What was that about?
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“It’s getting better day by day, and I should be ready to go pretty soon”, Oh told MLB.com through interpreter Eugene Koo. “What are you going to do?”
“There was a misinterpretation there”, Maddon said.
Although the Cubs continue to build upon what is now a whopping 17-game edge on St. Louis, we know that more than anything, variance can trump all at playoff time. So I made my stand. “I truly believe we were proper in that”.
Maddon pulled Hendricks after the home run on his 96th pitch, in a continuing effort to preserve pitches and innings on his staff for October. He nearly added a no-hitter to the Cubs’ exceptional season while also lowering his major league-leading ERA.
St. Louis starter Mike Leake (9-10) pitched six innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter.
The Texas Rangers needed 12 innings to beat the Houston Astros 4-3, the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 11-4 and the Oakland Athletics crushed the Kansas City Royals 16-3.
Kyle Hendricks has emerged as the ace of the Chicago Cubs’ staff while the team runs away with the National League Central title. While the Cardinals have been one of the game’s shakiest teams defensively, the Cubs sport plus defenders and good athletes at nearly every spot on the field. “I wanted to put an end to it”. He struck out seven and issued two walks (one was erased on a double play) and the Cubs’ win was thanks primarily to a pair of home runs.
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.
Scott Schebler hit a two-run single in a three-run first that gave Cincinnati a 3-0 win against Milwaukee. Javier Baez reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jedd Gyorko and scored when Fowler hit a one-out homer to right field. “A guy who throws to contact and doesn’t throw hard, you don’t think about it”. Hopefully Kyle will throw a no-no someday – Maddux himself never had one.
Maddon was ejected, and Chapman entered to finish the one-hitter.
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Hendricks was looking to become just the second pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season, hoping to have joined teammate Jake Arrieta, who accomplished the feat back on April 21 against the Cincinnati Reds. They lead the second-place Cardinals by 17 games and can wrap up the NL Central with a three-game sweep in St. Louis. The Mets lost for only the sixth time in their last 22 games. With 19 games remaining, the 2016 team will likely pass all of those, on its way to 100 and beyond.
