Jason Hammel gets his second start of the season hoping to improve to 1 – 1. His last start in AZ was a solid outing where the Cubs bats were silenced for the evening post Schwarber’s season ending injury. With the fastest guy in the league Billy Hamilton, leading off with a base on balls. He gets an out with Eugenio Suarez and with Joey Votto batting Hammel throws to first to pick off Hamilton! He would give up a single to Votto but would get out of the inning. In the second he’d give a double to Jordan Pacheco but would get out of the inning. Hammel would get support in the bottom of the second Rizzo would fly out but Kris Bryant would launch his second homer to left center off Raisel Iglesias. He was able to keep the Cubs at bay until the bottom of the fifth when Russell would reach on a line drive to center. Hammel would help himself with a double scoring Russell, he would score on a sac fly by Ben Zobrist. Blake Wood came into the sixth giving up two hits.
Hammel would come out after six, with 4 walks, 4 hits and 3 strikeouts. Travis Wood would cruise through the seventh and would come out in the eighth for Pedro Strop who would get s 1-2-3 inning also.
J.J. Hoover would start the bottom of the eighth walking three, giving up three with four earned runs managing only one out. Montero, Russell and Szczur would rack up an RBI each. Fowler would get two on a grounder to right. Jumbo Diaz would come in to get the last two outs.
Justin Grimm would come into the ninth and make it exciting. He would give up a single to Jay Bruce. Adam Duvall would double. With one out Tucker Barnhart would ground out to short scoring Jay Bruce. With two outs, Scott Schleber would pinch hit for Jumbo but would watch strike three as the Cubs win thier fifth straight game putting them up in the standings at a league leading 8-1!
Combined the team is showing patience at the plate only striking out 4 times. The bullpen would hold the lead together giving Jason Hamel his first victory of the season and dropping his ERA to .75. After 3 hours and 7 minutes, 34,898 fans were singing “Go Cubs Go!”
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