Cubs defeat Diamondbacks

CHICAGO-Kyle Hendricks struck out a season-high 11 over seven scoreless innings in his first win, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 on Friday.

Hendricks (1-3) became the third consecutive Cubs starter to go seven innings without allowing a run after Jose Quintana and Cole Hamels did it in back-to-back shutouts against Miami. The right-hander gave up three hits and two walks after losing his first three starts.

The Cubs went 31 innings without allowing a run, matching their longest streak since July 1976, before Brad Brach gave up an RBI double to Ketel Marte with one out in the ninth. Pedro Strop came in with runners on second and third and retired Nick Ahmed on a grounder before striking out Carson Kelly to secure the Cubs' eighth win in 11 games. Chicago is 9-9 after a 1-6 start.

Kris Bryant drove in two runs with a wind-aided, bases-loaded double in the second. He also singled and scored in a two-run sixth.

Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI triple in the fourth as the Cubs chased a wild Merrill Kelly (1-2). Willson Contreras added two hits, including an RBI single against Matt Koch in the sixth.

Javier Baez cooled off after four straight multihit games, going 0 for 5 with three strikeouts. The Cubs went 4 for 17 with runners in scoring position, but started a six-game homestand on a winning note after sweeping three at Miami.

 

White Sox 7, Tigers 3

DETROIT-Yoan Moncada hit a mammoth home run in the first inning, and the Chicago White Sox eventually broke the game open with five runs in the seventh on the way to a 7-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Carlos Rodon (3-2) allowed a run and three hits in six innings for Chicago, which was without manager Rick Renteria and shortstop Tim Anderson. Those two were serving suspensions for their actions during Wednesday's bench-clearing fracas against Kansas City.

Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire didn't make it to the end of the game either. He was ejected in the fifth inning for having words with plate umpire Todd Tichenor after Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann (0-3) walked in a run to give the White Sox a 2-1 lead.

Josh Harrison, Grayson Greiner and Niko Goodrum homered for Detroit's three runs, but it was Moncada's drive in the first that stood out. His home run , which may have had some help from the wind on a blustery night at Comerica Park, carried beyond the two rows of bushes above the wall in center field. It went 458 feet, according to Statcast.

Zimmermann came into the game averaging the fewest walks per nine innings (1.91) of any active pitcher with at least 1,000 innings. He wasn't sharp enough on this night, though. He walked four, one shy of his career high, and allowed five runs in 6 1/3 innings.

 

Marlins 3, Nationals 2

MIAMI-The Miami Marlins' runs came home on an error, a walk and a hit batsman, helping them break a four-game losing streak by beating the Washington Nationals 3-2 Friday.

Miami, last in the majors in runs, totaled just six hits and went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. But pinch-hitter Martin Prado's bases-loaded walk in the sixth put the Marlins ahead for the first time since Saturday, and they won after being shut out in the past two games.

Caleb Smith (2-0) struck out eight and allowed one run in six innings. He won his second start in a row and lowered his ERA to 2.35.

Three relievers completed a six-hitter. Sergio Romo pitched a perfect ninth for his second save, and his first since March 31 as Miami (5-15) won a series opener for the first time.

Anibal Sanchez (0-2) allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Washington's Anthony Rendon doubled to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, longest in the majors this year. Teammate Brian Dozier hit his second homer.

The Marlins took the lead in the sixth inning, and they had help. With the score 1-all and runners at second and third, Sanchez fielded Rosell Herrera's bunt and threw home while the runners held, which loaded the bases.

Sanchez walked Prado on a 3-1 pitch to make the score 2-1. Reliever Matt Grace's first pitch hit Curtis Granderson in the hip, bringing in another run.

The Marlins ended a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless innings when they broke through in the second, and again they had help. An error by first baseman Ryan Zimmerman allowed a runner to come home from third.

Washington scratched out a run in the first. Adam Eaton led off with a bunt single, took second on a wild pitch and came home on Juan Soto's single.

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