Cubs Beat Marlins, Cardinals Drop Decision to Reds

By ESPN

Cubs manager Joe Maddon's decision to lift a dominant Jason Hammel for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning looked dubious when Miguel Montero struck out and Pedro Strop got into trouble in the seventh.

All it took was a big play in the outfield and some 104 mph heat from Aroldis Chapman to give Maddon and the Cubs another win.

Hammel threw six scoreless innings, Dexter Fowler had three hits and Chicago beat Miami ace Jose Fernandez and the Marlins 3-2 on Tuesday night for its third straight victory.

"Today I was a one-pitch pitcher," said Hammel, who allowed four hits and set a career high for wins in a season. "I didn't really have a feel for any of the breaking pitches, curveball and the slider, and I didn't throw any changeups. The fastball played well today."

Hammel (11-5) extended Chicago's scoreless streak to 24 innings before Strop's shaky seventh. Aroldis Chapman hit 104.4 mph on the radar gun in a perfect ninth as the Cubs won for the sixth time in seven games and opened a nine-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central.

"We're playing really good baseball," Maddon said.

Hammel threw 80 pitches before being lifted for a pinch-hitter with the Cubs up 3-0, a move Maddon calls a "National League moment." But Montero struck out with two on.

Reds 7, Cardinals 5

Scott Schebler stood and watched his first career game-ending homer stay inside the foul pole, and then flipped his bat and made the tour of the bases. Quite a return for the outfielder.

Schebler's three-run homer in the ninth inning rallied the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in their first game without Jay Bruce. Schebler was called up earlier in the day to take his roster spot, and wound up winning a game.

"I didn't know if it was going to stay fair, and I stood there longer than I wanted to," Schebler said. "That's as good as it gets right there."
Brandon Moss and Tommy Pham hit solo homers in the eighth for a 5-4 lead, but the Cardinals couldn't hold on in a game that had four lead changes in the last three innings.

Seung Hwan Oh (2-2) escaped a bases-loaded threat in the eighth, but gave up a pair of singles to start the ninth. Schebler connected for his second homer of the season.

"That was long, loud and historic," manager Bryan Price said. "That was something, especially after having the bases loaded and nobody out against the same pitcher. Oh has been sensational."

Jumbo Diaz (1-1) fanned Oh with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to keep it 5-4.

Tigers 11, White Sox 5

The Tigers got a ton of offense Tuesday night -- and that wasn't even the most important part of their 11-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

The most encouraging aspect of Detroit's seventh straight win was Anibal Sanchez's performance.

Sanchez (5-12) allowed one run in six innings to win for the first time as a starter since April 28 -- a span of 11 starts. He gave up six hits and three walks, and didn't yield a homer. He came into the game having served up 18 home runs in 94 2/3 innings.

"This might be the best I've pitched all year," said Sanchez, who lost his rotation spot in June but got it back due to injuries. "I felt really good with my command. That's something that I've been looking for all year long."

Sanchez was expected to move back to the bullpen after Jordan Zimmermann returns to the mound Thursday, but the Tigers placed Mike Pelfrey on the disabled list following Tuesday's game with a lower-back strain. That means Sanchez will stay in the rotation for at least one more start.

"I was really impressed with the way he was able to pitch up in the zone again with his fastball," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "That's what he was doing when he was successful."

Tuesday, August 2 Scoreboard

Baltimore 5, Texas 1

Philadelphia 13, San Francisco 8

Minnesota 10, Cleveland 6

Detroit 11, Chicago White Sox 5

Pittsburgh 5, Atlanta 3

Cincinnati 7, St. Louis 5

New York Mets 7, New York Yankees 1

Kansas City 3, Tampa Bay 2Texas     

Chicago Cubs 3, Miami 2

Toronto 2, Houston 1

Colorado 7, Los Angeles Dogers 3

Washington 10, Arizona 4

Los Angeles Angels 5, Oakland 4

Seattle 5, Boston 4

Milwaukee 3, San Diego 2

Wednesday, August 3 Schedule (All Times Central)

Miami at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Milwaukee at San Diego, 2:40 p.m.

Washington at Arizona, 2:40 p.m.

New York Mets at New York Yankees, 6 p.m.

Texas at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

San Francisco at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Detroit, 6:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Tampa Bay, 6:10 p.m.

Toronto at Houston, 7:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.

Oakland at Los Angeles Angels, 9:05 p.m.

Boston at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.