ready to play until after the All-Star break due to offseason elbow surgery.
Gonzalez had great movement on his fastball early, striking out five through four innings, until Murphy's shot to right made it 3-1.
He worked out of a sixth-inning jam with the help of shortstop Tyler Saladino, who threw out Jose Lobaton at the plate on a grounder.
"He was fantastic," manager Robin Ventura said of Gonzalez. "It's what we needed."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: OF Ben Revere and C Wilson Ramos had scheduled days off.
White Sox: Morneau, the 2014 NL batting champion, said his left elbow hurt every time he swung last season in Colorado. "It feels good now," Morneau said. "I think that's part of the reason I wanted to come back." . Rodon (neck) could start Sunday against Kansas City.
VENTURA'S FUTURE
Chicago GM Rick Hahn was asked about Ventura's job status.
"I don't think you've ever see me telegraph any move or comment on any individual player, or anybody in uniform," Hahn said.
Ventura shook off a similar question.
"You guys have been asking that all year, so that part hasn't changed," he said.
DRAFT DAY
Nationals: Carter Kieboom, a high school SS from Marietta, Georgia, was taken with the 28th pick and RHP Dane Dunning of Florida went 29th.
White Sox: C Zack Collins of Miami was selected with the 10th pick and RHP Zach Burdi of Louisville went 26th.
UP NEXT
Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (9-0, 2.85 ERA) seeks to win his 13th straight decision Friday night to kick off a six-game homestand against Philadelphia and RHP Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.80).
White Sox: RHP Chris Sale (9-2, 2.54), who hasn't won since May 19, faces Kansas City RHP Ian Kennedy (4-4, 3.44). The Royals bring a seven-game losing streak to Chicago.
Friday, June 10, 2016
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Nats hit 3 HRs in Shields' ugly debut, rout White Sox 11-4
CHICAGO (AP) — The first hint of boos came after James Shields walked the game's second batter. They gained intensity after each of the three home runs and reached their peak after he was yanked in the third inning.
The Chicago White Sox's big addition couldn't stop their stunning slide.
Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run homer in the first to set the tone in Shields' miserable White Sox debut, Max Scherzer threw seven scoreless innings and the Washington Nationals routed reeling Chicago 11-4 on Wednesday night.
"You never want to come into a new team and expect to do that," Shields said.
Zimmerman's homer in a four-run first inning was followed by consecutive shots by Stephen Drew and Danny Espinosa to lead off the second.
Everyone in the Nationals lineup reached base safely at least once in two-plus innings off Shields (2-8), who couldn't command his fastball and gave up seven runs and eight hits in his first start since being acquired from San Diego.
"I didn't give them a chance," Shields said.
Instead of jump-starting a club once 23-10, Shields failed to get out of the third inning for the second straight start. The White Sox lost for the 20th time in 26 games to fall under .500 for the first time.
"Maybe he came in here pressing to try to impress," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "We know he's going to pitch better, but the first inning probably got to him somewhat."
Scherzer (7-4) allowed five hits for the Nationals, who have scored at least 10 runs in three straight games.
Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer off David Robertson in the eighth as the Nationals pounced on Shields for their seventh win in nine games.
"We scored early and that was big," Washington manager Dusty Baker said. "Shields wasn't that sharp today. He threw a bunch of pitches early and we capitalized on it."
Shields, who helped Tampa Bay and Kansas City reach the World Series in recent years, has fallen on hard times since signing a four-year, $75 million deal with San Diego before last season.
Padres executive Ron Fowler called his performance "an embarrassment" after he allowed 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings last week. He was traded to the White Sox four days later, and had command issues again.
Zimmerman crushed a belt-high 90 mph fastball to left in the first, before the lefty-hitting Drew and Espinosa pulled off-speed pitches.
"It seemed like everyone was comfortable and seeing his ball well," said Ben Revere, one of four Nationals with three hits.
The crowd cheered sarcastically when Shields struck out Bryce Harper after four straight hits in the second. Fans jeered when Shields was yanked after Anthony Rendon's leadoff single in the third.
Scherzer retired the first nine batters, struck out six and walked one. The White Sox scored four in the ninth to avoid being shut out.
"We haven't had a whole bunch of games like this when I haven't had to manage much," Baker said. "It's the kind of games that you like."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Matt Belisle (calf) remained on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse despite an overworked bullpen. "We didn't even talk about (bringing in another arm)," Baker said.
