LDN - Sports

Cubs overpower Pirates for 100th win

[September 27, 2016] PITTSBURGH -- The milestones and achievements keep piling up, but there is only one pot of gold the Chicago Cubs are chasing -- a World Series title.

Picking up their 100th win of the season Monday, a first since 1935 for the franchise, was just another bright spot.

"I think it's pretty special to win 100," said right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who picked up his 16th win and dropped his ERA to below 2.00 in a 12-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

"The number of wins, you know where we want to go. This is just another step on the way."

Hendricks (16-8) pitched six scoreless innings, giving up seven hits. His ERA, lowest in the major leagues, is 1.99 with one regular-season start left. Having him finish below 2.00 and ahead everyone else is another one of the achievements the Cubs are chasing.

"I didn't watch (the ERA) during the game," Hendricks said. "After the game, you've got guys in here all over me, telling me about it."

Javier Baez hit a grand slam, and Kris Bryant added a two-run homer to reach 101 RBIs for the Cubs.

Chicago (100-56) has clinched everything it can before the playoffs, including the best record in the major leagues, but keeps on chugging. The win was the Cubs' sixth in seven games.

"It was a really good night offensively, obviously," said Chicago manager Joe Maddon, whose team pounded out 18 hits. "We really swung the bats, ran the bases extremely well. We just played a good game.

"Just a complete game. I'm very happy with the boys."

The Cubs are 13-3 this season against the Pirates, who have lost four of five to see their "tragic number" for elimination from wild-card contention reduced to two.

"This year is what it is," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "They've played extremely well against us. They've pitched extremely well against us, but they've pitched extremely well against the league. They've got a good team. There's a lot of reasons why they've won 100 games."

After Chicago built a 5-0 lead against Pittsburgh rookie starter Chad Kuhl, Bryant hit his 39th homer, a two-run shot, in a six-run sixth for an 11-0 lead. Baez added a two-run single that inning to give him a career-high six RBIs.

The Cubs added a run in the seventh.

Pittsburgh (77-79) broke up the shutout when Matt Joyce and David Freese hit back-to-back homers in the eighth off reliever Hector Rendon, making it 12-2.

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Cubs pnch hitter Munenori Kawasaki (66) reaches on an error and drives in a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Kuhl (5-4) won his previous two starts and had given up two earned runs or fewer in seven of his previous nine starts, but he got his pitch count up early and left in the fourth inning before he got an out. He gave up five runs on eight hits.

"I thought I threw the ball pretty well until the fourth inning, and then they started working some deep counts and things got away from me," Kuhl said. "I was talking to (fellow starter Ryan Vogelsong) when I came out, and we talked about the importance of minimizing the damage in that situation. I let that inning get out of hand."

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first on Jason Heyward's bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

The Cubs chased Kuhl in the fourth before he could log an out. Chicago loaded the bases on Heyward's single, a walk to Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr.'s bunt single, setting up Baez's second grand slam of his career and this season for a 5-0 lead.

Consecutive singles by Hendricks, Chris Coghlan and Bryant reloaded the bases before reliever Zach Phillips came on to end the inning with a strikeout and a double play.

NOTES: Pirates C Francisco Servelli returned to the lineup after being rested Sunday. He went 0-for-2. ... Pittsburgh remained without LF Starling Marte (back) and RF Gregory Polanco (facial contusion). ... Cubs C David Ross hit his 10th homer of the season on Sunday. According to STATS, LLC, he is the first player to go nine years between 10-homer seasons since Dale Sveum (1987, 1997). ... Pittsburgh 3B Jung Ho Kang, who is from South Korea, on Sunday became the first Asian-born infielder to hit 20 homers in a major league season. ... Pittsburgh acquired INF Chris Bostick from Washington in a trade for minor league C Taylor Gushue and cash. Bostick was placed on the 40-man roster, but he will not report to the Pirates. To make room for Bostick, the Pirates placed 2B Josh Harrison (right groin strain) on the 60-day disabled list.

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