Cubs move into wild card spot with big win over Giants
Take a look around the league with Big League Stew’s daily wrap up. We’ll hit on all of the biggest moments from the day that you may have missed, while providing highlights, photos and interesting stats.
It may only be August, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t playoff caliber baseball games happening. The Chicago Cubs found that out during a 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
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With the second wild card spot potentially on the line, the Cubs came out firing. Chicago wasted no time going to work against Giants starter Chris Heston.
Jorge Soler kicked off the scoring in the first inning with a two-run single. Rookie Kyle Schwarber struck the following inning, belting a three-run homer on an 89 mph sinker from Heston.
While the Cubs jumped out to a 5-0 lead early, holding it would be a challenge. Starter Jason Hammel seemed to lose some effectiveness in the fourth inning. After giving up a double to Hunter Pence, Hammel allowed a two-run shot to Brandon Belt.
Manager Joe Maddon clearly sensed what was on the line, pulling Hammel after he walked the first two batters to start the fifth inning. He had only thrown 76 pitches, and wasn’t injured, so it was assumed Maddon pulled him in an attempt to preserve the win.
The move would work, as Hammel’s replacement, Justin Grimm, got out of the inning without giving up any runs. That wasn’t the case for Tommy Hunter, though.
Hunter allowed the Giants to score twice in the sixth, cutting the Cubs lead to one run. The bullpen would get it together over the next three innings, keeping the Giants from tying the game.
With the win, the Cubs improved to 59-50. They lead the Giants by a half game for the second wild card spot in the National League.
ASTROS OVERCOME LATE RALLY
It wasn’t pretty, but the Houston Astros picked up a win Thursday against the Oakland Athletics. After nearly blowing the game in the bottom of the ninth, Houston delivered a 5-4 win in extras.
Houston had a late rally of their own, scoring three runs in the eighth inning to take a two-run lead. The Athletics, however, managed to battle back.
Stephen Vogt would score on a single, making it a one-run game. Then, controversy struck. With the bases loaded, Billy Burns appeared to hit into a game-ending double play. Oakland challenged, and it was determined Burns beat out the throw. The tying run scored as a result.
Houston was able to escape the inning, but the damage had been done. It didn’t matter. In the top of the 10th, Jed Lowrie delivered the game-winning double. Will Harris came on for the save in the bottom of the frame, and tossed a perfect inning, securing the Houston victory.
With the win, the Astros improved to 61-49 on the year.
BLUE JAYS KEEP WINNING
The Toronto Blue Jays are heating up at just the right time. The club won its sixth-straight contest Thursday, defeating the Minnesota Twins by a score of 9-3.
The usual suspects were responsible for the damage at the plate. Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion combined to go 6 for 12, with five runs scored and six RBI. They also combined to add three walks.
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The club’s pitching has been much maligned all year, but Mark Buehrle was able to keep the team in the game. He lasted seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
Toronto’s streak couldn’t come at a better time, the team will take on the American League East leading New York Yankees starting Friday. If Toronto has any aspirations at taking the division, they’ll need a strong series against their rival.
MICHAEL WACHA DOES IT AGAIN
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha has been shutting down opponents all season. He did it again Thursday, earned the win during the team’s 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Wacha was fantastic. The 24-year-old allowed just four hits over seven shutout innings. He walked two and struck out six during the contest.
With the performance, Wacha lowered his ERA to 2.92 on the season. Overall, that’s pretty impressive. In St. Louis, however, it’s not that great.
That’s insane. If you had any doubts about how the Cardinals have been able to succeed despite all their injuries this season, that stat tells you a lot.
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With the win, St. Louis improved to 69-39 on the year.
Want to see more from Thursday’s slate of games? Check out our scoreboard.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
