After three games at the Cardinals ( April 3, 5-6 ), the Cubs conclude their season-opening six-game, two-city road trip with three games at Milwaukee April 7-9.
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St. Louis Cardinals’ Kolten Wong drops his helmet after grounding out to end the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016, in St. Louis. He gave up two runs on three hits, including an RBI double by Russell in the second.
Maddon was concerned about his team just before first pitch, saying that it looked dead on its feet in 84-degree weather and punishing humidity.
Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs and Jon Lester pitched eight shutout innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-0. Chicago’s magic number to clinch the National League Central is now down to one.
Chicago secured at least a wild card because the four-game series between the Cardinals and Giants makes it impossible for both to catch the Cubs in the standings.
“The fastball command wasn’t there”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
“We’re going to really enjoy it when we do clinch tomorrow”, he said, “or whenever we do it”.
The Cardinals remained a half-game behind the New York Mets for the second wild-card spot. Lester has allowed one run or less in each of his last five starts.
Lester faced only two batters over the minimum through eight innings, with assists from personal catcher David Ross, who threw out two runners trying to steal second base. Moss came into the game having one hit in his past 41 at-bats. Lester has delivered nine straight quality starts, his ERA is a minuscule 1.02 during that stretch and he hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in an outing since August 11. He also helped his cause at the plate with an RBI single in the third. While this Lester doesn’t get it up there in terms of velocity, he’s just as good of a pitcher, if not better. “He elevated a changeup for me and I got it far enough out there to give us a run”.
“His numbers speak for themselves”, Rizzo said of Williams. In the last four games of the homestand, the Cardinals lost three times and scored six runs.
Less than 48 hours after Kyle Hendricks nearly threw a no-hitter, Lester responded with his own Cy Young Award statement, accounting for eight scoreless innings and limiting a strong St. Louis lineup to three singles while finishing with eight strikeouts against one walk.
Cincinnati tied its longest winning streak of the season as Joey Votto homered and drove in two runs in the Reds’ fifth straight win, 6-4 over Milwaukee. Five of his nine strikeouts came on called third strikes.
NY has won eight of 10 and is a half-game ahead of St. Louis for the second NL wild card.
“I let my team down”, Garcia said. “The sooner we get it done, then we can make our appropriate plans moving forward, really trying to set things up and make our best guesstimates regarding how to do it”.
With one out in the seventh, Ramos hit his 21st home run deep over the center-field wall on the first pitch from Fernando Salas (0-1). OF Matt Holliday (fractured right thumb) is expected to take live batting practice later this week.
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NOTES: St. Louis RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder inflammation) was activated off the 15-day DL Wednesday morning.
