Hendricks strikes out 12 as Cubs beat Pirates

[June 20, 2016]  CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks combined a serviceable fastball with a deadly changeup on a record-setting Sunday night.
 

The right-hander struck out a career-high 12 while five teammates contributed home runs, including three solo shots as the Chicago Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 10-5 victory.

"My fastball command was honestly just okay, my changeup today was really good," he said. "I thinks today it was the changeup that was the answer."

Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, rookie Willson Contreras and Addison Russell homered as the Cubs (47-20) won their third straight and pushed the skidding Pirates 15 games out of first place in the NL Central. Pittsburgh (33-36) has now dropped five in-a-row and 10 of its last 11.

Hendricks (5-6) struck out Jacob Stallings for his 12th to complete his first double-digit strikeout performance. He snapped a two-game losing streak by allowing one run on seven hits in six innings while walking none.

"(Hendricks) can execute pitches," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "I thought a guy played him a real strong compliment earlier when he called him Maddox Lite (and) I got to watch it. He located the ball extremely well, the changeup played big and the two-seamer he can throw back over the outside corner.

"Everything he threw was hitting spots."

Jameson Taillon (1-1), making his third career MLB start, was pulled for a pinch hitter in the fifth inning after allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking one over four innings.

Taillon admitted he had a rough go in the opening inning when the Cubs quickly had two runners on and scored the game's first run as he threw 33 pitches.

"It kind of got sped up on me in the first, I went to the stretch pretty quickly and tried to make pitches, some big leverage pitches," he said. "They fouled off some competitive pitches and they hit some decent pitches early."

Baez, Bryant and Rizzo hit solo home runs off Taillon. Contreras connected for a two-run shot against A.J. Schugel in the sixth and Russell added a two-run blast off Jorge Rondon in the seventh.

"We came out swinging the bats today and I could tell we were going to score some runs," Hendricks said.

Contreras' first career home run on Schugel's first pitch came with two out in the sixth. Fans called the rookie catcher out for a curtain call after he made it 6-1.

"It was an amazing feeling, it's incredible" Contreras said. "To get my first at-bat in the major leagues and hit a homer, it's incredible. I'm still sky high."

Pittsburgh got two runs back as Starling Marte's two out triple to the left field corner off Adam Warren scored Matt Joyce and Andrew McCutchen. Jung-Ho Kang's infield base hit then scored Marte to trim the margin to 6-4.

The Cubs replied with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and second, Rizzo singled home Jason Heyward for one while Bryant advanced to third.

Bryant beat a tag at the plate on Ben Zobrist's fielder's choice grounder to make it 8-4. Russell then clubbed his sixth homer of the season, driving in Zobrist for the Cubs final two runs

McCutchen's infield single drove in David Freese from third after he reached on a pinch-hit single to open the ninth.

The Cubs put runners on first and third in the opening inning and Rizzo s one-out single made it 1-0 lead.

Baez made it 2-0 when he launched Taillon's 2-2 pitch deep into the left field bleachers for a solo short and his sixth homer of the season.

Chicago added back-to-back home runs by Bryant and Rizzo to open the third for a 4-0 lead.

Bryant sent a 3-0 pitch that curved toward the foul line but landed in the left field basket for the 17th homer of the season. Not to be upstaged, Rizzo launched a 1-0 offering into the left field bleachers for his 17th.

It was the fifth time this season the Cubs hit back-to-back homers but first by Bryant and Rizzo together.

"You go up and down the list it was a really well-played game offensively, defensively and for the most part, pitching," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

NOTES: The Pirates brought up C Jacob Stallings from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday and promptly inserted him in the starting lineup. He is the son of Pitt basketball coach Kevin Stallings. ... Pittsburgh optioned infielder Jason Rogers to Indianapolis. ... The Cubs pondered whether to send OF Dexter Fowler to the disabled list after he suffered a sore right hamstring early in Saturday's 4-3 victory. No decision had been made prior to Sunday's game. ... Monday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals will feature the first big league start for C Wilson Contreras. He'll backstop for RHP John Lackey against LHP Jaime Garcia.

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