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Kyle Hendricks goes the distance in the Chicago Cubs’ 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to open a doubleheader

paul sullivan, chicago tribune
·4 min read

Kyle Hendricks threw a complete game Tuesday in the Chicago Cubs’ 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field.

Hendricks, off to the worst start of his career with a 7.54 ERA entering the day, scattered seven hits in his sixth career complete game.

Hendricks credited better action on his sinker and improved execution overall.

“I was focusing on executing a good pitch, not a perfect pitch,” he said. “All better, but still a way to go.”

He was two outs from a shutout before serving up a solo home run to pinch hitter Keibert Ruiz with one out in the seventh. His last complete game came July 24 against the Milwaukee Brewers on opening night of the 2020 season.

“Kyle looked a lot more like himself from jump street,” manager David Ross said. “He was throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes, which is characteristic of the guy I know when he’s locked in. It’s something we hadn’t seen a lot of in the last few starts.”

The Cubs scored four in the first off Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw and never looked back.

Kershaw labored through a 39-pitch first inning, allowing four hits, including an RBI single by Anthony Rizzo and David Bote’s three-run double off the left-field wall. It was the first time Kershaw allowed four runs in an inning since Sept. 18, 2017, in a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The one-inning start was the shortest of Kershaw’s career in his 361st career start. He had a 1⅓-inning outing against the Brewers on May 4, 2010.

Ross said the Cubs hitters were ready to attack on pitches in the zone.

“Just command in the strike zone, taking our walks and seeing something in the spots where we want to attack and letting it rip,” he said.

The Cubs added two runs off reliever Dennis Santana in the third when a wild pitch eluded catcher Austin Barnes and went to the brick wall, allowing Jake Marisnick to score from third. Barnes’ errant throw to Santana deflected toward the Cubs on-deck circle as Ildemaro Vargas raced around third for the second run on one wild pitch.

“That was huge,” Marisnick said of Vargas’ hustle. “That’s something that can put a team down, when you have a chance to score runs like that and he’s playing aggressive and makes that play and scores that extra run. Against a good offense like the Dodgers, every run counts.”

Marisnick homered off Alex Vesia in the sixth to make it 7-0.

Javier Báez committed three errors, including two on one play in the seventh when he bobbled a grounder and tried to shovel it to Bote with his glove while Bote was nowhere near him.

Before the game, the Cubs placed infielder Nico Hoerner and pitchers Jake Arrieta and Dan Winkler on the injured list and replaced them with Vargas and pitchers Kyle Ryan and Keegan Thompson.

Thompson will start Game 2 of Tuesday’s doubleheader with Adbert Alzolay pushed back to Wednesday.

Hoerner suffered a left forearm strain Sunday during a collision with Ian Happ. Arrieta had a scrape on his right thumb in his last start, and Winkler has right triceps tendinitis. The Arrieta and Winkler moves were retroactive to May 3.

Ross said none of the injuries is a big concern. Arrieta threw a bullpen session Monday, but the Cubs didn’t want to push him until the thumb is healed. He’ll miss one start.

Ross had no update on Happ, who continued to get tested Tuesday after suffering a bruised rib from being accidentally kicked by Hoerner on Sunday.

“Nico kicked him pretty hard in the ribs, if you watch the replay,” Ross said, adding the tests for potential concussion symptoms turned out OK.

Hoerner called it “the scariest baseball play I’ve been part of” and said he was concerned with Happ’s health after the center fielder was taken off the field on a cart.

“All things considered, we’re both pretty fortunate where we’re at,” Hoerner said. “Especially for his head to be in good shape. That was the biggest concern for everyone.”

Hoerner, hitting .389 since his call-up from the alternate site in South Bend, said he expects to be back with the Cubs as soon as his 10-day stint is up.