Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (Simulated Game 60): Cubs 11, Reds 2 – Hendricks Goes Distance as Cubs Bludgeon Reds

The Chicago Cubs (40-20) continued their recent tear against the Cincinnati Reds (37-22) on a warm, sunny day at Wrigley Field on Sunday. They piled 11 runs on the Reds and got a strong start from Kyle Hendricks, winning 11-2 via MLB The Show 20.

Hendricks went up against Anthony DeSclafani, who has had some strong starts against the Cubs in his career. But a lot of that came prior to 2016, when the Cubs notably won the World Series and assembled most of the current offensive core. DeSclafani didn’t fare well on Sunday, going just four innings and giving up five earned runs on nine hits while walking two.

Cincinnati struck first against Hendricks as former Cub Nick Castellanos hit an RBI single to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. In the bottom half of the 1st inning, however, Willson Contreras cranked a three-run homer and Jason Heyward added an RBI double for a 4-1 Cubs lead.

Joey Votto hit a home run to center field off Hendricks in the 3rd inning to bring the Reds to within 4-2, but the Cubs would respond immediately. They created more room in the 3rd when Ian Happ singled, stole second, and crossed home plate on a Nico Hoerner base hit.

The Cubs were done until the 6th inning, when Hendricks, who isn’t much known for his batting abilities, got the rally started with a double into center field.

Kris Bryant followed Hendricks’ double with a two-run home run that put Chicago ahead 7-2. Anthony Rizzo then doubled, Kyle Schwarber walked, and Contreras drilled another three-run homer into the stands in left field. The Cubs took a game where the Reds were within striking distance and put it away, leading 10-2.

They’d add one more run in the 8th, this time with an RBI single from Josh Phegley that drove home Rizzo. Meanwhile, Hendricks cruised to a complete-game victory. He went all nine, giving up two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five. Cincinnati went quietly in the 9th and succumbed to the Cubs’ brutal offensive attack, losing the game 11-2 and dropping their third in a row in this four-game set.

Key Players:

Contreras – 3-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Rizzo – 4-for-5, 2 2B, 3B, 2 R
Bryant – 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Heyward – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
Hendricks – 9 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 5 K; 1-for-3, 2B, R
Votto – 1-for-4, HR, RBI
Castellanos – 2-for-4, RBI

Winning Pitcher – Hendricks (5-3)
Losing Pitcher – DeSclafani (5-4)
Save – None
Home Runs – Bryant (21), Contreras 2 (12), Votto (9)

Sunday Standings:

Cubs – 40-20
Reds – 37-22
Brewers – 30-29
Cardinals – 25-35
Pirates – 22-37

60-game stats:

Contreras – 169 AB, .308/.376/.592, 12 HR, 38 RBI
Phegley – 55 AB, .236/.283/.364, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Caratini – 87 AB, .253/.313/.460, 5 HR, 17 RBI
Rizzo – 219 AB, .306/.387/.580, 16 HR, 34 RBI
Kipnis (IL) – 62 AB, .113/.225/.210, 1 HR, 2 RBI
García (AAA) – 18 AB, .278/.350/.333, 0 HR, 2 RBI
Hoerner – 94 AB, .223/.277/.351, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 11-12 SB
Báez – 185 AB, .303/.361/.611, 14 HR, 29 RBI

Bryant – 225 AB, .369/.450/.733, 21 HR, 33 RBI
Bote – 161 AB, .261/.348/.453, 7 HR, 32 RBI
Schwarber – 189 AB, .333/.407/.497, 8 HR, 28 RBI
Happ – 179 AB, .307/.380/.609, 13 HR, 41 RBI
Almora – 98 AB, .235/.312/.408, 3 HR, 11 RBI
Miller (AAA) – 17 AB, .118/.211/.176, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Heyward – 152 AB, .289/.377/.533, 11 HR, 30 RBI
Souza – 93 AB, .258/.320/.344, 2 HR, 11 RBI

Hendricks – 13 GS, 5-3, 75.2 IP, 59 K, 14 BB, 5.00 ERA
Darvish – 12 GS, 6-2, 73.2 IP, 85 K, 24 BB, 3.79 ERA
Lester (IL) – 11 GS, 3-5, 58 IP, 48 K, 24 BB, 3.72 ERA
Quintana – 12 GS, 5-2, 73.1 IP, 64 K, 30 BB, 3.07 ERA
Chatwood – 11 GS, 1-1, 51 IP, 54 K, 30 BB, 3.71 ERA

Mills – 21 G (1 GS), 38.2 IP, 41 K, 11 BB, 3.49 ERA, 0-0 S
Winkler – 8 G, 5.2 IP, 6 K, 5 BB, 12.71 ERA, 0-0 S
Jeffress – 26 G, 24.2 IP, 29 K, 13 BB, 3.65 ERA, 0-2 S
Wick (AAA) – 23 G, 20.2 IP, 23 K, 13 BB, 5.66 ERA, 0-3 S
Sadler (AAA) – 13 G, 13 IP, 5 K, 6 BB, 3.46 ERA, 0-1 S
Tepera (AAA) – 15 G, 17.1 IP, 13 K, 9 BB, 4.67 ERA, 0-0 S
Ryan – 27 G, 20.2 IP, 23 K, 11 BB, 2.61 ERA, 0-3 S
Hultzen – 17 G, 13.2 IP, 15 K, 7 BB, 3.95 ERA, 0-1 S
Maples (AAA) – 9 G, 10 IP, 10 K, 7 BB, 7.20 ERA, 0-0 S
Alzolay (AAA) – 4 G, 6 IP, 7 K, 7 BB, 9.00 ERA, 0-1 S
Cotton – 2 G, 3 IP, 3 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0-0 S
Morrow – 9 G, 8.1 IP, 10 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0-0 S
Kimbrel – 30 G, 27 IP, 36 K, 10 BB, 1.33 ERA, 22-24 S