Cubs’ pitchers a hit
Starter Hendricks drives in 2, reliever Wood hits homer
CHICAGO — The Cubs insisted throughout their 103-win season that they were more than a two-man offense.
Pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Travis Wood proved that point again Saturday night in a 5-2 victory over the Giants in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
Hendricks had a tworun single in the second inning before departing in the fourth with a right forearm bruise. X-rays were negative.
Travis Wood, his replacement, made history when he smacked a home run in addition to pitching 11⁄ scoreless innings as the 3 Cubs took a 5-2 lead.
Hendricks, who was 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA at Wrigley Field during the regular season, left after an Angel Pagan line drive drilled him on his right forearm with two outs in the fourth and the Cubs ahead 4-2.
But Wood came in and fooled Conor Gillaspie on a called third strike, and then he ripped his homer off Giants reliever George Kontos in the bottom of the inning.
Wood, who has nine career homers, became the first reliever to hit a home run in a playoff game since Rosy Ryan of the New York Giants against the Washington Senators in Game 3 of the 1924World Series.
The Cubs knocked out former teammate Jeff Samardzija after two innings as they surged to a 4-0 lead. Ben Zobrist drove in Dexter Fowler with a single in the first. The next inning, Hendricks’ blooper into center scored Jason Heyward and Javier Baez,
and Kris Bryant’s single sent home Willson Contreras.
The Giants scored twice in the third, with a Gregor Blanco double driving in Joe Panik and Brandon Belt scoring Blanco with a sacrifice fly.
Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect ninth to earn his second save in as many nights.