White Sox: RHP Zach Putnam (elbow soreness) replaced Shields and allowed two hits in the third inning. An MRI cleared Putnam after he was unavailable for two games.
HARPER SLIPS, SHINES
Harper dropped to second behind Cubs OF Dexter Fowler in the latest All-Star fan voting on a busy night. He pushed a bunt toward third for a hit against the shift in the first, threw out Jimmy Rollins at the plate from right field to end the fifth, doubled in the sixth and finished 3 for 6.
POSITION PLAYER PITCHING
White Sox OF J.B. Shuck, who pitched at Ohio State, allowed a run in the ninth in his big league pitching debut. He gave up one of Washington's 18 hits.
CATCH A DRAFT
The White Sox hold the 10th and 26th picks and the Nationals have the 28th and 29th selections in Thursday's draft.
"One of our big things this year is we want to start getting more true baseball players in our system," said Nick Hostetler, Chicago's director of amateur scouting.
UP NEXT
White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 3.93 ERA) replaces Carlos Rodon (neck) in the series finale Thursday night. LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-4, 3.94) starts for the Nationals.
The Chicago White Sox's big addition couldn't stop their stunning slide.
Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run homer in the first to set the tone in Shields' miserable White Sox debut, Max Scherzer threw seven scoreless innings and the Washington Nationals routed reeling Chicago 11-4 on Wednesday night.
"You never want to come into a new team and expect to do that," Shields said.
Zimmerman's homer in a four-run first inning was followed by consecutive shots by Stephen Drew and Danny Espinosa to lead off the second.
Everyone in the Nationals lineup reached base safely at least once in two-plus innings off Shields (2-8), who couldn't command his fastball and gave up seven runs and eight hits in his first start since being acquired from San Diego.
"I didn't give them a chance," Shields said.
Instead of jump-starting a club once 23-10, Shields failed to get out of the third inning for the second straight start. The White Sox lost for the 20th time in 26 games to fall under .500 for the first time.
"Maybe he came in here pressing to try to impress," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "We know he's going to pitch better, but the first inning probably got to him somewhat."
Scherzer (7-4) allowed five hits for the Nationals, who have scored at least 10 runs in three straight games.
Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer off David Robertson in the eighth as the Nationals pounced on Shields for their seventh win in nine games.
"We scored early and that was big," Washington manager Dusty Baker said. "Shields wasn't that sharp today. He threw a bunch of pitches early and we capitalized on it."
Shields, who helped Tampa Bay and Kansas City reach the World Series in recent years, has fallen on hard times since signing a four-year, $75 million deal with San Diego before last season.
Padres executive Ron Fowler called his performance "an embarrassment" after he allowed 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings last week. He was traded to the White Sox four days later, and had command issues again.
Zimmerman crushed a belt-high 90 mph fastball to left in the first, before the lefty-hitting Drew and Espinosa pulled off-speed pitches.
"It seemed like everyone was comfortable and seeing his ball well," said Ben Revere, one of four Nationals with three hits.
The crowd cheered sarcastically when Shields struck out Bryce Harper after four straight hits in the second. Fans jeered when Shields was yanked after Anthony Rendon's leadoff single in the third.
Scherzer retired the first nine batters, struck out six and walked one. The White Sox scored four in the ninth to avoid being shut out.
"We haven't had a whole bunch of games like this when I haven't had to manage much," Baker said. "It's the kind of games that you like."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Matt Belisle (calf) remained on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse despite an overworked bullpen. "We didn't even talk about (bringing in another arm)," Baker said.
White Sox: RHP Zach Putnam (elbow soreness) replaced Shields and allowed two hits in the third inning. An MRI cleared Putnam after he was unavailable for two games.
HARPER SLIPS, SHINES
Harper dropped to second behind Cubs OF Dexter Fowler in the latest All-Star fan voting on a busy night. He pushed a bunt toward third for a hit against the shift in the first, threw out Jimmy Rollins at the plate from right field to end the fifth, doubled in the sixth and finished 3 for 6.
POSITION PLAYER PITCHING
White Sox OF J.B. Shuck, who pitched at Ohio State, allowed a run in the ninth in his big league pitching debut. He gave up one of Washington's 18 hits.
