Cubs' Finnegan Flirts With No-Hitter, Cards Bounce Brewers

Addison Russell circled the bases while the crowd roared, happy to have Brandon Finnegan's flirtation with a no-hitter made irrelevant. Russell tried to soak it all in. With his heart pounding, it wasn't easy.

"Once I stepped on the plate, it was an awesome feeling," he said.

Russell hit a three-run drive in the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati 5-3 in their home opener, roughing up the Reds bullpen after Finnegan took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Monday night.

David Ross broke up the no-hit bid with a two-out single that started a two-run rally, with Jason Heyward cutting the Cubs' deficit to 3-2 with a bases-loaded single off Tony Cingrani.

In the eighth, Cingrani (0-1) walked Ben Zobrist with one out and hit Jorge Soler. Russell then drove Jumbo Diaz's first pitch out to left-center, whipping the packed crowd into a frenzy and sending the Cubs to their sixth victory in seven games, matching their best start since 1998.

Jon Lester pitched six innings, allowing three runs and five hits. Adam Warren (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth for his first win as a Cub, and Hector Rondon struck out the side in the ninth for his second save in as many chances.

"Nobody got down," Lester said. "We had some good, quality ABs throughout the night that just didn't turn into hits. They made a couple good plays on us."

Finnegan allowed two runs and one hit over 6 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking five. He also drove in a run with a single.

Would he have been allowed to complete a no-hitter? Manager Bryan Price said no.

"He had a chance to throw a seven-inning no-hitter, but once his pitch count got up over 105 that was gonna be it for the night," Price said. "His night would have been over after the 7th."

Finnegan, who threw 111 pitches, was the main piece acquired when Cincinnati traded ace Johnny Cueto to Kansas City last season. He tossed six strong innings with nine strikeouts in a 3-2 win over Philadelphia in his first start this season.

Cardinals 10, Brewers 1

Jeremy Hazelbaker was starting to wonder whether he ever would get a shot in the major leagues.

Suddenly, the 28-year-old rookie is the St. Louis Cardinals' hottest hitter and a fixture in Mike Matheny's lineup. Batting .526 has that kind of an effect.

"I like watching him," the manager said Monday after Hazelbaker went 4 for 4 with a triple, double and sacrifice fly in the Cardinals' home opener, a 10-1 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers. "So there's a good chance you're going to see him in there."

Hazelbaker made his first opening-day roster after shortstop Ruben Tejada injured a quadriceps in late March. Like fellow rookie Almedys Diaz, who was recalled after Tommy Pham injured his left oblique in the opener and has impressed at shortstop and at the plate, the outfielder has been a difference-maker.

"It was definitely a good day, a good one for my parents to see," said Hazelbaker, who signed as a minor league free agent last season after being released by the Dodgers. "I knew I could do it, it was just about getting a chance."

Diaz is batting .533 after becoming the first Cardinals rookie with a two-double performance among his first five games.

White Sox 4, Twins 1

Jose Quintana leads the major leagues with a whopping 53 no-decisions since his career began with the Chicago White Sox in 2012.

With an enhanced offense behind him, maybe the trend will end this season.

Austin Jackson hit a two-run, two-out single in the fourth inning after just missing a grand slam, lifting Quintana and the White Sox to a 4-1 victory Monday that spoiled Minnesota's home opener and stuck the winless Twins with their seventh straight loss.

Quintana (1-0) pitched six smooth innings with one run allowed for the White Sox, who have won five of their first seven games.

"I feel this is the year for no more no-decisions," said Quintana, whose start was pushed back one day by the rainout Sunday in Chicago. "When you come into the ballpark every day, you come in excited for it because you have a new team, a real team, and we've got a chance."

Todd Frazier, the most prominent of the offseason acquisitions, sparked a second-inning rally with a leadoff single and later added an RBI double. That proved to be plenty for Quintana, who has mastered the art of consistency even if his career record is a mere 34-34.

Monday, April 11 Scoreboard

Pittsburgh 7, Detroit 4

Baltimore 9, Boston 7

San Diego 4, Philadelphia 3

Chicago White Sox 4, Minnesota 1

St. Louis 10, Milwaukee 1

Miami 10, New York Mets 3

Washington 6, Atlanta 4

Chicago Cubs 5, Cincinnati 3

Houston 8, Kansas City 2

Los Angeles  Angels 4, Oakland 1

Texas 7, Seattle 3

Tuesday, April 12 Schedule (All Times Central)

Pittsburgh at Detroit, 11:10 a.m.

Arizona at Los Angeles Dodgers, 2:10 p.m.

Atlanta at Washington, 5:05 p.m.

San Diego at Philadelphia, 5:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Toronto, 5:07 p.m.

Baltimore at Boston, 5:10 p.m.

Miami at New York Mets, 5:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Tampa Bay, 5:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Houston, 6:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Colorado, 6:40 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Oakland, 8:05 p.m.

Texas at Seattle, 8:10 p.m.