And no team has been worse since then.
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Hunter Pence ended Lester’s bid for a second no-hitter with a home run to left on a 1-2 changeup that cut over the plate.
Rizzo, who had been on deck several times earlier in the game, was double-switched into the game at first base in the ninth inning, and thus was scheduled to lead off the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Musgrove (2-3) allowed five runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. He received support in a two-run third as David Ross hit an RBI double and scored on Dexter Fowler’s single. While today was the same result- except they were on the losing end this time.
The Cubs entered with a 16 1/2-game lead in the NL Central thanks to a number of tremendous defensive plays in the past week.
Giants 1B Brandon Belt dropped Ben Zobrist’s two-out popup in the first to stop the longest errorless streak in franchise history at 17 games.
Nobody is writing off a team with the Giants” pedigree, and they have some work to do if they’re to sustain the even-year magic that delivered World Series trophies to San Francisco in 2010, “12 and ’14. The Cardinals led 2-0 in the sixth until Adam Duvall hit a sacrifice fly and Scott Schebler followed with an RBI single. SF starter Madison Bumgarner allowed both runs over six frames with ten strikeouts with five relievers putting up zeros.
Cole (1-1) gave up one run and three hits in six innings.
Arrieta leads the National League in victories and is sixth in ERA. “Heart of the order up, man on second, it’s a different game”. The Cubs repeatedly put the tying run on base, including in the ninth. After closer Santiago Casilla replaced Smith, Dexter Fowler’s sacrifice bunt moved Rizzo to second, but Rizzo overran second and was tagged out.Bumgarner, the left-hander and four-time All-Star, had a 6.35 ERA in his last three starts, yet he entered the game at 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 11 previous career starts against the Cubs.Reigning Cy Young victor Arrieta (16-6) gave up three runs – two earned – and four hits in six innings. Logan Morrison also went deep for the Rays.
Lester gave up three hits and two walks over the nine innings, and lead the Cubs to a fifth straight win. Pedro Alvarez, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo homered during the Orioles’ six-run second off Chad Green and Nick Goody.
Evan Gattis had three hits for Houston, including a solo homer.
The Rangers almost squandered a seven-run lead but won their sixth straight to push their AL West advantage to 9 1/2 games over the second-place Astros.
Nelson Cruz banged out his 33rd home run and Ketel Marte collected three ribbies as Seattle outscored the Los Angeles Angels, 11-8. Cueto comes off of a 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks with all four runs scoring over 4.2 innings.
Washington Nationals hurler Max Scherzer and Cubs breakout star Kyle Hendricks – who leads Major League Baseball in ERA – are among the favorites right now, while some still feel Clayton Kershaw deserves consideration, despite missing two months with a herniated disk in his back, for his historic start to the season.
Milwaukee damaged Pittsburgh’s wild-card hopes with a 1-0 triumph over the Pirates at PNC Park. He had a second Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow after just one game for the Detroit Tigers in 2015; the Cubs signed him and he appeared in three games for them this season – striking out four in two scoreless innings – before giving him his release. The Rangers nearly squandered that seven-run advantage but held on for a sixth straight win.
Colorado’s Nick Hundley hit a grand slam in a seven-run eighth inning that sent the Rockies past Arizona 14-7.
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Pence’s second homer in two days ended a 12 2/3-innings hitless streak for the San Francisco.
