South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Lopez’s struggles, offensive ineptitude persist in shutout
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 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.
“That was a really nice pitching performance,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “It looked like [Smyly] was pitching different today, a lot of stuff away. I thought he used both sides of the plate real well and did a real nice job.”
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.
“We’re in August and its the first win at home, so I realized that and it’s awesome to get a win here,” Smyly said. “Obviously we’re not having the best season, pretty behind in the standings, but you go out there every game and every fan is cheering for you.
“It’s a packed house and the energy is better than anywhere.”
The 33-year-old left-hander allowed five hits, struck out four and walked none before being replaced by 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 July 10 but had struggled since, with a 6.06 ERA in four starts heading into Saturday.
Miami’s Pablo López (7-7) allowed four runs on nine hits in five-plus innings.
Lopez, while having had a couple stellar outings, has struggled mightily since being struck on his pitching wrist in Houston on June 10.
Since exiting that game against the Astros after being hit by the Michael Brantley line drive, Lopez has pitched 53 ⅓ innings, allowing 31 earned runs (5.23 ERA) and 79 baserunners (1.481 walks, hit by pitch and hits per inning pitched) and going 3-5.
Lopez has seen his ERA balloon from 2.30 to 3.57 during that stretch.
Meanwhile, the Marlins’ putrid offensive run continued, Miami having scored 42 runs in the past 19 games (2.21 per game) and only nine in the past seven (1.29). The Marlins have been shut out six times in the past 18 games and scored fewer than two runs in 10 of their past 19.
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 Higgins tagged De La Cruz’s foot inches from the place after taking Seiya Suzuki’s strong throw.
“I thought I stuck my glove in there and I couldn’t tell,” Higgins said. “I knew I got
him, but I don’t know if I got him right before the plate.”
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 López.
“We had something decent early, but it seemed like once they scored it got away from us,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said.
Happ made a leaping catch off the side wall in left on Joey Wendle’s fly to retire Miami in the eighth.
Second time around: Smyly first signed with the Cubs as a free agent in December 2017 but never pitched for them as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He was traded to Texas in November 2018.
Got one: Marlins left fielder Peyton Burdick singled in the third for his first hit in the majors. He made his major-league debut Friday and fanned three times.
Trainer’s room: Marlins: right-hander Elieser Hernandez was activated from the COVID-19 injured list. Righty Aneurys Zabala was designated for assignment.
Cubs: Rookie Christopher Morel left the game with right hamstring tightness after breaking a 0-for-25 slump with a single in the fifth and scoring. He’s day to day.
Up next: Miami LHP Jesus Luzardo (2-4, 3.97 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Adrian Sampson (0-2, 3.74) on Sunday. Luzardo allowed two runs and struck out five in five innings against Cincinnati last Monday, in his first big-league outing since May 10. The 24-year-old lefty had been sidelined by a left forearm strain.