I was particularly impressed today to see the Cubs’ bats keep working on Shelby Miller, even as he was mowing them down through four inning, and looking completely comfortable doing it. Sure, they got some help from a key Pedro Ciriaco error, but they put themselves in position to score multiple runs in the middle innings (actually wound up leaving a whole lot of runs on the bases, actually), and got Miller out of the game.
Kyle Hendricks’ line is going to look unimpressive to you because of the three runs and five innings, but that’s mitigated by the fact that (1) two of those runs came after consecutive infield dribblers that at least one of easily should have been converted into an out; and (2) Hendricks departed after five innings only because he was up to bat with two runners on and nobody out in a critical spot in the bottom of the fifth. He was pulled for a pinch hitter. Otherwise, he probably would have gone six.
I’m not saying Hendricks looked great today, mind you, but I did think he looked better than he has in his last few starts. Maybe those mechanical changes are going to take hold.
The bullpen threw four shutout innings from there, and the Cubs won their 69th game of the season.