CATCH A DRAFT
The White Sox hold the 10th and 26th picks and the Nationals have the 28th and 29th selections in Thursday's draft.
"One of our big things this year is we want to start getting more true baseball players in our system," said Nick Hostetler, Chicago's director of amateur scouting.
UP NEXT
White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 3.93 ERA) replaces Carlos Rodon (neck) in the series finale Thursday night. LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-4, 3.94) starts for the Nationals.
Lackey goes 7 strong, Cubs beat Phillies 8-1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — John Lackey struck out eight in seven dominant innings, Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist hit homers and the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1 on Wednesday.
Lackey (7-2) gave up three hits and extended his scoreless streak to 13 2/3 innings.
Phillies starter Vince Velasquez left the game after getting one out because of right biceps soreness. Velasquez threw two pitches and quickly left the mound when a trainer came out.
Brett Oberholtzer (2-1) replaced him and allowed one unearned run following his throwing error in four innings.
Bryant hit his 14th homer off Andrew Bailey in the sixth, a two-run shot out to left. Zobrist connected one out later to make it 4-0.
Chicago scored four runs off Colton Murray in the eighth to extend the lead.
The Phillies missed an opportunity in the first after consecutive singles by Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez put runners on first and third. Herrera tried to score on Freddy Galvis' shallow fly, but left fielder Albert Almora Jr. threw him out by several feet.
STANDINGS
The major league-leading Cubs are 41-17 while the Phillies fell to 29-31.
NICE DEBUT, KID
Almora, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 draft, started his first game. He showed off his arm on his first play, the fly ball by Galvis. He added an RBI single off pitcher Colton Murray's glove in the eighth.
LOOKING SHARP
Inspired by Jon Lester's suggestion, Cubs players, coaches and staff wore blue-and-white, NBA-like tracksuits to the ballpark throughout the series and will continue it on their way to Atlanta. Themed road trips have become part of the team's identity under manager Joe Maddon.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: There was no immediate word on the extent of Velasquez's injury.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Following a day off, RHP Jason Hammel (7-1, 2.14 ERA) takes the mound in the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta.
Phillies: After a day off, RHP Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.80) starts the opener of a three-game series at NL East-leading Washington on Friday night.
Lackey (7-2) gave up three hits and extended his scoreless streak to 13 2/3 innings.
Phillies starter Vince Velasquez left the game after getting one out because of right biceps soreness. Velasquez threw two pitches and quickly left the mound when a trainer came out.
Brett Oberholtzer (2-1) replaced him and allowed one unearned run following his throwing error in four innings.
Bryant hit his 14th homer off Andrew Bailey in the sixth, a two-run shot out to left. Zobrist connected one out later to make it 4-0.
Chicago scored four runs off Colton Murray in the eighth to extend the lead.
The Phillies missed an opportunity in the first after consecutive singles by Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez put runners on first and third. Herrera tried to score on Freddy Galvis' shallow fly, but left fielder Albert Almora Jr. threw him out by several feet.
STANDINGS
The major league-leading Cubs are 41-17 while the Phillies fell to 29-31.
NICE DEBUT, KID
Almora, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 draft, started his first game. He showed off his arm on his first play, the fly ball by Galvis. He added an RBI single off pitcher Colton Murray's glove in the eighth.
LOOKING SHARP
Inspired by Jon Lester's suggestion, Cubs players, coaches and staff wore blue-and-white, NBA-like tracksuits to the ballpark throughout the series and will continue it on their way to Atlanta. Themed road trips have become part of the team's identity under manager Joe Maddon.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: There was no immediate word on the extent of Velasquez's injury.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Following a day off, RHP Jason Hammel (7-1, 2.14 ERA) takes the mound in the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta.
Phillies: After a day off, RHP Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.80) starts the opener of a three-game series at NL East-leading Washington on Friday night.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Harper drives in 3 runs, Nationals beat White Sox 10-5
CHICAGO (AP) — Bryce Harper finally got some pitches to hit in Chicago and made the most of his chances.
Harper drove in three runs, Anthony Rendon homered and the Washington Nationals handed the White Sox their 19th loss in 25 games, beating Chicago 10-5 on Tuesday night.
While the NL East-leading Nationals won for the sixth time in eight games, the White Sox continued their stunning decline. A team that got off to a 23-10 start and spent 47 days in first place in the AL Central is now in fourth place at 29-29, with Detroit beating Toronto.
