The Chicago Cubs’ Jason Hammel has allowed six or more runs only three times this year.
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The Chicago Cubs’ Jason Hammel didn’t enter last night’s game with strong numbers against the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Usually if they are going to get him it is going to be early in the game”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
“No, not at all”, Maddon said, this isn’t an audition for October, before listening to the follow-up question and not automatically ruling out the idea of putting Hammel in the bullpen to see what he could do there.
Anthony Rizzo hit a solo home run to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the first and a two-run shot in the eighth that chased starter Wily Peralta. He has a 3.35 ERA in six starts since his August 8 recall from Triple-A.
St. Louis counters with lefty Jaime Garcia (10-11, 4.41), who’s dropped his last three starts, although he pitched well for six innings in a 9-1 setback at Cincinnati on Saturday.
Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo (44) gets a hug from bench coach Dave Martinez after his home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in Milwaukee.
The Brewers go for the series win tomorrow, facing Mike Montgomery (4-5, 2.80) for the 89-49 Cubs.
“I honestly didn’t think it was going to go that far off the bat”, Broxton said. “I’ll just brush this one off and move on”.
“I haven’t even thought about that”, Maddon said. “When he gets deeper into the game he usually settles in”. “I did not want him to soil himself on the mound”, Maddon said. “Obviously, the three looks bad at the end”.
“I want to be as valuable as I can to the club”, said Montgomery, who’s being used as a sixth starter for a few turns to pace the rest of the rotation toward October.
Rizzo is 16-for-32 with seven homers and 14 RBIs against Peralta. “I’ve been executing my pitches better”. You have to tip your hat to him.
Take away those three starts with at least nine runs – and that early exit at Dodger Stadium – and Hammel would have a 2.11 ERA that would rank second in the majors behind teammate Kyle Hendricks.
Activated from the disabled list prior to Tuesday’s game, Cubs right-hander Hector Rondon allowed a run in his first inning since August 16. Hammel had been 10-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 14 previous career starts against the Brewers.
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Brewers: RHP Matt Garza (5-6, 4.57) will pitch against his former team for the second time this season. He has a 4.01 ERA in five starts and a 2.29 ERA in 37 relief appearances for Seattle and Chicago this season. It reminded me of his inning of work way back in spring training against the A’s, an inning where he gave up a couple of bouncy singles that could have been outs and wound up allowing three runs. The Cubs scored the game’s final run on back to back doubles off of Blaine Boyer in the top of the ninth.
