Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo homer as Cubs win again

Another day, another dominating Kyle Hendricks start.

The rookie right-hander dropped his season earned run average down to 1.66 after allowing just one run that came via a solo home run in a seven-inning, three-hit effort against the New York Mets at Citi Field Monday as the Chicago Cubs dropped the home team by a 4-1 final.

Hendricks (5-1) added another quality start to his impressive string of recent starts, allowing just three hits. New York (59-67) tallied only four hits on the day, marking the fourth consecutive game Chicago pitchers have held an opponent to four hits or less – the first time that feat had been accomplished by a Cubs team in over 20 years.

An RBI single off the bat of Luis Valbuena in the top of the sixth that scored Anthony Rizzo, who doubled earlier in the frame, tied the game at one apiece after the Cubs fell behind when Lucas Duda hit a solo shot in the fourth off Hendricks.  Rizzo added a clutch, go-ahead solo blast in the eighth, his 28th of the season and prospect Javier Baez launched his fifth home run in 14 big league games into the second deck of Citi Field in the ninth, extending the Chicago lead to 4-1.

Rizzo scored twice, going 2-for-4 in the win. Valbuena went 3-for-4 with an RBI of his own. Despite the home run, Baez is hitting just .233 on the year.

No New York player tallied more than a single hit in the loss. Chicago (54-70) salvaged a series split with the win on Monday afternoon. The team now heads home to begin a home stand against San Francisco and Baltimore.