Harper saw some pitches to hit after the Cubs walked him 13 times while sweeping four games at Wrigley Field last month. The 2015 NL MVP came through with a go-ahead two-run double in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in a four-run sixth.
"I wasn't even really thinking about that to tell you the truth," Harper said. "I was just trying to go out there and have some good at-bats."
Rendon hit a two-run homer off Mat Latos (6-2). Michael Taylor added a two-run double and robbed Dioner Navarro with a diving catch in center field.
Reliever Blake Treinen (4-1) pitched two-hit ball over three scoreless innings after a shaky start by Joe Ross. And the Nationals won a game that lasted 3 hours, 55 minutes and featured a combined 14 walks and two hit batters.
"This club can hit," manager Dusty Baker said after watching his team score 10 runs in the second straight game. "We've been sporadic in our offense, inconsistent in our offense. Hitting breeds confidence and confidence is spread around."
Todd Frazier hit his 19th homer for Chicago. Jose Abreu had two hits and drove in two runs. Adam Eaton scored twice, but the White Sox continued their freefall.
Frazier's two-run homer on a line drive to center in the second gave Chicago a 5-2 lead. But after rallying from five down in Sunday's win at Cincinnati, the Nationals came back again.
"The team gives you lead like they did today and you flat out blow it, "Latos said. "It's absolutely pathetic."
Rendon's two-run drive in the fourth cut the lead to one. Harper, who tied a major league-record with six walks in a game against the Cubs last month, gave Washington a 6-5 lead with one out in the fifth when he greeted reliever Dan Jennings with a two-run double to center.
The Nationals added four more in the sixth on a two-run double by Taylor off Matt Albers, Harper's sacrifice fly against Zach Duke and Wilson Ramos' bases-loaded walk.
Ross lasted just four innings, allowing five runs and four hits. He walked four and threw 91 pitches — 39 in a two-run first.
Latos gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. After winning his first four starts, his ERA has climbed from 0.74 to 4.62, and White Sox manager Robin Ventura sidestepped questions about his future in the rotation.
"Maty's got to do better," he said. "He knows that. You can't go out there and just give them those free passes."
GOING LONG
Treinen threw 66 pitches in his longest outing since he went four innings in an 8-3 loss at San Diego on May 14, 2015.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: With 1B Ryan Zimmerman returning from the paternity list, prospect Trea Turner was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. "It's hard to impress me in three days," Baker said. "But we know this kid can play. I said, 'Go down there and hit .330.'" . Baker said they'll have a "tough decision" when the rehab assignment for RHP Matt Belisle (calf) expires later this month.
White Sox: The White Sox are skipping Carlos Rodon's next start because of discomfort in his neck and arm. Rodon was scheduled to pitch Thursday against the Nationals. Miguel Gonzalez will take his place. General manager Rick Hahn says an MRI showed no structural damage for Rodon. ... Ventura said reliever Zach Putnam was unavailable due to elbow soreness.
UP NEXT
RHP James Shields makes his White Sox debut after being acquired from San Diego, while RHP Max Scherzer (6-4, 3.87 ERA) starts for Washington. Shields was 2-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts for the Padres.
Harper drove in three runs, Anthony Rendon homered and the Washington Nationals handed the White Sox their 19th loss in 25 games, beating Chicago 10-5 on Tuesday night.
While the NL East-leading Nationals won for the sixth time in eight games, the White Sox continued their stunning decline. A team that got off to a 23-10 start and spent 47 days in first place in the AL Central is now in fourth place at 29-29, with Detroit beating Toronto.
Harper saw some pitches to hit after the Cubs walked him 13 times while sweeping four games at Wrigley Field last month. The 2015 NL MVP came through with a go-ahead two-run double in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in a four-run sixth.
"I wasn't even really thinking about that to tell you the truth," Harper said. "I was just trying to go out there and have some good at-bats."
Rendon hit a two-run homer off Mat Latos (6-2). Michael Taylor added a two-run double and robbed Dioner Navarro with a diving catch in center field.
Reliever Blake Treinen (4-1) pitched two-hit ball over three scoreless innings after a shaky start by Joe Ross. And the Nationals won a game that lasted 3 hours, 55 minutes and featured a combined 14 walks and two hit batters.
