Finding some work for his bullpen is Maddon’s biggest problem these days.
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Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo watches his RBI single off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Abel De Lo …
“Each team presents its own set of challenges”, Epstein said before Monday night’s 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. “I figured if I went headfirst it would be considered a slide”.
Danny Espinosa hit a three-run homer and A.J. Cole allowed two runs and four hits in four innings for the Nationals.
He retired six of his final seven batters before leaving after 97 pitches.
“My thought was to get through this week, and then become more scripted next week”, Maddon said before the game.
The Chicago Cubs have already wrapped up the Central Division title and home-field advantage through at least one round of the playoffs, but they still have some goals to achieve before the season ends next week.
Bryant added a diving catch in a rare start in left field as the Cubs beat the last-place Reds for the 12th time in 15 tries.
If the Cubs are able to clinch home-field advantage, it would give them the best record in the National League and would guarantee them a first round series against the victor of the National League wild card game. They last used as many as 52 in 2006. “It’s a comfort zone for the opposing pitchers”.
Robert Stephenson was knocked out in the fourth inning and the Reds lost 9-2 to the Cubs on Wednesday night, completing a series sweep. Stephenson is making his second road start after allowing four runs over three frames in a no-decision at Pittsburgh on September 10.
“Just because I see how he prepares and how he executes”. The veteran catcher also scored on Michael Lorenzen’s balk in the fifth.
Bryant’s two-run homer to left in the seventh inning, his 38th of the season, extended the onslaught to 9-2.
The paid attendance of 39,251 ran the Cubs’ season total to 3,028,965 with five home games left in the regular season.
Montero, Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez each had three of the Cubs’ 15 hits, and Fowler scored three times from the leadoff spot.
He even went as far as to say he’d cast his Cy Young vote if he had one for teammate Kyle Hendricks, the MLB ERA leader. That’s why the crowd gasped and the trainer and manager Joe Maddon quickly ran out of the dugout after Lester was struck by Votto’s hard-hit ball. Offense has been down the past few years and juiced baseballs are a great way to get some more runs on the board. Price was pleased and said it’s possible Bailey will get a start or two before the season ends. “He’s looked very good to me”, Price said.
Cubs: LHP Jon Lester said he was fine a day after he had a liner go off his right wrist in the sixth inning of Chicago’s 6-1 victory on Tuesday night.
Cubs: OF Jorge Soler (tightness on his right side) could be available to pinch hit on Tuesday, according to Maddon. “Probably by Friday hopefully we’ll be able to interject him in the game”, Maddon said. Cincy is 5-5 in their last 10 games but are still well under the.500 mark and will be in tough once again here as the Cubs continue to push towards the number one overall seed in the National League.
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After David Ross singled with two outs in the second, Lester lined a fastball off Josh Smith (3-2) into right-centre. I don’t think this group is going to lose their edge because we might play games for a short period of time that aren’t quite as important as the ones that came before.
