The unbeaten ace took over from there. RHP Jake Arrieta’s Saturday victory also marked the Cubs’ 21st win in a row, extending a franchise record.
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Arrieta improved to 18-0 with a microscopic 0.75 ERA in 20 regular-season starts since August 1.
“It’s unusual”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said with a chuckle. “It’s very unusual what he is doing”. Kang’s hit lifted the Pirates to a 1-0 lead.
“After that amount of games that it surprising, but every game is a different story”, Arrieta said of that run differential. “It picked me up”.
The Blue Jays had rallied with consecutive homers in the ninth to force extra innings: Justin Smoak hit a two-run shot and Troy Tulowitzki followed with a tying homer off Texas closer Shawn Tolleson, who has a woeful 7.07 ERA and has blown two of his past four save opportunities.
Despite the Cubs owning the best record in the Major League Baseball of 27-9 and leading the second-place Pirates by 8.0 games in the Central Division, Cole called out the Cubs after Sunday’s 2-1 Pirates’ victory.
“We needed to try to get out of here and salvage the series”, Cole said. Last year’s wild-card game between the Cubs and Pirates featured several hit batsmen, including Arrieta.
Addison Russell, David Ross and Kris Bryant went deep, leading Jason Hammel and the Cubs to a 9-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
BALTIMORE – Jonathan Schoop hit two of Baltimore’s four home runs, including an eighth-inning grand slam, as the Orioles won their seventh straight.
The Cubs cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the ninth against closer Mark Melancon but stranded a man at second to fall by a run. Outfielder Dexter Fowler is 7-for-19 against Cole in his career with a solo home run and five strikeouts.
Ortiz broke a tie with Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews with his 513th homer.
Smith led off the ninth with a triple – Atlanta’s first of the season. After Marte’s hit, Lester struck out Francisco Cervelli, but Kang hit a ball into the gap in right-center for an RBI double.
Without their star, the Nationals went on to lose the second game 7-1.
Arrieta actually permitted the Pirates to score a couple runs, but still wound up with a mostly-dominant start, going eight innings and striking out 11 (six of the looking variety).
After the ejection, pinch-hitter Clint Robinson connected for a winning home run. That’s when the warnings came from home plate umpire Brian Knight.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The play also encapsulated Maddon’s team-first philosophy.
“We are pleased with the job Mike has done over the past nine years”, Nationals Owner Theodore Lerner said in a statement released Saturday.
That doesn’t mean they’re the better team. “We are fortunate to have him”. “While I am proud of the work we have accomplished, we still must achieve the ultimate goal of bringing a World Series championship back to Washington”.
Judging by the previous five games the teams had played, Sunday’s home team had already made the biggest statement.
Keri’s response was ideal because most of you reading this don’t really need to be told that the Cubs are the best team in the league.
RANGERS SIGN FORMER CARDINAL LOHSE TO MINOR LEAGUE DEAL: The Texas Rangers have signed right-hander Kyle Lohse to a minor league contract.
Schoop went 2 for 3 and had a career-high five RBIs.
Lohse did not attend spring training this year with any team.
During the quintet of game against their NL Central rivals the Cubs not only beat the Pirates but the dominated them. And both deserve fair market value for their contributions.
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Alex Presley replaced Braun, starting in left field.
