Chicago Cubs' Hendricks just misses no-hitter
ST. LOUIS - It was just over a year ago when St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said he liked it better when the Chicago Cubs were finishing last.
Those days are done.
Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks put his own special stamp on the rivalry Monday night by tossing 8 innings of 1-hit ball at Busch Stadium as the Cubs defeated the Cardinals 4-1 and reduced their magic number to 3 for clinching the National League Central.
Hendricks' bid for a no-hitter ended in the bottom of the ninth inning when Jeremy Hazelbaker led off with a home run to right field on an 0-2 pitch. Aroldis Chapman came on at that point and finished the game for his 14th Cubs save.
The 26-year-old Hendricks had Cardinals batters lunging and flailing at pitches all night as the Cubs increased their lead over the Cardinals to 17 games.
Hendricks, a bona fide Cy Young candidate, improved his record to 15-7 with an ERA of 2.03, the best in the big leagues.
The Cubs can clinch the division by sweeping this three-game series.
Hendricks isn't what many might think as a no-hit pitcher, but his mix of pitches and location had the Cardinals off balance all night.
“Honestly, I didn't ever think I would get that close to one,” he said. “Obviously, I'm pitching to contact, just trying to put balls in play. But you can run into one of those special days where everything's working and you're making all your pitches, and why not?”
About the home run, Hendricks said better that than a scratch single.
“Yeah, but if you're going to give it up, at least it's that way and not a cheap hit or something,” he said. “Just left the ball up and he got it. What are you going to do?”
Hendricks gave up a one-out walk to Yadier Molina in the second inning, but Randal Grichuk grounded into a double play to end the inning.
In the sixth, Hendricks got help in the form of two sparkling defensive plays.
Shortstop Addison Russell went to the hole to field Jhonny Peralta's grounder and throw him out. The next batter, Hazelbaker, lofted a foul fly down the right field line. Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward ran over to make a catch while tumbling into the stands.
The Cubs got Hendricks his first run in the second on Ben Zobrist's home run. Anthony Rizzo's RBI single made it 2-0 in the third. Dexter Fowler hit a booming 2-run homer in the fifth to make it 4-0.
In all, Hendricks walked two and struck out seven, throwing 96 pitches, 64 strikes.
“Just tremendous location,” said manager Joe Maddon, whose team is 92-51. “Unbelievably good location, the ability to throw something soft in a fastball count and the ability to throw his fastball in a count where they're expecting soft and then locating it. He has movement going both ways.”
Maddon got himself tossed from the game by home-plate umpire Joe West after Hazelbaker's home run. West was upset the Cubs were taking too much time in a conference on the mound as they tried to get Chapman ready. Catcher Miguel Montero went back behind the plate after talking to Hendricks, and Maddon wanted to send Montero back out again.
When Maddon came out of the dugout, he and West got into it, and Maddon got tossed.
“There was a misinterpretation there,” Maddon said. “We needed a little more time to get the pitcher ready based on the situation, that's all. And I needed the catcher to go out to the mound. That's all. That's it. We were denied, and didn't like that, and I made my stand.
“But it's not about that moment. This is Kyle's night, I would guess his best major-league performance ever.”
As far as the Cy Young voting goes, Hendricks has downplayed it much of the second half.
“There's been talks now for a while about that,” he said. “Again, those are just based on results. The only way results are going to come is if you focus on the little things.”