Miami Marlins’ Ichiro Suzuki reacts after lining out during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, in Chicago. The Cubs improved to 11-6 since the break and have restored their NL Central lead to eight games over rival St. Louis.
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“It doesn’t matter how many he gave up, we only put across two runs”, said Miami’s Chris Johnson. He appeared as a pinch hitter on Monday but grounded out.
Miguel Montero, batting for Hammel, struck out with two on to end the sixth. Jose Fernandez picked it up and threw to second to get Contreras, completing the double play and ending the inning.
In three innings of work, Seattle tagged him with six earned runs on as many hits while drawing two walks, and two strikeouts before Carl Edwards Jr. entered the game in relief.
“Today I was a one-pitch pitcher”, said Hammel (11-5). “You didn’t see a lot of starting pitching get moved at this deadline, (in part because) people that had starting pitching to sell know they can also sell that starting pitching this winter, (when) it’s a really weak free-agent market”.
Fowler was his nemesis.
The Cubs struck quickly when Fowler tripled to start the first for the Cubs before scoring on Willson Contreras’ infield single.
“He was involved in nearly everything tonight”, Maddon said of Fowler.
In the fifth, Fowler’s RBI single made it 3-0. Adeiny Hechavarria singled to bring Derek Dietrich home, and J.T. Realmuto sent one to right field – via a ricochet off pitcher Pedro Strop – to score Johnson.
“It’s coming out hot, but it’s easy when you have that kind of guy throwing a fastball straight”, Contreras said. “But I mean, it’s unbelievable”. Suzuki lined a 1-0 pitch to Kris Bryant at third, leaving him in a 2-for-18 slump.
Manager Don Mattingly hinted Ichiro may not start until Wednesday’s series finale against RHP John Lackey.
Marlins: INF Justin Bour (ankle), who hit a grand slam off Hendricks in June, had soreness after Sunday’s minor league rehab game and took Monday off. The Cubs have a.994 fielding percentage since the All-Star break, tops in the National League and second behind Baltimore’s.995 in the majors. Maddon said he hopes Hendricks can provide a long outing. Things didn’t get any better for him in the second as second baseman Robinson Cano launched his 23rd home run of the season out to deep right field – Seattle’s second two-run homer of the day that made it 4-0 in favor of the visiting team. The starter is expected to make his next appearance for the Cubs, which is scheduled for Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field. Lee Smith, 56, is battling Huntington’s disease, an inherited, fatal disorder that causes cognitive and physical impairment.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon expressed his support for Suzuki, and saying he is unsure why the hitter’s quest is receiving little fanfare.
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After trading injured RHP Colin Rea back to San Diego before the game, Mattingly suggested RHP David Phelps could fill the rotation spot.