"This club can hit," manager Dusty Baker said after watching his team score 10 runs in the second straight game. "We've been sporadic in our offense, inconsistent in our offense. Hitting breeds confidence and confidence is spread around."
Todd Frazier hit his 19th homer for Chicago. Jose Abreu had two hits and drove in two runs. Adam Eaton scored twice, but the White Sox continued their freefall.
Frazier's two-run homer on a line drive to center in the second gave Chicago a 5-2 lead. But after rallying from five down in Sunday's win at Cincinnati, the Nationals came back again.
"The team gives you lead like they did today and you flat out blow it, "Latos said. "It's absolutely pathetic."
Rendon's two-run drive in the fourth cut the lead to one. Harper, who tied a major league-record with six walks in a game against the Cubs last month, gave Washington a 6-5 lead with one out in the fifth when he greeted reliever Dan Jennings with a two-run double to center.
The Nationals added four more in the sixth on a two-run double by Taylor off Matt Albers, Harper's sacrifice fly against Zach Duke and Wilson Ramos' bases-loaded walk.
Ross lasted just four innings, allowing five runs and four hits. He walked four and threw 91 pitches — 39 in a two-run first.
Latos gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. After winning his first four starts, his ERA has climbed from 0.74 to 4.62, and White Sox manager Robin Ventura sidestepped questions about his future in the rotation.
"Maty's got to do better," he said. "He knows that. You can't go out there and just give them those free passes."
GOING LONG
Treinen threw 66 pitches in his longest outing since he went four innings in an 8-3 loss at San Diego on May 14, 2015.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: With 1B Ryan Zimmerman returning from the paternity list, prospect Trea Turner was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. "It's hard to impress me in three days," Baker said. "But we know this kid can play. I said, 'Go down there and hit .330.'" . Baker said they'll have a "tough decision" when the rehab assignment for RHP Matt Belisle (calf) expires later this month.
White Sox: The White Sox are skipping Carlos Rodon's next start because of discomfort in his neck and arm. Rodon was scheduled to pitch Thursday against the Nationals. Miguel Gonzalez will take his place. General manager Rick Hahn says an MRI showed no structural damage for Rodon. ... Ventura said reliever Zach Putnam was unavailable due to elbow soreness.
UP NEXT
RHP James Shields makes his White Sox debut after being acquired from San Diego, while RHP Max Scherzer (6-4, 3.87 ERA) starts for Washington. Shields was 2-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts for the Padres.
Howard, Eickhoff lead Phillies over Cubs 3-2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The old Ryan Howard showed up after a difficult week.
Howard hit a solo homer, Jerad Eickhoff threw seven impressive innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Eickhoff (3-8) allowed one run and two hits, striking out eight. Jeanmar Gomez pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and got the final six outs for his 19th save in 20 tries.
Howard hit his ninth homer way out to right-center to make it 2-0 in the fourth. The 2006 NL MVP started for the first time since a fan threw a plastic beer bottle at him after Saturday's game. Rookie Tommy Joseph has replaced the struggling Howard at first base and started the previous six games.
"I wasn't thinking about the week or the last 10 days," Howard said. "I was just thinking about that moment. I got a good pitch, he hung me a breaking ball, and I was able to hit it out."
Howard nearly went deep again in the eighth, but his fly ball to deep center was caught on the warning track. Though he's only batting .153, Howard has hit homers in four of Philadelphia's one-run victories, including two 1-0 wins and a walk-off homer in a 4-3 win.
"From what he's been going through, it was nice to see him hit that home run," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I think it gave him a little more confidence. He almost had another one. Good to see."
Kyle Hendricks (4-5) gave up two runs and four hits, striking out six in five innings.
Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera had RBI singles for the Phillies, who lost the first four games against the Cubs this season.
Trailing 3-1, the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs against Hector Neris in the eighth. Gomez entered and retired Dexter Fowler on a sacrifice fly. Jason Heyward then grounded into a double play started by second baseman Andres Blanco, who made an excellent grab on the sharply hit ball and a nifty flip to shortstop Freddy Galvis.
"Wow, that was a special play," Mackanin said.
Gomez retired David Ross on a grounder to shortstop to end the game with runners on first and third.
"You don't have to try to do too much," Gomez said. "Just attack the hitter because you need an out quickly."
