Kyle Hendricks will try for a repeat performance when the veteran right-hander takes the mound for the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona won the opener of the three-game series 5-2 on Friday.
Hendricks (2-7, 6.78 ERA) is coming off his best outing of the season, throwing seven shutout innings in a 5-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 12. He allowed five hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Hendricks credited catcher Miguel Amaya with getting him under control and calling the right pitches in the right situations.
“It took me a little bit to get into it,” Hendricks said of the performance. “Like, my lanes the first two innings, especially into the third, were just a little off.”
Hendricks had departed his previous start after two innings against the Los Angeles Angels on July 6 because of stiffness in his lower back.
Hendricks, 34, has made 12 starts in his career against the Diamondbacks, going 5-3 with a 4.54 ERA. He faced them on April 16 and was roughed up in a 12-11 loss in 10 innings, allowing seven runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The Cubs produced eight hits against the Diamondbacks on Friday, including two doubles, but went just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
“The first couple innings we hit balls hard,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Four of the first 10 outs were line-drive outs, and then I think (Arizona starting pitcher Ryne Nelson) settled in. … We did a pretty nice job against their bullpen, just missing the big hit.”
Counsell wasn’t happy with some of the calls by home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz, particularly a called third strike to Nico Hoerner to lead off the sixth and another against Ian Happ later in the inning.
“I think there were some big calls in this game that were called incorrectly,” Counsell said. “Some ball-strikes that were just missed.”
The Diamondbacks plan to send right-hander Zac Gallen to the mound on Saturday. Gallen (6-5, 3.87 ERA) has struggled in his three starts in July, compiling a 0-1 record and a 9.00 ERA.
The 2023 National League All Star most recently allowed seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings of an 8-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays last Sunday.
“What probably stings the most about (Sunday) is that I didn’t give the guys a chance to win,” Gallen said.
Gallen is 2-1 in five career starts against the Cubs, with a 3.03 ERA.
Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno continues to receive high praise from his pitching staff.
He guided Nelson through 5 2/3 innings on Friday, when the right-hander limited the Cubs to one run and three hits.
“Gabi (Moreno) was amazing,” Nelson said. “He’s always good back there. He receives really well, he gives me a lot of confidence when he’s body language-ing out to me, and he fills me up with confidence all the time.”
Moreno also continues to help the Diamondbacks offensively.
He went 3-for-5 Friday with an RBI and a run to boost his batting average to .251 after he entered the month at .230.
–Field Level Media