KYLE Hendricks took a no-hitter two outs into the eighth inning, Christopher Morel drove in three runs with a home run and a single and the Chicago Cubs made it two straight over the host San Francisco Giants with a 4-0 triumph Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).
Hendricks was aiming for the Cubs’ first no-hitter since a four-man combined effort on June 24, 2021. Hendricks (1-2) had allowed just one baserunner– a Michael Conforto walk with one out in the second inning– before Mitch Haniger lashed a double off the left field fence on a full count with the right-hander just four outs away from history.
Matt Mervis provided Hendricks with an early lead with a leadoff home run in the third inning off Giants bulk-innings reliever Jakob Junis. It was Mervis’ third homer of the season. Morel did the rest of the Cubs’ offensive damage.
After opener John Brebbia had thrown two hitless innings, Junis (3-3) took the loss for the Giants, charged with all four Cubs runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
In other games, it was the Braves 6, Nationals 4; Rangers 8, Rays 4; Diamondbacks 5, Tigers 0; Reds 8, Cardinals 4; Twins 9, Blue Jays 4; Dodgers 9, Phillies 0; Padres 3, Rockies 2; Mets 5, Pirates 1; Orioles 6, Royals 1; Athletics 2, Brewers 1 (10 innings); Astros 6, Guardians 4; and Marlins 5, White Sox 1.
Braves 6, Nationals 4
Marcell Ozuna and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit two-run homers in the second inning and host Atlanta rolled over Washington to extend its winning streak to seven games. The Nationals have lost six in a row.
Ozuna’s homer, his 13th, went 426 feet to left-center field and scored Travis d’Arnaud, who had walked. After Kevin Pillar’s double, Acuna connected with a curveball, sending it 413 feet to right center for his 13th homer. Both long balls came off starter MacKenzie Gore (3-5).
Acuna went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and three RBIs. He is hitting .364 (8-for-22) on the current homestand. Atlanta starter Jared Shuster (3-2) pitched five-plus innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. A.J. Minter surrendered a homer to Stone Garrett to open the ninth but retired the next three batters for his ninth save. — Field Level Media