Batting third for the first time in his career, Galvis hit a two-out double in the first inning. Franco followed with an RBI single to right to make it 1-0.
Herrera's RBI single with two outs in the seventh increased the lead to 3-1.
Eickhoff kept the Cubs off-balance by changing speeds. He struck out Kris Bryant twice on slow curves.
"He was really good," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Had good stuff and was able to throw his breaking ball for strikes. I know he's young but he's going to be good."
CLIMBING THE LADDER
Howard's home run was the 366th of his career, tying him with Lance Berkman for 80th place on baseball's all-time list. His first-inning walk was the 695th of his career, moving him past Willie Jones into seventh place in franchise history.
STANDINGS
The Cubs lead the majors with a 40-17 record while the Phillies improved to 29-30 with just their fifth win in 18 games.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: OF Jorge Soler was placed on the 15-day DL because of a left hamstring strain. He was injured running to first base in Monday night's game. OF Albert Almora Jr. was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take his roster spot. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter in his major league debut.
UP NEXT
RHP John Lackey (6-2, 2.88 ERA) starts for the Cubs against Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez (5-2, 3.67) on Wednesday afternoon.
Howard hit a solo homer, Jerad Eickhoff threw seven impressive innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Eickhoff (3-8) allowed one run and two hits, striking out eight. Jeanmar Gomez pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and got the final six outs for his 19th save in 20 tries.
Howard hit his ninth homer way out to right-center to make it 2-0 in the fourth. The 2006 NL MVP started for the first time since a fan threw a plastic beer bottle at him after Saturday's game. Rookie Tommy Joseph has replaced the struggling Howard at first base and started the previous six games.
"I wasn't thinking about the week or the last 10 days," Howard said. "I was just thinking about that moment. I got a good pitch, he hung me a breaking ball, and I was able to hit it out."
Howard nearly went deep again in the eighth, but his fly ball to deep center was caught on the warning track. Though he's only batting .153, Howard has hit homers in four of Philadelphia's one-run victories, including two 1-0 wins and a walk-off homer in a 4-3 win.
"From what he's been going through, it was nice to see him hit that home run," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I think it gave him a little more confidence. He almost had another one. Good to see."
Kyle Hendricks (4-5) gave up two runs and four hits, striking out six in five innings.
Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera had RBI singles for the Phillies, who lost the first four games against the Cubs this season.
Trailing 3-1, the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs against Hector Neris in the eighth. Gomez entered and retired Dexter Fowler on a sacrifice fly. Jason Heyward then grounded into a double play started by second baseman Andres Blanco, who made an excellent grab on the sharply hit ball and a nifty flip to shortstop Freddy Galvis.
"Wow, that was a special play," Mackanin said.
Gomez retired David Ross on a grounder to shortstop to end the game with runners on first and third.
"You don't have to try to do too much," Gomez said. "Just attack the hitter because you need an out quickly."
Batting third for the first time in his career, Galvis hit a two-out double in the first inning. Franco followed with an RBI single to right to make it 1-0.
Herrera's RBI single with two outs in the seventh increased the lead to 3-1.
Eickhoff kept the Cubs off-balance by changing speeds. He struck out Kris Bryant twice on slow curves.
"He was really good," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Had good stuff and was able to throw his breaking ball for strikes. I know he's young but he's going to be good."
CLIMBING THE LADDER
Howard's home run was the 366th of his career, tying him with Lance Berkman for 80th place on baseball's all-time list. His first-inning walk was the 695th of his career, moving him past Willie Jones into seventh place in franchise history.
STANDINGS
The Cubs lead the majors with a 40-17 record while the Phillies improved to 29-30 with just their fifth win in 18 games.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: OF Jorge Soler was placed on the 15-day DL because of a left hamstring strain. He was injured running to first base in Monday night's game. OF Albert Almora Jr. was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take his roster spot. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter in his major league debut.
UP NEXT
RHP John Lackey (6-2, 2.88 ERA) starts for the Cubs against Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez (5-2, 3.67) on Wednesday afternoon.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Lester pitches 8 shutout innings to lead Cubs over Phillies
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jon Lester dominated for eight innings, and the Chicago Cubs bullpen was just good enough in the ninth for yet another victory.
Lester pitched eight scoreless innings, Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer and the Cubs held off the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 on Monday night.
