Local Sports

Cubs Win; Sox, Cardinals Lose

>>Cubs Sweep Reds
 
John Lackey pitched seven solid innings for his first win in six weeks and Miguel Montero drove in three runs, helping the Chicago Cubs sweep the Cincinnati Reds with a 9-2 victory on Wednesday night.
Kris Bryant hit his 38th homer and Dexter Fowler also connected as major league-leading Chicago moved a season-high 42 games over .500. The Cubs (97-55) also matched their win total from a year ago and lowered their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to two over Washington.
 
Lackey (10-8) allowed two runs and five hits in his first win since he beat the Angels on Aug. 9. The right-hander, who retired his last 14 batters, went 0-1 with a 2.55 ERA in his previous four starts.
 
The last-place Reds lost for the seventh time in eight games. They managed just five runs and 19 hits in the three-game series against the NL Central champions.
 
Robert Stephenson (2-2) was pulled with two out in the fourth inning. The rookie was charged with four runs and eight hits and remains winless in four September starts.
 
Jake Arrieta (17-7, 2.96 ERA) faces St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (9-10, 4.54 ERA) on Friday afternoon. Maddon said he plans to play the weekend series ''straight up'' out of respect for the Cardinals' competition in the wild-card race.
 
>>Cardinals Stay In Three-Way Wild Card Tie After Loss To Rockies
 
Nolan Arenado hit a grand slam, German Marquez pitched five solid innings for his first major league win and the Rockies slowed the Cardinals' playoff chase with an 11-1 victory on Wednesday.
 
The Cardinals, who had won four straight, entered the day tied with New York and San Francisco atop the NL wild-card standings. The Mets and Giants both played later.
 
Arenado broke open the game in the second with his NL-leading 39th homer of the season. His fourth career slam made it 6-1.
 
Luke Weaver (1-4) was roughed up by the Rockies, surrendering seven hits and six runs in two innings. Before this game, the right-hander had allowed 12 earned runs in his last seven starts combined.
 
DJ LeMahieu got two hits and drove in two runs to raise his average to .351. He holds a slight lead over Washington's Daniel Murphy in the NL batting race.
 
After a day off, RHP Mike Leake (9-10, 4.54 ERA) opens a three-game series Friday in Chicago. RHP Jake Arrieta (17-7, 2.96) goes for the Cubs.
 
>>Phillies Get By White Sox
 
Tommy Joseph homered, doubled and drove in three runs and Jerad Eickhoff outpitched Chris Sale as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago White Sox 8-3 Wednesday night.
 
Joseph now has 21 home runs, third most among rookies in the majors.
 
The Phillies teed off on Sale (16-9), tagging the ace for six runs and seven hits in four innings.
 
It was the second-shortest outing of the season for Sale, and it snapped his run of six consecutive starts of at least eight innings.
 
Eickhoff (11-13) pitched seven innings and gave up six hits, including three solo home runs, while striking out six.
 
Adam Eaton, Todd Frazier and Alex Avila homered for the White Sox.
 
Phillies outfielder Tyler Goeddel had to leave the game in the sixth after being hit in the head by reliever Chris Beck. Goeddel was the fourth Philadelphia player to be hit in the game, tying a franchise record.
 
Miguel Gonzalez (4-7, 3.83) faces Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (11-8, 4.24) in the opener of a three-game series in Cleveland on Friday night.

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