The Chicago Cubs are on a season-high six game win streak. Chicago Cubs’ Javier Baez, right, celebrates with teammates after hitting a baseball game-winning solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the 13th inning Sunday, May 8, 2016, in Chicago. “He’s one of the premier clutch men in the game”. Joe Maddon chose to be ultra-conservative against the current best hitter on the planet, walking him six times (thrice intentionally) to go with a hit-by-pitch.
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With that strategy stretching further than expected on Sunday as the matchup between the two first place teams took 13 innings to settle, Harper reached base in each of his seven plate appearances despite not even registering an at bat, let a lone a hit.
White Sox 3, Twins 1: Jose Quintana (5-1) allowed six hits in seven innings, and the White Sox (22-10) completed a three-game sweep.
In today’s Nationals-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” segment, Jayson Werth is 10 for 37 (.270 AVG) with two doubles, three home runs, eleven runs batted in and eight scored…in his last nine games. Harper joined Jimmie Foxx (1938), Andre Thornton (1984) and Jeff Bagwell (1999) as the only players in Major League Baseball history with six walks in a game. All-World pitcher Jake Arrieta wasn’t at his sharpest, the infield defense was sloppy and the offense seemed lethargic, thrown off early in the game by a funky strike zone. Both times, Ryan Zimmerman made the last out. Travis Wood (1-0) got the win. Dexter Fowler got hit in the right wrist leading off the first but stayed in the game. He’s pretty good, folks.
The Cubs won for the 20th straight time when Jake Arrieta started. Harper drew three intentional walks in the game.
Coming next: The Cubs are slated begin the second series of the long homestand against the San Diego Padres, who are sitting in last place in the NL West at 13-18. Rookie Cesar Vargas (1.10 ERA/5.33 DRA/117 cFIP) will make his fourth start for San Diego.
Ranking first in runs, Chicago has earned 180 this season.
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The Cubs started the afternoon with a chance to sweep the Nationals, which, if they did, would be the first series sweep of the franchise (Expos/Nationals) in Wrigley Field since 1998.
