Montgomery Guides Cubs Past Pirates

By ESPN

Mike Montgomery is creating all sorts of intriguing questions for the Chicago Cubs.

Montgomery pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning and helped himself at the plate, leading the Cubs to a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.

Montgomery struck out four and walked none in his second start since he was inserted into the rotation after Jon Lester was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The left-hander was pulled after Jordy Mercer snapped his 17 1/3-inning scoreless streak with a leadoff homer in the eighth.

"When he gets better counts and he's putting the ball on the ground, he's tough," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, "and I think it begins with the better counts. He did a nice job getting ahead."

With Lester nearing a return, Montgomery (5-6) could be headed back to the bullpen. The Cubs also could decide to move slowly with Lester and give Montgomery another start, or Maddon and company could go with a six-man rotation to provide more rest for their pitchers.

Montgomery also is up to a career-high 109 1/3 innings, which could factor into the Cubs' plans. For now, he said he is moving forward as if he is going to start again.

"That's going to be kind of my routine, and if it changes, it changes and I'll be able to adjust from there," he said.

Carl Edwards Jr. got three outs before Wade Davis finished the six-hitter as Chicago moved 2 1/2 games ahead of idle Milwaukee for the top spot in the NL Central.

Trevor Williams (5-7) hung in there with Montgomery, pitching five innings of two-run ball, but Pittsburgh lost for the 11th time in its last 16 games. Mercer went 3 for 3, David Freese had two hits and Andrew McCutchen singled for the Pirates.

"Montgomery threw a hell of a game," Williams said. "It's one of those nights that you tip your cap to him."

Chicago was clinging to a 1-0 lead when Montgomery beat out an infield chopper over Williams' head for a leadoff single in the fifth. He advanced to third on Tommy La Stella's one-out single and scored when Anthony Rizzo's bases-loaded drive pushed McCutchen all the way back to the wall in center for a leaping catch.

The Cubs added three more in the seventh on Alex Avila's bases-loaded infield single and errors on second baseman Sean Rodriguez and catcher Chris Stewart. Rodriguez threw wide of first while trying to retire Avila, and Stewart threw the ball into center field to bring home another run.

"We weren't able to create much offense," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Trevor pitched a very gritty game, a gutsy game. We put ourselves in a position to be in a closer game and we couldn't get outs when we needed to."

Monday, August 28 Scoreboard

Cleveland 6, New York Yankees 2

Baltimore 7, Seattle 6

Washington 11,  Miami 2

Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 1

Boston 6, Toronto 5

Chicago Cubs 6, Pittsburgh 1

Tampa Bay 12, Kansas City 0

Detroit 4, Colorado 3

Los Angeles Angels 3, Oakland 1

San Francisco 3, San Diego 0

Tuesday, August 29 Schedule (All Times Central)

Seattle at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Cleveland at New York Yankees, 6:05 p.m.

Miami at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

Atlanta at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Boston at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

New York mets at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Texas at Houston, 6:10 p.m.

St. Louis at Milwaukee, 6:40 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Detroit at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Oakland at Los Angeles Angels, 9:07 p.m.

San Francisco at San Diego, 9:10 p.m.