With Scooter Gennett on board and two outs, the Brewers catcher got into a protracted battle with Cubs starter John Lackey, fouling off five consecutive offerings before capping the 12-pitch at-bat by homering to left-center.
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Brewers: OF Domingo Santana was making progress from his right elbow injury, Counsell said.
Fowler is proving to be one of the team’s most valuable players this season, and, if he keeps his offensive prowess going, could work his way into National League MVP talk. He also threw a gem against the Cubs earlier this year, shutting them out for 7.1 innings but getting a no-decision on May 18. For the home games, it’s Jason Hammel vs. former Cub Jake Turner on Wednesday (7:05, WGN/670 The Score), and John Lackey vs. Chris Sale on Thursday (7:05, CSN-C/670 The Score). Fowler led off Friday’s contest with a home run and finished with three hits and three RBIs in his first game back, and he and the Cubs will try for an encore performance when they continue their three-game road series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
Lance McCullers struck out 10 in eight-plus solid innings, snapping Los Angeles’ six-game winning streak. Matusz would be the most likely person to join the pen in the near-term, but either way, the Cubs are clearly not done adding to the bullpen mix or tinkering with what they now have available. When he reached second base after a thunderous bases-clearing double, they were not; they were up by one, and 61.6% to win the game (+.370).
“It’s not going to be a cakewalk”.
Royals 3, Rangers 1: Danny Duffy allowed four hits and a run over six-plus innings, and Cheslor Cuthbert homered for Kansas City.
“I made a lot of good pitches I that AB, and he finally got into one”, Lackey said.
“I was just happy to be back around the boys”, Fowler said. Lester clearly does some things right-varying his set time, being quick to the plate-but it’s hard to imagine those are enough to make him above-average at controlling the running game, given that he literally does not make pickoff throws.
Like the grounder his body language at the time suggested should have gone for two – but that he wouldn’t say much about afterward?
“You couldn’t tell if that was a double play ball”, Lackey said when asked if it should have been two. “You can decide that, I guess”. “It is the big leagues”.
The Chicago Cubs have activated veteran reliever Joe Nathan, who will be available out of the bullpen for Sunday’s game against the Brewers.
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“(But) you just don”t know,” Maddon said.