Lester (7-3) improved to 6-0 in eight career starts against the Phillies while lowering his ERA against them to 1.46. He struck out nine, walked none and allowed four hits.
"He's really on top of his game right now," Maddon said.
Philadelphia scored all of its runs in the ninth after Maddon elected not to send Lester out for the last inning. Lester threw 95 pitches and had to wait out a lengthy top of the ninth.
"It was really an easy decision once we got the sixth run," Maddon said. "It just didn't play out right. We had to fasten our seatbelts in the ninth."
Lester said he didn't lobby hard to stay in the game.
"I told Joe I was fine, but I also told him that he's the manager," Lester said. "I've tried before with him, and I think I've won maybe one in the last two years. When he shakes my hand, I know it's one of those deals where it's pretty much done, so there's no real point in arguing."
Justin Grimm gave up a pair of singles and Freddy Galvis' three-run homer without recording an out. Closer Hector Rondon relieved Grimm and allowed Tommy Joseph's solo shot to center. Rondon then got two quick outs before Odubel Herrera's pinch-hit single brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. Rondon got Ryan Howard to ground out to earn his 11th save in as many chances.
"That ninth inning was a lot of fun," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was good to see the guys fight back."
Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Dexter Fowler each had three hits for the Cubs, who won their 11th in 13 games while extending their best start since 1900 to a major league-leading 40-16. Chicago moved 10 games in front of second-place Pittsburgh in the NL Central. Bryant had a pair of doubles and an RBI and Rizzo drove in two runs.
"I feel like anybody can do it from any spot," Heyward said of the Cubs offense. "I feel like there's no true break."
The Cubs have dominated the Phillies this season, winning all four meetings while outscoring Philadelphia 23-9.
Philadelphia has lost nine of 11 overall.
Adam Morgan (1-5) gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings to lose his fifth straight start. The Philadelphia left-hander has an 8.42 ERA over that stretch, but he pitched better against the Cubs than he has in his four prior outings.
"You could see the determination in his eyes," Mackanin said. "He wanted to have a good outing. He knows he has to pitch better and he did today, which was good to see. But you have to make good pitches every inning."
Heyward's third homer of the season, a shot to right in the fourth, padded the lead to 3-0.
The Phillies had their best chance to score off Lester in the second when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Lester got Jimmy Paredes to fly out to left field. The Cubs left-hander was dominant from that point, retiring 13 straight batters before Joseph's seventh-inning single.
Maddon gave Ben Zobrist the day off. Zobrist leads the majors in on-base percentage (.438) but has gone 0 for 13 in his last five games.
CASE OF THE MONDAYS
The Phillies dropped to 0-8 on Mondays this season. The Phillies' last win on a Monday came last July 20, making it 13 straight Mondays with a defeat.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: Jorge Soler left after singling to left field in the third inning. Soler injured his left hamstring while running the bases. He'll have an MRI on Tuesday, Maddon said. ... Fowler was hit on the right pinky finger by Andrew Bailey in the eighth inning but remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 2.84) opposes Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-8, 3.93) in the second contest of the three-game set Tuesday night.
Lester pitched eight scoreless innings, Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer and the Cubs held off the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 on Monday night.
Lester (7-3) improved to 6-0 in eight career starts against the Phillies while lowering his ERA against them to 1.46. He struck out nine, walked none and allowed four hits.
"He's really on top of his game right now," Maddon said.
Philadelphia scored all of its runs in the ninth after Maddon elected not to send Lester out for the last inning. Lester threw 95 pitches and had to wait out a lengthy top of the ninth.
"It was really an easy decision once we got the sixth run," Maddon said. "It just didn't play out right. We had to fasten our seatbelts in the ninth."
Lester said he didn't lobby hard to stay in the game.
"I told Joe I was fine, but I also told him that he's the manager," Lester said. "I've tried before with him, and I think I've won maybe one in the last two years. When he shakes my hand, I know it's one of those deals where it's pretty much done, so there's no real point in arguing."
Justin Grimm gave up a pair of singles and Freddy Galvis' three-run homer without recording an out. Closer Hector Rondon relieved Grimm and allowed Tommy Joseph's solo shot to center. Rondon then got two quick outs before Odubel Herrera's pinch-hit single brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. Rondon got Ryan Howard to ground out to earn his 11th save in as many chances.
"That ninth inning was a lot of fun," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was good to see the guys fight back."
Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Dexter Fowler each had three hits for the Cubs, who won their 11th in 13 games while extending their best start since 1900 to a major league-leading 40-16. Chicago moved 10 games in front of second-place Pittsburgh in the NL Central. Bryant had a pair of doubles and an RBI and Rizzo drove in two runs.
"I feel like anybody can do it from any spot," Heyward said of the Cubs offense. "I feel like there's no true break."
The Cubs have dominated the Phillies this season, winning all four meetings while outscoring Philadelphia 23-9.
Philadelphia has lost nine of 11 overall.
Adam Morgan (1-5) gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings to lose his fifth straight start. The Philadelphia left-hander has an 8.42 ERA over that stretch, but he pitched better against the Cubs than he has in his four prior outings.
"You could see the determination in his eyes," Mackanin said. "He wanted to have a good outing. He knows he has to pitch better and he did today, which was good to see. But you have to make good pitches every inning."
Heyward's third homer of the season, a shot to right in the fourth, padded the lead to 3-0.
The Phillies had their best chance to score off Lester in the second when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Lester got Jimmy Paredes to fly out to left field. The Cubs left-hander was dominant from that point, retiring 13 straight batters before Joseph's seventh-inning single.
Maddon gave Ben Zobrist the day off. Zobrist leads the majors in on-base percentage (.438) but has gone 0 for 13 in his last five games.
CASE OF THE MONDAYS
The Phillies dropped to 0-8 on Mondays this season. The Phillies' last win on a Monday came last July 20, making it 13 straight Mondays with a defeat.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: Jorge Soler left after singling to left field in the third inning. Soler injured his left hamstring while running the bases. He'll have an MRI on Tuesday, Maddon said. ... Fowler was hit on the right pinky finger by Andrew Bailey in the eighth inning but remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 2.84) opposes Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-8, 3.93) in the second contest of the three-game set Tuesday night.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Chicago Sports Weekly Report: Blackhawks announce pre-season schedule
Blackhawks announce pre-season schedule: The Chicago Blackhawks this past Thursday released their 2016-17 pre-season schedule.
The schedule is below:
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (CT)
WED., 9/28 PITTSBURGH UNITED CENTER 7:30 P.M.
FRI., 9/30 PITTSBURGH CONSOL ENERGY CENTER 6:05 P.M.
SAT., 10/1 ST. LOUIS UNITED CENTER 7:30 P.M.
SUN., 10/2 DETROIT JOE LOUIS ARENA 5 P.M.
TUES., 10/4 DETROIT UNITED CENTER 7:30 P.M.
SAT., 10/8 ST. LOUIS SCOTTRADE CENTER 7 P.M.
White Sox contunue to struggle, Arrieta actually loses: Words can't even describe the struggles of the Chicago White Sox right now, as they sit third in the AL Central with a record of 29-28. They are a horrifying 2-8 in their last ten games.
They currently sit behind the second-place Kansas City Royals (30-26) and the Cleveland Indians (31-24), who currently lead the division.
The Chicago Cubs however faced a rare occurence on Sunday.
Even though they are leading the NL Central with a record of 39-16, Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta finally lost a game after going on a 20-0 streak. The Cubs lost 3-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
The schedule is below:
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (CT)
WED., 9/28 PITTSBURGH UNITED CENTER 7:30 P.M.
FRI., 9/30 PITTSBURGH CONSOL ENERGY CENTER 6:05 P.M.
SAT., 10/1 ST. LOUIS UNITED CENTER 7:30 P.M.
SUN., 10/2 DETROIT JOE LOUIS ARENA 5 P.M.
TUES., 10/4 DETROIT UNITED CENTER 7:30 P.M.
SAT., 10/8 ST. LOUIS SCOTTRADE CENTER 7 P.M.
White Sox contunue to struggle, Arrieta actually loses: Words can't even describe the struggles of the Chicago White Sox right now, as they sit third in the AL Central with a record of 29-28. They are a horrifying 2-8 in their last ten games.
They currently sit behind the second-place Kansas City Royals (30-26) and the Cleveland Indians (31-24), who currently lead the division.
The Chicago Cubs however faced a rare occurence on Sunday.
Even though they are leading the NL Central with a record of 39-16, Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta finally lost a game after going on a 20-0 streak. The Cubs lost 3-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
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