LOUIS- Kyle Hendricks took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up Jeremy Hazelbaker’s leadoff homer, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Monday night to close in on the NL Central crown.
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With one out in the sixth inning, the Cardinals’ Jeremy Hazelbaker sent a foul ball toward the seats down the right-field line – the same area Heyward patrolled when he played for St. Louis last season. Syndergaard ranks second in the majors with a 2.48 ERA. Tonight, he was effective and efficient, as he kept the ball down (picking up ten outs via the ground ball) and needed just 44 pitches to get through the first four innings and 49 pitches to get through the next four innings.
After a series of indignities at the hands of their rival going back nearly a year, the Cardinals finally said enough is enough last night and fought back by.getting a hit.
Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood is introduced prior to game four of the National League Division Series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field on October 13, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.
Manager Joe Maddon took Hendricks out after allowing the home run completing arguably his best night as a member of the Cubs. Chapman came into the game and got the save, dropping the Cubs’ magic number in the Central Division to three.
Cubs offspeed specialist Kyle Hendricks, who has been the best pitcher in the majors the last three months, almost threw the first no-hitter tossed against the Cardinals in St. Louis since Mal Eason of the Brooklyn Superbas in 1906.
This story will be updated.
After the homer, Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo went to the mound and the other infielders followed.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny complimented Hendricks on his pitch location.
Ben Zobrist’s solo home run in the second and Dexter Fowler’s two-run shot in the fifth backed another strong performance from the Cubs right-hander.
Leake, analyzing his game, said, “Good and bad”.
“I truly believe I was proper in that, but this is not about that”. It’s unfortunate he didn’t get the entire no-hitter. It was the only hit they would get all night.
Leake, while disappointed in the result, admitted Hendricks was “fun to watch, unfortunately”. He was in charge the entire game.
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REDS 3, BREWERS 0: Scott Schebler hit a two-run single in a three-run first and four pitchers teamed up for the host Reds’ eighth shutout this year. They did it by beating St. Louis on September 20 at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs offense has cooled off recently, but they’ve still won 10 of their last 11 games when scoring more than three runs. Javier Baez reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jedd Gyorko and scored when Fowler hit a one-out homer to right field. Hammel is 4-4 with a 4.80 ERA in 10 career starts against St. Louis.
