Hendricks goes 8 innings to help Cubs beat Cardinals
CHICAGO » Kyle Hendricks went eight innings, helping the NL Central-leading Cubs to the victory.
The Cubs got just the sort of start they needed from Hendricks and closed out the five-game series on a winning note after losing three straight. They lead their longtime rivals by 2 ½ games.
Hendricks (5-4) gave up a run and seven hits in his second straight win.
Javier Báez had three singles, helping the Cubs earn a split of the 10-game season series against the Cardinals. Willson Contreras made it 5-0 with a tworun single against Johan Oviedo (0-2) in the fifth. MARINERS 8, RANGERS 4 » Kyle Seager and Dylan Moore homered, and the Mariners beat the Rangers for their first six-game win streak since July 2019.
Moore also had a threerun double. Marco Gonzales (5-2) struck out seven while pitching seven innings of two-run ball.
Seattle completed a four-game sweep of Texas, which has lost six straight. The Mariners are 11-3 after an 8-19 start.
NATIONALS 6, RAYS 1 » Washington ace Max Scherzer cooled off Tampa Bay with seven scoreless innings.
Kurt Suzuki had an RBI double among his three hits and Michael A. Taylor drove in two runs for the last-place Nationals, who were missing several regulars.
Scherzer (4-2) allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked one in his second-longest outing of the season. Daniel Hudson got one out for his eighth save in 11 chances.
The Rays came in with a season-best 5 ½-game lead in the AL East and had won 22 of 27.
INDIANS 5, ROYALS 2 » Zach Plesac won his second straight start since returning to Cleveland’s rotation after a demotion for breaking team COVID-19 protocols, and the Indians handed the Royals their season-high seventh straight loss.
Plesac (3-1) permitted one run — Adalberto Mondesi’s 458-foot homer in the seventh — and seven hits in seven innings. Brad Hand struck out the side in the ninth for his 12th save.
Tyler Naquin had two RBIs for the Indians against Brad Keller (3-2), who hung around until the seventh.
MARLINS 5, BRAVES 4, 10 INNINGS » Miguel Rojas had four hits for Miami, including a go-ahead double in the 10th inning.
Atlanta’s Adam Duvall led off the ninth with a tying pinch-hit homer off Brandon Kintzler (2-3), the closer’s second blown save in 11 chances.
Garrett Cooper opened the 10th as Miami’s designated runner at second and advanced on Jon Berti’s sacrifice. A.J. Minter
(1-1) intentionally walked pinch-hitter Brian Anderson, and Rojas doubled to right-center.
Nick Vincent got three straight outs for his third save.
TWINS 6, TIGERS 2 » Ryan Jeffers hit his first major league homer to spark Minnesota’s four-run third inning, and Michael Pineda stayed sharp in his return from suspension.