Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs snap Dodgers win streak

Kyle Hendricks, who grew up about an hour away from Dodger Stadium, continues to cement a spot in the Chicago Cubs’ rotation for the remainder of the season with a seven inning, four-hit performance in an 8-2 victory Friday night.

The victory is the Cubs fourth in their five and snaps the Dodgers six-game win streak.

Only two of the four hits allowed by Hendricks (2-1) left the infield, he walked one and struck out three in a 107-pitch outing. He has now allowed only two earned runs in the last 23 1/3 innings since his major league debut in Cincinnati on July 10. This was Hendricks’ third consecutive quality start, and he’s the first Cubs rookie to total that many in a row since Casey Coleman had four straight, Sept. 12 to Oct. 1, 2010.

Hendricks was at ease on the mound as the Cubs offense scored six runs on two outs, three in each the third and fifth to chase Dodgers’ starter Dan Haren.

Anthony Rizzo doubled and scored on Ryan Sweeney‘s single then Matt Kemp‘s throw from right field to third base jumped into the dugout to allow Starlin Castro to score in the third.

Sweeney advanced to third on Kemp’s error and scored on a wild pitch by Haren during the next at-bat for a 3-0 Cubs’ lead.

Haren hit Rizzo then gave up singles to Castro and Sweeney to load the bases and end his day. Welington Castillo missed a grand slam by two feet off the center field wall off reliever Chris Perez. Nate Schierholtz hit a sacrifice fly, and Hendricks hit a grounder off Perez’s leg to score the third run of the inning.

Luis Valbuena tied the game in the second with his ninth home run of the season.

Hendricks took a grounder by Dee Gordon off his left leg in the first but stayed in the game. Gordon stole second and third base to raise his season total to 50. Hanley Ramirez hit a grounder to shortstop Castro, but his throw to second flew wide for Gordon to score on the error.

Adrian Gonzalez attempted to score from first not the play, but Cubs relay from Schierholtz to Rizzo to Castillo tagged him out at home. The Dodgers challenged the call, which confirmed Gonzalez failed to touch home plate.

Yasiel Puig reached on an infield hit and advanced to second on a throwing error by Castillo in the sixth. Down by seven runs, Puig ignored the Dodgers’ third base coach stop signal and attempted to score after the Cubs could not turn a double play. Unlike Gonzalez, Puig slid around Castillo and touched home to score, but was removed from the game in the seventh with a sore left hamstring.

Cubs relievers Justin Grimm and Blake Parker each pitched one perfect inning with Grimm striking out two.

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