Hammel, Cubs end Pirates' winning streak
CHICAGO -- Rookie Kris Bryant smacked a two-run single and Anthony Rizzo drove in two runs to back Jason Hammel and lead the Cubs to a 4-0 victory Monday night over the Pirates at chilly Wrigley Field.
Hammel held the Pirates to four hits over eight innings, the longest outing by a Cubs starter this year, and struck out a season-high seven. He has walked one and struck out 23 in his four starts this season.
"He kept hammering the strike zone, getting the first hitter out," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He was in control of the game."
Video: PIT@CHC: Hammel fans seven over eight shutout frames
Vance Worley, who beat the Cubs last week at PNC Park, took the loss, serving up four runs on nine hits over six innings. It was his first loss to Chicago in six career starts.
"They're talented. It's just about making pitches and keeping them off balance," Worley said. "The next outing will be a little different."
• Fan injured by bat, taken to local hospital
The game-time temperature was 43 degrees, but the 10-mph north wind made the wind chill 34 degrees. Hopefully, Addison Russell's family dressed appropriately. Monday was the Wrigley Field debut for the Cubs' No. 2 prospect, who had about 15 family and friends from Florida at the game. Russell was 1-for-3 at the plate and made a fielding error in the fifth.
Video: PIT@CHC: Russell collects first hit at Wrigley Field
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Keep the line moving: Maddon has stressed to the players to have good approaches at the plate, and the Cubs did just that in the third. With two outs, Dexter Fowler walked, and Jorge Soler, who had been scuffling the last week, then singled for his second hit of the game. Rizzo followed with an RBI double and Bryant added a two-run single. All three hits went to the opposite field.
Video: PIT@CHC: Bryant hits a two-run single into center
Bucs whiff at best chance: Josh Harrison, 3-for-6 with runners in scoring position this season entering Monday's game, had a chance to put the Pirates on the board in the fifth. He walked to the plate with men on second and third and two outs following a sacrifice bunt by Worley. But Harrison couldn't repeat the two-out success that buoyed the Bucs in Arizona, striking out on three pitches from Hammel to strand both runners.
"He was on top of his game tonight," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Hammel.
Walker keeps streak alive: The Bucs only had four hits Monday night, and Neil Walker's fourth-inning single stood as the only significant one among them. The base hit to right field extended Walker's hitting streak to 10 games, during which he has gone 14-for-39. The Pittsburgh native has hit safely in 16 of 20 games this season.
Video: PIT@CHC: Walker extends hitting streak to 10 games
QUOTABLE
"We really insist on quite a celebration. I come from the land of big celebrations after wins. I want us always to celebrate victory. I never want that to get old. I want them to look forward to that, so the more raucous, the better. If they're a little bit juvenile, I'll take it." -- Maddon, on the postgame celebration after wins, which includes a disco ball and loud music
"We were at his mercy, if that's how you want to look at it. That's what we need to do as pitchers: stay ahead and keep guys off balance. He did that tonight." -- Worley, on Hammel
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Fowler stole second in the Chicago seventh, the team's 20th stolen base this season. The Cubs rank second in the National League in stolen bases; last season, they were 24th in the Majors with 65.
• The Pirates have been shut out four times in 20 games this season. They were blanked eight times all of last year.
• With a single in the eighth, Chicago's Starlin Castro has hit safely in all but five of his last 44 games, dating to Aug. 1 last season. More >
WHAT'S NEXT
Pirates: Left-hander Jeff Locke will take the mound for the Pirates on Tuesday night at 8:05 p.m. ET in the second game of their three-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Locke's last start came against the Cubs at PNC Park on Thursday afternoon, when he gave up four runs and struck out seven over five innings.
Cubs: Travis Wood gets the start Tuesday night against the Pirates. Wood's only win so far came at Wrigley on April 15, when he beat the Reds, throwing seven shutout innings. He faced the Pirates in his last start, and gave up three runs on four hits over five innings but had to be lifted because his pitch count had reached 84. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 CT.
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