We’ve just got to go on the road and execute and do what we’ve got to do to get victories. But I’m quite sure Cubs fans have found one group of lefties they can all rally behind.
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That’s the Cubs’ magic number to clinch the 2016 National League Central division championship (and become the first major-league team to nail down a playoff spot, too) after a 7-0 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis Wednesday afternoon. He entered the game having allowed just 12 homers this season and his home run per nine innings average of 0.63 was second in the National League to the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard (0.52). His one-out RBI single to center in the third off Carlos Martinez (14-8) chased Javier Baez home with the only run Chicago required.
Power hitting lefties are a rarity on the North Side and with Rizzo’s arrival into stardom, gone are the days of dreaming about Corey Patterson or convincing yourself to believe in Jeromy Burnitz.
TORONTO (AP) – Alex Cobb pitched 6 2/3 innings to win for the first time in nearly two years and Kevin Kiermaier and Corey Dickerson hit two-run homers for Tampa Bay.
NEW YORK (AP) – Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw pitched five almost flawless innings before Justin Turner hit an RBI double off Dellin Betances in a two-run ninth.
“It means a lot”, Rizzo said after the game. Heavy favorites go down like Goliath seemingly every year in baseball. “It’s not easy to do, and I don’t take it for granted one bit”. Jon Lester was almost as good as Kyle Hendricks two days earlier. The last lefty starter to finish a season with a better ERA for the Cubs was Dick Ellsworth in 1963.
Lester joked that he couldn’t really remember far back enough to determine whether this his best stretch.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Kolten Wong drops his helmet after grounding out to end the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016, in St. Louis. They can wrap up the division crown Thursday night with a win at home over Milwaukee or a St. Louis loss in San Francisco.
“He’s good”, Ross said. “This is the guy that I’m used to seeing”. After eight scoreless innings, Lester has a 2.40 ERA.
“I let my team down”, Garcia said. “I was just trying to execute pitches”.
“I’m seeing the ball well”, Fowler said. “I knew they were going to be a good team”.
But it’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t have some doubts about whether they stack up, particularly after the tour de force of pitching the Cubs just threw at them. If he’s outside of the zone, it’s because he wants to be outside of the zone. “I think we’re ready for it”.
After three games at the Cardinals ( April 3, 5-6 ), the Cubs conclude their season-opening six-game, two-city road trip with three games at Milwaukee April 7-9.
The 10 remaining games against teams with losing records – Rockies, Reds and Pirates – should help the Cardinals’ playoff chances.
“His numbers speak for themselves”, Rizzo said of Williams. “They were smart in looking for pitches they were expecting on my behalf, so that’s why they made some good contact”. “Then we can mess around and talk about the other stuff when we’re done”. Obviously, it hasn’t gone well here for us.
Lester’s continued dominance has catapulted him into the Cy Young conversation.
Addison Russell’s double down the left field line plated Ben Zobrist in the second for a two-run lead that looked like it would increase, until Matheny deemed it an emergency and Reyes showed up to douse a potential inferno. It’s all anyone will really remember this team for anyway.
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“He responded well”, Matheny said. “We’re trying to get the big group goal”.
