Cubs dig long ball in 6-1 win over Bucs
CHICAGO — Kris Bryant hit two homers and drove in four runs, Anthony Rizzo went deep and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Friday.
Rizzo chased Trevor Williams with a two-run drive in the fourth that made it 3-0.
Bryant hit a solo shot against Jhan Marinez in the sixth that cleared the left-field bleachers and added a tworun drive in the eighth off Antonio Bastardo. He also had an RBI triple and finished with four hits, helping Chicago start the weekend series on a winning note after dropping six of nine.
Both teams committed three errors and wasted some big scoring opportunities in the early going. Chicago was 2 of 13 with runners in scoring position, while Pirates were 1 for 11.
The Cubs stranded seven through the first three innings before grabbing a 3-0 lead in the fourth.
Ben Zobrist singled with two outs and Bryant ripped a triple past third baseman Josh Harrison. Rizzo then drove a 2-2 pitch to a party deck in right, giving him 20 homers before the All-Star break for the third time in his career.
That was it for Williams (3-4), who threw 98 pitches and gave up six hits.
Bryant made it 4-0 in the sixth with a drive that sailed just past the lower corner of the video board and the outstretched arm of a fan in the back row of the left-field bleachers. His shot in the eighth gave him three multi-homer games this season and 10 in his career.
Chicago’s Eddie Butler left after hitting Harrison with a pitch leading off the fifth. He allowed four hits and walked three.
Carl Edwards Jr. (3-1) threw 1 2/3 innings. Pedro Strop gave up an RBI single to Josh Bell in the seventh. But Koji Uehara retired the side in the eighth, and Wade Davis worked the ninth.
Indians manager out of All-Star Game
CLEVELAND — Terry Francona’s heart, of all things, has kept him away from baseball.
Cleveland’s passionate and driven manager underwent a procedure Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat that sidelined him for a few games and will prevent him from managing in the All-Star Game next week.
The 58-year-old Francona had been experiencing dizziness, fatigue and a rapid heart rate for several weeks. He had a cardiac ablation at the Cleveland Clinic, where he continues to recover after being admitted Tuesday.
He is resting comfortably and is expected to be discharged in a “day or two,” the Indians said Friday. The plan is for him to resume managing after the All-Star break. Cleveland begins its unofficial second half of the season July 14 in Oakland to start a six-game trip.
Francona’s condition had been weighing on the Indians for weeks, even affecting their play. But now that doctors have pinpointed his problem and he’s been treated, those feelings have eased.
“Just happy it sounds like he’s got it figured out and taken care of,” All-Star reliever Andrew Miller said. “That’s what we want, him to be healthy. He’s so generous with everything, whether it’s his time or his money or the way he treats people. Hopefully, he’s taking care of himself right now. Selfishly, we want him back. He’s a big part of the mood in the clubhouse and the way things go.”
Francona was twice forced to leave in the middle of games last month after falling ill. He was admitted to the hospital this week after doctors detected an arrhythmia from a monitor he has been wearing for several weeks.
Reds sign No. 2 pick
PHOENIX — High school righthander Hunter Greene, taken by the Cincinnati Reds with the second overall pick in last month’s amateur draft, has agreed to a minor-league contract with a $7.23-million signing bonus — the highest since constraints on draft spending began in 2012.
The deal, reached before Friday’s 5 p.m. EDT deadline to sign for players with remaining college eligibility, tops the $7,005,000 signing bonus agreed to last week between University of Louisville pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay and Tampa Bay, which choose him with the fourth selection.
Greene’s bonus is the highest ever for a high school pitcher. He also played shortstop at Notre Dame High School in California. A fastball that can reach 100 mph has the Reds projecting him as a future ace.