Inter-league play continues with Jon Lester searching for his 11th win of the season. Lester is 5-4 against the Seattle Mariners donning a 3.52 ERA in 12 starts. This is only the second time the Mariners have set foot in Wrigley Field as Hisashi Iwakuma seeks his 12th win of the season.
Lester would start the game getting Shawn O’Malley out at first but with a coaches challenge he would be called safe. He would walk Robinson Cano but ends striking out the remainder of the batters. Iwakuma would give up a double to Kris Bryan and walks Ben Zobrist but gets out of the inning.
Lester gives up a double in the top of the second but that would be all the action for the M’s. Iwakuma wouldn’t be as lucky giving up back to back singles to Javier Baez and David Ross with one out. Lester would send a sac bunt back to the pitcher advancing both runners but it would be Chris Coghlan’s line drive to center that scores two runs and Coghlan would advance to second on the throw home. Bryant would drive Chris in on his liner to left.
Lester would give up a single to Cano and walks Nelson Cruz in the top of the 3rd but no run support for Iwakuma. Zo leads off with a double and would score on Jason Heyward’s fifth home run of the season. Iwakuma gives up a single to Baez but gets out of the inning.
Lester would enter the top of the 4th and strike out the side. After 5 runs and and only 3 innings, Nathan Karns would replace Iwakuma. Karns gives up a single to Bryant who steals second with Anthony Rizzo at the plate, who sends a ground ball to Kyle Seagar who throws to Shawn O’Malley to get Bryant out. With Zo at the plate, Rizzo steals second but Karns gets out of the inning.
The 5th inning would only see Franklin Gutierrez singling and stealing second base as the only man to reach.
In the top of the 6th, Lester scores another 1-2-3 inning. David Ross would lead off the bottom half with his seventh home run of the year. Karns would then walk Lester, Coghlan and Bryant to load the bases for Rizzo. Rizzo drives in all three runners taking an inside fastball right on the third base line for a double reaching 79 RBI’s on the year. Vidal Nuno enters the game for the Mariners giving up a single to Zo. Jason Heyward would foul out scoring Rizzo to put the Cubs up by an even 10 runs. Baez would sends a single to left scoring Zo and allowing the Cubs to bat through the order bringing David Ross up again but he gets called out on strikes.
Justin Grimm would replace Lester in the top of the 7th. He’d give up a single to Chris Iannetta but gets out of the inning unscathed.
After a not too long delay, Tom Wilhelmsen enters the game in the bottom of the 7th giving Matt Szczur a leadoff single then walks the bases loaded with Coghlan And Bryant. Rizzo would ground out but drives in Szczur for twelfth.
Mike Montgomery would get the opportunity to face his former teammates in the top of the 8th gives up a single to Cano but gets out of the inning. Luis Sardinas takes on the Cubs in the bottom half making it a quick inning.
Montgomery would stay in the game for the 9th and gets the first out but gives up a single to Leonys Martin. Then walks Iannetta but gets Sardinas to go down swinging. O’Malley would send a line drive to left scoring Martin for thier first run of the game. Mike then walks Franklin Guiterrez to load the bases. With that, Robinson Cano steps up to the plate and grounds out to end the game. Cubs dominate today!
Go Cubs Go!
The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!
Sports Time Radio 