Hendricks doesn't have it, Cubs lose to Pirates
On the first trip through the rotation, Cubs starting pitchers were outstanding.
Kyle Hendricks' second start of the season hit a snag early, though. He gave up a 3-run homer to Ben Gamel in the first inning and the Cubs never recovered in a 6-2 loss Wednesday at Pittsburgh.
Hendricks (1-1) didn't complete the fourth inning and left after giving up 6 earned runs, 7 hits and 4 walks. After the game, he told reporters he never got in sync.
"Just rushing to the plate, so my fastball command wasn't there," he said. "From really pitch one, I was pulling heaters or pushing them. Just out of sync really. So Willy (Contreras) and I tried to go to the secondary stuff, see what that was, but it wasn't playing off the fastball, obviously.
"So again, fastball command is the key for me. From the start, didn't have it. Tried to force it. There were spots maybe a little bit in the second where I got a few, but then got back out of it."
Hendricks was solid in the season opener, giving up 1 run to the Brewers over 5 innings. But this outing brought back memories of last April, when Hendricks went 1-4 with a 7.54 ERA.
"Very similar, I would say, to what I was doing last year and the bad parts of spring," Hendricks said. "Just pulling off, way too quick, not establishing the fastball. Bad walks and pitches in the middle of the plate."
Catcher Willson Contreras got the Cubs off to a 1-0 lead with a long home run in the top of the first. But after Gamel's homer, the Pirates tacked on 2 more runs in the third and 1 in the fourth. Pittsburgh third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes went 4-for-4 with a double.
Manager David Ross was back from a one-game suspension stemming from a hit batter in the Milwaukee series. But he left early due to an illness and bench coach Andy Green took over.
"I think the first two fastballs of the game were pretty well located away, down," Green said. "I think there were a couple curve balls, the second one got hit and after that, it seemed like he never really settled in. He tugged that changeup to Gamel that got hit out for that 3-run homer. It wasn't typical Kyle after that.
"He's not going to have it every single time out and especially when you talk about the quick spring and what guys have been through. It was just one of those days when he wasn't settled and you run into that from time to time."
Pirates manager Derek Shelton, a Gurnee native, credited his batters for being selective against Hendricks.
"He throws the ball on the edges," Shelton said. "The thing that stood out today was that we didn't chase balls to the edges. ... I thought our approach was outstanding and that's what let us be able to do that."
Right fielder Seiya Suzuki continued his hot start, going 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI. He drove home Contreras with a single in the fourth.
Cubs relievers Michael Rucker, Rowan Wick and Scott Effross combined to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings. The Cubs move on to a four-game series in Colorado, where they'll get their first look at Kris Bryant in his new uniform.
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