The Brewers not only dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the Chicago Cubs, but starting pitcher Chase Anderson and left fielder Ryan Braun were injured in the second game and were forced to depart.
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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.
It’s just the latest addition to the growing list of MVP credentials for Rizzo, who collected three hits over the two games.
Cahill also drove in a run with a safety squeeze bunt. But Cubs manager Joe told reporters on Tuesday that there’s no talk about bringing Papelbon aboard. Braun was slow to get up as the trainer and manager Craig Counsell ran out to check on him. Betts hit a three-run drive in the fifth inning and added a tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh.
The Cubs’ quality defense was on full display in a doubleheader sweep of the Brewers on Tuesday at Wrigley Field, highlighted by one of the plays of the year when first baseman Anthony Rizzo climbed the wall ledge down the right-field line to catch a ball descending on the first row of seats.
Royals 6, Tigers 1: Danny Duffy allowed one run in 7-plus innings, and Kansas City hit four homers. In a matchup of the two worst teams in the major leagues, Minnesota improved to 48-71, four games better than the Braves.
“They did a good job of grinding out at-bats”, he said. “They fouled off a lot pitches. Granted, I didn’t have the best command today”.
Damien Magnifico made his big league debut in game one, and gave up an earned run on a walk but no hits.
Brewers: Struggling RHP Michael Blazek went on the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm strain. The Brewers send RHP Jimmy Nelson (6-12, 4.07 ERA) against Cubs LHP Jon Lester (12-4, 2.93 ERA) in Wednesday’s game. He’s expected to miss at least a month. The Cubs’ 10-0 start to August was only the second time they’ve started a month in that fashion since June 1885 when Chicago opened June 18-0 and finished 21-2.
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Maddon said he hasn’t been involved in any discussions about signing former Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon, who was released Saturday by Washington.
