Smyly to Marlins: Go fish
LHP finally wins at home as Cubs shut out Miami
Drew Smyly tossed shutout ball into the seventh inning for his first win at Wrigley Field for the Cubs, leading Chicago past the Miami Marlins 4-0 on Saturday.
P.J. Higgins homered and singled, and Nico Hoerner added three hits and an RBI to help the Cubs defeat Miami for a second straight day after losing five straight.
Ian Happ had two hits and scored a run and Willson Contreras had an RBI single. Both All-Stars, Happ and Contreras were the subject of trade rumors before Tuesday’s deadline, but remained with Chicago.
The Marlins have lost six of seven and were shut out for the 12th time this season.
Smyly (4-6) finally prevailed at home in his sixth start this season at Wrigley after signing a one-year, $5.25 million contract in March that includes incentive pay and an option for 2023. The 33-year-old righty allowed five hits, struck out four and walked none before being replaced with Mark Leiter Jr. with two outs in the seventh.
Leiter retired the next seven Miami hitters.
Smyly was 11-4 last season for World Series champion Atlanta, but missed six weeks this year with an oblique strain. He returned on July 10 but had struggled since, with a 6.06 ERA in four starts heading into Saturday.
Miami’s Pablo Lopez (7-7) allowed four runs on nine hits in five-plus innings.
Smyly got some help when the Cubs kept Miami from taking a 1-0 lead in the third with a successful challenge.
Miguel Rojas was called safe by plate umpire Larry Vanover when he tried to score from second on Bryan De La Cruz’s single to right. The call was overturned after video showed catcher P.J. Higgins tagged De La Cruz’s foot inches from the place after taking Seiya Suzuki’s strong throw.
Chicago jumped ahead 1-0 in the fourth when Happ doubled and Hoerner singled him home. The Cubs added two more in the fifth.
Higgins led off the sixth with a solo shot just inside the left-field foul pole to chase Lopez.