CHICAGO (AP) – The Milwaukee Brewers were patient at the plate, and that’s something they want to improve. But rarely has the Cubs’ staff looked more primed for Coors Field than right now, as each stingy starter seems to feed the next.
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“It was one of those days that went by too quick”, Bryant said.
Matt Shoemaker (7-13) limited the Mariners to two earned runs – on solo homers to Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz – and five hits.
On Thursday, Bryant may have taken the lead as he went 5-for-5 and drove in 5 RBI’s in the Cubs 9-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The homers were the 29th and 30th of the season for the 24-year-old Bryant, who joined Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Sammy Sosa and teammate Anthony Rizzo in Cubs franchise history to hit 30 homers in a single season before age 25. In a matchup of the two worst teams in the major leagues, Minnesota improved to 48-71, four games better than the Braves. Rizzo has driven in 86 runs and Bryant 78. “So he always tells me I’m his Prince”. Yet despite drawing a career-high seven walks from Jake Arrieta, they weren’t able to overcome a big day by Kris Bryant.
In the opener, Trevor Cahill came off the disabled list to throw five innings of two-hit ball in his first start in almost 16 months in Chicago’s 4-0 win. Hernan Perez and Kirk Nieuwenhuis had two hits a piece, and Chris Carter and Ramon Flores had two walks a piece.
La Stella, 27, was hitting.295 in 51 games for the Cubs this season before the demotion.
“I’ve just been able to repeat my mechanics”, Wood said.
Darwin Barney had an early two-run double for the first-place Blue Jays. “We didn’t get many guys on period”.
That made for an easy night for Cubs starter Jon Lester (13-4), who got his fourth straight win, giving up one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Bryant hit a solo homer off Blaine Boyer in the sixth and added an RBI single in the eighth off Corey Knebel for his second career five-hit game.
Bryant, who hit 26 home runs while winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 2015, had his third multihome run game of the season.
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is day to day after crashing into a wall at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee was outscored 23-8 in the series and fell to 0-6 at Wrigley Field, while Bryant helped the Cubs move 34 games over.500 for the first time since September 2008.
“He’s one of the best hitters in the game”. “He can hit any pitch, any mistake. He’s got to finish the at-bat off”. Both Braun and manager Craig Counsell said he might be ready to play Thursday in Chicago and definitely expect him to play over the weekend in Seattle. The Cubs should know by Saturday whether John Lackey’s sore right shoulder will permit him to start Tuesday at San Diego.
Willson Contreras caught Arrieta for the first time.
Royals outfielder Alex Gordon hit his third career grand slam and first since July 2, 2013, vs. the Indians.
REDS 3, MARLINS 2: In Cincinnati, Brandon Phillips drove in two runs with his second double and Cincinnati rallied to beat Miami.
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When Orlando Arcia followed with a slow infield roller for an out, Broxton scored.
