The Giants did not have a hit Thursday night after Hunter Pence’s third-inning single, and there were no signs of life early Friday.
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Somebody asked Cubs manager Joe Maddon Thursday about guarding against the risk of complacency this final month of the season with the biggest September 1 division lead by anybody in baseball in eight years, the best record in baseball by a week of games, and a record sitting at more games over.500 than any Cubs team since World War II. “As a major league baseball player, his confidence could not be higher”.
Jeff Samardzija’s return to Wrigley Field almost went off the rails in the first inning.
They begin September with the majors’ best record at a season-high 38 games over.500 and a whopping 15-game lead over second-place St. Louis in the NL Central.
He more than made up for it as Russell made an incredible catch in the top of the 7th and also drove in 2 runs as the Cubs dodged a late comeback to beat the Pirates 6-5 and sweep the 3 game series. Matt Kemp and Anthony Recker provided two-run singles while the Braves put together a five-run fifth to take a 7-1 lead. Bryant added an RBI single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, matching a career high.
Sports Feed host Josh Frydman was live from the Friendly Confines to preview the start of the series and talk to Jarrett Payton about the Cubs bullpen concerns, Addison Russell’s spectacular catch Wednesday night, and the continual MVP campaign for Kris Bryant.
“It’s a little more special for me and Rizz, just with our foundations and what we’ve been through”, said Lester, who overcame lymphoma a decade ago. “In that situation, I didn’t try to do too much. I just wanted to see a pitch, really, and just try to go about my approach the same way”. He is 8 for 18 and has driven in 23 runs with the bases loaded.
“He just plays well wherever you put him on defense”, Maddon said.
The Cubs, though, came back with three runs of their own off our old buddy Jeff Samardzija, who threw 47 (!) pitches in the bottom of the first. Russell drove in his 85th and 86th runs of the season and Bryant his 90th.
The long, tiring trip was worth it Thursday night.
And the Minnesota Twins ended their 13-game losing streak with an 8-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
“I’m about to go straight to the pillow”, Buxton said.
Astros 4, A’s 3: Evan Gattis hit an RBI single to cap a three-run rally in the eighth inning keyed by a wild pitch on a strikeout. The Braves’ two previous three-game sweeps this season came on the road.
Jordy Mercer had two hits and two RBIs for Pittsburgh, which dropped to 3-12 against Chicago this year. He was sent back to Triple-A Rochester on August 7 after a 1-for-18 stretch saw his 2016 average dip to.193.
A Giants World Series would be more of the same for a team that’s won three of them since 2010, but a Cubs World Series, well, you already know.
Leverage situations are nothing new for Edwards, who has impressed with increasing responsibility as the season has progressed – including a one-out, bases-loaded, ninth-inning jam Sunday in Los Angeles facing the heart of the Dodgers order.
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The Cubs once again started the game with a run in the 1st inning, something they did in all three games of this set.
